When I’m released, it takes a moment to get my breath to a steady pace again. Remembering back to the first few months I knew this man, I never would have imagined the stoic, occasionally surly werewolf would be so physically affectionate.
Not that I’m complaining.
A throat clears near our table, and we both glance up to see a man with a young girl at his side.
“Roderick.” The guy holds out his hand, and my companion immediately accepts it for a shake.
“Wayne.” Roderick turns his gaze to the girl. “Nicole.”
“I go by Nicky,” she declares, crossing her arms over her chest in defiance.
Immediately, I like her.
“Sorry,” Wayne says with a shrug, his hand smoothing over the kid’s wild hair. “We’re working on manners.”
Even though Roderick doesn’t smile, I get the sense he finds the girl’s sassy tone as amusing as I do.
“No problem. I’ll make sure to remember. Nicky.” He speaks straight to the girl, and she gives him a stiff nod. From the tension in her neck, it’s clear that she still finds the pack leader intimidating despite her steel spine.
“This is Juliet.” Roderick tips his chin toward me.
“Nice to meet you.” Smiling, I give the two visitors a wave. I’m sure I’ve seen them in the library a time or two, but we’ve never really had a conversation.
Wayne nods at me, and Nicky gives a reluctant half wave back.
“Wayne is a member of the pack, and Nicky is his daughter,” Roderick explains.
The man doesn’t look as old as I would expect him to, having a preteen daughter. Probably those werewolf genes keeping his skin smooth.
“Don’t mean to interrupt your breakfast. Only, since I saw you here, thought I’d let you know I think Nicky is getting tothat age.”
“Dad!” she groans.
I wonder what he means bythat age. Do pack members have to tell the alpha when a girl’s period starts? Fucking weird thing to do.
Roderick retracts his arm from around my shoulders so he can slide out of the booth. Then he crouches, putting himself on eye level with Nicky.
“You been feeling the call of the moon? Last night make you anxious?” he asks.
Oh.Thatage. The age when a seemingly normal child starts to turn into a supernatural creature once a month.
Cory gave me a basic outline of how werewolves come to be. A bloodline thing, and the change first happens around the time of puberty.
Hell, dealing with that, plus normal teenage hormones, has to be the parental gauntlet.
“Yeah. My bones hurt.” Nicky glares as she says this, daring Roderick to show sympathy.
But he gives her a stoic nod instead. “You know my sister, Tanya?”
Nicky nods.
“I’ll give your dad her number. She’ll come by your house before the next full moon. Talk to you about the change. Sound good?”
The little girl blinks. Then blinks again faster, a shine to her eyes. “Yeah, uh, yes, sir.”
My heart hurts for her. Clearly, she’s trying to be tough even though she’s scared.
“Thank you, Roderick.” Wayne gives my companion a grateful smile as he cups his daughter’s shoulder. “We’d appreciate that.”
