Page 15 of Violet Moon (Pitch Mountain Pack #1)

With another hug, Jo excused themselves and Sera was left with these wonderful and horrible raw emotions welling up inside her as memories flooded her mind. She glanced at the tea growing cold beside her and the back door, willing Parisa to walk through it.

More than anything, that was who she wanted to talk to. That was who she wanted to be with. Maybe she would talk about her feelings, maybe she wouldn't, but her messy life would feel so much more manageable with Parisa here.

Sera waited until the sun rose and she lost the fight against sleep, slumping against the sofa as she closed her eyes.

Sera woke to the sounds of her packmates cooking. She sat up, hair pointing at odd angles, and glanced in their direction. “What time is it?” she asked, voice thick with sleep.

“Just before dinner,” Lock replied, dumping vegetable trimmings in their compost container. “I don’t know how you did it, but you managed to sleep through our noise all day.”

“Dinner?” She looked around the room, processing. “The bakery!”

“It’s fine. We helped cover at the bakery and Wil took care of things in the office.”

Sera stood too quickly and she felt lightheaded. “I’m so sorry. I should have been there. I don’t know what happened.”

“You must have been exhausted. It’s fine. We all cover for each other sometimes.”

“Parisa.” Sera said under her breath, glancing at her door. She turned towards Lock. “Thank you for everything. I mean it. I’ll do better. I promise.”

“And I promise it’s fine.” He laughed softly. “Don’t worry about it.”

She nodded and hurried towards Parisa’s office. She flung the door open to find Parisa sitting at her desk talking on the phone. She held up a finger to ask Sera to wait a moment.

Sera froze with her hand on the door.

The moment Parisa ended her call, Sera burst. “Where have you been? It’s been days! And last night I waited for you and you never came home.”

“Clearly I did because I’m sitting right here.” It was Parisa’s attempt at a joke. It fell flat. The tension in the air didn’t allow for any levity.

Sera stepped in and shut the door. “So you’re just going to pretend like nothing happened? Like you didn’t disappear?”

Parisa leaned back in her chair, eyes trained on Sera. “I’m going to resume my daily life and put my own mess behind me.”

“What mess? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing I can’t handle.”

“Pari, if you need help —”

“I don’t.”

“Then what’s going on? Please don’t leave me in the dark. I’m your Beta, but I’m also your friend.”

“Of course you are.” Parisa shut her eyes tight and took a deep breath. “What is happening with me is something I’d rather handle myself. I’m not cutting you out intentionally. I just need to do this my way.”

“But if it gets to be too much to handle, you know I’m here, right?”

“I know that, azizam .”

Sera slumped against the door and savored the sight of Parisa in her office where she was supposed to be. “I missed you.”

Parisa’s smile was saturated with warm affection, despite the heaviness in her eyes. “I missed you, too.”

Sera walked into the greenhouse determined to find the perfect flowers for Parisa. Something was still wrong, but at least she’d been home, even if Parisa was a ghost of her usual self.

The violets didn’t seem like enough. The daisies weren’t right for what Parisa needed. Her roses had never quite taken off like she’d hoped, but they were still sprouting a few blooms in buttery yellows, crisp whites, and blushing pinks.

The greenhouse door cracked open and Sera turned to see Emmaline waving at her.

“Somehow I knew you’d be in here,” Emmaline said.

“Were you looking for me?”

“No, just needed a few flowers for the bakery and thought you might be in here, too. It’s a nice place to start your day, isn’t it?”

Sera smiled. “My favorite. Though, your day started a while ago, didn’t it?”

“Regular sleep is a concept I’ve long since forgotten.

I sleep when I want to. I’m awake when I have things I want to do.

Plus that handsome bear of mine still enjoys mornings and I can only take so much stomping around before I’m up for good.

” Emmaline chuckled. “What are you bringing to Parisa this afternoon?”

“Roses,” Sera replied, holding up a few fresh clippings.

“A special occasion?”

“No, just feeling drawn to them.”

“Maybe it’s a sign that they’re speaking to you. Roses can symbolize a lot of good things, not just passionate love like everyone immediately thinks. White roses can mean a celebration of new beginnings, yellows can be friendship or warmth, and pinks bring admiration and joy.”

“To me they’re just pretty.”

“I know it might be silly, but I love the language of flowers, and I enjoy sneaking messages onto people’s tarts.

” Emmaline regarded the flowers with a soft smile.

“Those pansies of yours can say ‘think of me,’ and their cousin, the violet, can say so many things: honesty, devotion, or an invitation to take a chance on a new love. Your daisies, too. Those are often used as a sign of deep attachment. They can say ‘I’m yours.’ I kind of hope when I sneak a few of these violets and use them today that they send a good message -- whatever the customer needs it to be. ”

“That’s sweet,” Sera replied, but her mind was running away with another thought. Did she want her flowers to mean something when she gave them to Parisa?

“Of course, none of that would be possible without all your love and care for these little ones.”

“It’s nothing. Just my small contribution,” she said. Her voice sounded far away to her own ears.

Was Hugh right? Was the way she felt for Parisa more like romantic love than the platonic love she’d always considered it to be?

“Hardly a small contribution! You keep the shop looking lovely and help make sure we have more fresh vegetables on our plates.”

“Only some. We still have to buy a lot.”

“Still, it’s nice to have them close by. Take the compliment, will you?” Emmaline chuckled.

“Yeah. Sure.” Did she have feelings for Parisa beyond their friendship? She gave her flowers everyday. Talking to Parisa over tea and coffee was the best part of any day. But they were just close friends. Those were all things best friends could do and think.

Her heart beat faster and Emmaline looked at her with a sideways sort of glance that suggested she’d noticed.

Sera chewed on her lip as she considered the time.

She could talk through this flurry of confusion with Hugh before meeting with Parisa and Wilma.

She had to get it out of her head. Even if she was late, it was necessary.

“You’ve just given me an idea,” Sera said, clipping a couple more pink and white roses.

“A good one, I hope,” Emmaline replied.

“I don’t know yet.”

Sera darted towards the door and grabbed her coat before heading down the path past the house, down to the bakery, and across the street towards the cafe, knowing Hugh would more than likely be there. If he wasn’t she would go hunting for him.