Page 73 of Step Alpha

“Now do you want to tell me what really went down in South Carolina?”

“Rayne,” my mom says. “Come on. Let’s give them some privacy.”

Wilde squeezes my shoulder before he releases me, and I follow my mom out of the house and into her car.

“Where are we going?”

“To get fast food for dinner. I’m too starving to wait for them to finish to make something.”

A surreal sense of reality settles around me. Some shifting and reshaping of the patterns of our lives. Like I’ve just now realized that this is our new existence. Me and my mom living with Logan and Wilde–for as long as he and I are here, that is. We really are a new family, as Logan said. A fucked-up and weird but maybe semi-functional family.

I mean, until they find out Wilde and I have been fooling around in our bedroom.

“How was your honeymoon?” I ask, my thoughts finally pulling away from the drama we just left.

My mom smiles. She looks beautiful pregnant. Part of it is that she’s taking care of herself now. She used to just look worn down and tired. Before she got pregnant, she was too thin and she smoked like a chimney because cigarettes can’t hurt a shifter. But the moment she got knocked up with Logan’s pup, she quit smoking. She started to take an interest in her appearance. All her hard edges softened along with her body.

“It was wonderful.”

“Where did you go?”

She grins. “To a resort in Scottsdale. We didn’t leave the bedroom the whole–”

“Ew, Mom. Please. No TMI.”

We both laugh.

I realize my mom and I haven’t had a conversation that was just between the two of us since Wilde got here. I’ve missed her. But I also love this new version of her.

I believed she had worked on her appearance and made herself into something she wasn’t to please Logan–to make herself worthy, but suddenly a different thought occurs to me. Maybe the changes are a result of being cared for. Being loved.

I had an intense dislike for Logan at first, but I have to admit that he’s pretty damn sweet to my mom. I’m watching her come alive with him.

I feel left out and sometimes jealous of the loss of her attention, but at least she seems happy. I can’t begrudge her that, can I?

Maybe my mom was just starved for attention and kindness by this community. All she needed was a little bit of affection to bloom.

“Rayne,” my mom says softly. “I know this has been a rough transition.”

“It’s fine, Mom.” I try to head her off.

“Let me talk, honey. It’s a big change for you. For all of us. And you’ve been an absolute trooper. I appreciate it, and I’m sorry if I haven’t been there for–”

“Mom.It’s fine.”

My mom’s eyes fill with tears. “I still can’t believe I missed your birthday,” she chokes.

Now my vision grows wavy, too. Dammit. I drop my head and hold in a sob.

“Sweetheart.” My mom swerves the Subaru to the side of the road and pulls me into a hug. The two of us cry together for a minute.

“It’s okay, Mom,” I promise. “I love you.”

“I love you so much, baby. And this new pup will never take your pla–”

“Mom. I’m eighteen. I’ll be leaving next year. Hopefully. I’m not jealous of the pup.”

“Sweetie, I don’t know if we can afford to send you to college.”

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