Chapter 25 - Shawn
A cool breeze dashes across the meadow, bringing the promise of a cool night. Standing under the late afternoon sun, I can’t wait for the next few hours to pass. I’ve been out in the park since it first rose this morning.
Not that I mind this particular job, but a long day is still a long day.
“Uncle Shaaawn!” a small voice shrieks, right by my ear. “Spin me again!”
“Okay, kids,” I say. “Once more, then I’m done for the day.”
Around me, a small army of toddlers goes berserk, jumping up and down as they bounce towards me. I lift my arms, and all of them jump up to grab hold. I wait until all of them are attached, then spin around as fast as I can.
The kids shriek with laughter, falling off one by one to roll across the grass and collapse in fits of giggles. When the last boy finally lets go, I drop into the grass myself, breathing hard as I stare into the perfect, cloudless sky.
“Are you dead?” Rex asks from somewhere above me.
“Yes. Leave me in my grave, you cruel bastard.”
“I was just checking. I hope you know alphas don’t get any time off, even once they’re dead.”
“Fucking hell,” I mutter. “So you’re here to prop up my corpse?”
“You got it,” Rex laughs. “Sara sent me over here. She wanted to know if you need more spun sugar.”
“If I put any more sugar into these kids, they will dissolve in this heat,” I protest. “I am done, I tell you. Leave me to die, and go on courageously in my name.”
“I would if I could,” Rex says. “But by your wife’s order, I am to put you back in charge of the cotton candy stall.”
“No,” I moan, covering my face with my arm. “Please. Send me back into combat. A minefield. That horrific tunnel we once had to swim through—anything but more cotton candy!”
“Okay,” Rex says, laughing. “I’ve brought you a cold beer. Will that revive you?”
“A little,” I concede, raising a hand. “I’ll need at least another ten to fully raise me from the dead.”
“And some barbecue ribs?”
“Yes, that, too.”
“You’re in luck, then, because they just fired up the grill.”
I sit up tentatively, taking the beer from Rex’s hand as I look around without lifting my head above the height of the grass.
“Are they gone?” I whisper.
“Who?”
“The kids.”
Rex laughs so hard, he almost falls down. “Yes, they’re gone. They went to get some ice cream. Your dead act fooled them, I think.”
“Oh, thank God,” I mutter, gulping down half the beer. “I thought I was actually going to go insane.”
“Wait until it’s your kid,” Rex chuckles. “Then there’s no escape.”
“At least I won’t have to deal with a hoard,” I say, sitting up. “Today has been a trial.”
“But a complete success,” Rex says, tapping his beer against mine. “You’ve done a great job.”
I look out over the park, the masses of people milling around, the bright stalls, games, and rides. I’ve never seen Clover look so full, and I know that more than anything else, it’s the goodwill between the packs that has made this day such a success.
“Where’s Brad?” I ask.
“Here,” he says, approaching from behind us. “I’ve got a cooler with six long necks in it, but I’m hiding from Alisha, so make some room for me in the grass.”
“What have you done?” Rex asks.
Brad winces. “I may have left the carousel unattended.”
“Ouch,” Rex says.
“Yeah. It’s okay, no one got hurt. They just got an extra-long ride. I don’t think the kids even noticed.”
“Good job,” I mutter.
“Like you can talk, cowering out here in the grass like a scolded barn cat.”
“Shut up and hand me a beer,” I say, shoving him. “We’re both in disgrace, so let’s just leave it at that.”
For a few minutes, we just enjoy the good beer, watching the sun slowly sinking towards the west. The smell of cooking meat tinges the air, and lights start to come on around the stalls and rides.
When we announced Clover’s first-ever fair, we hoped for a small, manageable event that would introduce the packs to each other and hopefully strengthen our bond.
I never imagined that Rose Hollow and Eccles would go to a monumental effort to bring resources all the way up the mountain to turn our modest event into a full-on carnival.
I shouldn’t be surprised. Both packs have been working overtime to improve conditions up here.
In the days after the trial, the town went through some restructuring that wasn’t easy for anyone. More pack members loyal to Jackson surfaced, while people who had been hurt by him suddenly demanded recompense, and we ended up dealing with every grievance individually.
We undertook a mission to Caliente to find Jackson’s father, but the trail was ice cold. With the gang all dead, we had no leads to go on, and it was highly likely the old dog cleared out at the first sign of trouble.
And if he didn’t, and he’s lurking around looking for revenge, we’re ready for him.
Bringing in upgrades for the town helped tremendously to heal the wounds made by Jackson’s schemes, and within a few weeks of having modern luxuries, everyone happily forgot what it had been like when Jackson was running the show. They began focusing on a bright, comfortable future.
“Have there been any more rumors?” Rex asks, very softly.
“No,” I answer. “Not that I’ve heard, and we’ve had our ears to the ground.”
After Melanie’s startlingly accurate words at the trial, there were a few people who harbored old grudges. We managed to smooth over any issues, but it meant hiding the truth of the stone from the people of Clover.
Even Sara.
“How are things on that front?” I ask.
Rex sighs. “Without full military equipment, we don’t have exact readings, but I did get a satellite update from Sloan a week ago. There were heat signatures moving in the hills.”
“And the rock?”
“It heated up several times over the last month,” Brad says. “It’s not enough noise to bring Wolf’s Shadow back in, but enough to bother me.”
