Page 37 of Fated Despite the Moon

He clenched his fists several times then turned and stomped back into the cabin. How could his mom take her side?

He stood in the kitchen, his hands splayed on the counter, trying not to break everything in sight. A shift rippled over his skin but he wouldn't shift. Not now.

Makayla entered with several bags in her hands. She watched at him for a moment and then crossed to the kitchen and set the bags on the counter. They stared at each other in silence for several seconds.

She blew her bangs out of her face. "I'm sorry I worried you."

"You should have left a note."

She nodded. " True. And you could have called me."

He blinked several times. "I don’t have your cell number. Everyone else on the planet seems to, but you never gave it to me."

"Well, there's no cell signal up here, so I didn't think about it. Maybe if there was a phone..."

"It's my fault for bringing you here.” He spread his arms wide. “For making you stay in this tiny cabin instead of some penthouse like Logan lives in."

"I never said that." She crossed her arms.

"No, but that's what you really want, isn't it? Look at all the bags of stuff you got. This is never going to be enough. You’re always going to want more.”

“For your information. Everything I bought today was out of necessity. Do you think I wanted to buy these?” She yanked a pair of jeans from the bag that looked big enough to sneak food into a movie theater. “Or how about these? Do you think I wanted to buy these?” She pulled out a pair of overalls and tossed them on the counter. “I didn’t think I’d ever be caught dead in a pair of those. And these!” She yanked out a pair of white sneakers and slapped them down. “Do you think I want to see my tree trunk cankles smooshed into those things? No way! But my body’s shape is no longer in my hands. I’m expanding by the day, and my other clothes don’t fit.”

Cankles?What the hell were cankels? His gaze drifted to the other bag as his gut twisted and his wolf shook his head in exasperation.

“Oh, that bag? You want to see what I so frivolously went crazy over at the store?” She dumped it onto the counter in front of him. The knife of stupidity twisted deep in Caleb’s chest as he caught sight of a green plaid shirt, and then a blue one, and on top of that several thermals, a pack of white t-shirts, as well as socks.

Caleb’s heart dropped to his toes, and his wolf growled at him in disgust.I’m an idiot!

Makayla pulled open her purse. "And I didn't go to the doctor today and get this." She pushed a black and white glossy photo on the counter in front of him. He stared at it, not exactly sure what he was looking at, but it was obviously some sort of picture of the baby.

Caleb picked up the photo as Makayla stomped to the couch and plopped onto it. He finally made out a picture of a baby sucking their thumb. He smiled, and his wolf sat up and barked. Warmth spread through him. Her baby.Theirbaby.

His gaze traveled to the clothing-covered counter then to where she sat on the couch staring ahead.Shit!He rubbed his face, and his wolf tucked his tail between his legs. He crossed to her and sat on the coffee table in front of her.

"Makayla–"

She held up her hand and looked away, the gesture so cliché he wanted to laugh.

"Makayla–"

"Unless you're going to apologize–"

"I'm sorry."

She finally met his gaze.

He touched her knee. "I am. I'm sorry.” Memories and emotions piled up inside him, and he fought for words. “When I came home, and you weren't here—"

Silence hung between them for a minute, and her eyes softened with understanding. "You thought I left."

He nodded. "At first, yes. But I saw your designer clothes, and I knew you wouldn't leave them behind."

She gave him a tiny smirk.

"Then I worried you'd gone into the woods and had gotten lost. The thought of something happening to you and the baby..." He couldn’t finish the thought. If anything had happened, he would never have forgiven himself.

Her shoulders relaxed, and she laid her hand on top of his. "I'm sorry I didn't leave a note."

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