Alpha's Solace (Black Moon Saga Book 1)

Reunion

Kylie spends a couple days with her family at their home, mostly resting and getting used to being there. All of them being together under the same roof again is nice, though she has difficulty letting go of her feelings of anxiety and unrest about the whole situation.

Her cat, Bo, also seems to always be on edge like she is expecting enemies to spring up from any corner at any moment, and Kylie hates that she is so uncomfortable with the changes. She holds the cat in her lap as much as she can trying to soothe her unease, eventually realizing that she needs the cuddles just as much as Bo does.

Jonah decides to stay with them for a bit so he can be close to his sister, though usually he would be staying in his new suite at the hotel. He explains to Kylie that Adam retired from the hotel business and Marc has taken over as owner and manager, and then tells her that Marc hired him as the head of the security team. She is excited that he has such a cool job and has been given so much responsibility, though admittedly she is also a little jealous that he managed to nab this position without even going to college.

Eventually, she realizes that she's probably been feeling so restless because it feels like she's just been hiding out at home, avoiding the unresolved issues she left in the dust when she drove away from her hometown. The way she left things with Marc has haunted her the entire time she has been away, and she has often had to fight the urge to call the hotel and see if she can get his number. She misses him, but the stubborn part of her has always felt like he should have to apologize for how he was acting before she left. He's never tried, so she hasn't reached out either.

But now, she kind of just wants to talk to her friend. It's been so long, and all those petty teenage issues don't seem as important anymore. She has no idea how he feels about her these days, but decides to just go see him because that is the only way that she will ever find out.

As the family is seated around the breakfast table in the kitchen on the third morning after Kylie's arrival, she decides to ask her brother if he'll let her tag along when he goes into work.

Jonah looks nervously to his parents for guidance, but surprisingly they seem to think it is a good idea.

“Yeah, sure,” he agrees, “but I’m not waiting around for you to do your hair or whatever. Your ride leaves in ten minutes, ready or not.”

“Whose sister are you talking to?” she laughs. “My hair is fine. I’m going like this."

She gestures to her hastily constructed ponytail that he confused for bedhead.

“And for the record, I only need you because no one ever lets me drive anymore,” she adds.

“Yeah, those people who won’t let you drive are doctors," he scoffs playfully, "and maybe it’s because you have this new habit of randomly falling over when you’re supposed to be working.”

“Hey!” she pretends to be offended, clumsily flinging a spoonful of her cereal at him with her good hand.

Betsy is enjoying having her kids be kids again but decides to put a stop to it before there is a full-blown food fight.

“Okay, children, that’s enough. Let’s not forget that we’re all adults here.”

Kylie and Jonah pretend to glare at each other across the table for a few seconds, but they can’t keep it up long before they just start laughing.

Once breakfast is over, Jonah brings Kylie her crutch and helps her to his vehicle in the driveway, also making sure to link the Alpha and give him a heads up that he will be bringing a human visitor to work with him this morning.

It’s a short drive from home to the hotel, during which Kylie can’t help admiring how grown-up her little brother is now. He sits tall behind the wheel of his own sleek SUV, his physique so massive that it looks like the spacious interior can barely contain him. It’s not lost on her that the last time they were in a car together driving along this road, it was her driving him and he was just a little boy. Now, he is off to work where he manages his own department.

They pull up to the front of the hotel and Jonah offers to just drop her off at the entrance so that she won’t have to walk across the parking lot. He has to park in the back and works kind of far from Marc’s office anyway, so the siblings part ways there, with him reminding her that he won’t be available to take her back home until lunch time, so she better find some ways to occupy herself until then.

Kylie heads into the lobby of the hotel and takes in the familiar surroundings for a moment. The flooring and décor have been updated since the last time she was here, but otherwise it still feels and smells the same as she remembers. She doesn’t recognize the clerk behind the front desk, who seems to be sizing her up warily, but she gives her a friendly smile and a nod as she makes her way to the elevator to take her to the second floor.

