by Kamryn Hart
“No, but I’ve seen them behind glass in stores when Tyler moved us sometimes.”
“Tyler?”
“Russel,” Stella warned.
Russel zipped his lips and dashed to the couch, plopping down beside Stella. Cedric glanced at the two of them before turning on the TV and pressing play on the menu that popped up on the screen. The wolf pack that appeared on the screen was an ordinary pack of wolves, not shifters. They were smaller, and no wolf shifter would have allowed this kind of documentation of their life. Most wolf shifters didn’t live strictly as wolves. Being a shifter was living half as a human and half as an animal. When Stella thought of it that way, being a shifter seemed unfortunate. Did they truly belong anywhere? They hid from humans. They avoided other animals. Shifters were other.
And yet, being a shifter was all she had ever known. She couldn’t know what life was better. Animal, human, or shifter. All she knew was that she and Russel had been dealt a bad hand in life because Tyler went Berserker. But that wasn’t anything new or special. Humans could be dealt a bad hand. Animals could too.
That was life.
Stella shuddered. She wanted to crawl out of that darkness. Was she strong enough to build a new life for her and Russel? She had a chance now, the stars had aligned in their favor for once. Maybe it was their turn for something better.
The Lunas Sigil on Stella’s left forearm warmed her skin with a comforting energy. The Moon had allowed them to suffer, and now it had tied her and Russel to Cedric Snow. What game was it playing? Bitterly, she pulled down the sleeve of her sweater so there was no chance her mark would catch her eye.
Stella ignored the narrator on the documentary and watched Cedric in the kitchen. It was hard to infer what the man was thinking half the time. While Stella could often read someone by looking into their eyes alone, Cedric’s eyes rarely gave things away. He had trained himself to be that way, to keep everything locked inside where no one else could see. That was what it seemed like anyway. Maybe he was trying to hide something from her, or maybe he simply didn’t know how to open up after being closed for so long. He wasn’t closed in his actions though—if they were genuine. Here he was again, taking care of them. Her.
“Strange owl,” she muttered.
Russel laughed at something on the screen, so Stella turned her gaze away from Cedric to watch. There was a group of small puppies running and playing in the grass, honing their bodies, play fighting and learning how to one day be great hunters.
“They’re so clumsy,” Russel said.
“You were like that once too, mister,” Stella informed as she roughed up his hair.
“No, I wasn’t.”
“You were, and I was too. All babies are clumsy.”
Russel pointed at the screen. “Are they like us?”
The hunters in the wolf pack were on the move now, searching for prey.
“What do you mean?” Stella asked.
“Is that how we’re supposed to be? Together with other wolves and hunting?”
Stella considered this. “Kind of. We’re shifters, Russel, so it’s different.”
“Yeah, these wolves are too nice and Tyler…” He snuck a glance at Stella, and then quickly returned his gaze to the screen.
Stella looked at Cedric. He was just putting a teapot on the stove. He was taking his time. He made no indication he was listening to what they were saying, but she wouldn’t have put it past him to listen in on their conversation. She would have done the same thing if she were in his position.
“We’re different,” Stella established, returning her attention to Russel. “We’re supposed to be kind of like this wolf pack, but we’re like humans too. Tyler was messed up in the head, Russel. He wasn’t like us. He wasn’t like those wolves. He wasn’t like the humans we’ve met.” Maybe if she talked about Tyler in the past tense it would be true.
Russel nodded his head. “But you had a pack right?”
“Yes, a wolf shifter pack is a lot like this pack. A family. Everyone takes care of each other. But we didn’t sleep out in the cold. We had houses and stuff like humans. I’ve told you this before.”
“We’re a pack. Just small,” Russel established. “Tyler was never a part of it.”
Stella couldn’t argue with that. She glanced at Cedric, but he was still in the kitchen. The teapot whistled, and he took it off the stove.
Stella lowered her voice to a volume that only her son would be able to hear. “What do you think of Cedric, Russ?”
Russel matched her volume. “I like him.”
