Run With Me

Chapter Three

 Terri knew exactly who he was. Kirk Hanson, CEO of Clearwater Industries. If he had snooped enough, he would have found several boxes of components she had ordered from his company over the last few years. His solar technology was second to none and she found it fascinating, had for a while. And now the technology genius was rifling through her work. And reading it. Of course he was. He was an alpha. Growling to herself, Terri started muttering about privacy and personal space and something about alphas having boundary issues. Unlike the shifter she met tonight, John.

Instead of sticking around for whatever her brother had to say, Terri had chosen to just leave. Continuing another conversation about her future and his plans for it while standing in a room with knives was a bad idea. And the last time they had gotten into a discussion about her doing her masters degree, their other brother, Michael, had been the one walking away with bruises when he had tried to intervene. She adored Kayla, her luna was her only friend in the pack, and she didn't want her to get hurt when tempers flared.

She had found her way to the old tire swing the hung in a copse of trees some distance from the house. Their father had an old tractor tire for them and they would practice shifting and leaping through the center of it while one of them sat on the top of the tire and spun it. But the memory was fleeting for Terri. She hadn't shifted since her parents deaths. Instead, they told everyone she didn't have a wolf. But she was still there. As Terri climbed on the tire, she felt her wolf draw the the surface, embracing the memories.

"Hi," Terri looked up to see a man walking into the cluster of fruit trees, a blanket in one hand. She had been so lost in thought, she hadn't realized that the temperature had dropped so drastically. Shivering, she held out a hand for the blanket he offered, pulling it around her.

"Thanks," she looked him over. He was pretty average all around, light brown eyes, blond hair. His wolf was probably tan or light brown. He walked up to the tire and placed a hand on it.

"Want a push?" His tone was playful and Terri allowed a small smile.

"Sure," as the swing passed by him, he would give it a light push, "I'm Terri."

"John," another push, "nice to meet you." Terri only nodded in response. She didn't really talk to people outside of school or her brothers, so she didn't know what to say. John seemed to be a little more socially adept than her. "I would say that you missed a good meal, but the food was the only decent thing at that table." Apparently he had read the room accurately, causing Terri to snort.

"Pretty sure every luna is an amazing cook," she sifted to create her own momentum, the tire flying past John, "but Kayla is on a whole new level. She actually went to school for it, she lives to cook." And Darren had renovated the kitchen while she had been gone, causing them to use a camp stove for the two weeks it took him to rip everything out and have Terri rewire the electrical. John laughed and gave the swing a solid shove.

"I've eaten at restaurants that don't hold a candle to what I ate tonight," John stepped back to let Terri swing on her own, "I'm surprised that your brother isn't wider than he currently is." Terri laughed.

"There is no fat below his neck," her eyes shone, "it's all between his ears." Her usual joke was greeting with a robust laugh. It was nice talking to someone about the most inane things. Light, carefree. Terri let the swing slow down before dropping her right foot to stop it. Dismounting the swing she looked at John. He wasn't overly tall, but he was as solid as any shifter. "Thanks," she muttered, turning away.

"For what?" John indicated for her to precede him out of the trees. Terri started walking, feeling shy being with a stranger.

"For coming to find me," she opted for the truth, "I had lost track of time while thinking about why everyone is visiting." She might as well deal with the elephant in the room.