Chapter Sixteen #2
The wind shifted and Tru waved campfire smoke from her eyes before the breeze shifted again. “I never met any of them. This is the first time I’ve really hung out with more than one werewolf at a time. I mean other than meeting you guys the other day.”
“It’s strange at first,” Nory said softly as she watched Bayen, Tabian, Vic and Dodger line up to race to the water.
Dodger was holding a huge swan floatie, Tabian had a purple-tailed mermaid, Bayen had the watermelon, and Vic had his blow-up doll.
” Tru lifted her phone up and snapped a picture, mostly to capture the giant grin on Bayen’s face as he anticipated the countdown to the race starting.
The kid was competitive, and now he didn’t have to hide what he could do.
Those grown werewolves weren’t going to let him win.
Nory rested her feet on a log. “When I was first hanging with them, I felt this sense of belonging, sure, but it was mixed with this feeling of not being able to keep up. They were so chaotic and powerful and even the way they close doors is too hard, you know? It made me realize how gentle most humans are in their day-to-day lives. With werewolves, it’s big, startling gestures, and loud voices, and not understanding their own strength, and at times abrasiveness.
Even figuring out how to move around them was different.
Now I drift from my human life around other humans in town and at work to life with the Pack more fluidly, but it does take some getting used to.
“Any regrets?” Tru asked honestly.
Nory smiled at Liam, who waved to her from across the river. “Not a damn one.”
And that was answer enough for Tru. She felt a kindred spirit with Nory.
Like her, Tru was navigating a world she had only dipped her toe in before, and it was so different than her everyday life.
Even the way they argued or jabbed at each other but went straight back to being friendly was something she was watching and would have to get used to.
The boys had raced into the water. She couldn’t tell who had one, but Tabian’s booming laugh filled her heart as he scrambled up onto the mermaid floatie.
It was glittering in the late morning sunlight.
His arms and abs flexed with the movement, and she thought in this moment that she had never seen a more powerful, striking, handsome man in all of her life.
God, she couldn’t wait to sneak some alone time with him.
“You?” Nory asked.
“Huh?”
“Do you have any regrets bonding to Tabian?”
Tru frowned and forced her attention to Nory. “Bonding? What does that mean?”
Nory glanced at Lyric. “Oh.”
Lyric glanced back at the guys and leaned forward in her chair. “We can feel it.”
“Feel…what?”
“You have a deep connection with Tabian. It’s what makes our wolves want to be around you two.” Lyric shrugged. “I thought Tabian would’ve told you.”
“Told me that we have some bond? I like him. I really like him.” She thought about it. “I mean, I really, really, really like him. I’m human though.”
Nory shook her head. “Yeah, that does not keep their wolves from choosing.”
“Their wolf chooses. You mean chooses a girlfriend?”
“A mate,” Lyric and Delta said in unison.
“A mate,” Destiny repeated firmly, but softly.
In the river, Tabian and the guys had apparently decided to drag their floaties across the water toward Bridger and the others.
“I had a werewolf call me his mate before,” she uttered low.
“Bayen’s dad?” Destiny guessed.
Tru nodded.
“And did it feel like this?” Lyric asked.
And she thought about it. She had to reach in her memories to recall the time with Zane. Tabian had a way of erasing the bad stuff and making it harder to reach.
“I remember it felt chaotic and I never really knew what was happening.”
“And how does it feel with Tabian?” Nory asked.
“Steady. Safe. Exciting. Like the future could be good, not damaging.” She lowered her voice and admitted, “Being a mate to Tabian feels right.”
The girls all wore matching smiles. “Yeaaah, she’s one of us,” Lyric said, digging into a purple cooler beside her. She tossed Tru a canned margarita.
“Lyric, it’s eleven in the morning,” Delta chastised her.
“So?” Lyric asked.
“So, hand me a mango one,” Delta said. “I need fruit in my breakfast diet.”
Tru giggled and opened her drink, and before she could take a sip, Nory, mate of the Alpha, put her can up in the air and said, “To adding two more to this crazy batch of psychos.”
Two—Tru and Bay.
She was not going to cry, she was not going to cry.
“Are you tearing up?” Delta asked from across the fire.
“It’s probably just the smoke in my eyes.”
Nory stood and pulled her against her hip, hugging her tightly. “We’re happy Tabian tricked you into liking him.”
Tru laughed thickly. “He didn’t have to trick me. He’s my favorite.”
Nory hugged her to her sided even tighter and lifted her can again. “To favorites.”
They all extended their canned margaritas toward each other, and murmured, “To favorites.”
But these women didn’t understand. How could they?
They didn’t know her life yet, or what she’d been through.
But here, with the echo of laughter from Tabian and Bayen, and a big old Pack of rowdy werewolves, with kindred spirits who were being so understanding, and a peace within her soul that Tabian had conjured…
The Rogue Pack was giving her a favorite moment.
And hell yeah, she would happily toast to that.