“Come walk with me.” Ryder was standing over her now. He took her hand and helped her up. “Are you okay?” Ryder wrapped her in a hug then led her outside away from the house.
“I’m okay. I’m shaken over Lucy but she’s fine or will be when she thaws.” The corner of her mouth lifted when she looked over at the tiny blonde in the pink pajamas stretched out in the sun with her mom. Ryder chuckled.
“I love you, you know.” Harper nodded. “I want you to always go with your instincts. They’re very in tune to your surroundings.” Harper’s eyebrow was quirked with disbelief. “I mean it. Go with your gut Harper, I trust it. Okay?”
“Sure.” He hugged her again and kissed her forehead.
“I’ll see you later. Lee asked me to meet him in the barn before all of this happened.” She leaned up to kiss his cheek and he grinned then jogged away. Harper watched until he turned the corner then went to check on Lucy.
“Have you melted yet?” Harper leaned down and touched a finger to the pup’s nose. Lucy giggled. “Glad to see you’re okay.”
“Thank you Harper.” Cindy said solemnly.
“It was nothing. I’ll have one of my own soon and you’ll rescue it one day.” Cindy nodded. Harper stood and watched the guys working on the foundation of the house. It would be Cindy’s now. Sidney and Curtis could move to the second floor into Nicole’s room and she and Ryder could have the attic to themselves again. She didn’t mind that they were there but the rooms were temporary and not exactly soundproof. Sidney could hear them and she could certainly hear Sid and Curtis.
The pack was filling the outline of the foundation with cinderblocks. The rest was loose dirt but there was gravel coming and something to stabilize the cement. Harper wanted to watch the project because it fascinated her to see a house spring up from nothing. She mused at the millions of various precise steps it would take to create a house. She heard Lucy behind her but didn’t hear what she was saying. Suddenly, something hit her hard it threw her to the ground before she was able to shift.
A full-grown wolf faced off with her. Nicole. Did this bitch ever learn? Harper punched her hard and threw her aside. Harper’s wolf emerged, ferocious and pissed. She snapped and snarled back at Nicole who circled then charged. Harper didn’t evade. Instead, she lunged and caught Nicole by the throat taking her to the ground. In two quick moves, all of Harper’s anger was unleashed as she flipped Nicole and tore the she-wolf’s throat out. Nicole whimpered once then her eyes slid closed and she shifted back to her human form. Ryder was running from the barn toward her when she stood up and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand then spat.
“Sorry.” Harper said quietly. “I had no choice.” Ryder said nothing. He tucked her into his side and led her away from her kill. Kelly stood on the porch watching them as they came up the steps. She stepped forward and Harper felt her wolf push again.
“I know she didn’t give you a choice. No hard feelings.” Kelly said softly. Harper gave her a weak smile then hugged the sniffling girl.
“I am sorry, choice or not. I’m sorry you lost your mother.” Harper sniffled too.
“She gave me birth but really she hasn’t been much of a mother for a long time. I understand what you had to do, and it’s okay.” Kelly’s smile was small and her eyes misty.
“That’s very adult of you.” Ryder said squeezing her shoulder.
“Is it adult enough to stay in this pack?” She sounded like a teenager again.
“Absolutely.” Harper answered for him.
Epilogue
1 year later.
“They’ve done great work. I’m very proud.” Harper handed Ryder his mug of coffee and sat down beside him on the balcony swing the pack finished yesterday. The chickens below were pecking about in the yard outside of the new barn. Lucy would be out to feed them and the rabbits soon. She’d decided not to adopt any rabbits since they were food but she did have a duck. He was splashing around in his kiddie pool. “I wonder what that thing would taste like with barbeque sauce.” Ryder mused watching it swim. Harper smacked him playfully.
“You can’t eat Lucy’s duck.” She sipped from her mug.
“Bet I could.” He grinned. Harper rolled her eyes. “Open fire on a spit.” He kicked his feet up on the rail and leaned over to kiss her. “How’s the little one today?” Ryder placed his hand flat on her round belly. “Is she up yet?”
“I hope she sleeps for a while she was up most of the night kicking the daylights out of me.” Harper sipped her peppermint tea again. It was the only thing that was helping with the heartburn. Sidney said she would have a lot of hair. Harper thought that was silly, of course she would, she was wolf. All wolves are hairy by nature. Jack waved up at them as he passed below with Lucy and the bag of seed. “I wonder…”