Page 2 of Scars of the Sun
I was no longer in as much of a dull fog as I’d once been and found myself taking note of the things that gave me that bright feeling, even if I never wrote them down. Now, I swept the back of my hand across my brow and waved back at a grinning Dahlia. She tottered toward a makeshift kitchen set on the other side of the room while Ollie was already sitting and playing with a group of babies his age.
Number Seven.
Wrangling them both into the car then into their Montessori school was both harder and easier than I’d thought it would be. Harder because the newness of my presence was already wearing off, and my brother’s children weren’t just excited to see me anymore. Ollie had cried when Sylvie handed him to me this morning, and Dahlia had pouted and whined when she realized that she wouldn’t be staying at home with Sylvie and I. But we’d made it. I’d buckled them into their car seats, drove my brother’s SUV all the way to their school, and gotten them into the building without losing one of them or any serious injury.I could imagine myself doing this for a while.
“Hey! Ramona, right?” A deep, friendly voice shoved the darkening clouds threatening my mind. I blinked and looked up at the man—male—grinning down at me. His honey blond hair was a little mussed, and his tan skin was smooth and lightly freckled. The faint hint of wildness entwined with the more bland human scent was enough to highlight his shifter heritage. His nostrils flared a little as he took an inhale, his shoulders relaxing on the exhale.
Mine did the same. “Um, yeah. Why?”
He pursed his lips and turned back around to where the kids were playing. The male’s broad shoulders somehow looked soft and warm beneath the rugby-style shirt. When he looked back at me, he seemed a little more uncertain, but his friendly demeanor didn’t fall. He waved a hand toward Dahlia who was now leading some other children in cooking some make-believe dish. “I’m a student teacher for the older kids, but Sylvie mentioned you’d be here to drop off Dahlia and Ollie today.”
I looked him up and down, noticing the way he nervously swept his palms over his slacks. When I met his eyes again, the first non-shifter Wolf I’d ever really spoken to, I felt my body take notice of the large, sculpted muscles that blended with the delicate kindness that radiated from his face.
Exacerbated by the gray muck of the past few years, I hadn’t felt even a nudge of attraction for another person in years, and since I’d been in Antler Pointe, I’d been too preoccupied with making the most of this… new life. At least to pay attention to anyone that wasn’t my family.
Ordinarily, I’d balk from the overly-familiar way this male spoke to me, but I forced myself to stay facing him and soften my tone. “Okay. Did you want to talk about something or…?”
He lightly smacked himself on the side of his head, and I had to admit that the gesture was… cute. “I’m being so weird,” hemuttered to himself, and I tensed in anticipation. His large palm stuck out stiffly toward me, “My name’s Delaney.”
Nervousness was pouring off of him, enough that even I could smell it, faintly bitter. But when I fit my much smaller hand in his, it cleared almost immediately, and a giant puppy dog smile spread across his face. Good god, the guy even had dimples. “Nice to meet you. Uh, is there something I can help you with?”
Delaney dropped my hand and nodded excitedly. He lightly grasped my arm and pulled me further away from everyone else milling about, starting their day at school or dropping their children off. Normally, I’d struggle or rip a stranger’s hand off of me, but he seemed nice.
His wide eyes and long lashes blinked, and I found myself leaning in. He kept his voice low, “Sylvie said that you’d be there tonight.”
I released a breath after his meaning seeped through my frazzled thoughts. “Y-yeah. Are you a member?”
A noticeable blush colored Delaney’s cheeks, and he nibbled at his bottom lip. “Not yet. But I want to be. Are you?”
I shook my head. “No. This will be my first meeting. If you know Sylvie, you know who my brother is, then.”
Somehow, Delaney’s eyes got even wider. He nodded gravely, like it was some terrifying honor to be sister of the Pack Leader. “I-is it okay if I sit with you? During the meeting?”
My brows nearly rose to my hairline as I took in this large male—I honestly wouldn’t have been surprised if he was a football player or something—who was staring back at me like a scared kid on their first day of school.
The Antler Pointe Pack was a group of shifters, mostly Wolves, and their mates that resided on this stretch of land. I wasn’t too familiar with pack customs, but I knew the basicsfrom what I’d gathered being around my brother. Especially these past weeks after moving in with his family.
They met every other week, with one full moon run each month. At their last meeting, O had put it up to a vote for the pack to allow me to attend their meetings, which I hadn’t asked him to do but was silently grateful for. The two meetings I’d had to sit out involved me and an empty house. A year ago, that would’ve been welcome. Amazing even.
Now… I was getting better, but I didn’t completely trust myself.
“Sure, I guess. If you want.”
Big, solid arms brought me in, and I found my cheek smushed into Delaney’s chest. Orange and vanilla, his scent wrapped around my stiff body as I tried to figure out whether to return the embrace or wriggle out of it.
During my deliberation, he dropped his arms and grabbed his cheeks that were red again. “Oh god, I’m sorry. I’m just so relieved to know someone that’s going. I’ve been worrying about it since Sylvie gave me the news.”
My skin didn’t feel like it was crawling with ants, and his wide, remorseful stare was apology enough. “S’okay.”
Delaney glanced over my shoulder, back to where all the children were congregating for the start of their day, and nodded decisively to himself. When he looked back at me, he gave me a soft smirk. “Awesome. Thanks, Ramona. I’ll see you tonight.” Then, his lips twisted, “Um… can I hug you again?”
My lashes fluttered in surprise, and when his shoulders fell a little, I found myself nodding woodenly. I wasn’t going to just kick the large puppy when he was already vibrating with nerves.
This time, I wasn’t squished. Just held for a moment that made me feel so calm and full, my own arms wrapped around his back to return the embrace. He was like the morning rays of summer sunshine.
We mutually untwined our arms, and with a last dopey smile at me, Delaney said goodbye. My gaze followed his retreating form that went to start his day, and my chest and belly felt warm, like after eating a favorite meal from my childhood.
Number Eight.