~Lincoln~
I hang up the phone, rubbing my temples. This is starting to be beyond stressful. “Was it her again?” I look at Landon and roll my eyes. He already knows the answer to that question.
Lilacs and sandalwood hit my nose with a hint of orange, and the tension in my b*dy starts to ease. I lift my head and see my mate walking toward me. She comes behind me and wraps her arms around my shoulders, k*ssing the back of my head. I will never get tired of the way she makes me feel. “Why so stressed?” I sigh, turning in my chair and pulling her onto my lap.
“Another call……” Tia sighs and places her forehead on mine.
“She’s been gone for months now, and she hasn’t stopped reaching out. Have you two thought about talking to her?” She has been asking this a lot lately, and it’s a tricky question to answer. She is my mother and the former Luna of the pack, but everything she’s done is enough never to acknowledge her again.
“Honestly, love, I’m not interested and I may never be.”
“I’m not interested either,” I say while running my nose up and down her n*eck. “Onto brighter topics, did my little bean eat today?” Tia’s hands automatically go to her stomach, and I can’t help the smile that spreads on my face. She’s two months pregnant, and we couldn’t be happier. We had hoped for a bit more time together, but a child is a blessing no matter what.
I reach around Tia and into my desk. I pull out a card one of the pups made for my mate. I hand it to her and watch her eyes light up as she reads. The challenge caused the pack to view Tia in a much more favorable light. They started to seek her out as their Luna and wanted to get to know her. Some of the pack members even apologized for how they had acted toward her in the past.
The pack used to view Stuart as an honorable and trustworthy man. Learning the truth about him and our mom brought a new view into their minds and that helped shape their new view of Tia. Tia hasn’t made it easy for anyone, but she has been an amazing Luna despite the actions of the past. “This is so sweet. I will have to stop by the daycare and talk to Michael.”
“Hey guys, I just got an update on the twins.” I feel Tia tense up slightly, so I rub her back to help her relax.
“What’s it say, L?”
“Currently, Aida is receiving treatment at the state mental hospital, Timberlawn. She isn’t really responding right now, so she should be there for a long time. Adela was able to move to the neighboring prison. It’s a small facility that allows the inmates to work at the hospital. Adela is able to be with Aida every day, so that’s a plus. The council has stated that neither will be seeing the outside for the foreseeable future.”
“I….I still don’t know how I feel about it all. They are still my sisters.” I k*ss Tia on her cheek and continue to rub her back. “How’s Paul?” I laugh.
“Dad just called earlier. He’s enjoying his travels, and he’s on his way to a new destination. He plans to be back in time to witness his first grandchild come into this world.”
“Well, I finally got mom to go on a trip, and she’s excited.” Nikki lost herself in the clinic after everything. She kept her head down and took shift after shift. She moved out of the home she shared with Stuart and decided to stay on the Alpha floor.
Tia shifts on my lap, k*sses my cheek, and stands up. “You two need to wrap up whatever you’re doing so we can have lunch.” Landon and I look at each other, puzzled.
“Uh, love, we already ate remember?” Tia chuckles as she walks to the door.
“True, but you didn’t have dessert.” She gives us one look over her shoulder before she takes off. Landon and I waste no time following her out of the office. I hope our days can be this light and happy for the rest of our lives.
~Paul~
I’ve been traveling for a few months. After everything that happened, I just had to get off of packlands. Everything that I lived had been a lie to some extent, and I needed to get a handle on reality again. My sons and Tia are more than capable of taking over without my being there.
Kim has been calling and calling, but I won’t answer. We are done, and there’s nothing more to say to each other. I will always appreciate that she brought my sons into the world, but that’s the extent of my feelings for her. She isn’t who I thought she was, and I won’t have anything else to do with her.
I’m sitting in my seat on the plane, first class. I decided to travel with the humans instead of taking our jet. There may be an emergency at home, so they need access, just in case.
This will be a long flight, but I have enough entertainment. A familiar scent hits me; it kind of smells like home. I look up, shocked at what I find. I reach out and grab her hand. “Nikki?” She turns to me with wide eyes.
“What are you doing here? I thought you, well, I know you’ve been traveling. I didnt’ think I’d run into you, though.” I chuckle. I never expected to run into anyone on a plane, let alone a pack member.
“I’m heading to a friends wedding. Where are you off to?”
“I’m heading to a wedding too. I’m going to the Lotus Pack.” Now, that’s just crazy.
“That’s where I’m going too.” I shake my head; what a crazy coincidence. I move my items out of the way and motion to the seat next to me.
“I couldn’t. I have a seat back there.” I shake my head and stand up.
“Please do me a favor and keep me company. I will go inform the staff of the seat change.”
“Are you sure I won’t be a bother?” I laugh.
“You could never bother me, Nikki.” I step into the aisle and let Nikki get into the row while I find a flight attendant. This boring flight just got slightly fun. I can’t wait to enjoy the time with someone I know.