Page 18 of Same Difference
“I can rebuild this whole damn house for her if it’ll make this awful…fucked-up feeling inside of me easier.” He swallowed hard again. “I’m sorry. I’m not trying to take this out on you. I’m just not at a good spot right now. It’s…” He gestured loosely to the cabin. “I can do it while she’s gone.”
“She’s not yours anymore, Nate,” Nory said softly.
“I know. I know that. She blocked me. I know she’s cutting me off. Can I just apologize how I want to? I won’t bother her or try to see her.”
Nory pressed her lips into a thin line and cocked her head. “I worry about the roof caving in on her.”
“I can help.” He inhaled deep, feeling the sting of cold air in his lungs. “I will feel better if I can help her. Quietly. Tell her Liam did it, or Vic. I don’t care. Not Dodger.”
Nory huffed a small laugh and hung her head. “Liam won’t let Dodger claim her. You don’t have to worry about him.”
“Claim her,” he repeated softly. Why the fuck hadn’t he done that when he had the chance?
“Save that growl in your voice for someone else,” Nory said quietly. “I’m an ally.”
“To Delta.”
“To Delta first, but you are Pack too. You are our Second. I’m sad for all of it. Sad for Delta and sad for you.”
He blew out a frozen breath and stared at the smoking exhaust coming from his backed-up truck.
“We’re giving her a ride to town as soon as she Changes back to get some groceries and cleaning supplies. We’ll be gone at nine if Liam can find her.”
His heart kicked up it’s pace. “For how long?”
“I’ll keep her out a few hours. Be gone by noon just to be safe.” With that, Nory bundled her coat tighter around herself and turned, then went back to her tent without saying another word.
A smile took his lips. A small one. It barely stretched his face. Nory was giving him a time to work on Delta’s den.
He hopped into his truck and eased back down the road, following his own tire tracks down the hill.
He was a werewolf with a plan, and a mental list of supplies.
He could get a hell of a lot done for Delta in three hours.
And then maybe, just maybe, this suffocating guilt inside of him would ease up.
Chapter Six
It was official.
Nory was the best friend in the entire world and the one Delta always wanted on her side when the world went sideways.
Nory had taken the entire day to spend with her, and Delta did admit, she was feeling at least one percent better.
“Oops, Liam is still running late on picking us up,” Nory said, smiling at her phone as she texted.
Delta narrowed her eyes at her and balanced her shopping bags better on her arms. They’d meant to only get groceries, but a quick grocery run had turned into a food run, a hardware store party, and a manicure and pedicure appointment. Delta didn’t have the heart to tell Nory that the polish would be destroyed the first time she Changed. Honestly, it just felt nice to relax her feet in warm water and get pampered for a little while as she chatted with Nory. Currently her nails were painted purple, and the middle ones had glitter because, well, she was feeling spicy today.
One tiny day ago, she’d had a mate, and he’d tried to get his refund for her. She’d moved through so many emotions over it last night, until she’d gone outside and Changed just to escape herself. This morning when she’d Changed back, she had been prepared to have a pity party for herself all day, but this was much more fun.
She came to a stop in front of a flower shop with gorgeous arrangements displayed in the front window. These arrangements were so unique, and the color combinations dragged at her attention. Carnations, roses, Gerber daisies, and peonies in every color accentuated the full bouquets.
A man walked in through the front door, and the bell above it made a prettydingsound.
Nory had connected a call to Liam and was explaining that they were about to have a hair appointment. That was news to Delta, but knowing Nory, she wasn’t surprised that she had planned the entire first single day for her. She was a good friend.
Already they had plans to meet some of the Pack—not Nate—out at a bar tonight dressed in some of her new clothes and wearing some of her fancy new make-up she’d bought.