Once the elevator delivers her to her destination and the doors open, she shifts her weight so she can use her crutch to help her step out. It’s awkward trying to walk with her crutch when the hand she usually holds it with is in a cast. Using it in her left hand to support her left leg causes her to hobble more than walk.

She hasn’t taken but two steps before she hears and sees her old friend barreling down the hall toward her.

“Kylie!” Marc yells out to her, as a couple of his employees stand and gawk at his behavior.

It makes her smile to see that he is still the same oversized, goofy guy that she remembers so fondly, and not that weird, broody imposter she left behind.

“Marc!” she returns his friendly yell and braces for impact, knowing that he will greet her with a bear hug.

Once he gets closer, though, he stops to give her a once-over, frowning as he notices the crutch, the cast, and the awkward way she holds herself as if she is in pain just standing there. Then he reaches out and brings her in for a gentle hug.

“Wow, who are you?” she teases as she hugs him back with her cast arm. “The Marc I know would have picked me up and squeezed the life out of me.”

“Yeah, I thought about it. You know I want to, but I also don’t want to break you. I just got you back.”

“I appreciate that. Honestly, it would have hurt like hell. And what do you mean you just got me back?”

“You left me without saying goodbye. I thought that meant you never wanted to speak to me again,” he explains, breaking away and taking a step back to look at her face, still holding her at arm’s length.

“Wow, really?” Kylie feels almost hurt that he could think that he meant so little to her.

“I don’t blame you, though. I was being a jerk. If you had done that to me, I would have been pretty mad too,” he admits before taking her arm and helping her down the hall toward his office.

“Come on, now. I was mad but not like mad mad. More like hurt. I still don’t understand why you changed on me all of a sudden.”

“Then why didn’t you ever call or write or anything?” he asks, trying to mask the hurt there.

“I figured you should be the one to reach out. I kept trying before graduation, but you just kept being weird. Then you showed up, seeming like everything was cool, until you ditched me. So now I ask, why didn’t you ever call or write to tell me what that was about?”

“Touché. Actually, I feel like an ass,” he admits, his head dropping slightly with the shame of it. “My dad kept telling me the same thing and demanding that I make it right. But honestly, I was afraid to. I couldn’t handle the idea that if I did, you would tell me to bug off and never speak to me again. Plus, I’ve had a lot going on around here.”

“So I’ve heard.” She hands her crutch to Marc and takes the seat he offers her.

He leans the crutch against the back of her chair and makes his way around his desk to sit in his own chair, leaning back and getting comfortable as he appraises her from a distance.

“So, what do you think?” he gestures around the room, asking for her opinion about the changes he has made to his office.

She takes it all in for a moment, remembering how elegant this room looked when it belonged to his father, not quite sure how she feels about the more modern, sleek look it has now. The desk is black instead of mahogany, the walls are painted gray with slate trim, and the furniture has an industrial, metallic feel. Where Adam kept shelves and displays of collectibles and antiques, there are none. The two men do seem to share a love of reading, though, for there are still four big floor-to-ceiling bookshelves fully loaded with books, now painted black.

“It’s nice,” she compliments him, “though I have to say, I kind of miss your dad’s old office. It always felt so warm and cozy.”

Marc rolls his eyes. “You sound like him again. I like this, though. It doesn’t feel so cluttered.”

“I think it does suit you better, but it needs some personal touches, a splash of color here and there maybe.”

“And now you sound like my wife,” he chuckles.

“Sounds like a smart lady,” Kylie teases approvingly.

“Actually, you know her.”

He takes a framed photograph from his desk and hands it to her. She gasps when she sees that he has not only a wife, but a whole family.

He reaches across and points to the woman next to him in the photo.

“Remember Britney?” he asks, watching her face intently, looking for a glint of recognition. After all, Kylie was the one who introduced him to his mate.

