him. “I don’t mean your money!”
He laughed.
“I just meant,” she tucked her hair behind her ear, “that not having to spend money on you will help…” She shook her head, flustered that she couldn’t explain herself more eloquently. “What I mean is, I haven’t worked in a while, because when Garner got sick I needed to be with the pack. I had a little in savings, but we went through that quickly. Garner left the pack his savings, and it’s what we’ve been living on, but it’s been tight. I haven’t even been able to pay the kids their allowance. They’ve only got the few bucks from when I last paid them, months ago. I need to get back to work, but…”
Barron’s expression darkened as he stood holding his bags and listening to Willa explain. “But you can’t leave the pack or your territory unprotected. What about Keryn and Cortez? Why don’t they work?”
“They did,” Willa supplied. “But with the threat of challengers, I wanted to keep them close in case I fell in battle, or in case anyone tried to attack them to get to me.”
***
Barron didn’t like the way Willa spoke so casually of falling in battle. Worse, he hadn’t even thought to ask if they were doing okay financially. He wanted to tell her that he’d take care of things while he was around, but he knew Willa would fight him on it. So he wouldn’t introduce the subject. He’d wait until they got back and simply start taking care of things that needed taking care of. In the meantime, he led her out of the mall and quickly stowed their purchased items in the vehicle before heading back in to meet the kids for pizza.
Willa led him to a quaint little restaurant that was decorated to look like an Italian pizzeria. The floors and walls were dark wood with a red and green canopy extending out from the walls to cover a row of booths, giving the indoor restaurant an outdoor feel. Red and white tablecloths covered the tables and the scent of baking pizza filled the air.
It had been a long time since Barron had pizza, and both he and his wolf were looking forward to it.
As soon he settled Willa at a long table, Sarya and Becca entered, still chatting excitedly.
“What did ya get?” Willa asked excitedly as she eyed their bags.
The girls took turns giddily showing off their purchases and talking about the numerous stores they’d perused. He could tell Willa wasn’t listening. Her eyes kept darting to the door and then to the clock on the wall over the cash register. She was worried about Arden and Jase.
Shoving away from the table, Barron stood, interrupting Becca’s diatribe on trendy fashion. “Excuse me, Becca.” He directed his attention to Willa. “Where should I look?”
Willa exhaled a pent-up breath and explained in a rush. “They like the game store on the lower level, and the music store just down that way.” She pointed. “It’s on the left.”
“I’ll be back.” He smiled at the girls and Willa in hopes of comforting the suddenly mounting tension. “Wait here.”
The girls nodded, and then for some inexplicable reason, Barron bent and wrapped his hand around the back of Willa’s neck, bending to place a kiss on her forehead. He felt her tense, and was shocked at his own actions. He brushed his lips across her warm skin and then whispered to cover himself, “In case anyone’s watching.” Willa nodded, brushing her hair against his lips. “No one leaves.” He commanded and she nodded again.
“Be right back.” Straightening, he winked at the girls. “Order us lots of pepperoni.”
Stalking out of the pizzeria, Barron wondered if the boys had run into trouble. Willa’s command had been clear, and her specified time even clearer. His eyes snagged on a clock that hung in one of the shops he passed. The boys were now fifteen minutes late, and he decided they’d better have run into some trouble or they’d have some
He laughed.
“I just meant,” she tucked her hair behind her ear, “that not having to spend money on you will help…” She shook her head, flustered that she couldn’t explain herself more eloquently. “What I mean is, I haven’t worked in a while, because when Garner got sick I needed to be with the pack. I had a little in savings, but we went through that quickly. Garner left the pack his savings, and it’s what we’ve been living on, but it’s been tight. I haven’t even been able to pay the kids their allowance. They’ve only got the few bucks from when I last paid them, months ago. I need to get back to work, but…”
Barron’s expression darkened as he stood holding his bags and listening to Willa explain. “But you can’t leave the pack or your territory unprotected. What about Keryn and Cortez? Why don’t they work?”
“They did,” Willa supplied. “But with the threat of challengers, I wanted to keep them close in case I fell in battle, or in case anyone tried to attack them to get to me.”
***
Barron didn’t like the way Willa spoke so casually of falling in battle. Worse, he hadn’t even thought to ask if they were doing okay financially. He wanted to tell her that he’d take care of things while he was around, but he knew Willa would fight him on it. So he wouldn’t introduce the subject. He’d wait until they got back and simply start taking care of things that needed taking care of. In the meantime, he led her out of the mall and quickly stowed their purchased items in the vehicle before heading back in to meet the kids for pizza.
Willa led him to a quaint little restaurant that was decorated to look like an Italian pizzeria. The floors and walls were dark wood with a red and green canopy extending out from the walls to cover a row of booths, giving the indoor restaurant an outdoor feel. Red and white tablecloths covered the tables and the scent of baking pizza filled the air.
It had been a long time since Barron had pizza, and both he and his wolf were looking forward to it.
As soon he settled Willa at a long table, Sarya and Becca entered, still chatting excitedly.
“What did ya get?” Willa asked excitedly as she eyed their bags.
The girls took turns giddily showing off their purchases and talking about the numerous stores they’d perused. He could tell Willa wasn’t listening. Her eyes kept darting to the door and then to the clock on the wall over the cash register. She was worried about Arden and Jase.
Shoving away from the table, Barron stood, interrupting Becca’s diatribe on trendy fashion. “Excuse me, Becca.” He directed his attention to Willa. “Where should I look?”
Willa exhaled a pent-up breath and explained in a rush. “They like the game store on the lower level, and the music store just down that way.” She pointed. “It’s on the left.”
“I’ll be back.” He smiled at the girls and Willa in hopes of comforting the suddenly mounting tension. “Wait here.”
The girls nodded, and then for some inexplicable reason, Barron bent and wrapped his hand around the back of Willa’s neck, bending to place a kiss on her forehead. He felt her tense, and was shocked at his own actions. He brushed his lips across her warm skin and then whispered to cover himself, “In case anyone’s watching.” Willa nodded, brushing her hair against his lips. “No one leaves.” He commanded and she nodded again.
“Be right back.” Straightening, he winked at the girls. “Order us lots of pepperoni.”
Stalking out of the pizzeria, Barron wondered if the boys had run into trouble. Willa’s command had been clear, and her specified time even clearer. His eyes snagged on a clock that hung in one of the shops he passed. The boys were now fifteen minutes late, and he decided they’d better have run into some trouble or they’d have some
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