Collision Course

by Julie Trettel

  “Much like he’s gonna do here, watch and see,” Ben assured us.

  “No way will Silas ever agree to take on a human.” I didn’t believe it for one second. “He’ll use you in this moment of desperation because he’s terrified. I’ll go in and just level the place, but otherwise, don’t hold your breath. I’d safely bet against it.”

  Jake just grinned and shrugged it off. “I guess I’ll just have to prove myself the old-fashioned way then.”

  I liked the kid. He was a bit arrogant, but I could appreciate that, especially in this line of work. We all wanted to be the best of the best in our field of expertise.

  Talking helped to pass the time quickly and soon we were pulling into the same hotel we stayed at last time. Silas checked us in and then tossed each of us a key. Tarron and I were bunking together which wasn’t uncommon. Usually Ben crashed with us too, but with Jake, Silas justified a fourth room and I was grateful I didn’t have to fight for my own bed for once.

  I headed straight for the room. Tarron followed and dropped his stuff onto one bed while I flopped down onto the other.

  “We’re heading across the street to get a beer. You coming?”

  “Nope. I need to call my woman.”

  He shook his head and groaned. “Another one falls. It was nice knowing you.”

  I just flipped him the bird as he left the room.

  As soon as he was gone, I pulled out my phone and called Olivia.

  “Baine? Is everything okay?”

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?”

  “You’re on a mission and you’re calling me.”

  “We stopped for the night. I just wanted to hear your voice.”

  “Oh. I didn’t know that was allowed. You didn’t call last time.”

  “Thought it would make it harder to be away from you,” I told her honestly.

  “And now?”

  “Needed to hear your voice.”

  “Is Macie already in bed?”

  “Yes, but she’s right here. We were just finishing up a bedtime story.”

  “Don’t let me stop you.”

  “She was already finished,” Macie said.

  I grinned like an idiot just hearing my daughter’s voice.

  “Oh yeah, was it a good one?”

  “Not my favorite. Just something I checked out at the library. It’s definitely going back tomorrow.”

  I laughed.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Just laying in the hotel wishing I was back there with my two favorite people.”

  “You mean Mom.”

  “No, I mean both of you. I’m glad you’re still awake now.”

  “Me, too.”

  “But, it is a school night, so pass the phone back to your mom and go to sleep.”

  She groaned and there was a rustling on the other end. I heard Olivia kiss our daughter goodnight.

  “Sweet dreams, short stuff.”

  “Goodnight, Baine. Don’t get killed,” she yelled back.

  “Macie Laine,” Olivia chastised her as Macie giggled in the distance.

  A door shut in the background, then another.

  “Are you still there?”

  “Of course.”

  “I’m glad you called.”

  The stress physically left me, which was a surprise. I had no idea that she could soothe me and my bear from such a distance.

  “Me, too. Did you two have a good evening after I left?”

  “We managed okay. Macie puts on a tough act, but she was upset about you leaving so soon.”

  “I wasn’t exactly thrilled by it either.”

  “Is this how it will always be? A couple hours of notice and you’re gone?”

  “Pretty much. Silas tries to give us as much notice as possible, but most of the time it’s stuff like this that just comes up quickly and we have to act.”

  I was worried by her question. I knew it was a lot to ask of anyone. Would she accept this lifestyle? I wanted to ask her. I knew we needed to really discuss it, but I was terrified of the answer she’d give me.

  “I was happy to see you and Killian aren’t trying to kill each other at least,” she said entirely changing the subject.

  I groaned. “I’m still mad at him, O, but I’m trying.”

  “For me?”

  “Yeah, and Macie. She adores him.”

  “She does.”

  “I don’t want to come between that. I just want her happy. That’s all I want for the both of you.”

  “And you?”

  “I can live with just about anything as long as I know the both of you are safe and happy.”

  It was the absolute truth. I could be a selfish bastard, but when it came to them what I wanted didn’t matter in the least. I could live with anything as long as they were protected and thriving.

  “You know what makes us happy, Baine?”

  “What?”

  “You.”

  I gulped, overcome by emotions. “I’m terrified of disappointing you. I’ve been on my own a long time, Olivia.”

  “I know, but Baine, I’m not going to let you go without a fight this time. You’re mine.”

  “I can’t tell you how much that means to me, babe, but this is my life. I don’t really know what else I could even do.”

  “I know. This probably isn’t a conversation we should be having over the phone.”

  “I know.”

  “But, Macie and I talked a lot after you left. I’m terrified of leaving Clan territory, Baine. I’m not going to try and sugarcoat that. You know I’ve never been anywhere else. I’ve never even wanted to go outside our territory.”

  “I know,” I said sadly.

  “We’ve already made up our mind. Tori’s been helping out at the salon for a while now. Not many people know it, but she’s been working on a cosmetology program online and she’ll be finishing that up soon. She doesn’t love cutting hair, but she’s good enough at it. She loves all the other parts that I could take or leave. Together we were going to thrive, but she’s going to do just fine on her own while we give us a trial.”

  “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

  “If you’ll have us, Macie and I are ready to follow you home when the time comes.”

