Shane crossed the room in a few long strides to sit next to her on the couch. “Let me help. Trade me. Remote control for your present.”
“That’s for me?” She reached for it.
He tugged it back. “Remote first.”
“Bleh. Fine.” She handed over the remote.
True to his word, he handed over the package. The television clicked off before she’d even taken it out of his grip. “This is kind of a two-part gift. The first part’s the most important, even if I have to apologize for it, as well.”
“A present you have to apologize for. Nothing says ‘thoughtful gift giving’ like ‘here, I thought you’d like this, and also, I’m really sorry’,” Erin said with wry amusement as she slipped her finger under the tape and lifted the wrapping paper away.
Meghan’s smiling face stared back at her from beneath the frame’s glass. Just months before her cancer diagnosis, Erin had dragged Meghan to the Gateway Arch in Saint Louis to pretend they were tourists, take goofy pictures, eat lunch out, and enjoy themselves despite how poorly Meghan felt and how difficult the news of the world had become. A day to be sisters, a day to forget that anything else mattered but family.
Tears filled her eyes. “Where did you find this picture? I never had it printed.”
“That’s the apology part. When you were recovering, you mentioned you had a thumb drive full of pictures of your sister you wanted to show me sometime. Then you asked me to bring you a pair of socks from your bag later, and I found it. I wanted to surprise you.” He laid his hand on her leg. “So I snooped. Sorry about that. I got the idea you wouldn’t mind, but I’d understand if you were angry.”
“No. No, I’m not angry at all.” She’d told him she wanted him to see those pictures, and they already shared a bond past simple notions of privacy. She could still feel him, hear the howl of his wolf’s song in her mind. An innocent surprise nicked off a thumb drive of pictures couldn’t bother her.
“I wanted a picture of Meghan, not only so you would have one. But so we could do this.” He stood, then held out his hand for her to stand with him. When she did, he led her over to the mantel, where an empty spot waited.
She cocked her head. “You took down the picture of Greg and Nicole.”
“Yes. It was time. I wrapped it up and put it away, like I should have done a long time ago.” He smiled at her, the brightness of the expression made brighter by the hint of melancholy beneath it. “Meghan should have a place up here with Greg. This is your home now. That means, this is her home. Nice to think Greg will have good company while he watches over us. We’ll get more printed so you can put them up, but for now…”
He nudged her. One tear spilled over as she set the picture in its place, next to a shot of Greg looking out over the Grand Canyon. “Look at them, striking poses by national landmarks. They look all respectable and stuff.”
“And that’s a total lie,” Shane said. He stepped behind her to wrap his arms around her shoulders, holding her tight against his broad chest. “Those two jokers were never respectable.”
“Not even once.” Erin leaned back against her mate, eyes half-closed as she stared at their family display. They would have been cute together. We could have spent holidays with each other, had visits, listened to the boys talk about all the trouble their Calloway girls caused. I miss you, Meghan. And I miss you, Greg, even though I never met you. You gave me a gift I could never have thought I deserved. Now, if only we can survive what’s coming.
Shane pressed his lips against the side of her head. “You’re thoughtful.”
“Don’t bother to pay me the penny. I’d be ripping you off.” Erin sighed. “The news said people in small towns should evacuate to the larger ones.”
“I’ll just bet they did.”
“Cell service is going out. Landlines will probably be next. We’re going to have a harder time getting anything we need. Food. Gasoline. Everything. There’s even talk of this being the start of the apocalypse. End of humanity stuff.” She looked over her shoulder at him. “Do you think they’re right? That we should go to a bigger city?”
“I think we should ask Las Vegas that.” He stared back at her, somber and serious. “Big cities will have their advantages, I can’t deny it. But I think they’ve got enough weaknesses for me to be glad I’m all the way out here. All it takes is one missed infection to bring down a whole neighborhood. Then the city after that. Cities are big, slow, and stupid. The masses inside them panic. Out here, we’re smart. We can take care of our own. And we’re nimble, so we can react to what’s happening. We don’t have to ask permission from anyone to do what we know we need to do.”
“Like Las Vegas.”
“Like Las Vegas. Their bureaucracy got in the way. They just couldn’t imagine listening to a bunch of wolves on bikes. Could be that other cities will learn from Vegas’s mistake, but…” She could feel him shrug behind her. “I like our chances as much as I like the chances anywhere. Besides. I’ve got a whole new reason to fight, right here in my arms.”
