Chapter 52: Chapter 52: Homestead

The warm sensation sliding around me and the sudden weightlessness I experience wakes me up

before his voice does. A feeling of floating, as everything comes back to me and my brain re-

engages with my limbs, as warm hands, and body transfer heat to mine.

“Baby, we're here, wake up.” Colton’s honey tone slides over me as his scent submerges me in a firm

cozy hold, submerged in his delicious scent that makes me giddy, and I blink my eyes open to find

myself in his arms while being scooped out of the truck as he stands by my door. The night is

cloaking in around us but illumination from the front of me makes my eyes blurry as I try to adjust

and screw them shut again quickly. Taking a moment to savor the weird in between state of awake

and dreaming while being cradled. He has me in his arms, pressing me to him, one under my legs

and one around my back while my face is in against the crook of his throat, nestling me in as the

cool air brings me round fully.

I slide my hands up his expanse of hard chest impulsively, searching out a place to anchor myself,

aiming to slide around his neck when sense fully awakens me and I realize this is probably not wise

when my heart is so bruised. That getting all tangled up with Colton is the opposite of what I need.

It's far too easy to accept his touch and his willingness to add intimacy to the mix but I have to be

stronger than him.

“I can walk, put me down.” I croak hoarsely, my sleep addled tone heavy and I wriggle to get my

legs free. Resisting even if it's feeble and thankfully he isn’t too set on fighting me.

Colton relents after a moment of hesitation, sliding my feet to the ground carefully, but he keeps

me anchored to him with the arm around my waist and tugs me front on. Bodily closing the gap

between us and lifts his other hand to stroke my cheek as he leans in to bridge the height

difference. Rendering me momentarily senseless, as that burning connection makes my knees

buckle almost completely. He cups my face and pulls me in, bringing his forehead down to mine

and pushes us together intimately. Our breaths mingling in the cool air and I'm overly aware how

dangerously close this is, a slight inch more and he'll be kissing me. Caught tired, and slow in

reaction speed, and somehow feeling vulnerable at waking up to his touch.

"When my mom's settled in the infirmary, we need to talk. We need to figure this out and fix us. I

missed you more than you'll ever know, Lorey. I'm never letting you go again.” His eyes stray to my

lips and that crazy overwhelming urge to lean in and take what he’s pondering doing almost kills

me. My own lips parting slightly as the tug of desire pulses through me with fervor and I'm

powerless to pull back when caught in his breath this way.

His touch goosebumps my skin all over, the low intensity of his voice drawing me in as if no one

else exists around us and I almost weaken to the point of melting into him. My pelvis, and between

my thighs heats up to molten lava at this kind of contact with him and I almost have to press my

knees together to gain some control. The haze is approaching, and I guess it's already starting to

screw with my libido, or maybe it's always just him and I'm still a weak fool for this man. More so

when caught off guard and too sleep addled to think straight. So easy when this feels so right, but I

catch myself and finally muster the strength to pull back, covering his hand with mine and sliding it

from my face.

"Colton..." I start to rebuff him, but he doesn’t let me loose as easily as he put me down.

“We can't ignore how we feel about each other. That we're meant to be.” It's a hint of desperation in

his ravaged tone, mirroring my urges, his jaw tensing and squaring off which only makes those

irresistible dimples prominent and those lowering brows bring out the cute boy face. Leaning closer

and making it harder to breathe when my senses are filled with him. It sparks that self-defense

mechanism in me though, that urge to run far away before he cripples me again, and I slide my

hands between us and push him away with enough force to get him to release me.

“Why not? You did!” I bite, stepping back coldly, as his hold drops and the sweep of hurt and regret

is evident on that flawless face. It tugs at me, slicing my own heart with a sharp stab but I don't

weaken, pushing my pain and agony away and refusing to break. If he thinks he can be mated

elsewhere but still have a side chick so he doesn't have to live with the mistake, then he can go to

hell. I won't be some dirty secret that has to steal moments with him, and share him with her, just

because he didn't manage to break our bond in taking another. I'm not doing this, no matter how

much I yearn for him, or how much I still love him. I have more respect for myself than that and I

won't be one of those wolves who bring shame upon themselves by committing adultery with a

mated, even if we were destined.

He broke this, not me. He made his choice, no matter what his reasons were. It can't be undone.

“You're angry, and hurt, and upset... all valid, and I understand why. If you need time to forgive me,

then I'm not going anywhere. I'm not giving up. I need you, and I'll earn your forgiveness, no matter

what it takes.” Colton back in serious, soft faced, high school, hot boy mode, and I shake it off.

