The companionable silence had been welcome at first, but the nervous flutters in her stomach doubled with each second that ticked past. Instead of admiring the view or enjoying the quiet, she strained her eyes looking for the first hint of headlights, the visible confirmation of Jay and Zack’s safety that a phone call from enemy territory couldn’t provide.
She needed a distraction. She sipped her tea and cleared her throat. “How long have you and Jay known each other?”
“About ten years, I guess. Could be twelve.”
“And all four of you worked together?”
He laughed. “More like we didn’t, not worth a damn, anyway. We met down in Houston. There was a big pack there—bigger than you’d expect with one guy in charge. He was old and crotchety as hell, and he ran the place like it all belonged to him. I guess because it did.”
She’d already witnessed the tension between Jay and Fletcher. Too many strong personalities would be trouble when only one could lead. “So what did you do? Did you all leave together? Or just all leave?”
“We tried to travel together for a while. Finally, we figured out we do better if we can have our own space.” He squinted out into the dying evening light. “Dispersal, that’s what they call it. You know anything about wolves?”
“A little.” She ran her thumb along the edge of her mug and stared into the darkness. “When I was a kid, I read every book in the library that had anything to do with wolves. I wanted to be like Zack. Growing up, he was my hero.”
“And he was born a wolf.”
His tone was inquisitive enough to express interest in the answer without demanding it. “He was born a wolf,” she confirmed. “His mother was one.” She hesitated. “And I guess his father was too, whoever he happened to be. His mother seemed pretty certain it couldn’t have been my uncle.”
“No, it really couldn’t have been, huh?” Shane sat forward and braced his elbows on his knees. “This isn’t a pretty life. The few wolves who don’t wind up dead or traumatized have other problems. They don’t fit in with humans, they have urges and instincts they can’t necessarily control…”
“So I’m learning.” She glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. “I didn’t want the wolf to bite me, if that’s what you’re getting at.”
“It wasn’t.” He met her gaze. “You and Jay are going to do a good job. You’ve both got it in you.”
It felt nice to have the approval of someone who understood, and even better when it came from one of Jay’s closest friends. “Thank you. I hope you’re going to stick around for a while and help us.”
“I think I might.”
The door from the kitchen creaked open and Mae slipped out. “Kaley’s still out,” she said, her voice no louder than the squeak of Eden’s chair. “She hasn’t slept much since they first came for Zack.”
Shane rose, stripped off his hoodie and held it out to Mae. “It’s too chilly for no sleeves.”
Eden tensed, but Mae didn’t recoil. Her gaze stayed fixed on his hand as she reached out and accepted the offering without touching him. Eden held her breath, afraid to upset the quiet balance of the moment as Mae tugged the sweatshirt over her head. It fell to mid-thigh and enveloped her body, but she seemed to relax as the fabric draped around her, just like Eden had relaxed the first morning when she’d wrapped herself in Jay’s shirt and taken comfort from being surrounded by the scent of a strong wolf.
Mae pulled up the hood to cover her hair and stared at some point slightly beneath Shane’s chin. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Eden gestured to the empty rocking chair on her right. “Want to sit with us for a little bit?” No pressure, no expectations. The invitation hung between them for a dozen hopeful eternities before Mae nodded and slipped past her to the rocking chair.
Such a tiny bit of trust, but Eden had to fight back a triumphant smile. When Jay was safely home, she’d celebrate this step forward with him.
If he got safely home.
No. When. Eden refused herself the satisfaction of checking her watch as she willed the headlights to appear. She found herself talking to fill up the empty air. “I think we’ll have everyone settled in here before the fall festival in town. Y’all are going to love it. There’s dancing and a carnival and so much food.”
Shane leaned one shoulder against a