It was a simple three-word answer, but it was all that needed to be said. When her boy said it, he meant it. Russel had always turned to her when dealing with anyone new, not that they had much experience with that, because she encouraged it, always told him to count on her, but he was taking initiative with Cedric. That proved how much he “liked” him. It proved how much Russel had come out of his shell now that Tyler wasn’t hovering over the both of them. Oh, she was proud, but she was also worried.
What if he put his trust in the wrong person? What if Cedric betrayed them?
Stella’s Lunas Sigil burned angrily, but she ignored it.
Finally, Cedric returned to the living room with a steaming cup of tea in hand. “It’s hot,” he commented as he held the cup out to Stella. When she went to take it, their fingers brushed, and it sent shivers all over her skin. She made the mistake of glancing up at him at the same moment. When he caught her gaze, she couldn’t look away. Her eyes lingered on the hazel of his eyes, yellow peeking through because his owl was riled up or something. She couldn’t tell. She had the urge to press her fingers to his strong jaw, to feel his new stubble and see if it was actually bits of silver disguised as hair.
She didn’t do that. She took the cup and held it in her lap as she forced herself to stare at the TV again. Her heart was beating irregularly. Her skin was tingling. What kind of power did this snowy owl shifter have? How did he make everything seem like it was okay, normal even? Better than normal. He was welcoming. He was warm, and Stella could understand why Russel was ready to trust him, but…
She had so much doubt. So much fear. Anytime she thought maybe she could afford to trust Cedric, Tyler would plague her mind again, remind her that she wasn’t free unless she was the one in charge. Trusting Cedric like this gave him power over her and Russel. Despite these warnings, she already was trusting him and giving him power. She didn’t kill him. Food, Ice skating, baths, tea, everything. How could she be so stupid?
But was it stupid?
Her Lunas Sigil burned again as she continued to stare at the TV. She was afraid that if she looked at Cedric one more time, she wouldn’t be able to look away. His eyes would hold her captive. She watched wolves on a screen work together to bring down an elk. A pack. A family. It wasn’t wrong for her to want that, to trust. It was wolf nature. Human nature.
She dared to look at Cedric one more time.
“May I sit by you?” he asked.
Stella scooted closer to Russel to free up room for him. “Sure.”
He sat down beside her with barely enough room for them not to touch.
She took a sip of her tea, the scent and taste combined mellowed her out some. Cedric knew what he was doing. And he hadn’t tried to poison or drug her or anything. Her nose told her this was chamomile tea, nothing more and nothing less. She didn’t feel like a complete wreck now. It was kind of amazing, like the tea averted that panic attack she was about to have.
“Everyone is happy,” Russel stated.
“How do you know that?” Cedric asked.
“My mark is warm.”
Now that he mentioned it, so was Stella’s. Just warm, comforting, no longer burning. Maybe it wasn’t just the tea easing the tension in her body. She had told her son very little about Lunas, but he was very accepting of the Moon’s power. Probably because her son was wise beyond his years. Maybe he was right and she was overthinking things. One day, Russel wou
ld be the best kind of man. She knew that in her heart. She saw that in him every day.
“I think you’re right, Russel,” Cedric replied.
Somehow, Stella knew the snowy owl shifter was looking at her, so she turned her head to meet his gaze again. His eyes were soft this time. That barrier he often had erected to hide his emotions had vanished. She couldn’t think of a time a man had looked at her this way, without lust, without expectations, just… love. Maybe her father did. He did love her, but her memories were all clouded with Tyler. Everything was muddied with Tyler.
It was also entirely possible she was crazy. She knew there was no way Cedric could love her, but that was the only way she could describe what she saw in his eyes. For the moment, her worries stilled, and she enjoyed a simple, normal moment, where the three of them watched TV together on a couch. It was almost like they were a family, and that was a reality Stella was okay getting lost in.
