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My peace is broken by a wolf howl. I look around, but can’t figure the source. All of a sudden everyone is awake and on alert. I pull away from the outcroppin' and look to shore. The boys are still in their wolf forms and are padding at the shore. Maria stands up, a picture of panic.
“Get out of the water! They can't protect you there!” She hollers at me.
Confused, I start toward the shore when I see him. The wolf that has caused the commotion. His lean long muscles pull as he runs down the side of the cliffs. I know the moment I see him it is J.D. Before I can answer his howl and set the boys back they are runnin' up toward him. I push myself toward shore as fast as I can. Scramblin’ onto land I run screamin'.
“Stop! Orion! Kale! Don't!” They are the first to reach him, rollin’ him down the embankment and into the water. “No!” I scream as they make the splash. A few moments later Orion and J.D. surface as men. Locked together one trying' to drown the other. Kale has not come up.
“Stop you idiots! I know him!” Without thinkin' I too dive into the water, Davis behind me. Blaine stays on shore with Maria. The fighting men don’t seem to hear me, as I spot Kale floatin’ in the water. I try to reach him, sputterin' water. As soon as it gets over my head I start to flail, goin' under. Water fills my lungs and I try to keep it from goin' down. I can see them movin' under the water, then everythin' starts to go dark. A hand reaches down pullin' me from the darkness and the next thing I know I am on the shore. On my side chokin' up water. I look up to see Maria, and hear shoutin'.
“I'll fuckin' rip your head off if you don't get outta my way! Get the fuck off of me!”
That is J.D., I am not crazy, he is actually here. My heart skips and I force myself up.
“Let him go! Goddamn it!” I cough, my lungs achin’ from swallowin’ all that water.
Note to self. Learn to swim.
They let him go and he makes to run toward me, then stops, unsure. I nod to him, biting my lip. I didn't know what else to do. I am not prepared to see him again. He races toward me and swings me up into his arms, layin' a hard long kiss on me. I sink into him, leaning against him. While I feel safe with the group, his arms feel like home. He stops kissin’ me, and I realize I am cryin'. He holds me against him, smoothin' my hair back from my tear streaked face.
“Don't you ever do that to us again, understand?” He whispers with a wide but sad smile, not lettin' me go for an instant.
“I'm sorry.,” I sniff, turnin ’my head to see the pack starin'. There I am once again the center of attention. Only this time I am bare assed in the arms of some big man whom they have never seen. I realize I've never spoken of J.D. or Violet to them. It had been too painful to bring up. I turn my face back up to his, he hasn’t taken his eyes off of me. “You said us? Where is Violet?”
“She's coming. When I realized you were near she told me to run. I gotta tell you somethin' before you see her.” He pulls back a moment and I look over his shoulder. Above him at the top of the cliff on horseback is my girl.
She looks like a queen, sitting side saddle on my Blue, with all that equipment stacked in front of her. But it isn’t equipment, that is her body. The boys, now calm and dressed hand me and J.D. a couple blankets and I wrap myself up as I look at him for an explanation.
He chuckles embarrassed. “We figured it out just after you left. Been lookin' for you about a month now. Took me twice that to talk her into makin' the trip.” He scratches his head as if it is the only thing he can think to do.
I nod amazed and very confused. “I remember the night Violet and I met, she told me she couldn't have children.”
“My wolf. It's the only thing that makes any sense,” He whispers, starin' past me at Orion and Kale. Kale is sittin' on the ground, rubbin' his head, there is a wound. He'd been knocked out when they hit the water and smashed into a rock. Luckily Davis saw him rise and quickly got to him.
I walk toward Violet's direction and watch as she gets closer. Blue seems happy and well taken care of. The way he trots when I whistle lets me know he still remembers me. Maria steps away, as Blue hesitates on his approach. I look up at Violet and she never takes her eyes off of me. It is as though no one else matters or exists. She stops right next to me and I help her down from Blue straight into my arms. She wraps her arms around me, her big belly pressing against me through the blanket as she kisses me.
Fire runs down my spine, and to my loins. My body aches for her, as it aches for J.D., maybe more. As suddenly as she kisses me she pushes me so hard I hit the ground. The boys take a step toward us but J.D. and Maria are quick to stop them.
I stare up in disbelief.
“You think I'm just gonna fall back into your arms after you did that to us!” She stares at me. I have never heard her angry. I hope to never hear it again. ”A fuckin' note you bitch! Six months! Nothing! Not a word! Then we find you with all these people! How come they were good enough but we're not!?” Tears are streamin’ down her face as she screams at me. Her voice straining with sobs. She topples onto me, hitting me with her fists. Her anger spills out through them, her hurt over what I thought was the right thing to do. I lay there and let her hit me. I feel my nose smash. I deserve what she is doing. She cracks me in the mouth and my teeth gnash the inside of my lip. Then I see and hear J.D. He is lifting her off of me and she is swearin' somethin' fierce.
“Jake, you fuck, put me down! She needs to know this wasn't o fuckin' kay!” I sit up lookin' at her, she collapses on the ground. That's when I feel the wetness of the blanket and see her holding her underbelly.
“Jake.” Her anger turns to fear. “I- something's goin' on.”
“Your water broke. You're goin' into labor.” He answers as calmly as he can, which is about as calm as a rabbit in a fox hole.
“Maria!” I scream runnin' over to Violet. She hustles over to us. “Tell me you know somthin' about birthin'. I only know horses and pigs!”
“It's about the same 'cept with more swearin'.” She tries to joke. It doesn’t help.