Page 4 of Tis the Season for Sass
“Better keep an eye on it. It’s not like I can lock the oven to keep it safe,” Chance teased.
“No need for that. I’m here.” Sofia kissed Lars and grabbed a plate.
“Not on your life, woman. I’ll feed you. Like a proper mate should.”
“You’re acting like a lovesick puppy.” Chance rolled his eyes.
Lars was over the top, head over heels in love with his mate, and he didn’t care who witnessed his devotion.
“Just wait, my man,” Lars said as he ushered Sofia into the living room and cleared the loveseat with a single growl.
“You are such a beast. I love it,” Sofia giggled.
The sad truth was, Chance would love to find his mate. He would love to have what Lars had. He just didn’t want to get his hopes up only to have them crushed again. Chance thought that he had caught the scent of his mate once for a brief moment just after Sofia had moved to town, but he’d never been able to pick up the scent again.
He had been utterly devastated. It had taken him months to pull his shit back together on a mental level after that. He did not want to experience that type of let down again.
3
Ginger checked her GPS once more to make sure she was headed in the right direction. She had been driving for hours and was ready for the journey to be over. Road trips really weren’t her thing. They never had been. According to the GPS, Sofia’s house should be coming up any minute, but all she could see were trees and more trees. She hadn’t passed another house in ages it seemed.
Her wolf was running circles in her mind, thankful for the chance to be out of the apartment. Yet, her animal was on full alert as they entered a new and foreign territory. Ginger hadn’t anticipated the anxiety her animal would feel around an unknown pack.
“Turn right in 500 yards to arrive at your destination.”
“Finally!”
Ginger slowed her Jeep to a crawl, looking for a barely visible driveway that her GPS had assured her was just ahead.
“Where the hell is it?” Ginger asked aloud.
“Turn right in 100 yards to arrive at your destination,” the electronic voice repeated.
“I know. I know. Jesus.”
A faint opening appeared in the thick of the mature trees. A tiny red mailbox dotted the end of the driveway.
“This can’t be it.” Ginger slowed to almost a complete stop before making the turn onto the narrow gravel driveway. Hundreds of tall pine trees lined both sides of the road, blocking any hope for the sunlight to reach the isolated driveway.
“Proceed forward for one mile to arrive at your destination.”
“I got it. I got it.” Ginger pressed the off button on her GPS. The sound of the woman’s voice was grating on her last damn nerve.
As she worked her way down the dark winding path, a strange sense of calm rushed over her. For the first time in weeks, she sucked in a deep breath and felt all was right with the world.
Her wolf calmed instantly as a large log cabin came into view.
A single tear worked its way down Ginger’s face when she saw Sofia waiting for her on the huge wooden wraparound deck.
“Oh my God! I’m so glad you finally made it! I missed you so damn much!” Sofia squealed and threw her arms around Ginger’s neck the moment she stepped from her Jeep.
“I missed you too!”
It was the absolute truth. Life hadn’t been the same without Sofia living close by. She missed their frequent lunch dates and weekends out. She missed having a shoulder to cry on when she needed it and the hugs that would follow. Life sucked with Sofia so far away.
“Hey, you finally ditched your little clown car,” Lars laughed and pulled Ginger into a hug.
“You hush. My car was perfectly fine for normal sized people.”
