“The wound was the result of the great redeemer. The gloriously fierce trial where all true heroes are forged.”
She wanted to laugh as each of her pack mates inched closer, waiting for the revelation. She already knew, and blushed when in unison she and Barron both said—her with a deep sigh and Barron with triumphant pride--, “Battle”.
Barron’s gaze held hers then, his smile slipping as he studied her. “You know of battle, Alpha Hutchinson?”
She could only hold his gaze a few moments before lowering her lashes and eyeing her water glass. “Yes, Alpha Kane.” She swallowed at the memory of the life she’d had before Garner had found her. “I do.”
His jaw ticked and his expression shifted until he looked downright furious.
Unsure what had changed his mood, she’d stood and shooed the pack from the table with a distracted, “Don’t you all have something to do?”
Jase was the first to bolt up from his seat. “Barron, can we finish working on the gutter?”
Barron’s smile was back in a flash and he stood, about to follow the kids as they rushed from the house, before he stopped and eyed the table. “You need help here?”
“No.” Willa quickly shook her head and stood. “I’ve got it.” When he nodded and turned to leave she added, “You don’t have to do this, ya know.”
He turned back to her. “What’s that?”
“Fix everything,” she supplied with a flush. “I was going to get to those things.” She lifted her chin, “I am going to get to those things.”
He shrugged negligently and sauntered to the door before stopping and turning to look at her. “Consider my proposition, Willa.” Then they were all gone, leaving her to clean up.
***
Now, standing at the sink up to her elbows in suds, Willa mimicked, “Consider my proposition.” After dinner she’d grown irritable, and her irritation grew the more she thought of Barron’s “proposition”. She did admit—if only to herself—that she was bothered by more than just that. She was irked to hell and back that Barron had spent the day with her pack as if he had always been a part of it. She was irked that Sarya took to him, she was irked that Becca and Keryn had fought over who’d fix him lunch, and she was mostly irked that he was right. She did need him. They needed him. All day long she’d cast sidelong glances at him trying to determine if he’d be able to handle any and all challengers. Her conclusion? Hell yes! Was there a problem with it? Hell yes! There were numerous problems with this scenario. First, she didn’t believe a false claiming would work, which could very well get them all killed. Second, she didn’t think her wolf could handle him being around much longer. She was all achy in places she knew weren’t appropriate.
In the hours after they’d gone out to work, the pack slowly filtered back into the house looking worn as full night settled in. She didn’t feel too bad. Hard work built character, plus the chores needed to be done and she certainly didn’t know how to fix any of the things that Barron had repaired.
Keryn and Cortez settled in front of the TV, wrapped in each other’s arms. After a quick hug, Sarya and Becca headed up to bed, while Arden and Jase found the plate of chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen and each grabbed a glass of milk before settling at the table for a snack, chatting excitedly about how much work they’d gotten done.
Willa took a glass of milk and plate of cookies and sauntered out onto the porch. She found Barron seated on the top step, sans shirt, leaning against the house with one wrist propped casually on a raised knee. Damn, if he didn’t look like he belonged there.
“Hard day?”
He looked up and she handed him the glass and plate.
“Thanks.” He smiled and it made her insides melt. He drank down half the contents of the glass in one swallow. “Day wasn’t too
She wanted to laugh as each of her pack mates inched closer, waiting for the revelation. She already knew, and blushed when in unison she and Barron both said—her with a deep sigh and Barron with triumphant pride--, “Battle”.
Barron’s gaze held hers then, his smile slipping as he studied her. “You know of battle, Alpha Hutchinson?”
She could only hold his gaze a few moments before lowering her lashes and eyeing her water glass. “Yes, Alpha Kane.” She swallowed at the memory of the life she’d had before Garner had found her. “I do.”
His jaw ticked and his expression shifted until he looked downright furious.
Unsure what had changed his mood, she’d stood and shooed the pack from the table with a distracted, “Don’t you all have something to do?”
Jase was the first to bolt up from his seat. “Barron, can we finish working on the gutter?”
Barron’s smile was back in a flash and he stood, about to follow the kids as they rushed from the house, before he stopped and eyed the table. “You need help here?”
“No.” Willa quickly shook her head and stood. “I’ve got it.” When he nodded and turned to leave she added, “You don’t have to do this, ya know.”
He turned back to her. “What’s that?”
“Fix everything,” she supplied with a flush. “I was going to get to those things.” She lifted her chin, “I am going to get to those things.”
He shrugged negligently and sauntered to the door before stopping and turning to look at her. “Consider my proposition, Willa.” Then they were all gone, leaving her to clean up.
***
Now, standing at the sink up to her elbows in suds, Willa mimicked, “Consider my proposition.” After dinner she’d grown irritable, and her irritation grew the more she thought of Barron’s “proposition”. She did admit—if only to herself—that she was bothered by more than just that. She was irked to hell and back that Barron had spent the day with her pack as if he had always been a part of it. She was irked that Sarya took to him, she was irked that Becca and Keryn had fought over who’d fix him lunch, and she was mostly irked that he was right. She did need him. They needed him. All day long she’d cast sidelong glances at him trying to determine if he’d be able to handle any and all challengers. Her conclusion? Hell yes! Was there a problem with it? Hell yes! There were numerous problems with this scenario. First, she didn’t believe a false claiming would work, which could very well get them all killed. Second, she didn’t think her wolf could handle him being around much longer. She was all achy in places she knew weren’t appropriate.
In the hours after they’d gone out to work, the pack slowly filtered back into the house looking worn as full night settled in. She didn’t feel too bad. Hard work built character, plus the chores needed to be done and she certainly didn’t know how to fix any of the things that Barron had repaired.
Keryn and Cortez settled in front of the TV, wrapped in each other’s arms. After a quick hug, Sarya and Becca headed up to bed, while Arden and Jase found the plate of chocolate chip cookies in the kitchen and each grabbed a glass of milk before settling at the table for a snack, chatting excitedly about how much work they’d gotten done.
Willa took a glass of milk and plate of cookies and sauntered out onto the porch. She found Barron seated on the top step, sans shirt, leaning against the house with one wrist propped casually on a raised knee. Damn, if he didn’t look like he belonged there.
“Hard day?”
He looked up and she handed him the glass and plate.
“Thanks.” He smiled and it made her insides melt. He drank down half the contents of the glass in one swallow. “Day wasn’t too
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