Pack Mentality: A Wolf Alone

Chapter 13

Seth started out the morning with good intentions, or at least plans. He'd meant to get out of bed while Becky was still sleeping—or at least too drowsy to protest—and head to his mother's house. The first time he woke up, though, Becky had gotten up too, and it didn't take much for him to get distracted. The next time he managed to get out of bed and even get dressed, but he couldn't bring himself to leave. It was probably a stretch to say that Becky ever looked peaceful, but when she was sleeping, some of the sharpness of her jaw softened. When she was awake, she sometimes looked like she was taking on the world, but when she was resting, there was a sense of ease, a pause between one battle and the next. He must have made some kind of sound, because her eyes fluttered open and she reached up to stroke his cheek. She was sleepy enough that she ended up getting his nose first, but he just laughed, kissed her palm, and leaned into her touch. "If you want me to go with you," she murmured, voice raspy with sleep, "I will. I just don't want to make things worse for you."

Sitting on the bed, Seth stroked her mussed hair. "No, I should go by myself. It'll be easier and then I can get back here quicker." He would have loved to stay curled up in bed with her all morning, but he knew he had to deal with his werewolf matters sooner rather than later. "But I won't be long." Then he leaned down to kiss her cheek goodbye, but ended up nuzzling her neck instead, taking a minute to parse her scent: the lingering crispness of her shampoo—citrus-based, but with something mellow too, like vanilla or coconut—her sleep sweat and a hint of his.

Becky's hand curled in his hair as she snuggled closer. "Are you scent-marking me or something?" she asked, her laugh muffled by the pillow.

"Not quite." Seth pressed his lips to her throat and breathed softly, smiling as her pulse sped up. She wasn't far off, to be honest: he was trying to take her scent with him, keeping it close to help him focus on the uncomfortable questions he might have to ask his mother. If Becky were there in person, she would hold his hand or rub his shoulders; since she wouldn't be, maybe he could take in a hint of her every time he breathed. "I love you." It was something they didn't say much, probably because they didn't want to jinx things, but he needed her to know.

That made Becky open her eyes fully and meet his gaze. "Seth . . . do I need to be worried?"

Seth shook his head. "No. I'm just going to Mom's. I'll ask her some questions and that's it."

Becky's gaze searched his for a long moment before she nodded. "Okay. Come back soon. I love you too." Then she pulled him down into a slow, lazy kiss that almost made him lose his balance.

"See you soon," Seth said as he reluctantly pulled away, kissing Becky's forehead and tucking the blankets around her before he left, calling his mother on his way to the SUV to make sure she was home. It wasn't that long of a drive to his mother's house, but doing it alone made it feel endless; no amount of music—since he was alone, he was able to listen to his sappy playlist of songs that reminded him of Becky—was able to fill the void.

When he pulled up in front of her house, Holly already had the front door open and was waving. "Hi, sweetheart! I wish you'd called me yesterday and told me you were coming! I would have made you something for breakfast. . . ."

Seth shook his head as he headed up the walkway. "I'm not that hungry yet," he fibbed smoothly, "and I won't be too long. I've got some interviews scheduled for the afternoon, so I'm trying to get errands done in the morning."

"So busy." Holly gave his cheek an affectionate pat before motioning him inside. Once they were both inside and the door was shut, concern tightened her face. "What's wrong, Colby? Have you had another run-in with those other wolves?"

"Yes and no. But that's not why I wanted to talk with you." Seth took off his shoes and headed for the couch. He knew this house almost as well as his own, but it had never felt more alien to him, not even when his mother first moved in and it was empty. He wasn't sure what order to ask his questions in, but there was one matter he knew he needed to address. "My family is my pack, Mom. You know that. But so is Roman." He saw her shoulders stiffen in anticipation of what was coming. "And so are Dean and Becky. You don't have to like them. You don't have to like any of my friends or girlfriends. But you need to respect that they matter to me."