49: Smell So Good
TARA
In the eight years plus that I had lived in Vermont pack, StoneWolves were not once heard of. Other packs may have been experiencing their terrorism, but not Vermont pack.
Collin may have been a shitty alpha during his time, but with the help of Jenna and the rest of the pack’s trackers and fighters, we were able to keep them away.
Jenna rushed out of the spa in such a hurry that I had no time to process my thoughts, but hearing news of StoneWolves roaming around the pack’s borders wasn’t something I or anyone else was interested in experiencing.
They wreaked havoc wherever they went, and took more numbers than they came along with them. Stories ab were never pleasant.
t them
I just hoped that it didn’t get out of hand and that none of the people who sighted them was harmed. Even more, I prayed that they didn’t find their way into Vermont pack, or any pack at that, because running into a StoneWolf was worse than what one could imagine.
Pushing that to the back of my mind, I patiently waited for the attendant to finish with my appointment before bidding her goodbye.
Walking out of the spa, I looked and felt fresher and more sexy
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than I had in a really long time, happy that Jenna and I could have this day, even if it was abruptly cut short.
My hair was done, my nails were glistening, and my skin was soft as a baby’s bum..
It was time to pick Nadia up from school, my pride and joy, and since I didn’t have any other activities planned for the day, I was going to spend the rest of it with my baby.
On getting to her school, she was just stepping outside as they had just closed. I was just in time. I hated nothing more than having my princess waiting for me for longer than two minutes.
“Hi, sweetheart,” I called with a smile that reached my eyes as she approached me. “Give Momma a hug.”
Crouching low so she could run into my open arms,“I peppered her face and hair with big kisses, causing her to squirm away from my grasp.
“Stop, Mom,” she yelled in between giggles that so ied like music to my ears. “You’re embarrassing me! I’m going to wet myself,” she cried, and I finally let her go, keeping her at arm’s reach though.
“I just missed you so much, that’s all, and I’m allowed to have hugs and kisses every time, Nadia,” I complained, feigning sadness.
My beautiful baby crossed her legs as she twirled herself left and right.
“Fine. I missed you too, Mom.”
49 Small So Good
“Good,” I nodded.
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Studying me with keen eyes for a second too long, Nadia spoke.
“You look like a princess, Mom.” She leaned closer, inhaling deeply. “And you smell so good.”
My eyes welled with emotions at her compliments, and my laughter was from deep in my belly.
“Thank you, baby. Aunt Jenna took me out on a date,” I said, showing off my baby–pink nails.
Nadia’s next words, or rather, question, shut me up instantly.
“Have you gone on any dates with Aidan yet?” She asked, whisper–shouting like it was supposed to be a secret.
I coughed, not knowing what to say.
Christ.
“Aidan is…ehm…Aidan and I aren’t…,” I stammered, and Nadia watched me intently, making the pressure increase tenfold.
I didn’t know why I was so anxious to reply to her, but I guessed it was because I didn’t want to say the wrong thing to Nadia, seeing as there were a lot of undiscussed topics.
“Guess what?” I asked, switching the topic fast, and searching her face for the excitement that I was sure would follow.
She gasped. “What?”
“We have the rest of the day to ourselves, and we can do anything we want. You get to choose first.”
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I watched her face fall with disappointment for a second, but it didn’t last long enough as her excitement took its place.
“Really?” Nadia beamed, causing me to nod, thankful that I was able to avert those stray bullets.
“Yes. You could even get a spa day of your own and get your nails done in the same colors as mine,” I said, making the offer irresistible.
It got the opposite effect out of Nadia as she scrunched her
nose up.
“I do not want pink, Mom,” she said.
I was taken aback, but I still responded.
“What colors do you want then? You refused to let Aidan get you the pink drawing books the last time too.”
She shrugged. “Maybe something else, but pink is for small girls, and I’m not so little anymore.”
Refusing to think too much about Nadia’s new development of a thing for odd colors, I nodded.
“Okay, fine. You can pick whatever colors you want. So what do you say? Us time?” I wiggled my eyebrows.
Nadia laughed, bobbing her small head up and down. “Yes! Let’s do the spa day and play in the backyard.”
Hand in hand with Nadia, we made our way to Aidan’s new home together, and it took only a few minutes to walk after getting down from the bus to get there.
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To my surprise, a black car was right outside, but I didn’t panic as I recognized it as Aidan’s car.