Erin put her hands on his arms to squeeze them, an approximation of a backwards hug. “You had plenty before. It just so happens that now, you might be able to keep fighting, since you have someone to put your rides back together after you drive them through a cactus.”
“I’d like to protest that on account of us being damn good drivers, but…”
“Yeah. Don’t bother. I already yanked cactus out of one bike.” Erin squirmed about to face him. “If anyone can keep this place safe, it’s you. Everyone here knows it.”
“And what about you?” Furrows dug their way into his brow. “I don’t think this was what you signed up for, E. You took a job to wrench for a small shop in a tiny town. What you ended up with is way past that. Maybe you want to head to a bigger, easier place to live. Somewhere that might be safer for a while longer.”
She knew what he was asking. It was there in his eyes, the conflict, but also, the decision he had already made. If she wanted to leave, he would follow her. Maybe he’d drag his pack along with him, convince the people of Coyote Trail to seek larger cities and safer places in the middle of the country. Heaven knew he had enough reason to tuck tail and leave for himself. But how do you tell the people you promised to protect that they’re on their own?
“This is our home,” she said. “And as it happens, this is exactly what I signed up for. A new start. Leave what I knew behind and find a different life. Maybe I didn’t expect that bit where I caught the Beast Plague, but I’ve never done anything the easy way. Besides, my mate lives here. So does my pack. Why would I want to leave?”
The furrows in his brow eased away with his smile. He pressed his lips against hers, and she could feel his joy, the warmth that radiated from deep within him. When he drew back, his look smoldered with his pride, his affection. “I love you.”
She grinned back at him. “I love you, too. Know what that means?”
“It means we’re going to do a lot of that ‘celebrating life’ thing later?”
“That, too.” She removed one hand from his back to bring around where they could both see it. Then she hoisted her middle finger high in the air. “Fuck the apocalypse.”
He let go of her with one hand to mirror the gesture. “Fuck the apocalypse.”
“Glad we have that settled,” she said, and stood tip-toe to pull him into another lingering kiss.
Outside the house, in the glare of the angry summer sun, perhaps the world thought about ending. Today, they would mourn a brave man, shed their tears for a life lost in a battle that never needed to happen. But Erin knew she and Shane had won the battle that mattered most, the one where they’d braved the darkest nights to find the light of love that came with the dawn.
Acknowledgments
Thanks never seem like enough for the people who have generously given of their time, their encouragement, and their effort. Until I can buy everyone a sports car or a pony, though, these inadequate thanks are what I ha
ve.
* Thank you to Linda, again and always, for being the fan I never expected. Her support has been an extremely powerful antidote to the bad days, when I think I’m the worst writer on the planet. This one is for you.
* As ever, thank you to Morgan Blake for shoving me out of my hidey-hole armed with cat pictures. The value of this cannot be overstated.
About the Author
Cassandra Moore was born in a pre-apocalyptic desert wasteland. She emerged without memories or even the ability to hold up her own head, but she did not let that stop her. Undaunted by her small size and need for a liquid diet, she embarked on a journey to write first her own story, then the stories of made-up people who clamored for tales all the same.
She has since escaped the desert to live in the shadow of the Front Range. She, her husband, and her son exist to provide warm laps for the cat to sleep in, pets for the dog, and food for various squirrels in the yard. When Cassandra isn't writing, she's reading, knitting, hiking, or playing video games. When she is writing, it's often romance with teeth.
Keep up with new releases, contests, and more at http://www.cassandra-moore.com. For news delivered to your email, subscribe to the update list at http://cassandra-moore.com/index.php/newsletter/.
Also by Cassandra Moore
Dare the Wolf — A Bully Boys Novel
Every night, werewolf Jake Ballard saves his town from the mutated shapeshifters that threaten it, but can he save his mate from her abusive marriage?
Taint of Shadow - Heart of Darkness Book One
Can an alpha werewolf save his mate from the taint of shadow that threatens to consume her, or will her need for revenge destroy her?
Stain of Midnight — Heart of Darkness Book Two
Darkness is falling. The shadow is spreading. Pack enforcer Cameron Roswell and lone wolf Sonja Carter are the only ones with a chance to stop it — if they don’t kill each other first. Can they learn to trust each other before the stain of midnight corrupts everything they love?
Brave the Night: A Bully Boys Novel Page 21