Page 45

SKYE

“We should celebrate,” I said from the backseat of the Wrangler. “Go out for dinner. What’s your favourite restaurant, Rowan?”

“I don’t know, I’m not a favourite restaurant kind of guy.” Rowan’s brows furrowed.

“I know a place,” said Halo.

The place turned out to be a very familiar cafe.

“This is where we met,” Rowan said as we all got out of the car and piled onto the patio. “There, specifically.” He pointed to a round three-seater table.

“We’re going to need a bigger table,” Severen said, but Crux was already pushing one table closer to what I had already thought of as our table. With a shrug, Severen picked up two chairs and in seconds we were all sitting down together, with plenty of room for the five of us.

A barista came over with menus in hand and said her complimentary greetings as we ordered drinks.

“It’s a special occasion,” Halo said smoothly, meeting the waitress’ eyes. “We’ve added another alpha into our pack.”

The barista brightened, her smile making her cheeks full and round. “Congratulations. Would you prefer a cake or a drink?”

“Oh that’s not nessis–” Rowan began.

“What’s in the drink?” Halo asked, lacing her fingers together and resting her chin on them.

“The Pack-a-punch is a jungle juice served in a fish bowl, with a straw for each pack member..”

“The drink,” Severen, Crux and I said all at the same time.

“Five straws?” asked the waitress. With a confirming nod she jotted down the order while speaking, “One pack-a-punch. I’ll come back with that then return to take your order.” Then she moved on.

“Well, now I guess we really do need food,” I said, skimming the menu.

“Hopefully we’ll remember tonight,” Rowan mused.

“Would it be so bad if we didn’t?” Crux asked with a wry smirk. “At least we’ll know it was a wild night.”

Rowan chuckled, which I found extremely endearing. I loved that he was comfortable with Crux and Halo, and even Severen.

The barista returned with a huge, deep round bowl of a glass and five twisted crazy straws.

The juice was a pretty sun-set orange colour.

Slices of fruit floated on the surface like colourful lilypads.

We each selected a straw and began sipping.

It was tart, cool and refreshing, with that little bite of liquor in the back of the throat.

“Oh, this is going to be trouble,” I giggled.

“Good thing home is a short walk,” Crux said, then resumed sipping.

We ordered platters of fries, both sweet potato and regular, a plate of fully loaded nachos, chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks and crispy spring rolls.

All food we could easily pick at and share.

Conversation flowed around the table, mostly between Rowan and Crux, planning how they would move him out of his apartment and into our place.

“I can ask my brother and his pack to help us,” Crux said. “We can use the Wrangler and your car.”

“I don’t think I have much I want to bring,” Rowan admitted. “Just my clothes. A few photos, Tracker’s things.”

I realized Rowan’s furniture likely still smelled like Indigo, a ghostly, lingering presence clinging to the past. The urge to start fresh made sense to me.

Halo reached across the table and squeezed Rowan’s hand. “We’ll get you a new bed set.”

“We can go to Nesting Needs or Cuddle Puddle tomorrow,” I said. My inner omega just loved getting lost in the nesting stores. So much texture, and the environment was so mellow and calming.

“You have the money for it?” Severen asked.

“For a bed set? Yeah, I’m fine,” Rowan said. “I have to talk to my landlord and tell him I’m moving. I’m paid up until the end of next month.”

“Easy,” Halo said.

“Do you want your money to pool with the pack money?” Severen asked. “Or do you want your money to be your money?”

“I hadn’t thought about it,” Rowan answered.

“Let’s get him settled first, okay?” Crux said.

Conversation buzzed, broken up by drinking and munching and a brief by violent fry war where fries soared across the tables like arrows and missiles. Midnight crept up on us and it was decided we should head home.

Home. Rowan would be coming home. I glanced at him shyly, the dusky wind gently tugging my hair.

Now that he was bitten I could feel him in a way much brighter than before.

While Severen was protection, Crux was all flavours of Touch Her And Die, and Halo was a guiding light into the big wide world, Rowan was almost like a grounding force, like no matter where I was, I always had a beacon to home in on.

Home.

But, home wasn’t the direction I began to walk. I wasn’t sure why, maybe I didn’t want the night to end quite yet.

“Where are you going?” Halo asked.

“Beach,” I said. The sound of the waves in the night air was calling to me, and there was no sun to burn me to death.

“Wait.” Crux ran to his Jeep and pulled out some blankets, tucking them under his arm. From there, my alphas followed me and soon we were a pack roaming the boardwalk, then the soft, midnight-cooled sand.

As we walked, I heard Rowan say, “so, tonight I’ll just crash on the couch?”

“What?” I balked. “Absolutely not.” Although, I had to admit I wasn’t ready to share my nest with him. The fight night was different, that was comfort and healing. Sleep was sleep and… Well, just different.

“I can spend the night in my car then,” Rowan said. “Used to it.”

Of course!

“The car mattress!” I snapped my fingers. “We can bring the mattress up into the spare room!”

“You have a mattress in the back of your car?” Severen asked, and I could feel him grow perturbed in the bond.

“Yeah,” Rowan said. “For camping and… I don’t sleep in my old bed much anymore.”

This caused Severen to ease, and the leeriness was swallowed by a feeling of dull understanding. He’d feel, and do, the same if anything happened to me, and I knew it.

“It’s settled then,” I announced. “Whoops!”

Whatever I was going to say fled from my mind as I tripped on the soft, uneven terrain, dizzy from the drinks, and giggly, giddy from the effect of the growing pack.

Halo managed to catch my arm before I embarrassed myself by falling face first onto the sand.

I shuffled a few steps forward and examined my shoe.

The sole had torn on my ballet flat. I lifted my leg and pulled off the slipper.

“Darn, I liked this pair.”

Then, I was lifted off my feet by Severen. I yelped, cradled in his arms, my knees slung over his bicep. I snuggled against his chest. His breath smelled like the fishbowl, mixed with his usual coffee and wine. It was the greatest comfort I could imagine.

“You good to walk again?” Severen asked after what felt like a blissful quarter mile but I knew couldn’t have possibly been that long.

“Yes, thank you.”

He put me down and I slipped off my shoes, and just revelled in the feeling of my bare feet in the sand. I stood for a moment, and savoured. I inhaled the salty breeze, dropped my shoes on the beach, and walked towards the water.

I felt my pack’s eyes on me as I lifted my dress up and off, leaving it behind to drift a few feet until it fell onto the sand. Through the bond came Crux’s worry, and Halo’s reassurances and encouragement. I needed this moment.

The dusty, silky sand gave way to the soft squish of wet shore for several steps before the cool tide kissed my feet. I closed my eyes and focused only on the soothing rush and recession of the tide flowing over my toes. Finally, I felt the ocean.

I walked in further.

This, standing up to my hips in the ocean in only my underwear, well past midnight, with an entire beach to myself and my pack, fingertips skimming the very tops of the water, the gentle breeze dancing against my skin, my heart beating strong in my chest. This was living.