Chapter 212
HANNAH
Cade said, "Still thinking about what my father said?" I shrugged. "Hannah. It's just-"
"Don't tell me it's just a week. Maybe if one of you were to stay behind, it would make the separation a bit easier to bear."
"Separation?" Cade barked out a laugh. "You make it sound like we're going to the edge of the world."
"The pack's far away. Even your father said it himself."
"Even at that, separation's a pretty strong word to use. Assuming one of us were to stay behind, who would you like it to be? Me?"
I quickly turned to face him.
"Is that an option?" I asked.
"No, it isn't."
"Oh."
My shoulders sagged and I resumed my earlier attitude.
"Look on the bright side-" Cade began.
"There is no bright side," I said.
He ignored that. "We get to handle real conflicts. It's good training for when we rule the packs and get to take care of you."
Cade's scent filled my nostrils as he moved closer. He slipped his hands between mine and took my chin, started to turn it towards him. I turned it back the other way.
"Leave me alone," I murmured. "Shouldn't you be packing your things already?"
His shoulders shook with laughter.
"And here I thought Willa was the dramatic one," he said. He gently tugged on my chin and this time I didn't fight him.
"I've not been away from you all for a long time now," I said. "I'm used to you. Not having you guys around is going to hit me hard. I know it will."
"Do you imagine for one moment that we won't miss you too? Every moment we're at that pack, we'll be thinking of you."
"Your father said at least a week," I pointed out. "What if it's more than that?"
"It will be a week, trust me or I'll personally hunt down string up anyone causing trouble over there. That's how much I want to get back to you."
"But-"
"Ssh." The pad of his thumb stroked my lips gently, stifling any further protests. "A week, Hannah. We'll call every day when we can and I promise the time will go by very fast."
He drew me into his arms. I went into them willingly, resting my head on his shoulder.
"Are we good now?" he said after a while.
I nodded.
"Promise you're not mad anymore?"
Again I nodded.
Cade murmured, "Good." and kissed my temple.
I wasn't mad at any of them anymore but I was still sad.
******
"Honey! Look who's here?" my mother suddenly exclaimed.
She had been washing up the dishes while my father sat at the kitchen table, reading a newspaper. The sight had reminded me so much of how many mornings and evenings we all used to spend together like that before Dawson had come and ripped my family apart.
And so I had stood at the kitchen window, watching them fondly until my mother had suddenly looked up and seen me.
My father, puzzled at the sudden excited note in his wife's voice, first looked over at her and then followed the direction of her gaze.
His eyes landed exactly on my face and lit up. He waved his arm around and jabbed a finger at the door. A gesture that said 'Come on in quickly.'
I went around to the front, opened the door and the familiar scent of my mother's famous homemade pie hit me. I made a mental note to myself then to spend a lot of time at my parent's when my mates were gone. A taste of my mother's cooking could make one forget to be sad.
When I went in, I walked straight into my mother's arms.
"You didn't tell us you were coming," she said, hugging me tightly.
"Wanted to surprise you guys," I said.
"Consider us surprised," my father called from the kitchen.
He gave me a smile and a one-armed hug. My gaze drifted from his face to the small pile of documents I hadn't noticed at his elbow.
He saw me looking.
"I'm trying to get up to date with everything important that has happened in Breakstone and Ice Stone for the past year," he explained. "I'm the Alpha's adviser now so I have to know stuff so I can actually... advise, right?"
"Yeah," I said. "But you just got back though. I hope you've not been overworking yourself."
My father spread his arms. "Do I look like I have, especially when I have your mother's cooking to see me through rough patches?"
I had to admit he looked much better. His skin had a warm healthy glow. He now had a lot more flesh on his bones.
I hugged him again and went over to help my mother clean up.
"You're right. You look good, Dad," I said and he chuckled.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
