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I swallowed down the lump in my throat and offered, “I have extra batter if you want me to make some more.”
“Yes, please!” Cyrus and Clio echoed from the couch, where their eyes were glued to a cartoon they’d put on the television.
“It’s a good thing there are plenty of blueberry bushes around here.” I rummaged in the fridge for the bowl of berries I’d cleaned this morning, along with the extra pancake batter, butter, and pure maple syrup. “I picked more than enough yesterday to fill all of our bellies with the best pancakes in the world.”
“Yay!” Cyrus punched his fist in the air. “I love Grandma’s pancakes.”
“Me too,” Clio cheered, mirroring her big brother’s action.
I used up all the leftover batter and made another batch, enjoying the simplicity of being able to make my brother, his mate, and their pups happy with food.
I was guilty of hurting my family, but there hadn’t been any other choice back then. I’d needed time to mourn the loss of the future I’d always hoped for.
All I could do now was try to make it up to them. But at my own pace.
Coming to The Wilderness Pack all those months ago had been the right decision. It was the perfect place for me to get used to being around people again, while still being able to have as much alone time as I needed.
Keane’s pack was different from the one I’d grown up in. It was much smaller, and members didn’t stick their noses into each other’s business nearly as often as they had in Timber Ridge. But they apparently had no problem inviting themselves into my home when my family was visiting.
Leyton, the pack’s beta, showed up when there were only a few pancakes worth of batter left and talked me into making him breakfast too. After swallowing the last bite, he leaned back in his chair and rubbed his stomach with a satisfied sigh. “There’s nothing better than a home cooked breakfast to start the day.”
Pulling Peppa onto his lap, my brother disagreed. “I can think of a few things that are better.”
“Maybe I’ll agree once I find my mate, but not everyone can be as lucky as my brother. Laina literally stumbled out of the forest into his waiting arms,” Leyton muttered, shaking his head.
Cason narrowed his eyes, clearing his throat. That was all of the reminder the grizzly bear shifter needed to realize he had put his foot in his mouth. Flashing me an apologetic smile, he murmured, “Sorry, man. My frustration over not finding my mate yet pales in comparison to the shit you went through with yours.”
“It’s okay.” I waved off his concern, surprised to find how little the subject of my rejection bothered me. I never thought I would reach the day when I could think about what had happened without feeling as though my heart and soul were being ripped to pieces. Let alone speak of it.
Maybe I had finally come to terms with my lot in life as a male who had been rejected by his fated mate. Somehow.
I woke up this morning, feeling lighter than I had in years. I wasn’t sure why, but I wasn’t going to question what had changed too much. Instead, I planned to enjoy it.
Cason peered at me, his eyes widening after he took in my untroubled expression. “You really mean that, don’t you?”
“I do.” I reached down to snag my niece as she raced past me, tickling her ribs before I set her on the ground to chase her brother again. “It fucking sucks to know that I will never have any pups of my own, but at least I’ll always be my nieces’ and nephews’ favorite uncle.”
My brother shook his head with a laugh. “With my pups, sure. But with Damon’s, you’ll have to beat me out for that spot.”
Chuckling, I rolled my eyes. “Game on.”
Cason beamed a smile at me. “As much as I would love to have you back in Timber Ridge, being part of The Wilderness Pack looks good on you.”
Raking my fingers through my hair, I shrugged. “I’m not officially a part of Keane’s pack, but I have to admit that I’m starting to feel at home here.”
“Only because you haven’t accepted my invitation yet,” Keane drawled from behind me.
I twisted around to see the grizzly bear who was the alpha of The Wilderness Pack and shook my head. “I wasn’t sure you really meant it since you never brought it up again.”
Keane’s grizzly flashed in his eyes, and his voice was rumbly as he said, “Didn’t want to pressure you. My pack will always have a spot for you, whenever you want it.”
The time I had spent here must’ve done me more good than I realized because I actually considered the possibility of taking him up on his offer.
3
CRESSIDA
After speaking with my parents on the sat phones we used to stay in touch during our time apart, I decided to give Timber Ridge a chance. The town Jack suggested was a thousand miles away, which lessened the risk of anyone tracking me there. And knowing the local alpha was open to helping shifters in trouble was a big plus.
