Page 2 of Wolves’ Midlife Reunion (Shifter Nation: Enchanted Over Forty #3)

“Now, Daddy?”

Dex looked around as they ambled down the path at Salem Woods Highland Park.

They’d left the parking lot behind some time ago.

It was a rainy day, not the kind that would keep everyone out of the park, but enough to keep most people away.

Still, they had to be cautious, no matter how excited she was. “Soon.”

“Okay.” Sage skipped down the path ahead of him, putting one leg out front and prancing along while her arms bobbed in the air. “I didn’t know we were going to the park today, too!”

“It seemed like a good idea to me.” There would be no getting her to rest after the huge day they’d already had at the packhouse, and running around in the woods sounded like a good bet. “Did you enjoy your party?”

“Yes!” Sage pranced back to him and put her little hand in his. She held on tightly as she used his strength to pull her up off the path for even bigger skips and hops. “Everybody came!”

“Of course they did. They’re crazy about you. Just like I am.” He reached over to ruffle her hair.

“No, Daddy!” Sage ducked away and put her hand up protectively. “I like the way Aunt Debbie braided it.”

“She did a good job, didn’t she?” Dex tweaked the end of the French braid instead, where he wouldn’t damage it.

He’d done his best to figure out how to style Sage’s hair.

His own curls were easily tamed by keeping them cut short and combed back, but she liked her hair long and pretty.

‘Like a princess,’ she’d told him. The hairstyling videos online all made it look easy, but it was still a challenge for him.

His twin sister always came to the rescue on important days.

“Can I keep it in for school tomorrow?” Sage asked as she bounced on her toes.

He could just imagine how it would look after Sage had slept on it for the night. The other parents at school drop-off already gave him enough sideways glances, and he didn’t need to give them another reason. “I don’t think it’ll last overnight, but we’ll try to do something pretty.”

“Okay.” She looked around them, even spinning and walking backward for a moment before she looked up. “Now?”

Dex tapped into his wolf senses, knowing that his human eyes and ears wouldn’t be able to give him as much information as he truly wanted.

He caught the screech of a blue jay and the chattering of a couple of gray squirrels, but there were no humans nearby.

“Yes. Let’s go over here.” He led her off the trail and into the surrounding trees.

As soon as she let go of his hand, Sage was already beginning her transformation.

She melted down into her wolf form, dropping forward on all fours as her inner animal took over.

Her hands became paws before they even hit the soft leaf litter on the ground.

Fur erupted all over her body, and two cute little pointy ears sat atop her head.

Her tail was thick and bushy, even if it was still a bit short.

Dex studied her for a moment as she romped, picking up her front paws and then bouncing down on a bug.

She snapped at it with her teeth and chased it for a moment.

She was changing. Sage no longer had the fuzzy fluff of a young pup.

Seemingly overnight, it’d been replaced by a sleeker gray with a bit of white around her muzzle.

She was still young, of course, and had plenty of growing to do, but she was starting to look more like a miniature adult than a child.

Sage pounced again, her tail wagging before she bounded back up. She whirled and looked at him expectantly.

“I’m coming,” he promised. Dex ran forward, letting his shift come on the move.

He felt the deep, satisfying twist of his bones as they changed their formation, accommodating his inner wolf and leaving his human form behind.

There was the stinging itch of fur as it took its place, followed quickly by the feel of fresh air blowing through it.

His paws hit the ground, and he bumped Sage with his muzzle as he ran past her and then dashed off into the trees.

Daddy! Sage shouted at her father through their telepathic link and took off after him, her little legs pounding against the dirt. Come back!

You’ll have to catch me! He kept running, moving just quickly enough that she was on his heels. Every now and then, he looked back, just to make sure she was still right there. You’re getting fast!

Someday, I’m going to beat you! she promised.

He was sure she would, and the feeling both lifted his heart and broke it. She was really growing up so quickly. When she was born, everyone had told him and Marie that the days would go by quickly. After several sleepless nights, Dex had decided that they were completely wrong.

