With a choked sound, Willow burst into tears, though she was smiling ear-to-ear. “This day started very stressful, but it’s turned into something beautiful. I feel very appreciated and loved.”
“Girl, we got you,” Dex said, flashing finger-guns.
At first, Rusty said nothing, so Dex frowned down at him and jerked his head significantly at the weeping Dryad. Rusty chittered uncomfortably, then slowly lifted finger-guns to mirror Dex.
“Yeah, what Dex said.”
Mopping at her tears with a tea towel, Willow beamed at them both, then she reinstated the hug, one arm around Dex’s shoulders as the other reached for Rusty.
“Nah, I’m good—ah, come on, guys,” the Pyclon whined but didn’t actually struggle as Dex grabbed him by the front of his shirt and yanked him into the embrace. “Okay, this is happening.”
“Shh, just give in,” Dex whispered.
Rusty huffed, but he did give in, hugging Dex and Willow back, pink-striped tail fluffing up. Rumbling happily in his chest, Dex rubbed his cheek against Willow’s shoulder and scratched his thumb behind Rusty’s ear. To absorb a little of their scents. To leave some of his own behind.
Not enough to mark them as pack, but almost.
Almost.
Chapter thirteen
Tentative Truce
Cya
Cyashouldn’thavebeenhere; they knew that, but they simply couldn’t bring themself to leave. Not before they talked to Dex. Not before they actually apologized to him for the truly horrendous things they’d said to him. The guilt was eating them up inside, and they could ignore it no longer.
Like the coward Dex had accurately accused them of being, they’d fled the moment their humiliating meltdown had passed. They’d been unable to face the Lupyn or the consequences of not only their argument, but the shared vulnerability as well. Or the questions he must have.
About Niki. About Kent. About Cya and the slurs Niki had hurled at them.
So to avoid further embarrassment and shame, they’d run away. They were well-practiced at it; it was what they were best at, after all.
Hemersyn had been waiting for them at the curb, and though they knew they didn’t deserve it, they were so grateful he’d come. Cya had shockedthem both when they’d rushed right up to him and wordlessly thrown themself into his startled arms.
“Cya, what’s happened?” he’d squawked, taloned hands patting along their back and sides as if he was searching for injuries. “What’s the matter?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. Please, don’t be mad at me anymore,” they’d begged, and Hemersyn had cradled the back of their head so gently. “I want to go home. Please, take me home.”
Instead of taking the back seat, Cya had allowed Hemersyn to help them into the passenger seat. As Hemersyn drove them home, they’d wanted to reach out and take his hand, but they’d been unable to cross the distance. After he’d parked in the garage and shut down the engine, they’d opened their door but didn’t immediately depart.
“I meant what I said. I am sorry,” they’d whispered, unable to meet the Avia’s gaze. “Thank you for coming to get me.”
A low, melodic coo warbled in Hemersyn’s throat as the tips of his talons grazed over their shoulder. “I’ll always be here when you need me, my dear. Always.”
It was too much. After everything they’d endured on this cursed day, they couldn’t handle one more emotional gut-punch. So they’d simply nodded in acknowledgment before they slid out of the car.
That night, they’d slept poorly, trapped inside that in-between state of asleep and awake. Half-conscious, they’d periodically check their phone, hoping to see a message from Dex, but their notifications would be empty. For the best, they reasoned as they watched the digital numbers on their phone creep toward five A.M. He was better off without them; it was good they’d finally driven him off.
It should have been a relief, but all they felt was empty.
Try as they might, they couldn’t muster the energy to get out of bed, so they’d called out of work, claiming illness. Sometime around six in the morning, they finally tumbled into blissful unconsciousness, sleeping late into the day.
The only reason they even got out of bed at all was because the single thing Dex had asked of them was to return his sweatshirt, and after everything they’d put him through, they wanted to honor his request.
They arrived on campus earlier than necessary so they could hopefully catch him after his dyscus practice. They didn’t know his course schedule, but he always practiced after work before attending evening classes. Retracing their path from the night before, they found the dycus training field and hovered near the end of the bleachers as they watched the team practice.
Half the team wore shirts and played defense, while the offensive side were shirtless, even the girls. A muscular Nyko in tight shorts and a sports bra raced down the field, dipping and dodging around the bigger defensive players, even dropping to all fours at times to wriggle through tighter spaces. Her agility was impressive.