Chapter 10
CEDRIC WOKE UP TO a terrible crick in his neck. He wasn’t lying down. He was sitting upright, his head resting on top of someone else’s head. Slowly, he straightened his neck and pressed his hand to the sore spot to straighten out the kink. At first, he felt disoriented, but as he looked at Stella, her head resting on his shoulder, and Russel sprawled out on the other side of the couch taking up most of the room, last night came back to him in a rush.
Last night had been a breakthrough of some sort. He felt so damn accomplished for it. The snowy owl in him showed that contentment by making him rub his cheek against the top of Stella’s head again. He shouldn’t do things like that, but he couldn’t help himself. His chest was warm and so was his Lunas Sigil.
The TV was still on, sitting on the title screen of the wolf documentary DVD. The remote was on the armrest to Cedric’s left, so he turned the thing off. Then he let his eyes linger on the sleeping wolves next to him.
God, it was amazing. This, being with Stella and Russel like this, felt amazing. Stella was sleeping on his shoulder. He hoped that meant she was feeling more secure. And hell, she was seriously beautiful. She had brushed her hair out during that bath, revealing golden strands he couldn’t see before. She smelled like the herbs he put in the water for her. He took a deep whiff of the heavenly scent and let his breath out slow.
Beautiful wolf. She made his body ache with her perfection. Scars or not, she was hands down the sexiest woman he had ever laid eyes on. He would admit that to himself, even though he wanted to fix things with Terry. Besides, Stella didn’t want him anyway, attraction or not. Based on those scars, he didn’t blame her. If that was her only experience with a man, he understood. He wished he could fix it though. She deserved so much better.
He wanted to ask her about the scars, not to dredge up a dark past, but because he simply wanted to understand. He’d have a better idea of how to talk to her and how to treat her. Most importantly, he was more determined than before to keep her and her son safe. Whoever this Tyler bastard was, Cedric was going to make sure he never hurt them again. From the very small amount of information Cedric had gathered, it sounded like Tyler might be the Berserker wolf Rogue was looking for. If he could get more information, maybe he’d be able to give Rogue some solid intel later.
And there was still the matter of figuring out when and where he’d be able to talk to Terry and Opal. Their picture was in the pocket of his sweats. He pulled it out carefully so he wouldn’t wake up Stella. He brushed his fingers across Terry and Opal’s faces again for the billionth time. For the billionth time, he felt anxious. He needed to get this over with sooner rather than later if only for his own sanity.
He wondered what they were doing today. What day of the week was it? Saturday. There was something Terry and Opal always did on Saturdays since Opal turned two. What was it? Terry had told him several times, but he was always hung over and grumpy and didn’t want to hear a damn word about it. It was somewhere Opal got to play with other kids and do arts and crafts and activities.
Kids Fun ‘N Stuff. That was it. He actually remembered. Tell a drunk something enough times and maybe it’d stick. Or maybe the Moon was looking out for him again? It didn’t matter.
Cedric grabbed his cell phone, also inside his pocket, and checked the time. It was seven. Terry and Opal usually stayed until noon from what he remembered. Maybe that was the best place to meet them. It was neutral ground. There wouldn’t be a foreboding presence of Snow. Hopefully, Terry would feel free enough to be honest with him instead of saying something just because that was what was expected of her. Because she feared the Snows.
There was also a chance he’d end up going and miss them entirely, but then he’d just have to figure out some other neutral ground for them to meet. God, but he could leave right now and maybe see them today. He got anxious thinking about it. It wouldn’t be hard. He didn’t know where the place was but he had an SUV and a GPS. It wouldn’t be hard to find.
“Is that your wife and kid?” Stella asked.
Cedric glanced at the woman still resting on his shoulder. He hadn’t realized she was awake. He was extra surprised that she hadn’t moved away from him.
“Yes, that’s my wife and daughter,” he replied. For some reason, calling Terry his wife out loud left a bizarre taste on his tongue. It was true. She was his wife, but he had certainly never treated her as such. Just like he had never treated Opal as his daughter.
Russel stirred and began to stretch on the couch, extending his legs out and onto Stella’s lap. He yawned and turned so his face was against the backrest. His eyes were closed.
