Statera - The Balanced One

Chapter Sixteen (Part Two)

Late November - Tangent, Oklahoma:

After so much tragedy, the peaceful passing of a few months was a welcomed change. Our pack had grown thanks to the addition of Dahlia and her cubs. Samantha didn't care that Dahlia was the dominant female because she'd bonded with her over the cubs. Their safety was all that mattered to both of them. But, unfortunately, Samantha's new dedication to the cubs left her with little time for Paul. Anyone with eyes could tell those two wanted different things and that splitting was the only way forward.

Noah was buried under a garden of perennials near where he'd died. It was a serene memorial that Dahlia and the cubs could visit anytime they wanted to be close to him.

A collage of autumn leaves blew in the wind. It was a beautiful time for my best friend Cara to visit Oklahoma. It was 11 am, and her flight would arrive at 4pm. My excitement about Keitan finally meeting her had me on the edge of my seat with anticipation. We only had four days until Thanksgiving, and I hadn't seen her since May.

"So, tell me a little bit about Cara's background. I know nothing about her other than you two spend hours on the phone," Keitan said through the speaker.

"Well, Cara's father is the CEO of Beryl Industries, the leader in aerospace engineering. She has an older brother, Eugene, accompanying her here."

I suspected Eugene opted to come along because he wanted to see me. He'd just turned twenty and had been crazy about me since we were kids.

"For six months, I've kept Cara up to date with everything happening in the insanity I call my life. She's so excited to meet you, Keitan. I want you to know I haven't told her about your secret. You can share that yourself if you decide to."

"Okay, Zor, see you in a second. I just pulled up," he said and hung up.

I hadn't told Cara about anyone's special characteristics, and while I didn't like keeping secrets, I felt it was necessary. It didn't matter that Cara was the most open-minded person I'd ever known. Nothing surprised her—ever, and if she had a superpower, it would be knowledge. Cara believed

Immediately after the doorbell rang, Jed scrambling down the upstairs hall above made me laugh.

I called out to him, "I got it. I'm already down here."

The scrambling came to a stop.

"Thank you, Zora. I'm heading back to my room to rub your aunt's back. She's hurting again. Holler if you need anything."

I rose from the table, rolling my eyes and chuckling; those two were something else. Keitan's dazzling smile greeted me as I opened the door. It'd been two days since I saw him last. That was mostly because Di forever complained about how I lived at the O'Connell house and never came home. Keitan must have missed me. I didn't get so much as "hello" out before his lips were on mine.

"Well, it is nice to see you too!" I said breathlessly when he pulled away.

He stood there gazing at me like I'd disappear if he looked away.

"I'm not going anywhere, Keitan!"

The bright smile he'd showed up with was still plastered to his face. I returned to the table with Keitan right behind me.

"Zor, you smell amazing!"

I threw him a satisfied look over my shoulder.

"Keitan, you say that every time I'm in, what do you call it—heat. It's so weird. I'm not a dog."

"Well—actually, Zor, yeah, you are—sometimes.

Aunt Di had promptly put me on birth control after I'd come to live with her, but I still barred any intimate activities while ovulating or on my cycle. Technically married or not, I wasn't ready for little ones yet. Keitan didn't seem to care because it seemed hard for him to keep his hands off me during these times, making it hard for me to resist throwing myself at him. Still, everyone agreed that a baby between us now would be completely irresponsible. When I sat at the table again, he took the chair opposite me, still wearing a silly grin. I couldn't help but adore my overgrown puppy.