Page 41 of Reclaiming Home

Brodie sent a message that he was at the airport with Ben and Max while I made Carys and myself coffees. Then he sent another one half an hour later like I’d asked.

We ended up zoning out around the table a little. Carys used the iPad to research therapists and I was on my laptop, finding out everything I could about Professor Finlay who had written the foreword in one of my wolfy books. I found her website, and realized that she might have all the answers I was looking for. She had written several papers about wolfpack dynamics and even lectured about it all around the world.

She had a couple of the smaller papers on her website for free, and I immediately downloaded them both. The thought of emailing her about my situation and what she wouldrecommend flitted through my mind, but I decided not to bother her yet.

For some reason it surprised me to read in her bio that she wasn’t a werewolf herself, or even a human. She was a vampire, and she’d been born in the early nineteenth century in France.

I began to read the paper titledAlphas, Betas, and the Rest – Designations Inside a Balanced Pack.

It was all very fascinating. At some point Carys pushed a plate of toast and bacon into my view and topped off my coffee. I continued reading while trying to remember to eat something on occasion.

“Kye? There’s someone in the yard,” she said suddenly, her voice startled and nervous.

I got to my feet quickly, then went to peer outside. How had we not heard a vehicle?

A young person with a long blonde braid down their back walked by the barn.

“Stay here.” I went to the front door and cursed that I didn’t have my gun. “Lock it behind me.”

I pulled on my shoes and jacket, then unlocked the door and stepped out quietly. The shitty porch betrayed me though, because the top step creaked loudly.

The person didn’t turn around, which basically told me they were human. Either a werewolf or a vampire would’ve heard it for sure.

I glanced over toward the driveway and saw a truck with some decals parked in the first possible spot farthest away from the house, as if they didn’t want it to be in the way.

“Can I help you?” I asked, and the person whirled around, a hand to their chest.

“Holy crap you scared me!”

“Well, to be fair you scared us, too,” I deadpanned and tilted my head.

“I’m sorry, my Pop said I shouldn’t have come without warning you beforehand, especially on a weekend like this, but I was driving and….”

At my quizzical expression, they walked closer and stuck out their hand. “I’m Lina Keller, my dad owns Keller Construction in town.”

I shook her hand. “Right. You guys are coming to tear down the barn on Monday?”

“Yeah. I’m an apprentice still, but all hands on deck and all.” She turned to look at the house, a frown marring her features.

Her hair was almost wheat blond, the braid thick and a bit messy in a way that told me she probably didn’t care to keep up appearances. She wore some carpenter style overalls under an open denim jacket with a sherpa lining.

I took in the house, too. In the daylight it appeared as rundown as parts of it were.

“It needs a lot of work,” I said, then gestured toward the corner of the house. “Wanna see the other side?”

Her expression brightened. “Yeah, absolutely!”

As we started the trek around the dumpster and my sedan, she kept cataloging things with her gaze in the same way I’d seen Brodie do.

“It could be such a gorgeous home,” she murmured.

“That’s Brodie’s goal. Alpha McRae’s.”

“I heard about this house when I was little. My grandpa worked on some renovations back in the day. He said there was a rose garden?” She glanced around the backyard.

“There in that corner. I’m going to try and see if I can save it in the spring.”

She smiled. “Oh, roses are surprisingly hardy, I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

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