Page 37 of Run Free

“No,” I said, feeling bad. “Come in. What’s up?”

Gage gave a head nod to Byron without a word. Tatum entered the room just behind him.

“We have decided to take you up on your offer, if it still stands,” he said.

I smiled and relaxed. “Yes! I’m so happy to hear it. I just want to see you both home with your families, safe and sound.”

They passed on the information and I promised to get it to Dave, who would set up their trip home. I hugged Tatum, and Gage and Byron shook hands.

“We’ll only be here another day, but I promise we’ll say goodbye before we leave. Dave may even have you on a plane first.” I walked over to my desk and pulled out a couple of my business cards, handing them each one. “This is how you can reach me if you ever need anything. I mean absolutely anything, you hear?”

Tatum hugged me again. “Thank you so much for everything, Clara. And I’m really happy you and Gage made it.”

I looked over at Gage as they left. He sighed and I could feel his defeat. “We’ll go to Wyoming.”

I grinned and quickly ran to throw my arms around him. “Thank you. You won’t regret this.”

He gave me a “you’ve got to be kidding” sort of look, but I just brushed it off. It wasn’t that I had just wanted to get my own way on the decision, it was just that I needed my family and home almost as much as I needed him.

Gage relaxed, and we finally talked about more amicable things without the tension and arguing.

With everything in order, we boarded the plane the next evening. Gage protested about that even more than the decision to go back to my pack. I told him he could just meet me there, but I was tired and grumpy. It had been a long, hard mission and I needed recovery time in my own home.

He conceded and joined me on the plane, but about two minutes into the flight I was a little concerned we’d made the wrong decision. Gage was a nervous wreck, gripping on to the armrest so hard his knuckles were turning white.

“Just breathe, Gage. You’re making me nervous. Have you really never flown before?” I asked.

“We are shifters. No animal without wings should ever take to the sky, Clara. This is insane,” he said through gritted teeth.

I laughed. “It’s not a big deal. I fly all the time, just relax. Nothing bad is going to happen. Heck, more people die in cars each year than planes,” I pointed out, not really knowing if it was true or not, but I’d heard it somewhere before.

“That doesn’t help. I don’t like riding in cars either,” he admitted.

I gave him a comical look. “You have been with no problems all week,” I pointed out.

“Hated every second of it. Too confining. I like open spaces, okay?”

He was too cute, and my heart softened towards him some more.

“Okay. We’ll be on the ground again before you know it, and Collier is full of wide open fields. You never know, you and your wolf could find contentment there.”

“You’ll be there, so of course we will. Why else do you think I’m sitting here in a tin can in the sky?”

I leaned over and kissed his cheek, taking his hand in mine and giving it a squeeze. The plane had reached altitude, and barring no turbulence, I knew we’d be smooth sailing the rest of the flight. Still, Gage didn’t relax for even a second until the wheels screeched across the pavement and brought us to a halt.

He was out the door the second it opened, sucking in clean air like he was on the verge of hyperventilating. I laughed.

“You’re being ridiculous. It wasn’t that bad. You’ll get used to it after a few flights.”

“Never again, Clara.”

I rolled my eyes. “Until Dave calls with our next assignment, unless you want to stay in pack territory without me.” I batted my eyelashes at him sarcastically.

He moved quickly and pulled me into his arms, kissing me. “You’re not as cute as you think you are,” he said in a huskier-than-usual voice.

I threw my head back and laughed even harder. “Says the man who just rode in a plane and is standing on pack soil. You’re going to spoil me if you keep caving so quickly.”

He groaned, and we both knew the decision to be there had not been an easy one for him. Sure, in the end I’d gotten everything I wanted, but if things were going to work, I knew I needed to learn to compromise more.

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