It had been a few days since I saw him last, and I couldn’t explain why my heart sped up on itself at the thought that he was here.
I was also slightly pleased that I looked presentable since I was just returning from the spa, and not looking like a hot mess like earlier this afternoon.
Images of his bare chest flashed through my mind, as did the ones of his muscular arms handling the steering wheel.
Nadia must have noticed my hesitation because she pulled on my hand, tugging me to go inside, so I moved.
Even if Aidan had a spare key in case of any emergêncy and for the other obvious reason that the house was his, he didn’t let himself in because the door was still properly locked as I had left it.
Doing a quick scan of the place and not finding Aidan, I thought to myself that maybe the car I saw belonged to someone else but just bore a similarity to Aidan’s.
“Why am I disappointed then?” I asked myself as I turned the key into the hole and pushed the door open.
“What did you say, Mommy?” Nadia asked, and I realized that I must have voiced my question out loud.
“Nothing, baby. Come take your seat, let me prepare something for you to eat first,” I said to her, leading her to the equally spacious kitchen.
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I helped her take off her shoes and socks and helped Nadia balance herself on a chair behind the kitchen counter. She hummed to herself.
I don’t know why, but just to be sure of things, I made my way to the sliding glass door that led to the side of the house where the swimming pool was, and I almost missed my steps when I saw someone there.
It was Aidan.
Satisfaction surged through me with the thought that I was right about him being here, and I took a few steps away from the door and toward Aidan. His back was turned to me.
an was
Noticing that Aidan was on the phone with someone and hadn’t. heard me coming, I made sure to be quiet.
“Well, you can’t tell me that these are things that you can’t handle. That is literally the point why I left people in charge of my pack,” Aidan said in a clipped voice to the person he was on the call with.
I stopped moving. Sensing the tense environment, I turned to see if I should go back inside to give him his privacy.
A little bit of silence, and Aidan spoke again.
“I understand that my presence is needed, but I’m not done here. I don’t need to give you the details, but there are important things here for me to handle before returning to Attica pack. Push as many meetings as you can to another time, and handle the ones that don’t need me.”
Aidan expelled a breath and ran his free hand through his hair,
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obviously stressed about this.
I hadn’t even thought about Aidan’s responsibilities back home. He could only hold them off for so long, and with time, he would be needed back with his people.
We couldn’t have him forever.
“Stalking me now, are we?” Aidan’s voice cut through my thoughts, but there was a hint of playfulness in it.
Aidan took a few steps closer, shortening the distance between
- us.
Trying not to be startled, and hoping that my voice didn’t come out in a squeak, I responded.
“In this case, it would be considered the other way around since you’re the one who was here without us knowing… even though it’s your house,” I said, shaking my head at my words that made
no sense.
“I came to make sure that you both were okay. I’ve been swarmed with work, and I also wanted to give you two some space to get settled into the new environment.”
I shook my head, watching Aidan watch me.
“I get it. Work calls. I went out to do some touch–ups, and pick. Nadia up from school. We just got back,” I explained.
Aidan stared at me, his eyes doing a slow scan of me from my head to my toe and causing me to shift on my foot.
“Yeah,” he muttered, barely above a whisper. “You look beautiful, Tara. The hair suits you. The nails too.”
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“Thanks,” I said, trying not to let his compliment get to me, and trying not to think too much on the fact that he noticed the things I did.
Aidan was about to mention something else when his eyes noticed movement from behind me, and I watched a small smile form on his lips.
“Aidan’s here,” Nadia screamed to herself, scrambling through the space to get to him.
Aidan chuckled, studying my expression about the scene for a second, and on getting nothing, he braced himself for her attack. “Hey, onion,” he teased.
, on the other hand, was just scared so that Nadia didn’t fall and bruise herself.
“Careful, Nadia,” I called, but Aidan had her already.
when I
I watched Nadia attack Aidan in a bear hug, and I couldn’t bring myself to pull them apart or take this away from Na knew that sooner or later, Aidan would have to go.
Thinking about how his absence might also affect her got me feeling a little uncomfortable, but I forced myself to think about. something else.
Thankfully, Nadia provided, that for me, but it wasn’t in the way I thought.
“Are you here to take Mommy to that date we talked about?” Nadia asked, eyes trained on Aidan, and I cocked an eyebrow at them.
Well, that’s interesting to hear, I thought.
