Page 104 of Healing Fate

Gage grinned down on me. “That’s what happens when you push it too long. You’ll learn.”

I smiled but couldn’t help thinking that I hoped I never learned. This wasn’t the sort of work I wanted to do all the time. I was happy to pitch in and help when needed, but if I did this all the time, it would kill me. I didn’t know how to let it go and just walk away.

Yet, with the vicuna we could save now stable, I did just that. Grant seemed to understand more than the others because he had been there for it all. He helped me a lot to process all that happened on the way home.

The others were quiet and seemed to be dealing with their own crap. I’d been told the poachers had been hunted down and handled. I didn’t ask what that meant, but from the looks of my friends’ faces, I could guess.

I shuddered thinking of how they did these sort of missions all the time. Sometimes they were called away two or three times a week and others for weeks at a time. Was it always this hard?

I didn’t think I wanted to know. I just wanted to get home to my mate and our daughter, back to the safe life we had there where poachers weren’t a concern.

Lucy,I thought with a smile. She was my home now and I couldn’t wait to get back and make it official. I looked down at my watch noting the date.

Days had blurred together, and I didn’t realize it was already Saturday.

Lucy and Vada were supposed to be moving in with me today. I’d had it all planned out and now I didn’t see how we could make it happen. There was no way I could ask these guys to come over after all we’d just been through.

Looking out the window I tried not to let it discourage me. So what if it wasn’t going to be perfect? I’d get us there and I could always move over their stuff at least. Maybe tomorrow. I wasn’t sure I was going to do anything more than crash today when I got home.

Lucy

Chapter 25

It was crazy how much I missed Micah. He hadn’t been gone even twenty-four hours and I felt lost without him. How had this happened?

Vada was incessantly asking about him too, which wasn’t helping me any. She missed him as much as I did and didn’t understand why he wasn’t there when she awoke the next morning. Because of that I decided that it was imperative that we stick to our usual routine. So, I had gotten up and gotten her ready for school. We’d had breakfast together before I dropped her off and then drove to the clinic.

I didn’t have to open the office today. Word spread quickly throughout the Pack, and I was certain no one was expecting it, but I needed something to do even if it was just paperwork. Anything to keep my mind preoccupied.

Not ten minutes after I flipped the sign over to open, the bell over the front door had jingled.

I sighed, trying not to be frustrated. I hadn’t even finished my morning cup of coffee.

“This was your decision, Lucy,” I reminded myself aloud.

Taking a deep breath and planting a smile on my face, I walked to the front desk and then fought not to roll my eyes.

“Hello, Nonna.”

“Good morning, Lucy. She’s here!” she yelled out the door.

Soon two other women walked in.

“Tabitha? Is everything okay?” I asked, surprised to see Micah’s grandmother there.

“Never better, Lucy.”

“If I ever start to lose my mind, I’m coming to you,” the other woman said.

“Birdie!” Tabitha scolded. “That’s a terrible thing to say.”

“You know what I mean. I’m too old for false pretenses and that politically correct nonsense.”

“We heard Micah was called out of town with Bravo company,” Nonna said. “I have it on good authority.”

“I’m sure you do,” I said with a smile, knowing her favorite adopted grandson was a prominent member of the team.

“Have you heard from him yet?”