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“And you miss that, don’t you?” Sara sipped at her latte.
“Oh, you don’t know how much. Xavier and I were two peas in a pod. Where one went, the other was surely close by. So, all this time apart, well, it’s been like half of me was missing. And then, when I screwed up recently with the other pack, I had to return. I needed Xavier’s protection. Maybe more so his emotional support. We are both feisty still. But I wanted my brother beside me.”
“Veronica. All that, your past with Xavier, is water under the bridge, right? The family must always come first. If you’re honest with him, he will take you back into the fold. I have no doubt. And knowing Xavier and his generous ways, after the trust is rebuilt, he will definitely look at you as a pack confidante. And you two can go back to being together and competing over who roasts the best marshmallow.”
The women laughed.
Sara glanced back at the guards. She could see they were losing patience. So, they both finished their coffees and cake and rose, signaling it was time to go. The relief on the men’s faces was comical to Sara, but she stifled her grin.
“So, Sara, where to next?”
“I think I’ll get the guards to load up the car while we have some girl time at the spa. What do you think?”
“You read my mind. There’s a spa in this mall?”
“Yep, and it’s a good one too. Hot seaweed wraps while sipping champagne. It’s non-alcoholic for me, naturally.” Sara laughed.
“Lead the way. I need some seaweed and champagne.” Veronica weaved her arm around Sara’s, and the pair giggled and strode off to the Boreal Beauty Spa.
Sitting in the waiting room, dressed in plush velour robes and sipping their elixirs, they continued their chat.
Sara leaned over and nudged Veronica. “Listen, girl, I’ll do everything on my end to help you two reconcile. Family means so much to me. It always has, but even more so now. Have patience with your brother. It may take a while. But I’m sure all three of us will get there in the end.”
For the first time since Veronica arrived, Sara saw a genuine and full smile on her lips. The alpha’s sister happily sipped at her cocktail.
The pair yammered on as they enjoyed their treatments. Veronica gave Sara tips on how to handle a baby shifter, from keeping the diapers on to training them to not inadvertently ruin carpets and upholstery with their claws.
“Holy cow. I never thought about those things.” Sara’s eyes stayed wide.
“Yes, shifter toddlers are the worst. Four legs that go like the wind but have no coordination. Picture a furry freight train barreling around your house when they’ve yet to learn when to shift and when not. I think Xavier and I ruined every good thing our mom had in our home.”
“Okay, before we head home, we had better buy pads for every furniture corner and boxes to pack away breakables. I thought all I needed was a stair gate and some electrical outlet covers.”
Veronica laughed. “Oh, are you in for a surprise! Yes, basically transform your place into a pleasant-looking rubber room. At least until the monster appreciates the words ‘no’ and ‘stop.’”
“A pleasant-looking rubber room. Swell.” Sara laughed and happily shook her head.
“Okay, ladies, your seaweed baths are ready. Follow me.” A spa representative waved the two women in.
“Oh, and Sara, one last thing. There’s a play school for baby shifters too. I imagine Xavier has kept it going in the pack. Toddler Haven, I think it used to be called. Once your baby is walking, they will take them and begin training them to discipline their emotions so they don’t accidentally shift. Believe me when I say the fee is well worth it. Our mother got back her sanity once Xavier and I were trained.”
So many things Sara realized she needed to know. But instead of fear or doubt, the unknown seemed exciting. She was more than ready to be the mom of a wolf shifter pup, no matter what was torn by flailing claws or broken by excitedly wagging tails. All in the life of a mother of a baby alpha pack leader.
A couple of hours later, the women, with their guards in tow, headed home. Xavier’s credit card didn’t burst into flames, but it was mighty warm.
TWELVE
XAVIER
Xavier dropped the newspaper he was reading, his wolf jumping to attention at a distant sound. A moment later, he knew he had not been mistaken. The car was approaching.
He left his chair and headed out to the front porch, as anxious as his inner wolf to see Sara. Though he didn’t begrudge her having a day to herself, he had missed her more than he knew he could. It left him feeling uneasy in a way he couldn’t describe.
On the porch, he watched as the car pulled up. The two enforcers he had asked to watch over the women sat in the front while his mate and his sister occupied the back.
By the looks on the enforcers’ faces, all seemed to go well. Xavier’s breathing eased. He was new to this game of having a mate and having her pregnant. He knew he was being paranoid, but he worried every moment Sara wasn’t by his side. And every moment she was with his volatile sister, he worried more.
Xavier saluted the guards and watched as Sara and Veronica got out of the car, laughing and physically chumming around as they made their way to the front door. By their body language alone, he knew the proverbial ice had been broken between the two. The mall foray for some retail therapy was apparently the best medicine for two female strangers.
