Page 36 of Fat Enemy Mate

She looks at me, and I realize she’s shaking.

“Wilf, I didn’t mean…I didn’t do it on purpose, I…” She says, tears welling.

“I know,” I tell her, my hand on her arm. “Everyone’s fine, see.”

She glances around as the kids start running around again, shaking it off the way only kids can. The adults are more cautious. Connor rubs the back of his neck, and Nick cracks his neck as Luna whispers something to him. The only other person who seems bemused and completely unaffected is Fern. Fiona moves first, heading down the steps and scooping her youngest son up to check him over, but he quickly wriggles out of her arms and goes running after the bigger boys again, determined to join in.

“I-I’m sorry,” Lara says as Fiona climbs the steps again, “I didn’t mean…”

“Lara, stop,” Fiona says quickly, “you didn’t hurt anyone. You tried to stop Sam hurting him; don’t apologize for that, ever.”

Luna walks over too. “Lara, it’s alright. Please sit, breathe.”

Lara sits down next to her, and gradually everyone resumes what they’re doing. Someone fetches Lara a fresh drink, and Nick comes to stand next to me.

“Ok, so that’s what you were talking about,” he says. “It’s interesting, alright. Do you think that was mild?”

I nod. “Compared to what she described when the rogues tried to attack her at the camp,” I tell him.

“Ok,” he says and then addresses Lara, “Don’t worry, Lara. Honestly. We know the difference between someone reacting and someone trying to hurt us.”

Lara nods and attempts a smile, but I can tell she still finds Nick, and probably all the others, intimidating. Luna puts her drink down on the table and sits forward.

“Nick and I were talking through options where you could stay, until we get things sorted…” She begins.

“She’s with me,” I say before she’s even finished talking, and Lara’s eyes flick to mine, along with everyone else's in earshot.

Lara nods, “Yes, that’s fine with me.”

Everyone nods, and the conversation moves on, and I’m left trying to settle my wolf, who is still highly strung. He feels happier now she’s agreed to stay, which I’m not sure whether the plan was coming into this; we have other places in the center of town where visitors can stay, but the reality is, my wolf wouldn’t have been happy with that.

I tell myself it’s just physical, or maybe even a sense of obligation, but I know there’s a lie in there somewhere. I’m just not sure where yet.

Chapter 18 - Lara

I sleep better than I expect to.

I don't know what I was expecting, really. Probably to lie awake all night staring at the unfamiliar ceiling and questioning how I ended up here, on shifter territory. Something I said I would never ever submit to. But instead, I slept remarkably well in Wilf’s spare room; the clean sheets, blankets, and fluffy towels felt luxurious compared to the mountain cabin, and that had been a welcome reprieve after the rogues took me. I tried to fight it, but I drifted off quickly despite my fight-or-flight senses being on high alert.

I ended up in the spare room without much of a conversation. By the time we got back from the alpha house yesterday, I was so wrung out from everyone meeting me and what happened in the garden with Fiona's boys that I didn’t have the capacity to do anything but fall into a bed, and I think Wilf knew that. He gave me the blankets and space, and I didn’t realize how much I needed that until I got into bed and let sleep take me.

I get up, shower, and put on yesterday's clothes because I haven’t got anything else. I head down the hall but linger in the doorway of the kitchen, because I still don’t quite know where to put myself, and this cabin continues to surprise me.

I hadn't really had a chance to look properly last night. But in the morning light through the back window, it's hard to ignore that this is the kind of kitchen people put photos of on the internet. Dark stone counters and a stove that looks like it cost more than my father’s old truck. A row of jars on a shelf with handwritten labels, and high-end pans hang from the ceiling rack. There's a deep window over the sink that looks outover the trees, and the light pours in, making the whole space look inviting and more homely than I was expecting. The way he talked about the cabin made it sound like it would be run down or unloved, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.

I'm standing in the doorway looking at it when he comes through from the back door and kicks off his boots.

"Morning," he says.

"Morning," I reply.

"Slept alright?" he asks.

"Like the dead, actually," I tell him. "I didn't expect to."

"Good," he says. The corner of his mouth twitches slightly. "Coffee?"

"Yes, please," I reply.