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Sarah startled.Sorry. It’s been an awfully long time since I had anyone in my head. I forgot to filter.
There’s nothing to be sorry about at all. I like hearing it. And really, they’re going to be all right. Ava will find her wolf, and both of them will get used to having two parents instead of just one. Everything will be just fine.
I hope so.She wanted so badly for things to be okay, but it was a little hard for her to see still. It wasn’t easy to just completely change gears and start living her life as a free person. Her children mattered most, and she had to be strong for them. If they believed thatshebelieved everything was okay, then it would be.I think I ought to change back and give Ava another chance, if she wants it.
Yeah.His eyes met hers, drinking in that one last, long moment in this form.
Shivers rippled down her spine. Sarah didn’t want to change back. She wanted to turn and run through the woods, to bound from one side of the trail to the other and explore the capabilities of this body that she’d been denied. Most of all, she wanted to keep Max right there in her head. The universe had bound their hearts a long time ago, and she liked the comfort of having him at her side. That would have to wait until later.
Just as slowly as she’d become her wolf, Sarah packed it away. It resisted at first, having enjoyed this freedom, but she knew it’d be coming out again soon. Again, she lost her balance as she transitioned from four feet to two, but Max was there to catch her. She smiled up at him. “Thanks.”
“Of course.”
9
Max saton the back porch, resting comfortably in an Adirondack chair. The view from there was stunning, overlooking the backyard and out into the woods. When was the last time he’d actually just sat down and enjoyed it? He couldn’t remember. Nor could he remember the last time he’d felt so damn content. There had to be a certain amount of peace in a man if he could just sit and watch the world around him instead of getting things done or worrying about the future. Having Sarah around made every day feel like a slow Sunday morning, the kind where no plans were made or needed. It felt good, but strange.
There were a lot of things Max had been realizing about himself over the last several days. All of his attention should’ve been on Sarah and Ava, considering everything they’d been through and that they weren’t completely out of the woods yet. But his mind kept twisting and turning, showing him new perspectives and making him think about himself more than he’d care to.
One of those realizations was that he’d never truly been relaxed since the Greystones had taken Sarah from him. He’d constantly carried a tension around, never at peace with the idea that she was dead and that he could do nothing about it. The fact that his wolf had nudged him now and then had kept him from moving on with his life, and now, he couldn’t be happier that things had worked out that way.
He just had to figure out how to move on from here.
“Here you go.”
A mug of coffee appeared in his hands. Max looked down inside the mug, spotting the perfect shade of deep caramel. He took a slow sip. “No sugar.”
“Just the way you like it.” Sarah took the seat next to him. “Or at least, that’s the way I remember you liking it.”
“Nothing’s changed.” He rested the mug on the arm of the chair as he studied her. Would he ever get used to having her there? Or knowing she was alive? Max couldn’t help but marvel over the way time had changed her, yet hadn’t. There were a few silver strands in her hair, but overall, it was just as soft and brilliant as he remembered. Those were the same brown eyes that’d haunted his dreams, but the skin wasn’t quite as tight around them. Then there were those curves of hers. He’d already devoured them during the one chance they’d had to get a little time alone. Her stomach was softer, her breasts and hips rounder, but they’d driven him just as wild as ever. No. Nothing had changed.
She wrapped her hands around her mug as she looked out over the yard. “I found myself just making it that way for you, but then I wasn’t sure. It’s kind of funny how those old habits are taking over again.”
He could think of some old habits he wouldn’t mind starting up, like having her in his bed every night. It only made sense for Sarah and Ava to stay at the packhouse where they’d be safest, so Max and Hunter were doing the same for now. But Max knew Sarah needed some space, and it hadn’t felt right to just assume. He looked forward to sharing a bed again, falling asleep with the warmth of her back against his chest, her ass pressed against him. He felt a tightness in his jeans at the thought and knew it would have to wait until later. Searching his brain for what they’d just been discussing, he shook his head. “The coffee is just fine.”
“I know it’s already getting close to lunch, but I needed another caffeine boost,” she explained.
He was on the alert again now, watching her. Was there something he’d missed? “Are you not sleeping well?”
She watched a bird fly overhead and then looked down into her mug. “I’m just worried. Everything feels so perfect right now, like a fantasy. I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop, but I don’t want Ava to feel like there’s anything wrong. I don’t know. I guess I’m just adjusting, and it’s wearing me out mentally and emotionally.”
“That’s understandable.” In fact, it sounded an awful lot like what was happening in his own mind. His thoughts were spinning, and he was constantly trying to look at things from all angles. Max wanted every single bit of information, even though he couldn’t be entirely sure what that information was. It didn’t help that Edward hadn’t shown up yet. He knew that wasn’t like the old bastard, and it made him wonder what Greystone was plotting. Max had stayed up late several nights, talking to Rex and Brody. They’d assured him everything would be fine, but nothing would be good enough for Max until he knew that Edward wasn’t a problem anymore. He’d already been enough of a problem in the past, which was haunting him a bit right now, too. “Can I ask you a question?”
She rolled a shoulder. “Of course.”
There was so much for them to talk about, and he’d let that be an excuse not to bring this up until now. As far as Max was concerned, it couldn’t wait any longer. He had to know. “How do you feel about Ava’s magic?”
Sarah blinked.
“The witch bloodline in my family was why your father never wanted us to be together,” he went on. “Honestly, I was never sure where you stood on that. Knowing that it’s only shown up in females meant it was never an issue when it came to Hunter. Ava is clearly another matter.”
She rubbed her thumb over the handle of her mug, smiling gently. “I’m sorry for my hesitation, but I guess you caught me off guard. I can understand why you’d ask me that, but it’s just who she is. As a mother, that means I accept it as such.”
Max instantly felt like an ass. Of course she accepted it. Ava was her daughter, and Sarah had done everything she could to make sure the girl was raised decently despite her horrendous circumstances. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
“Yes, you should’ve,” she insisted, turning in her chair so that she faced him more fully. “If something bothers you or you have a question, don’t keep it to yourself. We have to get to know each other all over again, Max, and I don’t want that to stop just because you’re worried you might offend me.”
He pulled in a breath, trying to find the right words. “I just know you’ve been in a very sensitive situation, so it makes things a little harder.”