I ignore him, trying to blot out words that wound me to the core and turn to walk away, but he

catches me by the wrist and stops me in my tracks. Tugging me back slightly and igniting further

fury. Burning searing touch that was invented to torture me by being both the best feeling in the

world, and the worst. That bubbling temper begins to dominate the pit of my stomach but before I

can turn to tell him to back off, my thoughts are interrupted with a high voltage distraction.

“Chica!l” Meadow comes bounding from seemingly nowhere, darting at me like a lioness pouncing

its prey, like a freight train and a tornado all in one, and sweeps between us, hauling me off my feet

in a bear hug that momentarily dazes me, and spins me around with alarming strength for a girl

shorter than me. “Dios mio, nifa, te extrané”

She smothers me in Latino love, squeezes me so my ribs almost crack under the strain and then

dumps me on my feet and grabs me by the face with an insane clutch like grip. She starts kissing

me all over the cheeks, nose, and forehead, like an overbearing momma, and it's a furious fast

barrage that doesn't give me a second to counteract. I can only screw my eyes shut, pucker up my

face to protect my poor features and accept this ambush while trying to unhook her fingers around

my cheeks before she leaves bruises. She's strong and persistent with her very aggressive affection.

"Mead....ddd...oowww" I try and wriggle free of those claw-like hands and the lipstick smeared

attack on my face, giggling wildly at the ridiculousness, but she’s relentless. Finally, once I'm sure

every inch of my face is in matching rouge red from her lips, she lets me loose.

"Oh my god, my baby girl, she’s come to me and now I can die happy, knowing my Chica is home.”

She's being overdramatic, her accent heavier than usual with the surge of emotion she’s spewing.

She's still holding me in her arms, but I have to say the feeling is mutual. I've never been so happy

to see another femme in my life, as her. I throw myself at her for a second hug, this time one I can

actually participate in and she squeezes me once more, so I get to wrap my arms around he

properly.

I can tell Colton has moved away, as his invasive presence releases the strangle hold on my heart

and a quick glance tells me they're at the rear, removing his mother's bed as members of the pack

move into help. There's a lot of chatter as people figure out who's coming out of the truck and I can

feel the whispers spreading through the pack as the atmosphere is charged with shock and

excitement. I can see some pulling out the machines and cabinet and putting ramps in place. A hive

of activity over there, with the doctor directing with that unique accent of his above the drone,

issuing orders to his new mass of helpers.

“Let me look at you.” Meadow drags my attention back to her, pushes me back to arm's length and

even though its dark out here, lights from the pretty huge and towering house, standing tall in front

of us, illuminates this area enough that we can see each other with clarity. That was the light which

hurt my eyes when I woke up.

"You look so good, so healthy, your hair has grown, your losing your puppy face and...oh, god! What

are you wearing?” Meadows face and tone completely drop as her eyes run up and down my attire

and she visibly gawps. The look of sheer disgust which envelopes her expression makes me laugh

"Escape clothes!” I shrug under her scrutiny, amused with the way she’s now holding the arm of my

sweater between two nails like it's an unhygienic rag and let's go before rubbing her fingertips as if

to expel the grime. I'm not dirty but her reaction is priceless as she shakes her head at me.

"Why do you keep letting that boy pick your clothes, huh? It's not a good look. Colton has no taste

when it comes to female things. I mean, he dated Carmen for two years, that says it all, Chica.” She

bobs her head side to side waving a very pointy red nail in the air and I let out an involuntary snort

laugh. She's so hood sometimes; I love her to bits.

“He didn't ... Dress me, I mean. He found me like this. It's all I had to hand.” I look down pulling at

the grey sweats a little as I take in my baggy outfit and oversized boots, but it's not as bad as she’s

making out.

“We need to remedy that. Once we get our Luna inside and comfortable, you and I, we need to burn

these. Maybe bury them and perform some kind of last rights.” She tugs at the hemline of my

sweater and then runs a set of talons through my hair to push it off my face and draws me back to

her. “You do look different though.... like you maybe only left for a few weeks, but you've grown in

years. You look beautiful, and less tortured. My baby growing up so fast.” It's an insightful

perspective, but she’s right. These past weeks I do feel like I've matured some, and definitely grown

as a person in subtle ways, and I knew I had shed puppy fat while being out there in the wild. Eating

less, exercising more, I probably look slimmer.

I'm no longer in that frame of mind that I'm some feeble no one that isn’t important. I know I'm the

center of something, and this is where I need to be for now. I'm not sure about less tortured given

my current state of affairs; cheating mate, relearning my past, and finding out my entire pack was

murdered. I would say maybe, I'm just handling it better than I would have a few weeks ago. I feel

mentally stronger.

