Page 35 of Wolves' Midlife Reunion
Tina stood there for a long moment, feeling her wolf thrash inside her. It knew, just as she did, that this wasn’t simply Dex going home for the night or having to get to work. This parting went far deeper than that. She didn’t know if she’d ever see him again.
Slowly, she sank back down into the chair and covered her face with both of her hands. She pressed her cool fingertips against her heated skin. This wasn’t how any of this was supposed to happen.
“Hey,” Nia said quietly from the doorway. “Are you okay?”
Tina slid her hands off her face.
“I saw him blow out of here like a hurricane,” Nia explained. “Figured I’d check on you.”
It took her a moment to answer. She pulled in a breath and let it out through her nose. “Yeah. I’m fine. Or at least, I’m good enough.”
“Do you need anything? Hot tea? Some of those doughnuts I brought?” Nia offered.
Stuffing her face with sweet, fried dough sounded like a great solution to her problem, but it was only a temporary one that would make her feel like shit later. “No, thank you. All I really need to do is get back to work and on with my life.”
“You sure? I can handle the rest of the windchime display.”
Tina stood and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her. “I know you can, but I’m better off if I’m busy right now. If Dex wants to be mad, then he can just go be mad. He can even believe I’m the problem if he wants to. I’ve got things to do, no matter how he feels.”
“I’m going to go turn on some music,” Nia said decisively, heading into the back. A few moments later, some loud rock came over the speakers.
“This isn’t the meditation music I usually play in here,” Tina said when she returned.
“I know,” Nia replied brightly. “I just thought we could use it. You know, get a little energy in here while we work.”
Her wolf whined and paced inside her. Tina’s heart was split, and her mind was distracted. This was just what she needed. Music and work wouldn’t fix her problems, but at least they’d make her feel better for a short time.
“All right, then. Let’s get to it.”
13
Dex burstinto the Heywood packhouse. He turned down the hallway to check his father’s den, but it was empty. Next, he hurried upstairs to his mother’s reading and sewing room. It, too, was empty. Most of the pack that lived there were off at work, apparently, and the place felt eerily quiet. It bothered the hell out of him, especially because he didn’t feel quiet at all.
The front door slammed, and he charged down the stairs to see who it was. Debbie was just coming in, her cell phone braced between her cheek and her shoulder. “No, they said they had to move the talent show. I know a lot of people were bummed, but it’ll work out well for us.”
She glanced up as Dex came rattling down the stairs. Her brows furrowed for a second. “Hey, honey. Can I call you back? Yeah. Okay, that sounds good. Love you.” She pulled the phone away from her cheek and hung up.
“How’s Tom?”
Debbie gave him an appraising look. “I think the real question is how areyou. The pissiness is just rolling off of you in waves right now.”
“That bad, huh?” He sat on the bottom step and then got back up again, too aggravated to sit still at the moment.
She snickered. “Yeah, I’d say. What’s going on?”
Dex had automatically come to the packhouse after he’d left The Crystal Cauldron. He needed a place that felt calmer and steadier, a place where he could just let it all out. It was harder than he thought, though. “I don’t know where to start. My feelings around all of this are pretty complicated.”
“Then let’s go for a run,” she suggested. “I was just popping by to drop off some kitchen stuff I’d borrowed from mom, but I’ve got a little free time.”
He shook his head, suddenly feeling guilty at the idea of taking up her time, but Dex knew he needed to get all of this off his chest. If he could do that with anyone, it would be his twin. “All right.”
They went through the house and out the back door. The packhouse had an expansive backyard, surrounded by lush trees. It was the perfect place for young pups to practice their shifting, wrestle and play with each other, and learn how to tap into their lupine selves. When they were in their human form, there was also a large jungle gym for them to play on. It was a paradise for a child.
Dex wished he could have the simple life of a child, of not having to worry about much more than what shirt he’d wear to school or what kind of jelly to have on his peanut butter sandwich.
He stepped off the deck and brought his wolf forward. It came quickly, both from practice and from need. It’d been boiling inside of him ever since he’d left The Crystal Cauldron. His bones cracked swiftly into place, and his furry ears shot forward. As soon as his paws touched the grass, he took off.
I’d say you really needed this,Debbie said, a short way behind him, but holding steady.
