Cindy glanced behind her at Jonas, who gave her a look that basically said sure, why not? She rose from the couch.
“We’re in. Jonas, if you’ll put this bin in my office, I’ll lock the front door.”
They used the back door and walked about half a mile, chatting quietly as they exited the neighborhood, but keeping alert for any signs of other neighbors out for a nighttime stroll. Cindy had found a nice spot that was out of the way and provided some cover for making their change and storing their clothing. Normally, she and Jonas would change at home and just leave by the back door, but there were too many of them to chance stealthily running through the neighborhood in wolf form.
With Myra and Adam there, Cindy and Jonas didn’t need to worry about having the strength to change back to human after such a short run. The alpha pair would be able to lend them the strength to get it done. Joe was strong enough to make the change back himself.
They separated out a little bit, then changed. Cindy brushed against Jonas as soon as they were both fully wolf. She loved him, no matter what form she was in, but there was something so simple and perfect about being with her mate in wolf form.
He licked her muzzle then turned to pick up the clothes they’d bundled together and bring it to the large rock they’d use to hide their belongings. Myra followed with their shoes, and added them to the pile the others had put together.
Seeing that everyone was set, Adam gave off a howl and sped away. Snorting, Myra gave chase, with Jonas and Cindy hot on her heels. Joe took the rear, and Cindy knew he was going slower than he needed to in order to cover their backs, even though they didn’t have any reason to be concerned about the area. Their new second liked to be cautious, she’d learned. Something she appreciated in her hierarchy.
When they were well away from town, Adam circled around and bounced in front of Jonas, inviting him to play. They whirled and chased, bowed and nipped, making slow progress forward but having a lot of fun. Cindy huffed, her wolf version of a snicker, when Myra bounded between them then took off like a shot, inviting a game of chase. The men answered immediately, taking off after her.
Cindy wasn’t interested in top speed tonight. She loped along, Joe keeping pace with her. She wished the cloud cover would go away and they could see the beautiful stars, and have better moonlight, but she tasted rain in the air and figured they’d be getting some by the next evening.
She stepped on a sharp rock and whined a little, slowing to a stop so she could shake it free from her paw. The burst of concern came down her mate bond immediately, but she let Jonas know she was fine. The sharp sting had faded as soon as it had hit. Joe waited while she tested her next step to be sure the rock had shaken loose, then gave her face a quick lick and they continued on.
They ran and played for an hour before resting in a big pile, listening to the sounds of the desert and enjoying just being together as a pack. After a while, Myra stood, and they all followed, ready to head back to home and bed.
Jonas climbed down from the ladder and surveyed his handiwork. Olivia was in the kitchen unpacking boxes and Tasha was in her bedroom, making the bed. He’d just finished adding brackets to the large bookcase that had found a home in the living room, attaching it firmly to the wall.
He and Bill had carted everything in from the truck by late morning. The Keoghs didn’t have a lot of material possessions. Except books. They had quite a few boxes of books, which he had no complaints about. Bill had set up the television while Jonas helped Olivia hang curtains. Then Bill had left and Jonas had taken care of the bookcase. Unlike Jen, neither Olivia nor Tasha had bed frames that needed to be put together. There really wasn’t much more to do, other than actually empty all the boxes he’d dragged in.
He didn’t think they’d love him opening up their boxes, and he was getting pretty hungry, so he went to the kitchen.
“Olivia, how about I go pick up lunch for all of us and bring it back here. In the meantime, take a look around and let me know if there’s anything else you could use my help with before I head out.”
The doorbell rang before she had a chance to respond. She looked questioningly at him, but he just shrugged. Until he thought about it, tuned into his bond, and realized it was his mate on the other side of the door. And chances were pretty much guaranteed that she had food.
Olivia had opened the door by the time he’d made his realization and headed over to join her. He took the Crock-Pot out of Cindy’s hands, accepting a kiss, all while she spoke to Olivia.
“I figured you guys would be hungry about now, and not in the mood to go find any food. “That’s a pot of chili.” She held up a grocery bag. “This is paper plates and plastic utensils, in case you haven’t unpacked dishes yet, and sour cream, avocado, cheese and jalapenos, for toppings.”
Olivia blinked at her for a minute, clearly shocked. Then she nodded. “That’s very kind of you, Cindy. Thank you. Jonas was just suggesting food, so your timing is perfect. Jonas, if you let Tasha know, I’ll get things set up on the table.”
“I have another bag in the car with drinks. I’ll go grab it.” Cindy didn’t wait for a response.
Jonas saw that Olivia didn’t move, just stood staring at the still open door.
“Is she overwhelming?” he asked softly.
“No.” Olivia shook her head—and turned to Jonas with a smile. The first real smile he’d seen from her. “No. She’s extremely kind, and so are you. This was very thoughtful of her. I was going to buy you lunch, as a tiny thank you for all your help today.”
“No need, I’m happy to do my part in getting you and Tasha settled here. Everyone in the pack is starting over, and we all need each other to make that transition as easy as possible.”
Cindy came back through the door, and Olivia gave him one last smile before heading to the little dining area next to the kitchen. The apartment wasn’t grand, but it was set up nicely, had two bedrooms, and was close to the high school Tasha would be attending.
He went down the short hall and stuck his head through Tasha’s door. She’d made her bed and was hanging clothes in the closet.
“Hey, Cindy brought lunch for everyone. Ready to take a break?”
She smiled at him, not quite meeting his gaze. Her shyness made him nervous about her ability to find friends at the new school. He’d have to ask Myra and Adam if any of the new potential pack members had teenagers. He imagined it would be a lot easier for Tasha to get close to another wolf, so she wouldn’t have to hide such an important part of herself.
He stepped back and let her proceed him down the hall, where the delicious smell of chili made his stomach growl.
Cindy wouldn’t exactly call the conversation around lunch lively, but she managed to get a couple of smiles and comments from both Olivia and Tasha. And the general air of negativity she’d sensed during her first meeting with Olivia seemed to have faded away. She was glad she’d had the idea to come with lunch.
