“You look upset.”
“I’m okay.”
“Stop saying that!” I snap. “Rachel told me there was some kind of trouble?”
“Just a guy,” she says, turning away from me to resume walking. “He was a bit rude. Nothing major.”
“You should have told me,” I say, hurrying to catch up to her.
“Just leave me alone, Rhys.”
“It’s a long walk home.”
“I need the exercise.”
I keep pace with her, wondering what I should say.
Maybe nothing. Maybe just being here with her is all I need to do.
We walk in silence for a bit longer, and I notice that Sadie is walking straight towards home as if she’s being pulled by an invisible thread.
I didn’t know she had such a great sense of direction. The manor isn’t that far from Silver Valley, but cutting through the woods isn’t an easy path.
By the time we reach the road, Sadie has relaxed a little, so I try talking to her again.
“Are you really okay?”
“Yes,” she says tersely, but much softer than before.
Maybe it’s really no big deal. She might have just gotten overwhelmed. Surely no one would really give her trouble when I was so close by?
“Okay,” I say. “You don’t have to explain if you really don’t want to, but I’m here for you. I just want you to know that.”
Sadie nods but doesn’t answer. Even though I can tell she’s settled down a lot, she’s still showing signs of tension, and it doesn’t start to lift until we reach the house. Sadie runs eagerly up the lawn, right up to the front door, and rushes inside.
I follow quickly behind her, throwing on a spare coat hanging by the front door since I left my clothes in the woods, then follow Sadie into the living room. When I get there, she’s sitting on the floor hugging Cassie, who’s surrounded by coloring books and crayons. Jean waves from the couch, and I nod back to her.
Sadie smiles, the first real smile since we left the party. Cassie giggles and pats her mom’s cheeks, hugging her back.
“I’d better get going,” Jean says. “You guys are back a bit earlier than I thought.”
“Yeah,” I answer. “Got tired of the scene, I guess.”
Jean seems to note that we didn’t drive home and I’ve shifted at least once, but doesn’t comment on it. I wave goodbye to her and shut the front door, turning back to join Cassie and Sadie in the living room. When I get there, Cassie is excitedly telling her mom all about her day and how much fun she had with the other kids.
After Cassie settles, Sadie takes her for a bath while I get changed and make a snack for my little girl. For the first time, Sadie and I put Cassie to bed together, reading her a story while she has a cup of warm milk.
Cassie slowly drops off to sleep before we can even finish the book, her little head dropping to my shoulder as she snuggles down between us. Sadie smiles as she strokes Cassie’s blond hair back, and the moment is so tender and sweet it almost breaks my heart.
I want to tell her. I want Cassie to know I’m her father, but I can’t tell her unless Sadie wants me to.
I feel like it would be far worse for Cassie to find out by accident, like she did about shifters, and every day that passes makes it more likely it could happen. But the choice is still Sadie’s, and I won’t go against it.
Once she’s sure Cassie’s comfortable, Sadie goes to take a shower, and I try to calm my restlessness by going to the kitchen to make some tea.
Something happened tonight. I can tell Sadie still isn’t feeling right, and I don’t know what to do. How can I prove to her that she means something to me beyond the ritual?
I can’t deny that saving my pack dominates my mind, and pressure from the elders is increasing by the day. I don’t know how long I can protect Sadie from them, or what I’ll do if they decide to get rid of her as they threatened to from the start.
