Page 15 of Betrayed By the Wolf

Moira set Cora down and whirled on her. “Seriously, Vera? From what I hear, from other people, since you don’t talk to your own sister anymore, your life is in shambles. And youwant to question whether or not I can handle a baby? I thought maybe having your life fall apart would humble you a little, but I guess that was wishful thinking.”

Shambles? Is that what people were saying? They weren’t wrong but she hated the idea of other people knowing what a mess she was, hated the breakdown of her perfect veneer.

“I’m sorry.” Her apology shocked Moira, left her with her mouth open, speechless. “You’re right, I’m a mess right now.”

Tears ran down her cheeks, and with her hands full of Jessa, Vera couldn’t wipe them away. Moira softened, a better person than Vera ever was, and swept her into a hug.

“We all go through it sometimes.” Moira pulled back. “Sit for a minute and have a snack before you head out.”

That was Moira, always thinking a pastry could solve everything. Vera didn’t argue, though. Taking a seat at the island with Jessa in her lap, she watched Moira move confidently around her tiny kitchen, seeming perfectly at ease with herself for the first time in her life. Gone was the self-conscious, self-deprecating girl that Vera had watched grow up. Something about this life suited her, and it showed.

And for the first time in Vera’s life, she was jealous of Moira. Jealous of her sister, who seemed to have it all figured out like Vera once thought she had.

“Stop ruminating,” Moira warned, sliding a plate over to Vera.

A cinnamon roll the size of her hand covered most of the delicate floral pattern of the plate, and the warm smell of spices and butter hit her nose. Her stomach growled.

“I suppose it’ll be a long night; a little fuel couldn’t hurt.”

She couldn’t resist Moira’s baked goods. Nobody could. That’s what made her bakery on Main Street so successful. After Moira had taken over ownership of the place, it had gone from a barely hanging on shop to a sensation, pulling in customers from miles away.

Even through her tears, the cinnamon roll was delicious, and some of the tension in her shoulders started to ease when the first trickle of sugar reached her bloodstream.

“Tell me about Rami.” Moira sat down beside Vera and reached to take Jessa from her arms. “And let me hold this sweet girl.”

She’d expected Moira to dig into Vera’s unexpected move or job change, not the failed romance. What could she even say? The whole thing was a mess she had waded into willingly.

“What is there to say? I never should’ve gotten into a relationship. Didn’t I always tell you they weren’t worth it, that they’d just distract you from the important things? Well, I didn't take my own advice, and look where it got me.” Vera set down her fork and stared down at her hands, unable to meet Moira’s gaze. “I let him in, Moira, and he dumped me. No explanation. Just dumped.”

Moira hissed in through her teeth. “That bastard. I thought he was better than that.”

Vera shrugged limply. “And now here I am, working as his nanny, and I can’t even convince myself it’s not partly because it gives me an excuse to be close to him still.”

“I’m worried it’s just going to mean you get hurt all over again.” Moira shifted Jessa in her arms, wrapping the blanket tighter around the girl. “She’s precious, Vera, and you won’t be able to stay unattached.”

“Maybe,” Vera began, then stopped, cheeks flushing hot. “Maybe I don’t want to stay unattached.”

“He rejected you.” Moira dropped her voice to a whisper. “Rejected his own mate and didn’t even give a reason? If I got my hands on him…”

Vera smiled even as the tears continued to roll. Seeing her gentle sister playing the protector was almost enough to pull her from her melancholy.

“Trust me, sometimes it’s all I can do not to thrash him.”

Add it to the long list of things Vera had considered trying in order to get him back in her most desperate, dark moments. Thankfully, she’d had the wherewithal to not try anything on the list, as that would’ve led to a whole other level of shame. She’d settled for ignoring her pain while her life crumbled around her.

“And your job, V? And the house? It’s not like you to just walk away like that. You’ve never cared about anything like you cared about your job. It was your world.”

Vera looked down at the crumbs on her plate. “Maybe it was. But I don’t know what my world is anymore. I feel like I don’t know anything at all. For a while, it felt like I was in free fall, unable to grab onto anything to hold me steady. And I’ve been wondering if maybe the things I thought I wanted aren’t the only things I needed after all.”

Moira considered for a moment before answering. “Fine. But I still want to thrash him.” She squeezed Vera’s shoulder. “I’m glad you came here. I missed you a little. Not too much because you’re kind of a bitch sometimes, but a little.”

Vera snorted. She’d be the first to admit that she was a bitch most of the time. “I missed you too. Shit, I’m going to be late.”

The clock above the stove read quarter past seven, and she was supposed to meet the others at the edge of town at half past. She jumped to her feet.

“You have everything you need? Diapers and formula are in there, and her favorite toys, too. Oh, she likes—“

“Vera, I’ve got a kid; you don’t need to explain it to me. Get out of here.” Moira shooed her away from the diaper bag and out the door.

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