“Okay, what is it?”
“I just…If I batter and shove my way around like I always do and he decides it’s too much, I’m too much…” Stupid tears, springing out of nowhere. She swiped them away.
A long rattling hiss sounded over the phone, and Ember’s tears were startled dry. Claire hadn’t let her hear that sound in a few years. “I could permanently damage every last one of your exes.”
“Don’t, Claire.”
“You really think you can be too much for an apex? Come on, babe.”
Of course she could be, likely would be. “I don’t know what to do. I’ve been trying to show him, but I think…” A shiny new thought. “I think he’s scared too.”
“So talk to him. Tell him what’s scaring you. Ask him what’s going on, what’s scaring him. If he wants you, he’ll find his way to answering.”
“He does.” One hand left the steering wheel to clap over her mouth.
Claire’s laugh rang again. “You already gave that one away, remember? He might’ve botched it, but he intended that cookout to be some shade of romantic. Not to mention he’s housing you as his guest. A wolf doesn’t open his home to just any random human.”
“Whoa. I didn’t think of that.”
“Sounds to me like the man is more serious about you than you’re giving him credit for. So… Try to cultivate. Give it time. Be cautious but not scared.”
“I’m so glad you called. But I’m losing service again in like two minutes, and I monopolized the whole chat. What about you?”
“Nothing new whatsoever.”
“Okay, then how about—?”
The phone beeped in her ear, and she drew it away to glance at the screen.CALL LOST.
When she got to Aaron’s, he was home and awake. And on his feet. She found him standing at the kitchen counter, apparently taking inventory of the contents of his medical box.“What are you doing up?”
“I was way too out of it last night to keep track of the supplies we used.”
“No, Aaron, I meanwhat are you doing up?”
He finished softly counting sealed sterile bandages, then met her eyes. “I told you yesterday, we’re going next door.”
“Can’t we take a rain check for some date when your thigh isn’t torn open?”
“You’ll be gone by then.” He shrugged, but something flickered behind his eyes. She wanted to analyze it, but he went on. “And I have to see them regardless. Zane’s hand needs a re-check.”
He let her drive, so he had retained some modicum of common sense. Not much, though. The limp was bad as he followed her and Quinn up to the Freemans’ front door.
Lucy opened it, her smile as bright and welcoming today as last weekend. “Hello hello, Quinn, Aaron, Ember.”
“Hi,” Ember said. “Thanks for the welcome, again.”
“Oh, of course—” Her words broke off as Aaron limped inside and shut the door. “And what happened to you?”
“I’ve got a few stitches in my leg. Nothing serious.”
Lucy was clearly gearing up for an interrogation, but down the hall came a familiar tornado of little boy calling, “Aaron and Quinn!”
He would have hurled himself against Aaron’s legs, but Quinn stepped between them and hoisted him up, then perched him on one arm.
“Hey, Zane, how’s that cool scar coming along?”
Zane held up his bandaged right hand. “You can’t see it right now. After it gets healed more I can take the bandage off and you can see it.”
