Page 55 of Midlife Wolf Captured My Heart

“It’s my job, not only to protect my sister but to protect the pack. Plus, I work for Sebastian.”

“Still. I know you’ve been through hell already since you were in the elite shifter ranger battalion. You came home to get away from all that.”

“They brought the war to us, Little Sister.”

Sadie’s family hung out for about an hour and then Dakota came back with her food, so they left. She ate the hamburger gratefully. “Nothing has ever tasted so good.”

Dakota laughed.

Beth forced her to stay in bed over the next couple of days. Sadie felt better after the second day and wanted to go back to work. Beth kept reminding her to “think of the baby.”

She looked forward to seeing Dakota every day. Sadie wanted to tell him about the baby, but the time never seemed right. Hecame by regularly for the first couple of days, and then when he knew that she was going to be okay, he told her he had some work he had to get done. They texted a few times. Sadie felt as though Dakota was distancing himself from her.

Sadie and Talia went back to school on the fifth day. It had only been four days, but to Sadie, who hated being sedentary, it felt like forever. Talia went back the same day. Most of the students didn’t know what happened to them. The shifter kids who knew about the hunters and that Talia and Sadie had been attacked kept their mouths shut.

Talia met Sadie in the conference room for lunch. “This is the second time I’ve had a run-in with bad guys on the mountain. Remember, last year, Sebastian had ticked off the ruler of a country and the bastard sent members of his army to hurt me.”

“I remember. You almost died then, too.”

“Yep. I’ve had it with caves, even well-lit caves. I’m going to suggest to Zac that we have our gala outdoors. I don’t care if we are all dressed in our formal dresses. I don’t care to ever see the inside of a cave again in my life.”

“I don’t blame you for that.” Sadie laughed. “Right now, I’m not really fond of them, either.”

“How’s the baby?”

Sadie rubbed her belly. “Okay. Beth assures me that it wasn’t hurt.”

“That’s a good thing. When are you going to tell Dakota?”

Sighing heavily, Sadie ran her hand over her face. “I don’t know. He hasn’t been coming around lately. I feel like he’s pulling away from me. I have a feeling that he’s getting ready to leave.”

Talia put her hand on Sadie’s. “I’m sorry, hon.”

“Thanks. It’s on me. I went into this with my eyes wide open.”

“That doesn’t take away the hurt.”

They finished their lunches just in time for the bell to ring.

Toward the end of the day, he sent her a text.Do you want to get together tonight?

She smiled and a surge of happiness rushed through her.I would love to. Do you want to come over?

Her phone blinged a few minutes later.How about if you come to my place? I’ll make steak, potatoes, and corn on the cob.

Sadie wouldn’t have cared if they ate Ramen noodles. She just wanted to see Dakota.Sounds great. I’ll be there around six.

The rest of the day seemed to go on forever. She ached to see him and to hold him. Most of all, she wanted to tell him how much she loved him and that he was going to be a father.

24

Dakota

Dakota sat on his back deck staring out over the pond that bordered his property. He watched the birds playing in the water and fishing. They would be heading out of the mountains soon. New Mexico was in the southern part of the United States, but it got very cold in Angel’s Creek during the winter.

His mind wandered over the last several days. Although Dakota had never been aggressive or the fighting type, he was glad that the hunters were dead. If the others hadn’t killed every single one of them, he would have made it his life’s mission to hunt them down and destroy them.

Part of him felt bad that he was in on the fight. He leaned his head back and stared up at the sky. “I was with Sebastian, getting the women out of the cave. Sebastian was a big, bad-ass guy, who still went on dangerous missions, and he wasn’t engaged in the fight.” That made Dakota feel a little better about himself.

---