“I do! And my, you have been busy, haven’t you?” she remarks, referring to the three kids she sees in the photo.

“You could say that,” he laughs. “And we just had a baby who isn’t in that photo.”

“You guys know there are other rooms in a house besides the bedroom, right?”

“Ha ha, very funny,” he returns her teasing. “I don’t think any of those kids were conceived in the bedroom though. The mood strikes wherever it strikes, you know?”

“No, I don’t know,” she groans. “But I’m glad you seem to be happy and doing so well. Can’t wait to meet those adorable little ones. It would be nice to see Britney again, too.”

“Are you inviting yourself over? Is that what I’m hearing?”

“Uh yeah, duh.” She makes an exaggerated expression with her face as she returns the photo to the desk.

“I’ve missed you, bestie. Let’s not do dumb things like not speaking for a long time ever again, okay? Deal?” He extends his hand for a mock handshake.

She rolls her eyes and swats his hand away playfully. “I wasn’t the one being dumb. But yes, deal. Let’s not do that again.”

He just smiles in response, glad to be enjoying her company again, and changes the subject.

“So, my dad tells me you’re like an accountant or something like that.”

“Yeah, basically,” she confirms. “And you know how he knows that? Because he’s the only one who seems to know how to use a phone around here.”

“Okay, okay. I’m sorry. I should have called. Let’s add ‘harassing Marc for being dumb’ to the list of things we’re not going to do anymore.”

“Okay, fair enough,” she laughs. “I’m over it now. But yes, I work in accounting. Why do you ask?”

“Just curious. We have a lot of catching up to do, and it seems there’s lots I don’t know about you.”

The two friends spend the next hour chatting and falling back into the close, comfortable relationship they used to share. Kylie was hoping that Marc would at least try to explain why he started pulling away from her so many years ago, but he didn’t take the opportunity when she mentioned it and now she just wants to move past it.

Enjoying his company, she tells him everything she can think of that has changed. He seems appalled to learn that she has a cat now. She also fills him in more on the changes in her body and health since he last saw her. It’s easy to see that it upsets him, so she decides to hold back on some of the worst parts.

Eventually, he tells her that he needs to get back to work and offers to take her up to the apartment that he shares with his family on the sixth floor. It is the same apartment where he used to live with his dad, so Kylie is quite familiar with it. She is excited to see what it is like now that it is all filled up with a family.

They step off the elevator on the sixth floor together, and she can already hear a child running around inside the apartment. She turns and smiles at Marc, and he pulls her in for the classic side hug and kiss on top of the head.

“I’m proud of you, you know that?” she surprises him by saying.

“For what?” he wonders. All he did was bring her to the same place he has always lived.

“For growing up, getting married, having kids, running a hotel, and all the things on your plate. It’s a lot, and you make it look good,” she compliments him.

“Just wait until we open this door, and you see what it really looks like,” he retorts, picturing the chaos that usually waits for him at home. His younger son Dimitri is usually responsible for most of it. “But thanks. I really appreciate that.”

He steps forward to open the front door to his apartment.

Kylie follows him into the foyer and looks around with appreciation that at least this place doesn’t seem to have changed. And then she moves into the living room and realizes that it absolutely has.

It used to be a quiet, serene place that was kept very neat and tidy. Now it’s a place of energy, with toys, books, and random pieces of children’s clothing strewn everywhere. It is obvious that somebody works hard to keep it clean underneath all the signs of daily life, however.

The child that could be heard from outside comes running down the hallway and into the living room, making airplane sounds as he goes. Marc scoops him up as he tries to run past and turns to Kylie.

“This little terror is my younger son and second-to-youngest child, Dimitri. He’s four, and we’re not sure where he gets all this energy from. His older brother and sister are pretty chill, but they’re in school right now. And the baby is probably with Britney.”

Then he motions to Kylie with his free hand.