  With those words, the last strings on my heart broke free. I wasn’t going to have to choose. They were coming home with me, where they belonged.

  “It’s only a trial, Baine. I need to make sure this place is going to be a good fit for Macie before we commit fully. I already made that very clear to her. Please understand that.”

  “It’s more than I let myself hope for, babe. I love you so much.”

  “I love you too.” I heard a murmuring in the background. “I hate to do this to you, but she’s so wound up and excited. I need to get off and be the evil mom to get her to go to sleep.”

  “Okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Ending the call didn’t hurt nearly as much as I expected. Quite the opposite actually. My girls were coming home with me. They’d already chosen me. There was the obvious pressure of living up to their expectations and being worthy of their decision, but I was so relieved and happy that I knew I couldn’t just lay around the hotel.

  I jumped up and headed across the street to meet up with the boys at the bar.

  “You’re joining us and you’re smiling? What happened to staying in and talking to Olivia all night?” Tarron asked, even while he scooted over a seat, and then offered me his, that was in the center of the table the team had taken over.

  “Tarron, they are going to terrorize you someday when you finally find your true mate,” Taylor warned.

  “Odds are it ain’t gonna happen, so I’m not really worried about it.”

  “I know you think that because you’re a fox living in a wolf world, but let me remind you that gorilla shifters are nearly extinct, yet I managed to find mine,” Painter poin
ted out.

  I managed to grab the waitress’s attention and order a round of beers for everyone.

  “This rounds on me. Besides, my friend, if Nonna has it her way, she’s gonna mate you off to a Westin wolf anyway just to ensure you stay put.”

  “Wait? Your treat?” Ben asked.

  “You heard me. I didn’t stutter.”

  Silas looked worried. “What’s wrong?”

  I laughed. “Relax big guy. Nothing’s wrong. Everything’s perfect actually.”

  “There is no way you could have sealed your bond from here. Wait, did you stow away Olivia and bring her with you?” Grant asked.

  “No, but thanks for mentioning it. I’ll keep that in mind for our next adventure.” I winked at him.

  “Does that mean you’re staying on the Force?” Silas asked hesitantly.

  “Of course I’m staying on the Force. Did you really think you were going to get rid of me that easily?”

  From the looks shared all around me, I realized that’s exactly what they thought.

  “Oh. I didn’t mean to worry you guys,” I said earnestly. “To be honest if Olivia had told me she wanted to stay in Clan territory then I don’t know what I would have done.”

  “She’s not saying that?” Ben asked.

  I shook my head. “Nope. She told me tonight that after discussing it with Macie this evening, they’ve decided to come back with me on a trial basis. Short stuff is apparently pretty excited about it, so we had to cut the call short to try and get her calmed down to go off to sleep.”

  “That’s great man, congratulations,” Grant said holding up his freshly delivered beer as the others joined him in cheers.

  “Thanks. Honestly, I feel pretty invincible right about now.”

  “That’s how people get killed. Pull yourself together before morning.” Silas huffed.

  “Yes, sir.”

  I ended up buying two more rounds before we all called it a night. My heart was light and everything seemed to be falling perfectly into place.

  Olivia

  Chapter 20

  I had a million things to do. I was nervous but excited. I didn’t know how long Baine was going to be away, or how long we’d be sticking around once he returned. All I knew is that I’d jumped and now, I was committed. Macie and I spent the entire week purging the house. Neither of us had a ton to begin with, we both liked things simple, but it was still a daunting task.

  “How much should I pack?” Macie asked.

  “I don’t know. This is just a trial, remember. We should probably keep it to only what we can fit in the car. We’re not selling the house or anything though, so we can always come back and get more or have Tori send stuff to us as needed.”

  “Okay. I’m all packed then,” she announced.

  “What? You’re joking, right?”

  She shook her head. “Nope. I got all the important stuff. Three suitcases and my backpack. Is that okay?”

  “Uh, yeah, Mace, that’s perfect.”

  I looked around my own room that was now scattered with piles. There was a pile for donations, one to take, another to sell, and still one more for me to keep, but not take.

  “Wow. You made a mess,” Macie announced as she walked into my room Sunday morning.

  “I know. I’m clearly not as fast as you.”

  She climbed up into bed with me and we snuggled down into the pillows.

  “Want to watch a movie?”

  “Before you clean up this mess you made?”

  I groaned. “Fine, but I’m calling Tori to help.”

  “Tell her to bring Resa too. We’re going to need all the help we can get.”

  “Yes ma’am.”

  I called Tori and she begrudgingly agreed to come over. I got the feeling she wasn’t exactly excited about it and I didn’t understand why.

  Another twenty minutes passed before Tori and Resa arrived.

  “So this is really happening, huh?” Resa asked.

  “Yup, we’re moving to a wolf pack,” Macie proudly told her.

  “You’re serious about this?” Tori asked me. “It’s not safe, Olivia. How could you even think of just packing up and blindly following him like that?”

  “Tori, don’t make this any harder. This is Baine, the only man I’ve ever loved, and my true mate.”

