Chapter 159
The day started slowly, the morning light spilling through the windows of the pack house in soft, golden streaks. I stretched, the warmth of the sun soaking into my skin as I glanced at the clock. Jake had already left for training with the warriors, leaving the twins and me to ease into the day without his brooding presence looming over everything.
Lily was the first to bounce into my room, her unruly curls sticking out in every direction. “Ayla! Logan’s awake, and he’s hungry!”
I chuckled, pulling her into a hug. Lily was maturing so fast ,she was intelligent and loved talking. I couldnt believe time had moved so fast they were babies just not long ago now they were growing. I felt like a proud mom. Logan was reserved ,he never said a lot he liked playing with his toys and keeping to himself. “Alright, let’s get breakfast going before he starts grumping at us.”
We headed down to the kitchen, where Logan was already sitting at the table, rubbing sleep from his eyes. His cheeks were still a little pink from the cold he’d caught the other day, but he seemed much better now, his usual mischievous energy returning in bursts.
“What do you guys want for breakfast?” I asked, opening the fridge.
“Pancakes!” they both shouted in unison, their voices echoing in the quiet kitchen.
“Pancakes it is,” I said with a grin, pulling out the ingredients.
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By the time breakfast was ready, the twins were giggling uncontrollably, their laughter bouncing off the walls as I attempted to flip a pancake that had stuck to the pan.
“Is it supposed to look like that?” Lily asked, her eyes wide with mock concern.
“It’s a creative pancake,” I said, trying to salvage its misshapen edges.
Logan giggled. “It looks like a squished wolf!”
I couldn’t help but laugh as I placed the questionable pancake on their plates. “Eat it before it gets away.”
After breakfast, the twins insisted on playing outside, so I bundled them up and followed them into the crisp winter air. The ground was dusted with a light layer of snow, and the air smelled of pine and frost.
“Can we build a snowman?” Lily asked, her eyes sparkling.
“Of course,” I said, grabbing a pair of gloves from my pocket.
The three of us set to work rolling large balls of snow, stacking them on top of each other to create a slightly lopsided snowman. Lily insisted on using sticks for arms, while Logan found rocks to make the eyes and mouth.
“Perfect,” I said as we stepped back to admire our work.
“It needs a name!” Logan declared.
“How about... Mr. Frost?” I suggested.
The twins nodded in agreement, clapping their hands together.
As we played, I caught sight of Tammy walking along the edge of the forest, her arms wrapped around herself as if shielding herself from the cold. She seemed... different. Her usual confident stride was subdued, her shoulders hunched against the wind.
Something in me stirred, a mix of curiosity and concern.
“Stay here,” I told the twins. “I’ll be right back.”
They nodded, too engrossed in decorating Mr. Frost with pinecones to notice where I was going.
“Tammy,” I called, jogging to catch up with her.
She stopped, glancing over her shoulder. “What?”
“You okay?” I asked, noting the tension in her jaw and the tight grip she had on her coat.
“I’m fine,” she said quickly, her tone sharp.
I didn’t believe her for a second. “You don’t look fine.”
She sighed, running a hand through her hair. “It’s nothing. Just... a lot on my mind.”
I hesitated, unsure if I should push further. “Do you want to talk about it?”
She shook her head. “No. And even if I did, what makes you think you could help?”
Her words stung, but I tried not to let it show. “Because sometimes it helps to talk, even if the other person can’t fix everything.”
Tammy stared at me for a long moment, her eyes searching mine as if trying to decide whether or not I was worth trusting.
Finally, she shook her head again. “Thanks, but no thanks.”
I watched her walk away, her figure disappearing into the trees. Something about her felt off, like she was carrying a weight she couldn’t put down.
When I returned to the twins, they were still playing happily in the snow, oblivious to the strange tension I’d just experienced. I forced a smile, determined not to let my concern for Tammy ruin our day.
The rest of the morning passed in a blur of snowball fights and laughter. By lunchtime, the twins were tired and hungry, so we headed back inside to warm up.
As I made sandwiches for everyone, I found my mind wandering back to Tammy. Her guarded demeanor, the sadness in her eyes—it was hard to ignore.
“Who’s that for?” Logan asked, pointing to the extra plate I’d made.
“Tammy,” I said. “She seemed... upset earlier.”
Lily tilted her head. “She’s always upset.”
“Not always,” I said gently. “Sometimes people just need a little kindness.”
Logan nodded solemnly, as if he understood exactly what I meant.
After lunch, I decided to check on Tammy. The twins were napping, their soft snores filling the quiet house, so I took the opportunity to seek her out.
I found her in the library, her back to me as she stared out the window.
“Hey,” I said softly, setting the plate of food on the table.
She turned, her expression guarded. “What do you want?”
“I brought you lunch,” I said, gesturing to the plate.
Tammy glanced at it but didn’t move to take it. “Why are you being nice to me?”
“Because I want to,” I said simply.
She crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing. “You don’t have to pity me.”
“It’s not pity,” I said firmly. “It’s... trying to be a decent person.”
For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then Tammy let out a bitter laugh.
“You’re something else, you know that?” she said, shaking her head.
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I said with a small smile.
To my surprise, Tammy sat down and started picking at the food. She didn’t say much, but I could tell she was thinking about something.
After a while, she spoke. “My dad... he wasn’t always like this.”
I blinked, caught off guard by her sudden openness.
“He used to be different,” she continued, her voice quiet. “Before my mom died"
“My dad never got over it,” Tammy said, her voice hardening. “He blames me, I think. Or maybe he just needed someone to take his anger out on.”
“That’s not fair,” I said softly.
She shrugged. “Life’s not fair.”
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