Page 122 of Our Little Monster
The clink of plates interrupted our shared silence as our food arrived, steaming and smelling delicious. My heart swelled as I picked up my fork.
Lifting my gaze, I took in the faces around me—Thorne's kind eyes, Bastian's protectiveness, Nox's smirk that always promised both trouble and safety. And Sam, her support always there even when I didn’t deserve it.
It hit me then, the profound sense of belonging that wrapped around me. There was no denying the smile that claimed my lips, wide and genuine, a reflection of the peace settling deep within my soul.
We finished eating and lingered for a while just enjoying each other’s company and conversation.
“Guess it's time we head out,” Thorne said with a gentle reluctance, his voice pulling me back to the present.
“Where are you headed?” I asked Sam as we slid out from the booth, the question casual but heavy with the unspoken knowledge of the life we led—a life where the road was home.
“Louisiana,” she replied. “I heard there was a Werewolf problem over there.”
I leaned against the cool, metal frame next to the diner's entrance, the neon 'Open' sign casting a soft glow on all of our faces in the dark. I pulled out my phone, Sam and the guys already knowing the drill. I snapped a photo of all of us together.
“What are you going to do about it?” My lips curled into a wicked grin, knowing full well the kind of chaos my cousin could handle with the same ease most people handled their morning coffee.
Sam's eyes sparked with that familiar thrill of the hunt, her smile infectious. “What we do best, cousin,” she said, her voice holding a low hum of confidence as she threw me a wink.
With one last hug, the kind that said everything words couldn't, she turned away. Her steps were purposeful. I watched her stride over to her dad’s old truck, the one that held as many memories as miles.
“See you around,” she called out through the driver's side window. She waved, that grin still plastered on her face.
“Be careful,” I called, and she gave me a reassuring nod.
The engine roared to life, and she tore out of the parking lot. Dust kicked up in her wake, swirling under the lights before settling back down to the earth, as if nothing had happened at all.
I stood there for a heartbeat longer, watching the taillights fade into the night until all that remained was the quiet hum of the world moving.
My heart ached with pride and a twinge of worry—Sam was a force to be reckoned with, we both were, but even forces of nature needed to watch their backs sometimes. I was the perfect example of that.
I turned back from the receding taillights, feeling the night air brush against my skin. The diner's bulbs cast a soft glow around us, bathing everything in a nostalgic haze. I faced the guys.
“Let's go home, love,” Bastian said, his voice soothing as his hand reached out, steady and inviting.
Without hesitation, I slipped my fingers into his, stepping up to meet him.
Nox took my other hand, his touch electric, sparking that thrill of excitement that always danced between us. And then there was Thorne, wrapping his arms around my waist, his stubble tickling my neck as he kissed me there and I giggled.
Actually giggled… who the hell am I?
I realized then that my notion of home had shifted.
It wasn’t the road anymore. It wasn't a moving thing, a place or a building. It was never about four walls and a roof over my head.
Home was here.
Home was them.
They were my home.
42
Sam
Flashback…
Themorningsunfilteredthrough the sheer curtains of the hotel room, casting a soft glow on the scattered remnants of the night before. The air still held the faint scent of jasmine from the incense we had lit, now just a thin trail of smoke winding lazily upwards from the ash on the ceramic dish by the bed.