  “If he really loved you then he wouldn’t ask you to uproot your life and move. Everything you have, everything you know is right here.”

  My heart sunk. I didn’t have her support on this. “He didn’t ask.”

  “So what? You just volunteered to go?”

  “Yeah, I did. You know what my dad did to him. I can’t ask him to stay here. It wouldn’t be healthy for any of us.”

  “It’s a wolf pack, Olivia. That’s not safe.”

  “Baine says it is, and I trust him.”

  “Why? He left you.”

  “There was more to it than that, and you know it.”

  “Was there? Yeah, they told him to leave, but he didn’t have to listen.”

  “They would have killed him, Tori, and you know it. Besides that, he was hurt too, and we were just kids. Don’t blame him for what happened. I don’t.”

  “I do blame him. I’m angry. He swoops in here out of the blue and suddenly you’re leaving. I’ve tried to keep this to myself, but I can’t. You’re making the wrong decision.”

  “That’s not how this happened, and you know it.” I couldn’t understand why she was doing this now. She had been there in the aftermath of him leaving. There was so much more at stake now. “He’s my true mate, Tori. When you someday find yours, then maybe you’ll understand.”

  “I understand plenty. You’ve never been able to think straight with Baine Landry around. At least stop and think about what you’re doing to Macie by uprooting her like this.”

  “I want to go, Tori. He’s my father. Don’t I get the chance to really get to know him and make up my own mind about it?”

  “Mace, I love you, but you’re seven. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  None of my family had ever dismissed Macie’s opinion like that. Her eyes widened and tears formed as she turned and ran to her room yelling, “maybe you don’t know what you’re talking about,” and then slammed the door behind her.

  Tori looked upset. “I’m sorry. I’m just worried about you and I’m going to miss you so much. You’re giving up everything for him.”

  “California isn’t that far away, Tori. It’s not like I’m dropping off the face of the Earth. Plus, we’ll talk and video message all the time. That doesn’t have to change.”

  “I’m not sure I know what to do without you.”

  My frustration subsided. I hadn’t really considered how much this decision would impact my loved ones.

  “I know. I’m probably being selfish or self-absorbed or something. I can’t help it. I’m going to miss you both so much.”

  I hugged her as a tear slid down my cheek. “I’m scared, Tori, and I need you to help me be strong.”

  “How can you be so certain this is the right choice?”

  “Because he’s the right choice. I have no doubts about that. I wish I could explain it to you better.”

  Tori sighed and wiped a tear from her own cheek. “Okay. Well, let’s get you guys packed then, I guess.”

  “Hold up, you never cave that easily,” Resa pointed out.

  “I can see her stubborn wall is up and I can admit defeat. I’m going to miss you so much though.”

  “Same,” Resa said. “It’ll be weird not having you around here.”

  “I told Baine this is only a trial. Don’t get too excited about that. We really want this to work out, but I have to make sure it’s what’s best for Macie. She’s still my number one priority.”

  “I have no doubt that will always be the case. I’m sorry I’m giving you a hard time about this. I know you wouldn’t go if you didn’t think it would be safe for Macie, not even for Baine Landry.” Tori h
ad always teased me about my crush on Baine growing up, but I had never confided in just how much more it was than that. To her it must look like a schoolgirl fantasy come true. If the roles were reversed, I would be worried for her too.

  I rolled my eyes and the three of us broke out into a fit of giggles.

  “Well, I think it’s pretty romantic. Your lifelong crush turns out to be your one true mate. You can’t make stuff like that up. It’s crazy and perfect,” Resa said. “I hope I find my true mate someday, but unless Baine is bringing back some bear super hottie on his next mission here, it’s pretty doubtful.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  She shrugged. “It’s not like we get a ton of eligible unmated males just passing through here. Obviously, my true mate isn’t part of our Clan. I have no plans to leave this place to find him. Basically, I’m pathetic and lonely. Add that to the fact I live with our cousin.” She groaned. “It wasn’t so bad when you were living there too, Tori, but you ditched me and now I’m stuck with Felix. Even if Mr. Perfect strolled into my life, I’d be taking him home to Felix. It’s a sad reality.”

  “Felix isn’t that bad to live with,” Tori argued.

  “I know. Felix is pretty perfect. He cooks, he cleans, and if I do want to host a ladies’ night, he’s fine with making himself scarce.”

  “Drove me nuts,” Tori admitted with a laugh. “He’s kind of a saint.”

  “It could be worse,” I told them.

  “Oh, I know. I try not to complain about it, but I’m still frustrated with you for moving out and ditching me like that.”

  Tori sighed. “I’m sorry Resa-bear. I just needed my own space.”

  “Don’t you Resa-bear me.” She frowned.

  “You made the right decision for you, right Tori?”

  She groaned. “I see where you’re going with this, Liv.”

  I shrugged and smiled.

  “We’ve come full circle. I get it. It’s hard to leave us behind but you need to spread your wings and give this a try.” Tori nodded as she spoke.

  “Hey, I have an idea.” I didn’t know why I hadn’t thought of it sooner.

  “What?” they asked in unison.

  “Felix owns the house, doesn’t he, Resa?”