"Why thank you, although I'm tired. I need sleep. I must look a wreck, but you're right, we need to

get Sierra inside.” I nod to where they all seem to have everything under control, catching sight of

the bed coming into view and Colton stuck to his moms side, her hand in his once more, even

though she is still dead to the world. He's looking at her with so much adoration, fixated, that it

does make me feel completely broken as I watch him. A longing for that without complication,

without this mess between us. To have him look at me the way he’s looking at her, that

unconditional love that's so hard to find.

We move out of the way as they swing past and I flatten against the truck as the entire entourage

gets by us and follow close behind, meadow sliding her hand in mine and guiding me with her to

tag on at the end when they get past.

"Ahhh, Alora.” A voice comes from my side and then I'm dive bombed by an enthusiastic male who

footballer style wrestles me into a hug before I'm hit from behind by another. Equal stealth and

strength and I almost fall over with the weight of two heavy boys hugging the life out of me. Unable

to breathe and not sure if this is an attack, I crumple almost to my knees.

Domi and Remi near choke me to death, ruffling my hair, picking me up between them before I get

ground into the mud and I get a kiss on each side of my face in unison. Sloppy, wet, a bit ewww but

overall, it's kind of sweet.

"Our little sister came home. Our puppy!!” They both state in synchronized perfection, sounding like

a melody in their sing song playfulness. I get yanked from side to side, set on my own feet then let

go just as Cesar appears in front of me, Meadow moving aside with a look of joy on her face,

smiling like a proud mother.

"Don't you ever do that again, missy. Do you know how worried your pack has been?” Cesar swoops

in between the twins, that equally heavy accent as his mates and a stern paternal tone to match that

serious frown he is giving me. He gives me a less ferocious cuddle, a quick squeeze, and kiss on the

cheek, before he pulls back, and the rest of the sub pack seem to appear around me.

Matteo, Radar, Jesus, all crowd in at me and I guess they were part of our escort to get us here. All

of them take it in turns to lean in and welcome me back with a short embrace and a peck on the

cheek, a few words of welcome back, until I'm blushing and awkward with all this attention.

"We missed you. Don't run like that again. We're your pack, man, we were all crazy worried.” It's

Jesus, and he bops me on the head with a soft closed fist and shakes his head at me, a real frown on

that face that shows his genuine emotion.

“Yeah kid, little pups like you shouldn't be out there alone!” Cesar reiterates his earlier statement.

“Colton has been unbearable, dude. You girl, are getting chained to him so we don't have to endure

that again.” Matteo pushes the twins aside and clears a path in front of me as he tries to move us

along, and Meadow ducks into the center beside me, catching my arm in hers and starts walking me

in behind the boys as they turn and starts leading the way. Some turning to walk backwards as they

interact and throw me smiles and genuine looks of relief that I'm home. I can feel it all around me,

that it's real and honest. The genuine relief, the love from my adopted pack that swells my heart so

much it hurts. None of them faking it at all, and I don’t question where that certain femme of

Colton's is, because right now, I don't want to know, and I don't care.

“You missed a war. Colton put his daddy on his ass. It was epic.” Jesus seems a little too gleeful over

that fact, skipping sideways in front of me somewhat boyishly and Matteo shoves him in the

shoulder playfully, out of the way. A warning tone to his words.

“Shut up. Colton hears you talking like that he'll put you on your ass. You know how sensitive he is

about all this right now.”

“Yeah pipe down, bro, he’s only a few feet ahead. Have some respect.” Radar the voice of reason

leans in; he pats me on the arm in afterthought, with a nod, and a wink, to say hey. That always

terrifying white eye, blank, dead, but his good one is kind of shiny and happy and it makes him a

little less scary to look at. The scar isn't as much of a visual draw like it was when [ first met him and

he steps in, speaking a little lower, nearer my ear.

"Welcome back.... and thank you. For finding her. She's been missed for so long, some of us were

losing hope.” There's a strange tone in what he says, a distant look in his eye and as he talks his

gaze wanders to the bed ahead of us, he shoots off instantly, to go catch something one of the

trolley pushers drops. Scooping it up before it hits the ground and merging into that hobble of

people to replace it on the bed.

“Radar always had a thing for Sierra. You've no idea how much this means to him, for her to be

home.” Meadow whispers in my ear, hushed so the rest of them don't catch on. Like it's some sort

of unknown secret and I quizzically glance her way.

“What? Isn't he too young? Aren't they like son and mother aged?” I flash a look at him again in the

crowd, then back to her in confusion, but she shakes her head.0000000000000000