Convalesce (Book 2 in the Wolfen Brethren Series)

Lotus Flower

They rode in silence, Simeon and two other males by her side as Ju-long sat up front. The vehicles was cramped due to the extra bodies they were taking home with them. Some wolves had opted to run but most wanted to get in a car because they were tired. The 7 seaters were not big enough to take everyone especially as the females were now coming back with them. More than half of the survivors had decided to disband and head elsewhere but 10 or so had decided to return with them.

The atmosphere was tense as Simeon's thick arm kept rubbing against her with every jolt, her body crushed up against the window.

Jana was still wound tight from the events of the previous day and night and this journey wasn't helping anything. Simeon's words rolling in her mind. She had the urge to just forgive him, to take his words as what they were and give him a second chance but the smarter part of her realised that he still hadn't given her his all.

He had promised to try but he hadn't given her anything but more promises. Was she supposed to hold onto his words and hope that they weren't empty. Could a leopard really change its spots, it was a question Neema had out tonher once. Neema was a firm believer that they could she argued with maturity and with different habits or "circumstances" the leopard would learn to adapt.

Jana knew differently though. The amount of spit a leaopard had may change but their appearance would walkways remain the same. They would not change.

So why did Simeon expect her to believe that he would change and whybwas she even fool enough to consider it.

He hadn't given her anything but pretty words, singing his sweet tune of promises that he would do better, be better and yet he had still held back from her so how could she believe him. It did not escape her attention that he had mentioned his past in an abstract sort of way but had not given her the tinies tinkling of what that entailed. He had been on this earth for along time, so said past had to include more than just the tragic and untimely death of Zosia's mother.

There was clearly a lot more to his story and yet he failed to confide in her. How could he think that would inspire her trust in him. He expected her to open up herself to him, to give this mating a go but so much of him was still shrouded in darkness. It was startlingly scary to realise that she had been with a man she had known for less than half year. He had lain with her but still she knew so little about him.

She had known her late husband Jeremy, for a year before they had slept with each other, the wait only making their friendship deeper. Not Simeon though. He clung to his past like it was all he had to show for himself and she had no doubt that he would continue to put his past first.

She was not stupid, she would not take his words at face value. He was waving a white flag at her all the while noting her coordinates as he prepared his missiles. Perhaps a month or two ago she would have soaked up his words and felt relief by his efforts but she was a different female now.

There was no drastic change to her behaviour but she felt a change within herself. She had been sheltered for most of her life, coddled like a little baby in fear that this world would be too much for her but she was different now. She had reached inexplicable lows to only climb out from the depths of her own despair.
So she could never settle for what little Simeon offered her.

It was not enough and never would be enough but still her desire to have that fairytale, that beautiful mating like that of her 3 sisters made her consider his words. They had mates that stood beside them through everything, mates that would give everything and anything for them.