“Dimitri, this is Daddy’s friend, and you can call her Auntie Kylie. Be gentle and careful with her because her body hurts, okay?”

He makes eye contact with his son to be sure he is listening, asking again, “Okay buddy?”

“Meep meep!” Dimitri nods and seems to be agreeing.

“Does that mean yes? If I let you down, you’ll be slow and gentle?”

“Meep meep!” the boy nods and agrees again, which makes his father sigh.

Marc points to the couch behind Kylie. “Feel free to have a seat. I know it can’t be comfortable for you to stand long.”

She takes a seat on the couch as Marc lets Dimitri down on his own two feet. The boy starts to make his way over to Kylie in what appears to be his best imitation of slow-motion movements.

Marc shakes his head and sighs again, “I know I said slow, but it doesn’t have to be that slow. Just walk normally. No running.”

Dimitri switches from slow motion and walks the few paces left to get to Kylie at a normal, careful pace. Then he stands in front of her, looking her over.

She smiles at him and uses her good hand to ruffle his long, dark curly hair. He seems to be most interested in her cast and her crutch.

“What’s that, Auntie Kylie?” he asks, pointing to her cast.

“That’s my cast,” she explains. “I hurt my arm the other day and the doctors put that there to protect it and keep it in place while it heals.”

“Oh. Why?”

“Don’t answer that,” Marc warns her.

Britney appears from down the hall, holding a baby in her arms.

“Yeah, the ‘why game’ is his new favorite,” she agrees. “Hey, Kylie.”

“Hi!” Kylie greets her, genuinely excited to see her old classmate. “Wow, you look amazing. Are you sure you’ve had four babies?”

“Pretty sure I remember four births, so yeah,” Britney laughs. “I think they’re all mine. You look …”

She stops and takes a real look at Kylie for the first time, and realizes she looks like she has been through war. She is a bit heavier than she was as a teenager and her face and free arm look swollen. Her hair has lost its shine and seems to be much thinner and wispier than it once was. She’s very pale, and there are dark circles under her eyes and unsightly bruises here and there.

“You look good too,” Britney compliments her vaguely, feeling self-conscious when she realizes she was staring. “It’s so nice to see you.”

Kylie notices the hesitation but chooses to ignore it.

“So, who is this little cutie?” she motions toward the baby.

“This,” Britney holds the baby up as she makes her way toward Kylie, “is Daphne. Would you like to hold her?”

“Of course,” Kylie agrees and holds her arms out.

She hasn’t held a baby since Jonah and is pretty excited about this opportunity. Britney places the baby in her arms with her head supported by the arm that is not in the cast. Kylie smiles warmly at Daphne and notices that her eyes are a beautiful light brown color with golden accents to them.

“Gosh, she’s gorgeous!” she exclaims.

Marc moves to embrace his wife from behind, inhaling her scent with his nose in her hair. Dimitri is still admiring and playing with Kylie’s crutch, so it is calm in their home for once.

Britney turns her face up to smile at her husband. He kisses her forehead, then announces to the room, “I have to go downstairs and get back to work. Kylie, make sure you get our numbers before you go so we can keep in touch better. And Dimitri, you take care of all my girls, you hear?”

“Yep!” Dimitri responds to his father, accenting the ‘p’ sound. “Slow and gentle.”

Marc leaves them and Kylie stays to visit with his family for a bit. After she returns Daphne to her mother, she plays awhile with Dimitri and realizes he is not a terror after all. He impresses her with how knowledgeable he seems to be about trains and airplanes and doesn’t seem to get tired of telling her all about them. He also seems to love hugs and is surprisingly gentle about them.

She and Britney catch up and start getting to know each other better too. They had only known each other passingly in high school, but now they both wish they had been better friends.

Eventually, Kylie starts feeling tired and decides to text her brother to see when he will be able to take her back home. He tells her to meet him out front in about an hour, and she sighs, knowing how long away that will start to feel once the fatigue really starts setting in.