Page 41 of Wolf's Midlife Bite

“You don’t know that,” Sarah said quietly, wishing there was some way she could’ve protected Ava from this life.

More movement could be heard over their heads, something they were used to at this point. Sarah and Ava were only allowed in the rest of the packhouse when tasked with chores, returning to the basement as soon as they’d finished. They’d learned to recognize footsteps and determine where they were going. It definitely wasn’t Edward this time; the steps were too light. Sarah’s shoulders relaxed slightly.

Ava set another towel on the stack and reached back into the dryer. She stuck her nail under the silver collar around her neck and itched for a moment. “I’m careful, Mom. More careful than you can even imagine.”

Sarah’s heart twisted as her eyes rested on that horrid band of metal. She’d cried openly when a tiny collar had been clamped around Ava’s neck when she was just a toddler, a punishment Sarah had thought her daughter wouldn’t have to suffer along with her. They’d changed it out as she’d grown, but it never made Sarah feel any better about it. They both knew what it meant.

The collar was just the minimum punishment that could be inflicted on them if they didn’t behave. Sarah could throw caution to the wind for her own sake, but not for her daughter’s. “If you’re up there causing trouble, then it’s too much of a risk, Ava. I can’t have anything happen to you.”

Ava’s eyes sparked once again. “I’ll be fine, Mom. See, I—” She stopped, and her eyes flicked over to the stairs.

Sarah had been focusing on her too much to notice the quiet thump of the basement door. She turned to see her mother, carefully setting her feet down in just the right places to make as few creaks and squeaks as possible as she descended the staircase.

Janice glanced back up at the door when she reached the bottom of the steps, then hurried over to Sarah, holding out a single cupcake on a small plate. “Happy birthday, dear.”

“Oh, Mom.” Sarah took it in her hands as though it were made of gold. They weren’t allowed niceties like this. A sugary treat might be an everyday occurrence for others, but not for her. She knew just how big of a risk her mother had taken by doing such a thing. “You didn’t have to.”

“Yes, I did.” Janice looked like she was going to cry as she pulled a lighter and candle out of her pocket, even though she was trying her best to be brave. “Everyone deserves to have their birthday celebrated.”

Holding the cupcake as her mother put the candle down through the frosting, Sarah felt tears burn the backs of her eyes. She’d tried not to think about it, but it was impossible. This was her son’s birthday as well. How could she ever forget the day he came into the world and made her a mother for the first time? He’d changed her entire life, but Sarah knew she’d probably never get the chance to tell him so. At forty, she always thought she’d be driving her kids to soccer practice and looking at colleges with them. Instead, there she was, demoted to the lowest member of her pack, living a life of servitude with her daughter. “I’ve been trying not to think about it.”

“I know, dear.” Janice reached out to touch Sarah’s hair, her sad eyes whisking over her face. She must not have liked what she saw, because she soon returned her attention to the cupcake. “What are you going to wish for this year?”

Sarah closed her eyes. She remembered a time when she still believed in birthday wishes, when she’d sat at the dining table upstairs with the rest of the pack around her, trying to decide if she wanted to wish for a pony or a kitten. There were times as a child when she’d resented the way the adults ran her life, when they wouldn’t let her go where she wanted in the woods, or when she couldn’t spend the night at a friend’s house or participate in a pack run because she hadn’t brought up her grades. Life had seemed so unfair, and she’d been bitter about the way she’d been imprisoned by rules and regulations.

Freedom had come to mean something so much more than that.

Sarah didn’t want a pony or a kitten. She wouldn’t wish for a new designer dress or a gorgeous car. There was only one thing she wanted as she opened her eyes and focused on the flame. Freedom.

With a long, slow breath, she blew out the candle.

Wolf’s Midlife Secret Childwill be out in late April 2023! Join my Insiders newsletter for updates on when it will be published HERE.

Preview of Forbidden Midlife Mate

Marked Over Forty

Have you read the first book in the Marked Over Forty series? Read on for a preview of Rex and Lori’s story,Forbidden Midlife Mate.

1

“Happy freaking New Year to me,”Lori Jensen muttered, poking at the touchscreen of her new fitness tracker. She’d just gotten it, and even though everyone made them sound so easy to use, she hadn’t quite figured the thing out yet. At forty-eight, she was experiencing the joys of perimenopause, and her doctor had pushed her to start moving more to ease her symptoms. Exercise wouldn’t stop her hot flashes, but she’d hoped it would at least get her energy and mood back on track. She couldn’t use the excuse of being a busy mom anymore now that Conner was in college.

“Oh, hell. Jogging is still good for me even if the damn thing doesn’t keep track of it.” Slamming her car door and making sure she had her keys tucked in her pocket, Lori got started.

Eugene was new to her, and not a city she’d picked for herself. It was…different, that was for sure. Everyone seemed to be outside all the time, and she couldn’t blame them, with the mild winter weather and all. It felt odd to be outdoors in January without a heavy parka, a hat, and thick gloves, but she had to remind herself she wasn’t in Chinook, Montana anymore.

She wasn’t the only one out for a jog that day. The wide gravel paths were bustling with people. Parents walked with their small children, who dragged them off to a nearby playground. A bicyclist or two rode by, and Lori picked up her pace. She was tired, but that wasn’t going to stop her. She could do this.

“Excuse us!”

Lori bolted to the right as a group of fit young college girls came darting past. While Lori had donned her sweats and a dingy old bra, these girls were slim and lithe in their stylish athletic wear, showing off their perfect shapes in their clingy leggings, form-fitting sports bras, and cropped hoodies. Their ponytails wagged as they passed by, mocking Lori for going so slow.

She snorted to herself, remembering how she, too, had once been young and lithe, thinking she’d remain that way forever. “Enjoy it while it lasts, ladies. Gravity’s a bitch.”

A loud beep had her looking down at her fitness tracker. It was finally working, or at least she was pretty sure it was. She had no clue what all the numbers and symbols meant, but it was obviously doing something. Good. She was really doing this. Not just the jog, but everything. This was the start of a whole new life for Lori, and she was determined to make the most of it.

Her muscles burned, reminding her that all the years of running the saloon with Chuck hadn’t been the same as getting proper exercise every day, even though she’d spent most of her shifts entirely on her feet. Of course, she probably wouldn’t have had to bust her ass so much if Chuck had bothered to do his job.

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