“And me,” I agree. “Can you imagine if my pack found out that Melanie was right, and I’ve been hiding it from them?”
“Yes,” Rex says. “Which is why we keep this quiet. Clover is beyond the blast radius. We need this place as our next line of defense if anything goes sideways.”
“Defense?” Brad asks.
Rex frowns. “Yeah, okay. You got me. It’s a refuge. If the thing blows, there’s no defense against it.”
“The people of Clover will think the exact same thing, anyway,” I say, sipping my beer. “That we’re using them. It doesn’t matter if they’re a refuge, a line of defense, or a crop of sacrifices. The only thing they’ll focus on is our lies.”
“Look,” Rex says, “we’ve improved their standard of living, and daily, we bring them into our plans a little bit more. I think, over time, we can reveal more, but it’s not just their trust we’re risking here.”
“Yeah, I know,” I say. “Jackson and Melanie knew too much.”
“That’s why we have to watch the rumors,” Brad says. “We can’t have more crazy people going after the power of the stone.”
Silence falls between us, and the cool air teases around our heads. The sun is finally beginning to set, leaving stripes of bright orange streaked across the sky. I finish my beer and stretch back, watching the sky darken and tiny points of stars come out.
“Uh-oh,” Rex mutters. “Your boss is coming, Shawn.”
“Oh, lord,” I say, sticking my head up. “Do I have time to run?”
“No,” Sara giggles, rushing up the hill to throw herself into my arms. I scream as we roll across the long grass, wrestling her as she tries to pin me.
“Don’t beat my ass in front of my boys,” I beg. “I’ll never live it down.”
“Oh, that’s alright, we’re leaving,” Rex says. “Go ahead and beat his ass, Sara.”
“Please!” I cry, pleading. “Don’t take the beer! Have mercy!”
“Okay, I’ll leave you one,” Brad says. “But that’s it.”
“Kind of you,” Sara calls, waving. “He’ll need it by the time I’m done with him.”
“Why, you—” I raise my hands and grapple with her, letting her win so she can pin me down and kiss me.
“That was too easy,” she says. “I feel like this might not be a fair fight.”
“It’s not,” I say. “It never is, to be honest, but on this particular day, I am literally fried.”
“Oh, come on,” she says. “It isn’t that bad.”
“Excuse me, I was out here in the heat, spinning up cotton candy onto sticks, while you were in the hall crushing ice for slushies.”
“Well,” she replies. “When you put it like that, it does sound kind of unfair.”
“Luckily, I have a secret weapon,” I say, grabbing her and rolling us over.
“Oh, no!” she laughs, wriggling under me. “Not the multi-use tool! How are you going to use it today?”
“I haven’t decided yet,” I whisper, kissing her. “But I’ll think of something torturous, don’t worry.”
“I can’t wait,” she giggles, writhing under me.
“Hey, I didn’t intend for this to get so serious so fast,” I laugh. “But when you’re sliding around like that, I can’t really control what my tool does.”
“Don’t worry,” she says coyly. “I’m just teasing. You aren’t getting lucky. It’s too crowded, and I’m too tired.”
“Oh, thank God,” I gasp, collapsing on top of her. “I honestly don’t know how well I’d be able to perform after twelve hours straight in the hot sun.”
“You did great,” she giggles. “The kids had an awesome time.”
“Hmm, good. I tried my best.”
“And I thank you for it.”
I roll over to lay beside her, and she takes my hand as we both look up into the darkening sky.
“How was your day?” I ask.
“Really good,” she says. “The town is coming along great with the improvements, and the other packs have been accepted by almost everyone. No one is going hungry anymore.”
“That’s wonderful,” I say, meaning it. I roll over to put my arms around her, burying my face in her long, sweetly scented hair.
“I thought you were too tired to fool around,” she laughs.
“I am,” I mumble. “Stay still and let me use you as a pillow.”
I feel her arms go around me, and the cool breeze brushes by again, making the long grass whisper. Far away, I can hear laughter, as well as lively music, as the party shoots into second gear.
“Shawn?”
“Yes, my love?”
“Thank you.”
“Hmm? Oh. Well, you told me you wanted me to take the cotton candy stall, so I—”
“No,” she laughs. “That’s not what I meant. I meant…thank you for coming here, and freeing us. You can’t imagine the hell we lived in before, and we never even had anything to fear.”
“Sara,” I say, stroking her face and looking into her eyes. “It’s me who should be thanking you.”
“Why? What have I done?”
I smile, kissing her gently.
“I came here to find purpose, but I didn’t believe in happiness. Not really. You showed me just how wonderful life can be, and that this place is more than just my duty—it’s my home.”
Sara strokes my cheek, tears shimmering in her eyes. “And you showed me what it means to be safe,” she says. “I never knew true safety until I felt your arms.”
We come together in another kiss, and the love between us needs no words. I wrap my arms around her, letting myself sink into the blissful contentment only she can give me.
“I thought we weren’t going to fool around,” I tease, smiling through the kiss.
“I never made that promise,” she giggles.
Sara kisses me, and her touch, mingled with the cool breeze and the happy sounds of the fair below us, soothes me into a state of perfect bliss. A feeling that is promised for not just now, but every day of our future together.
A promise that lasts forever.
*****
THE END