Page 57 of Violet Moon
Sera shifted uncomfortably in her seat.Maybe she needed to start her bakery shift early today.“And I will look forward to that.”She set the book down.“But I’m due at the bakery.”
Sera wandered up the path to the pack house at a hesitant pace, avoiding going back home.In a matter of weeks, she’d managed to dismantle the core of what made her feel safe and happy.Her pack was the only home and family she had, and now she was suspicious of her packmates and how much they knew and Parisa was further away than ever.At least they were on speaking terms.Though, that hurt in its own way, too.
Parisa had told her she loved her.Parisa had kissed her.And now she was supposed to pretend none of that happened?
Sera started to climb the front steps of the pack house, turned away, and went down the grassy path that led to Emmaline’s cottage instead.
The walk there was its own sort of comforting meditation, but none of it compared to the welcoming warmth of Emmaline’s home as her packmate ushered her inside and gave her a cup of tea.She settled into the couch in her living room.
Emmaline sat across from her and smiled.“How was the bakery today?”
“You’re not going to ask why I’m here unannounced?”
Emmaline waved a dismissive hand.“That’s none of my business unless it’s something you want to share.”
Sera wrapped her hands around her mug and stared at her tea.“I do want to share, but in a really roundabout way, if that’s okay.”She glanced up.“But I shouldn’t just come over and unload my messy brain on you.How are you doing?”
“Don’t mind me.Nothing to share.Just same old, same old.Once you live for nearly a hundred years, the days all blend together.I’m just lucky mine are all content and fairly lovely.”She grinned as she took another sip of tea.
“I’m envious of that, honestly,” Sera said, thinking back to where she was weeks ago, stuck in a comfortable rut before she decided to blow everything up.It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough.
“Now why would that be?You’re wonderful in every way.Is someone else ruining your day?”
Sera shook her head.“Only one ruining my days is me.”
“If you’re ready to share, I’m ready to listen.”
“You and your partner, how did you two know you were meant for each other?”Sera asked, hiding behind her mug with embarrassment.
“Oh you just know,” Emmaline replied.“You know because you don’t get sick of him no matter how much he’s around.”
Ernest popped his head around the corner.“And you can’t wait to tell her every minute, boring detail of your day.”
“And you want him around even when he’s made you angrier than a cat in the rain.”
“And you miss her even when she’s just gone for the day.”He winked at Emmaline and ducked back into the kitchen.
“Did you ever —” Sera faltered, not knowing how to phrase her question.“Feel free not to answer if it gets too personal, but did you ever worry about what others might think when you got together?”
“What?A wolf and a bear?Sure, we had some ugly thrown our way, but I always found safety within our pack.I don’t care what others think as long as my family is there for me.Besides, that’s one of the best things about our pack — the disregard for traditions that no longer serve their purpose.”
Except for the rules that Parisa was hiding behind.“Parisa can be strict about things, though.”
“Why?Is there a rule you want to break?”Emmaline leaned forward with interest.“Or one you’ve already broken?”
Sera stared into her tea.
“You don’t have to tell me.Just know that some rules are meant to be broken, especially those that keep us from being happy.Take the two of us, for example.Wolves and bear shifters weren’t mixing when we met, but we smashed right through that wall.And even now, we don’t always play by the rules.We live how we wish.Our life looks however we want it to.”
Sera recognized the knowing look in her eyes.It was the same she’d seen in Lock’s and Edgar’s earlier, but so much more perceptive.Emmaline had known Parisa and Sera the longest.There was no way she hadn’t noticed the shifts in daily pack life.Her advice was too pointed.There was a chance that Sera was just overanalyzing the situation, but something in her gut told her that Emmaline knew.
Sera took a deep breath and let it out.“But you both agree on how to live together.What would you do if one of you didn’t?”
Emmaline took a moment to think.“We’d talk about it.Understand where each other is coming from.”
“And what if you already know where the other person is thinking and you agree with them, but it hurts?”
Emmaline’s features softened.She set down her tea and sat forward, leaning on her thighs with her forearms.“I’d be honest and say I’m hurting, that I can’t move forward like this.”
