EPILOGUE
ALICIA
“All right, Emmy,” Brandon says. “Tell me what you smell.”
The two of them are standing in the backyard, both dressed in jumpsuits specially designed to tear away from the body. It’s a training garment for a young shifter, but Brandon had the woman who makes them for our pack design one in his size so he could go through the training exercises alongside our daughter.
I sit on the porch and watch them, a couple of bottles of water beside me for whenever they decide it’s time for a break. I used to worry about how Emmy would get her shifter training. It was hard to imagine it happening when we were living in the human world. But now she’s the daughter of the alpha, and she has every resource a kid could ever want.
“I smell smoke,” Emmy says, fidgeting. “It’s bonfire day.”
“Right, of course,” Brandon says. “But try to smell beyond the smoke. Remember, your wolf is uniquely designed to pick up on all the scents
around you. She knows what’s out there, even if your human mind isn’t processing it. Listen to the wolf.”
Emmy breathes in again slowly. She’s remarkably composed for a six- year-old. When I was her age, I was liable to let my wolf out at the slightest provocation, and I know for a fact that Brandon was even worse than I was.
“Mud,” she says after a moment’s pause.
“Good,” Brandon says. “That’s really good, Em. Anything else?” “I think…” Emmy frowns. “Is it a rabbit?”
I’m impressed. I’ve been gauging the scents in the air along with them, and I didn’t pick up on the smell of rabbit. But Brandon’s smiling and nodding. “Very good,” he says. “Now, what do you want to do?”
“I want…” She hesitates. “Listen to your wolf,” he urges.
“I want to…hunt it,” she says wonderingly. “That’s good. Do you want to do it now?”
“Yes. Now.” Her speech sounds thick, as if her teeth have changed. As if the wolf is close to the surface.
“Let it out,” Brandon says. “Let your wolf out and hunt down that rabbit.”
She pants with exertion a couple of times as the wolf rises… and then her body changes, shifting into the form of a young wolf.
She doesn’t wait for Brandon. She takes off at a run into the trees. He laughs, then shifts and runs after her.
Damn, but I love them. Sometimes I can’t believe how lucky I am that this is my family. That this is my life.
I uncap one of the bottles and take a long drink, enjoying the cool water. The day is hot, and when my hunters get back, I’m going to have to force them to stop running around and hydrate. They don’t take precautions like
that if I don’t remind them. They’re both so adventurous, and not at all practical. It’s forced my own practical side to develop. Someone needs to look out for them.
“Hey, Alicia!”
Kayla’s crossing the yard. I smile and wave her over, and she comes and takes a seat beside me on the porch. “What’s going on?” I ask her.
“Just out for a walk. I was in town earlier, selling a few more of Dad’s things.”
I nod. The process of cleaning out my father’s house has been slow and painful since his death last year. It’s hard to say goodbye to memories.
“Deidre hasn’t come nosing around again, has she?” I ask.
“I haven’t seen her in weeks,” Kayla says. “I don’t think she’s come home from the Boneyard yet.”
“Do you think Lonnie turned up there? I know Deidre was hoping for that.”
Kayla shrugs. “If he did, maybe Deidre will never come back. I know I wouldn’t complain if that happened.”
I picture Lonnie and Deidre, drugged out of their minds, lying in the Boneyard and forgetting all about the Greystone pack. I have to admit, the image doesn’t really bother me either. “As long as they stay gone, I’ve got no complaints,” I say.
We’re interrupted by Brandon and Emmy trotting back into the yard.
Emmy has her head held high and something furry between her teeth. “Is that her first kill?” Kayla asks.
I grin. “You picked a good day to come over.” I give Emmy a scratch behind the ears, and she presses her head into my hand. “Well done, Em! We can cook this up for dinner tonight.”
Brandon nudges Kayla’s hand in greeting, then trots past us into the house to get dressed. He emerges a moment later, human again. “She did great,” he says. “Joining us for dinner, Kay?”
“For Emmy’s first hunt? I wouldn’t miss it!”
No one will miss it. No one will miss anything important ever again.
My family is finally all together, the way we belong
Next series coming soon!