Page 95 of Where There's Smoke
As we walked through the firehouse, I tugged my sweatshirt down lower on my shoulder, making the bite marks on my neck pointedly obvious.
Samson’s chuckle and approving nod made me beam with happiness, and I felt like skipping to the lobby where my mother was waiting. I held back, however, because it was still mymother, and nothing about seeing her was fun, even when joking because she always pinned me with that withering stare.
Once again, she was wearing a fake Chanel skirt and blazer, trying to make herself look more important than she was.
Within seconds of getting into the room, her eyes immediately homed in on the bites. The color drained from her face, and I half-expected her to stagger back, suddenly feeling faint as she literally clutched her faux pearls.
“So, it’s true?” she asked in a shaky voice.
“It is!” I nodded enthusiastically. “I’m happily bonded! Isn’t thatamazing?” My smile was totally fake, but I wasn’t going to let her know I was nervous. Confidence was key, according to Mommy Dearest, and if I’d learned anything useful from her, it was that. She was going to see only what I wanted her to see. She didn’t deserve anything else.
Her eyes darted between my neck and my eyes several more times, making me roll my eyes. Her mouth open and closed as she tried to find the words she wanted to say, and I was getting really impatient.
“W-we can fix this,” she insisted, her eyes pleading as she took a step toward me.
I reeled back, my own mouth dropping open in shock. “What? Why would I want to ‘fix’ this? There’s nothingtofix. I'm happy.” I cocked my head to the side, raising my brows as I folded my arms over my chest, trying to maintain a calm exterior.
“No, Melody. You don't understand. We puta lotof work into setting you up back home. We bought an apartment for you and your new pack…andeverything.” Her voice was tight, controlled, but there was a hint of panic beneath it.
“Well, that's a very nice offer, but as a member of Melody’s pack, I can assure you, we already have a house here, and we are very happy and settled.” Samson’s sickly-sweet smile almostmade me cackle as my mother’s face somehow got even paler. She hadn’t meant Pack Wilder when she’d referred to my pack, and Samson’s reminder thathewas my new pack was glorious.
“How could you?” For the first time, I saw my mother’s pristine mask crack, a sneer breaking out over her face as she glared at me. I actually stepped back, surprised and a bit terrified of her, if I was honest. I’d never seen her be anything but demure. Thiswasn’tthat. “You ungrateful—We went through all this work. And for what? Some trash that works at afire station? We have real alphas waiting back home, and you’re going to throw your lot in with-withthem?! I have never met a more ungrateful, disobedient child in my life! Don’t think for a minute this is over. You will regret going behind your family’s back and crossing me. Mark my words, Melody Annalee Smoke!”
My mother stormed out without another word, though she’d said plenty. My stomach was rumbling as nausea pulled at me, and I was forcing back tears with all my strength. I’d known she wasn’t going to be happy. Of course, I had. But I genuinely hadn’t expected her to blow up like that. My father, and Reed, maybe, but not her.
I was trembling when Samson put his hands on either of my arms, getting me to look at him.
“I think some lunch is in order after all that.” He smiled, the expression radiating warmth and compassion. A look I wouldneversee on my mother’s face. “How about we go get some tacos at your favorite place, and we can forget all about entitled brats who threaten people? Huh?”
A tiny smile broke free. It was nice to hear someone else call out my mother’s behavior, and yet another reason I loved Samson so much. He was always there for me in ways my family never was.
“I love that idea. I love you.”
Kissing me, Samson looped his arm under mine and directed me toward the door. “I love you, too, sugar. Let’s go.”
Chapter 46
Melody
My little animal rescue was far more rundown than it used to be, but it was slowly coming back to its previous glory after all the work we’d put in.
While it was in no way ideal, it was good enough to start taking in animals again. Most of the rescues that had been housing my animals had been getting a bit concerned about the space they were taking up, which was understandable, with people wanting to surrender their pets every day. I had plenty of animals that they had so graciously decided to take in, so I knew getting them back into the shelter was important.
It had been almost two months since the fire. Two whole months since I had been sitting in the rescue, feeding Dotty, and first smelled smoke.
It honestly baffled me how much my life had changed since then. Not only had I gone from being a beta to being an omega, but I was now fully bonded with a pack of my own.
I walked through the space at the front, admiring my hard work. The guys and I had done so much to get this place usable again, and I was really proud of what we’d accomplished in such a short time. Hell, I was proud that after everything I’d beenthrough—smoke inhalation, dealing with arson, caring for a puppy, figuring out my relationship with a pack—I’d never given up. Sure, I’d felt like it sometimes, but I hadn’t.
Smiling, I walked through the doors that led to the back, the entry rooms where we took in the animals and got them situated and the exam rooms where we checked them out. They could finally be used again. My heart felt lighter, my shoulders not so tense, and I could actually picture running the shelter and vet services again. I could picture this huge part of my life finally coming back to me. Grateful was a mild way to put it.
Things are finally looking up.
When I reached the very back, however, I stopped dead in my tracks, my mouth hanging open as I looked on in shock. Reed was standing in the middle of the unoccupied kennel room. His suit was disheveled, his hair wild, like he hadn’t slept in several days, and he grumbled to himself under his breath.
“Reed? What are you doing here?” I instinctively stepped backward, wanting to put space between us.
His head swung around to face me, his eyes wide and bloodshot. The hair on my arms stood and a chill trickled down my spine. Reed glared so hard that my stomach flip-flopped, and where I had once been relaxed, now every muscle in my body clamped down, ready to run.