“I need to see them,” Cedric said quietly. “I know you don’t want me to leave, and I get why, but…” He shook his head. “It’ll just be for a little while. I’ll wear a hat and sunglasses so no one else recognizes me. You and Russel can even come with me if you want to keep an eye on me, but I need to see them. Maybe we could pick up some hot chocolate while we’re out. Then we won’t have only gross grownup drinks in the house.”
Russel laughed at that, proving he was awake but pretending to still be asleep.
“Ever try hot chocolate?”
“No,” Russel replied.
“You’ll like it.”
Russel grinned and opened his eyes as he sat up. Stella straightened out too, pressing her hand to her neck to probably get rid of a knot of her own after sleeping on Cedric’s shoulder all night. Unlike her son, she was wearing a frown on her face.
“But what if someone did recognize you, other than your wife and daughter I mean.”
“They won’t. It’s amazing how oblivious people can be,” Cedric informed, “and the frantic search for me has died down over the last couple months. I’ve been missing for too long. That’s kind of what happens. But if they did, I’d take care of it. I won’t throw you and Russel out on the streets. I won’t let Tyler have you.”
Stella shook her head and her lilac eyes shimmered with emotion. Cedric was waiting for her to shoot him down, but she said, “Okay. Russel and I will go with you.”
The relief brought on by her words was instant. Cedric hadn’t realized he was holding his breath, but now he could breathe again. If he didn’t end up finding Terry and Opal today, at least he’d have the opportunity to get Stella and Russel out. Maybe they’d let him buy them some clothes that actually fit instead of wearing the Snows’ forgotten clothes left behind in the cabin. He was determined to make this a good experience for everyone involved.
Damn, but he was nervous. He had tried to recite what he would say to Terry and Opal when he saw them again, but he had come to the conclusion that it wasn’t really something he could prepare for. He just had to do it and take what happened as it came. At last, it was time to move forward.
Chapter 11
CEDRIC CHECKED THE MAP on his phone again. They were getting close to their destination, Kids Fun ‘N Stuff. It was a kids zone and pretty popular apparently—according to the internet. Thank God for data plans and phones. Traffic wasn’t too bad despite th
e new layer of snow that had fallen during the night, but when the big building swimming in Christmas decorations came into view, Cedric saw cars filling the large parking lot.
The internet was correct. This place was a kid zone big time.
As Cedric carefully maneuvered his way through the parking lot and found an empty stall, his stomach started to knot.
Chill the fuck out. You’re a man, aren’t you?
He checked himself in the mirror. Between the beanie and glasses, he really didn’t look much like a Snow at all. Yeah, his face had been plastered where people could see for his entire life, but there was something to the eyes, the hair, and even the way someone dressed. It all worked together to create a complete picture that people tended to look for. Someone would have to be actively looking for him to even consider that he might be Cedric Snow.
“Ready?” Cedric asked.
Stella gave a dismissive shrug. She was staring out the window and silent to Cedric’s right. Russel was in the backseat, bouncing up and down.
“I saw a big tree in there through the windows,” Russel said. “It’s covered in ornaments and kids!”
“That’s the playground,” Cedric informed. “According to what it says online, the tree is located in the center of the building and sprouts up to four stories. It has a slide in its trunk that will take you down one floor at a time. Then you can get off or keep sliding.”
“I want to try it,” Russel said as he kept bouncing and squinted out the window, probably trying to see if what Cedric said was true.
“Go for it. I’m paying for us to get in, so do whatever you want there—as long as it’s okay with your mother. There are arts and crafts and other activities too.”
Russel looked like he was about to burst with excitement. “Let’s go!” he exclaimed.
“Wait,” Stella said, her voice high with almost panic. “We should stick together.”
“We can, or you and Russel can do your own thing, and we’ll meet up later. It’s safe in there,” Cedric replied. “They’ll have clocks inside. We can meet at the entrance in an hour or two. Easy.”