Page 17 of Forsaken Fate

Home.

I didn’t even know where that was anymore. My cell phone sat on the bed next to me and I tapped my fingers on the screen. I had been so reckless tonight already, what was one more thing?

I picked up my phone and tapped in the number. It rang four times and my heart sank just a little until I heard a click just before the fifth ring.

“Button?” said the gravelly voice on the other end. My eyes filled with tears that I tried to stave off, putting a hand to my forehead.

“Hey, Uncle Charlie!” I plastered on a fake smile, hoping it would make my voice sound brighter, hide the shakiness I felt.

“You okay?” he said. “You sound a little funny.”

I wiped the tears away. I couldn’t let him worry. It would destroy me.

“I’m great,” I said. “Just a little tired. I’m on the east coast, remember? It’s after midnight.”

“Are you getting enough sleep, Button?” he said.

“Probably not,” I smiled.

“I’m glad you called. We’ve been thinking about you. How’s school going?”

I pressed my fingers over my eyes, hoping the distance and time zones would help cover what he would be able to read in an instant if we were face to face.

“It’s good,” I said. “I’ve just got a few more weeks until exams but I think I’m doing all right.”

“Don’t you know?” Uncle Charlie asked. “Don’t your professors tell you if you’re doing your homework right?”

I laughed softly into the phone. “Law School doesn’t work like that, Uncle Charlie. You take one big exam at the end of the term, and it’s all graded on a curve.”

“Hmm.” In my mind, I could see him shake his great head of long, wiry curls and scratch his beard. “So, you just have to hope about half of ’em are dumber then you, eh?”

“Pretty much,” I said.

“Then you’re gonna ace that bitch, Button. I’m gonna get to tell all these assholes out here that our Button is at the top of her class at Cornell ... hear that, you motherfuckers?!” He shouted the last bit so I knew he must have taken the phone down to the bar and had an audience. Sure enough, I heard a distant round of whoops and hollers with a smattering of “fuck yous” through the other end of the phone. Fat tears finally fell down my cheeks. It sounded like the entire pack was there. Uncle Charlie was a member of a shifter motorcycle pack in California.

“It’s good to hear your voice, Uncle Charlie,” I said. I needed to end the call fast. I was crying full on now and knew my voice was shaky. I was betting on the commotion in the background to drown out most of what I said.

“Shut yer holes!” Charlie was yelling so I knew I was safe. I took a breath and collected myself.

“I should probably let you go,” I said. The smile on my face was genuine when I said it. I’d taken a huge risk calling, but his familiar voice and the love that went with it fueled me.

“When do you think you can come down for a visit?” His voice was hopeful.

“It might be a while,” I said. “Like I said, exams are in a few weeks and after that, I’ve got a line on a summer internship in Albany that I might get. If I do, I’m going to have to say yes. It would be a really great opportunity and they rarely offer it to first years so ...”

“I get it. I get it,” Uncle Charlie said. “You do what you gotta do. I’m just glad you called. You know how proud I am of you. We all are.”

“I know,” I said. “And I miss you so much. I promise, I’ll get home as soon as I can. Maybe just before the fall term.”

“Aghhh. That’s such a long way off. But whatever you need, Button. You know that. Don’t you worry about me.”

“I’ll try not to,” I said. “You just make sure you don’t give me a reason to. How are you feeling?”

“Argghh.” Uncle Charlie let just enough of his old wolf out. God, I missed seeing him.

“You need to take it easy,” I said with genuine worry. Plus, I was glad for a reason to take the focus off of me. “Let the younger wolves handle the hunt. You’ve earned the rest.”

“The day I can’t hunt for myself is the day they need to put me out of my misery, Button.”

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