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“Who is sending my Evie flowers?” Dad asked at the same time. Somehow, I wasn’t surprised that he still seemed as pissed as when he thought they were for Mom.
“I didn’t read the card. I just accepted them,” she said. I walked to the flowers and looked for a card.
Congratulations on your new job.
-Paolo
I sighed and hid the disappointment I felt at the note. I grabbed them and smiled before turning around, intending to take them to my room.
“Who sent you flowers?” Dad asked.
“Noneya.” I stuck my tongue out and left the kitchen.
“Amor, let her be,” Mom warned.
“A man sent flowers to my house for my little girl, and I’m just supposed to let it go?” he asked her.
“She’s twenty-five. She’s not a little girl anymore.”
“Maybe I can hack the delivery place. What was the name of the company?” I heard Dad thinking out loud when I was out of the kitchen.
“Evergreen Roswell! You will not invade your daughter’s privacy this way,” she growled at him, making me chuckle as I went up the stairs. Mom always had my back.
I put the flowers on the dresser and stared at them. It was a sweet gesture, but I couldn’t help but think that I dated Paolo for almost a year and a half, and he should have remembered I didn’t like roses. It’s not that they weren’t pretty. They were gorgeous. But I read long ago that roses haven’t smelled as they should in decades because they have been bred for durability. When we visited Mexico when I was nine, I asked my mother to take me to some gardens there. The smell of those roses...it was indescribable. I smelled the flowers on my dresser. They had a barely-there scent that made me sad.
“I told you it wasn’t a problem, Zi. I enjoy a good road trip. Plus, I’ve already driven this myself. I know all the good places to nap,” I reminded her, helping her load the last piece of luggage into her small SUV.
“But, aren’t you missing your first full moon back with your pack coming with us?”
“I was there last month, and there will be more. Come on. I’m excited about this. I’ve been gone a month, and you need to tell me everything that’s been happening here.”
We made sure the small rental trailer was securely fastened to the back and started on our way. We talked about the projects we wanted to start with and decided to move in together. I was too old to live with my parents, but I didn’t like apartments. They made me feel claustrophobic. I considered joining the pack house, like my brother Everette, but only the top levels for the ranked members had balconies. The warrior and guest levels were bigger than one-bedroom apartments but had no balconies. I wanted a place to put a few plants out. I spent too much time on my own and too much time sitting at a computer desk. I need a bit of greenery and fresh air.
As it was, I was already bigger than your average she-wolf. I allowed Tozi her time to run, but I had never trained or worked out like most wolves felt the need to do. My hips were too wide, and my stomach was soft. I spent ten or more hours of my waking day in a computer chair. If I didn’t have the metabolism of a werewolf, I’d probably have an issue with my weight. My only solace was that my mate should still love me as I am... whoever he was... if I ever met him.
“Evie...are you listening to me?” Zi asked.
“Sorry. What was that?” I said. Zi was driving while I was trying to nap.
“Do you need a bathroom break? I think I need to pull over and check Molly. She’s mostly potty trained now but I smell something suspicious from the back seat.”
“I could use some coffee,” I said, stretching.
“You didn’t seem like you were sleeping. Did I wake you up?”
“No, I was just lost in thought. Where are we?”
“We just entered Missouri,” she answered while she maneuvered us into a gas station. I looked up at the full moon above us. It was almost at its peak. Everyone should be getting ready to look for their mates and run with the pack. I felt a slight pang of hurt as I thought about how many full moons I’d missed and how many times I could have met my mate.
We’re twenty-five. It’s unreasonable for people to think we could make all ninety full moons. He’s out there. We’ll find him, but you also need to stop running away. We need to face it, Tozi responded.
I know. I promise I’m done, I told her.
I grabbed a coffee and a few snacks, and we went back on the road. Not long after that, Tozi started pacing.
What’s wrong? I asked her, sitting up and looking around.
I don’t know. Something’s happening. Something bad, she whimpered.
