Page 85 of Violet Moon
Parisa chewed her bottom lip.Her hands toyed with the sash on the waist of her dress.“I don’t want to intrude.The pack needs time together without me around.”
“They get enough of that.Come on.For me?”Sera took hold of her hand, lacing their fingers together.
Parisa made a face like she was going to protest further, but then gave in with a nervous nod.
“Mind if we join in?”Sera asked, leading Parisa into the room by her hand.
A couple of the younger wolves averted their eyes, but Emmaline and the others welcomed them both with enthusiasm.
“The more the merrier!”Jo threw their arms wide.“Apparently Monopoly is out.So is charades.I think we should all draw pictures and try to guess.Anything with drawing.”
“Why?You’re terrible at drawing,” Harry teased.
Jo laughed.“That’s half the fun!We have to make sense of each other’s nonsense.Well, except for Wil.She’ll draw masterpieces.”
“I can draw monstrosities with the best of them.”Wilma grinned.
“I’m ready to add my awful pictures.”Sera rubbed her hands together, glancing at Parisa.
Parisa smiled.“Sounds like fun.”
twenty-six
SerawokeupinParisa’s bed, dressed in one of Parisa’s sweatshirts and little else.She rolled her head to the side to find Parisa reading next to her — one of Edgar’s books if she was judging correctly by the saucy cover.
Parisa noticed her stirring and set down her book.“Hello there.”She smiled and pressed a kiss to Sera’s forehead.
“Hey,” Sera whispered as a smile took over her face.Parisa was adorable with her hair mussed first thing in the afternoon.
“I hate to have you wake and leave, but I’m already running behind.I was waiting for you to wake up.”
“You didn’t need to wait for me.”
“I didn’t need to, but I wanted to.You look extra sweet when you first wake up, especially when you wake up in my bed.”
Sera struck a pose, throwing her arm over her head and resting it on the pillow.“I am rather dashing in the afternoon glow, aren’t I?”She laughed, reaching up to stroke Parisa’s cheek.“Nothing compared to you, though.”Shifting closer on the bed, she threw an arm around Parisa’s middle and rested her head on her chest.“Where are you off to so early?”
“Crooked Creek.I’m telling Clyde about us.”
Sera pulled herself up onto her elbow to look Parisa in the eye.“Already?”
“Chances are he’s already heard something.I’d like to not give him too long to stew in his own thoughts.”
“Guess we can’t remain in our little pack house bubble forever.”
“No, I’m afraid not.”Leaning on her palm, Parisa pressed her face closer, rubbing their noses together.“But I want to show you off, so this is an important step.”
“I don’t know what you’re showing off.Everyone’s always looking at you.”
“But I’m always looking at you.”
It was well after the lunch rush at Violet Moon, but the front of the store was packed.A tour bus had set its riders free and tourists crammed into the shop along with their regulars.The end of Sera’s shift had come and gone, but she wasn’t about to leave her pack to handle this without her.
In the middle of the crowd, over by Lock, stood two small siblings holding hands and clutching their animal-shaped change purses.The hair color was wrong, but Sera’s chest clenched all the same.From here she couldn’t even tell if the younger brother had freckles, but it didn’t matter.Her mind was already not her own.Her breathing quickened.Her hands shook.She forgot what she was talking about with the customer in front of her.
She smiled at the customer and ducked behind the counter to grab his order.Taking her time behind the glass, she closed her eyes and took a breath so she could let the grief wash through her.She didn’t fight it or try to shove it back in the locked box in her brain.It stung, but she allowed it to hurt and when she stood she saw a face that rooted her firmly back in the present.
“Hugh!”She smiled, boxing up the customer’s order and handing it over.“Thank you.Come back and see us again.”