Time proved the opposite, though. Even though some days and nights seemed to drag on until eternity, the weeks and months somehow flew by with far more swiftness.

Sage was always a little taller, a little smarter, a little faster, or a little more observant than she’d been the day before.

Now, as they ran alongside each other through the woods, the fresh air in their lungs, he became acutely aware of the fact that there was only so much time left with her.

Over a decade, yes, and there would be plenty of struggles, but it still wouldn’t be enough.

I can’t wait until my next birthday party! she told him as she bounded over a twig.

Planning it already? he teased. There he was, reminiscing about her early childhood and feeling wistful over how quickly she was changing, but Sage was already plunging into the future.

I want to go roller skating, Sage said definitively as she increased her speed, still trying to catch up to him.

You don’t want to have your party at the packhouse next time?

I want to invite all my friends from school.

But we could still have a big cake like we did today!

And ice cream! With sprinkles! Sage was getting so excited about her plans that she tripped over one of her front paws.

She tumbled forward, rolling head over heels down the slight incline they’d found themselves on.

Dex stopped, holding his thoughts and his breath as he watched her come to a stop.

These moments were some of the hardest, when he wanted to rush to her aid and check her over.

But as he’d already noticed that day, Sage wasn’t a helpless little pup anymore.

She’d still need him for a long time, but she could do plenty of things for herself.

Sage quickly pushed herself to her feet. Her eyes looked slightly dazed, and her paws weren’t quite steady on the ground. Then she shook out her fur and licked her nose. Did you hear the part about the sprinkles?

Yes. Of course. He waited until she took off, then trotted after her. He’d brought her there to run off her sugar high, but sugar was still clearly on her brain. You’ve got to have sprinkles. It just wouldn’t be a party without them.

They continued on, pausing every now and then to sniff a tree or the air, exploring the depth of the woods in a way that humans simply couldn’t understand.

Dex felt a deep sense of satisfaction as they reached the lookout, where they could see the marsh, and they moved along its edge. These were the moments he lived for.

Daddy.

Hm?

Who was that lady you were talking to yesterday? She dodged away from him and wagged her tail, giving him a bratty look.

What lady? The last thing he knew, she’d been going on about sprinkles and trying to decide which kind was the best. This caught him off guard.

The one in the store yesterday, she explained. Even in her telepathic voice, she could speak to him in a tone that indicated he must not be very smart if he couldn’t keep up.

Oh.

She meant Tina. That’d been a hell of a surprise.

Dex had known he shouldn’t go shopping downtown, not so close to Halloween.

That was the time of year when it felt like half of America made a pilgrimage to Salem.

Parking had been almost impossible, and even just threading his way up and down the sidewalks between the different shops had been more of an adventure than he’d been ready for after a long night at work.

But Sage had wanted to find some very special gifts to give the other kids at her party, even if they were just her cousins and packmates. He’d obliged, and then he’d found himself face-to-face with Tina.

She hadn’t changed after all these years.

No, that wasn’t true. Of course she had.

They all had. There were some faint lines at the corners of her eyes, and her curves were more substantial.

She also carried herself with a bit more confidence than he was used to seeing on her.

Tina was no longer the shy girl with her nose in a book.

She was charming and confident, even if she was still just a little goofy.

She was pretty, Sage urged.

Did you think so? Dex hedged. They’d reached the furthest extent they could safely travel before the driving range around the southern end of the park. It looks like we need to turn around. We’re about to run out of woods.

Sage turned alongside him as they headed back, but she was still watching him closely. You thought she was pretty, too.

His daughter was a sweet little thing, but she also had a stubborn streak about a mile wide. Once she had her mind on something, it wasn’t easy to distract her. She’s an old friend of mine, someone I knew from school.

What was her name again?

Tina. Did you have fun while we were shopping yesterday?

Sage was a literal dog with a bone. You were smiling at her a lot.