Turning The Page

107

In the moonlight... Running with Addy feels so serene that I almost think that I must be dreaming... The way that his onyx coat glitters so beautifully under the shaded starlight... His scent mixing in with the scent of the familiar nature around us and blends so well that no matter where I turn my nose to it gets filled with the peaceful scent of coffee, old books, and greenery all in the best way possible... The soft pounding of our paws in the crisped grass and cold earth... Nothing but the two of us in the moonlight running side by side darting through the trees... My strides shortened to keep pace with him... So I can protect him... And guide him... Not just if needed, but always... 

Not that I or my beast think that the stunning mother of our future children isn't capable of taking charge on the run... Just that... Both halves of my whole value him so much that neither side of me thinks he should have to... And with the imagined vision of his human form all round and heavy carrying our child in his sweet belly staying constant in the back of my mind, the protectiveness both sides of me feels over him is more than explainable... Even justifiable... I could never take the chance of outpacing him only to have a poacher try and take a shot at him... Or him tripping over a branch and hurting himself, our eyes only capable of doing so much in the dim light filtering down around us through the leaves...

So I keep us shoulder to shoulder... Or rather... His head to my shoulder, our size difference something I know always takes him by surprise whenever we shift together...Not in a bad way... Just in a way that makes him feel safe enough to not have to constantly worry about other predators in the air thinking he looks to be every bit of the snack I always tell him he is... He can just run and let his mind wander just the way it needs to for him to feel as at peace as I am just being out here with him stretching our legs together knowing that we are finally home... Finally where we should be...

...

Adrian

...

Running with Daddy...

It feels different this time... Like we aren't actually alone...

Not necessarily in a bad way... Just more along the lines of... I can finally connect to the nature surrounding us more than I was able to before... I feel the draw... The way it pulls on Silas's soul is now something that not only do I understand, but something that bleeds into me from his half of our bond, and it's letting me appreciate finally being back home that much more...

I hadn't realized just how different running feels to my wonderful mate... I had known that before me he preferred to go out on long runs and stay out... To the point where he was mostly just a figurehead when it came to the day to day lives of our pack and only involved on the big issues... Just so he could stay away for weeks at a time to satisfy this very urge that we are placating right now...

Before meeting Silas I never would have celebrated coming home from a long trip by stripping down and flinging myself through the woods, either by myself or with someone else to keep me company... Running wasn't ever something I was truly interested in other than to exercise my wolf... But even then... My other side wasn't too crazy about it either... Maybe it's because everyone else left me behind constantly... As the runt of the pack I always struggled to keep up and it only made me feel more disdain towards the activity...

But I know Daddy never leaves me behind...

Not on runs...

Not in life...

Because unlike everyone else seemed to assume before I came along... He isn't anything like his father... Who is still currently in Florida and planning on staying there, for the time being, his only request being that we don't tell Bethany where he is or that he's on probation for something he didn't feel the need to divulge... Which we both told him we were uncomfortable with... And that if she asked if we had any idea, we wouldn't keep the truth from her because it is not our drama to step in to or really be involved in, so we won't be lying on anyone's behalf.

I know I can trust Silas to never leave me behind... And that he wouldn't ever ask other people not to let me know where he is... I know that on the inside he's worried that he's more like his Dad than he wants to be and that he's afraid that he won't be a good Papa to our kids... But I know he's wrong... He isn't anything like his Dad... If he was I wouldn't be with him... And if for some reason I did stay after realizing he wouldn't actually care about it... I sure as heck wouldn't be wanting to start a family with him...

But that isn't the case... Silas... While a little rough around the edges... He's a good man... And I know that he cares about me in a way that no one else will ever be capable of... When he says he loves me he means it... When he makes a promise... He keeps it... I know I don't ever need to worry about me or the kids being left behind for weeks at a time so he can rush headfirst into the forest and forget for a little while that he has a human side, and a mate and kids and responsibilities... I know that he takes caring for and about me seriously and that he would never abandon me the way his Dad constantly abandoned them when he was growing up and is constantly still abandoning Bethany every chance he gets...

There is so much more between me and Silas than just love...

There is a true trust...

And a mutual respect...

Which is why I can't stop smiling knowing that we've already taken steps down our next path... That we are Turning The Page in our love story together because its what we both want... And that our little tiny baby Ashwood will be here before either of us know it and our new chapter will have begun...

...

A.N.- This is not the last chapter... But we are so so so close... I cannot even begin to explain how emotional I am writing this chapter tonight knowing that it's one of the last ones in Turning The Page...

Don't panic though! There is a third book, and just like I did with this one, I'm keeping the name secret until the end of the very last chapter of the current book (Which... The current book is this one). And just like I did at the end of Book Smart and the beginning of Turning The Page... I am going to post the last chapter of the current book and the first chapter of the next book at the SAME time, so none of us will have to wait to find out what happens... And we will roll right into that one with tears in our eyes and smiles on our faces!