Page 10 of Violet Moon
“I don’t mean for any of this to leave this room.”
“You intend to keep this a secret?”
“I intend to do what’s necessary to keep everyone safe, our pack and theirs.”
“But our packs interact regularly.Without knowing about it the rest of our pack could be in —”
“I’ve got it handled.”
Words that she couldn’t hold back burned on her tongue.“What about the upcoming moon cycle?There’s no way we’ll be able to spend it on Crooked Creek’s land, especially if our pack doesn’t know.”
“Things took a turn for the worse overnight.Things may also turn around as quickly.Clyde’s a strong Alpha.He can manage this.”Parisa glanced away.“I am cautiously optimistic.”
Sera took a moment to gather herself.“Me, too.Even at my worst, you brought me back.I’m sure they can bring him back, too.”
“Leave it to you to know exactly what I needed to hear tonight.”She let out a deep breath.“I will collect myself and then perhaps it’d be a great time for some tea and coffee by the fire, yes?”
Sera put away the ugliness of the evening and tried to smile.“I’ll put the kettle on for you.”
four
Seraopenedthebackdoor of the bakery and expected to find a busy kitchen.Days had passed since the escalation with Jason and they hadn’t heard any good news from Crooked Creek.She was looking forward to a hectic shift to get her mind off of things.Instead, she saw Parisa standing by herself at the other end.Her Alpha looked up from where she was kneading dough.
“Surprised to find me here?Me, too.It’s not a bread-making day, but I needed the stress relief.”
Sera opened her mouth to ask why, worried something else had happened with Jason, but Parisa continued, her voice growing softer.
“Don't mind me.I’m just caught up in my head today.”
“Any reason?”Sera asked, shutting the door.
Parisa kept kneading, staring at her hands as she worked.Sera stood beside her, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.
“Care to join in,azizam?”Parisa held up dough-covered fingers, ignoring the question.
Sera shook her head.
“You haven’t ruined anything lately,” Parisa noted.
“Because I haven’t attempted anything in years.”
“If you insist on not baking, I’d still like to have your company.”Parisa smiled, a small, fragile thing.“You could slice fruit for Billie before she makes tonight’s batch of tartlets.”
“I bet I could still find a way to ruin that.”
Parisa glanced over at her.“I bet not.Alpha orders, so you have to try.”
Sera protested, but got to work across from Parisa.None of her kitchen skills were up to par with the rest of the house, but instead of wallowing in all the imperfections in her cuts, Sera forced herself to be present.Quiet moments together like this were precious to her, and Sera was glad they didn’t feel the need to spoil it with unnecessary talking.There was a conversation all its own taking place in the way they moved around one another in the kitchen.
She was focusing so much on her work that she didn’t notice Parisa was beside her until the skin on her arm tingled.Startled, she almost dropped the glass bowl of fruit she was holding, but Parisa reached out to catch it.Parisa’s hands cradled her own like they were made of glass, too.
“Whoops, glad for those wolf reflexes,” Sera said with a strained laugh, Parisa’s hands still touching hers.“Though I suppose if they were a bit better I wouldn't have gotten jumpy and dropped it in the first place.”She looked over her shoulder because Parisa still hadn’t moved.
Her Alpha’s eyes were focused on her and the world around them went silent.Sera couldn’t hear the hustle and bustle in the front of the shop, the annoying fan noise the industrial oven made, or even that faint sound of the fridge that only she and a couple of the other wolves could hear.The dark green of Parisa’s eyes swallowed her like the forest that sat behind their home.
“Pari?”
Parisa snatched her hands away, looking down at them, then back at Sera.“Told you I was out of sorts tonight.Nothing a freshly baked loaf of bread can’t fix, right?”She spun around on her heels, skirt swirling around her as she dashed towards the oven.“Shouldn’t be long now.”
