control my anger, I finally welcomed it. If I wanted to feel like my old self again I needed to start acting like it, and I liked my anger.
I fell asleep shortly before the plane landed in Portland. The drive from here to Trout Lake was only about forty-five minutes. Though it was a short flight on the plane it made me feel trapped just the same and I stretched tired legs and arms. Gage tried taking my overhead bag and I snarled at him, surprising at least two other passengers. I smiled sarcastically at them all before gliding down the aisle and off the plane.
Sarah was waiting with her quickly growing son, Brian, in tow. I waved enthusiastically and we hugged, giggling like idiots and crying happy girl tears.
Brian was a little more reserved than I expected but he did size up Gage behind me with a look of wonder on his face. "Miss Sugar, who's that?"
I noticed his little boy talk was gone with a lot of his baby fat. "The babysitter," I said evenly before throwing my bags in the huge trunk of the antique convertible.
Sarah put the old car in gear and smiled at me. "I'm glad you came back."
I nodded after seeing the warning look Gage gave me from the back seat. Apparently no one was to know about our little plan. "I was invited. Until now I didn't know there was someone else in charge."
Sarah's face sobered and her grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Things have changed quite a bit."
"So how is everyone?" I asked, trying to change the subject as subtly as possible and failing epically.
"Most of the males left... except for Brian and Kyle." She looked at Gage in the rearview mirror. "Some of the girls would too if they could I’m sure, but the new Alpha's been working his way through the herd."
"God, I am starving." I announced and Sarah shifted a nervous gaze in my direction.
"We have a big supper planned for tonight if you can hold out." Suddenly she seemed to remember something and she smiled again. "Brian didn't you say you had something for Miss Sugar?"
He took his fist out of his pocket and held it out for me. He dropped a black leather thong with a moonstone dangling from it into my hand. "You can give it back to me some day." He shrugged and looked as if he were about to cry. It had been Jack’s; he said it was his talisman. "All the other stuff Uncle Jack gave you is gone. Mom tried to get your wedding ring back but..." He shrugged again.
"Thank you Brian." I looked at those sad eyes for nearly a mile before turning back to face the road.
Sarah was tapping her hands nervously on the steering wheel. "Sugar, it’s not the home you remember. I mean we're really glad you’re here, but maybe it’s not the best place for you to be, until you’re ready?" This only made me feel as though my current state of unease was as evident to everyone else as it was to me… maybe more so.
When I didn't respond she continued, "He's not very forgiving of Challengers, Sugar." Her eyes flashed to the rearview taking in Gage in the back seat. She thought I was bringing home the bacon.
"I know," was all I said and she looked as if she would pull the car over at any minute and start shaking the sense into me.
"You could have chosen any other pack and worked your way back up the ranks."
"Elder Coon reissued my rank as long as I rejoined this one." I said. "Plus, you guys are my family. I've missed you so much."
"Then why didn't you call?" Brian snapped out from the back seat, earning a worried look from Gage sitting right next to him.
That explained his not so warm welcome at the airport. "Because,” I said. “I wasn't sure if you wanted to hear from me. I failed you and I was embarrassed, and I needed time to heal." I turned back to Brian with an apologetic smile on my face. "Okay honey?"
"Well you should have called and told us you were alright." He crossed his arms and pouted dramatically. "You didn't even call on my birthday... I waited all day." The tears started and my heart broke, I felt like such an
I fell asleep shortly before the plane landed in Portland. The drive from here to Trout Lake was only about forty-five minutes. Though it was a short flight on the plane it made me feel trapped just the same and I stretched tired legs and arms. Gage tried taking my overhead bag and I snarled at him, surprising at least two other passengers. I smiled sarcastically at them all before gliding down the aisle and off the plane.
Sarah was waiting with her quickly growing son, Brian, in tow. I waved enthusiastically and we hugged, giggling like idiots and crying happy girl tears.
Brian was a little more reserved than I expected but he did size up Gage behind me with a look of wonder on his face. "Miss Sugar, who's that?"
I noticed his little boy talk was gone with a lot of his baby fat. "The babysitter," I said evenly before throwing my bags in the huge trunk of the antique convertible.
Sarah put the old car in gear and smiled at me. "I'm glad you came back."
I nodded after seeing the warning look Gage gave me from the back seat. Apparently no one was to know about our little plan. "I was invited. Until now I didn't know there was someone else in charge."
Sarah's face sobered and her grip on the steering wheel tightened. "Things have changed quite a bit."
"So how is everyone?" I asked, trying to change the subject as subtly as possible and failing epically.
"Most of the males left... except for Brian and Kyle." She looked at Gage in the rearview mirror. "Some of the girls would too if they could I’m sure, but the new Alpha's been working his way through the herd."
"God, I am starving." I announced and Sarah shifted a nervous gaze in my direction.
"We have a big supper planned for tonight if you can hold out." Suddenly she seemed to remember something and she smiled again. "Brian didn't you say you had something for Miss Sugar?"
He took his fist out of his pocket and held it out for me. He dropped a black leather thong with a moonstone dangling from it into my hand. "You can give it back to me some day." He shrugged and looked as if he were about to cry. It had been Jack’s; he said it was his talisman. "All the other stuff Uncle Jack gave you is gone. Mom tried to get your wedding ring back but..." He shrugged again.
"Thank you Brian." I looked at those sad eyes for nearly a mile before turning back to face the road.
Sarah was tapping her hands nervously on the steering wheel. "Sugar, it’s not the home you remember. I mean we're really glad you’re here, but maybe it’s not the best place for you to be, until you’re ready?" This only made me feel as though my current state of unease was as evident to everyone else as it was to me… maybe more so.
When I didn't respond she continued, "He's not very forgiving of Challengers, Sugar." Her eyes flashed to the rearview taking in Gage in the back seat. She thought I was bringing home the bacon.
"I know," was all I said and she looked as if she would pull the car over at any minute and start shaking the sense into me.
"You could have chosen any other pack and worked your way back up the ranks."
"Elder Coon reissued my rank as long as I rejoined this one." I said. "Plus, you guys are my family. I've missed you so much."
"Then why didn't you call?" Brian snapped out from the back seat, earning a worried look from Gage sitting right next to him.
That explained his not so warm welcome at the airport. "Because,” I said. “I wasn't sure if you wanted to hear from me. I failed you and I was embarrassed, and I needed time to heal." I turned back to Brian with an apologetic smile on my face. "Okay honey?"
"Well you should have called and told us you were alright." He crossed his arms and pouted dramatically. "You didn't even call on my birthday... I waited all day." The tears started and my heart broke, I felt like such an
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