Midlife Wolf Captured My Heart (Fated To The Wolf #7)

7. Sadie

7

Sadie

S adie sat down at one of the tables in the cafeteria and sighed. “He’s been gone for two days and I actually miss hanging out with him.”

Talia looked at her sympathetically. “You haven’t known him for very long. This is getting serious very quickly.”

“I know. There is something about him. It’s almost like a virus that’s infected my cells.” Sadie laughed. “It can’t be a bacterial infection because there’s no medication for this. I’m hooked on him. It’s not that he’s a celebrity in the natural world. It’s him. It’s his presence.”

Looking at her friend speculatively, Talia swirled her fork in her food absently. “It almost sounds as though you’ve already fallen in love with him.”

“Love at first sight? That’s reckless. I will admit that there was a spark the first time we met. He touched my leg with his at Howlers’, and I felt a fire come to life inside of me. However, a person can’t instantly fall in love with someone else without getting to know them first.”

Talia grinned at Sadie. “You can if he’s your fated mate.”

Sadie groaned. “That would be too cruel of those three old ladies. It’s mean to make my fated mate be someone I can’t possibly have.”

“Life has a way of working itself out, one way or another. I had to wait a long time before my crush on Sebastian blossomed into love and we got together.”

“At least he sticks around in Angel’s Creek for the most part. He’s only gone once in a while when there is an important assignment. Dakota left Angel’s Creek and was gone for twenty-eight years. That really doesn’t portend well for a happily ever after for me.”

“One of three things will happen. One, the two of you will figure out a way you both can be happy. Two, this virus that you’ve caught will heal itself over time. Three, he’ll leave you with a broken heart and you’ll grow old and die a crotchety old maid.”

Sadie rolled her eyes. “Thanks. Aren’t you just a fountain of happiness?”

Talia shrugged her shoulders.

“On the other hand, there is good that has come of this whole mess. As you know, Dakota asked me to help him research the life of wolves. I’ve learned so much about the animals, including the different ways they communicate, their complex social structures, and intricate hunting strategies. Researching the wolves though, reminded me how much I love research. I was thinking that after this project is done, I’ll think about all the subjects I’m passionate about, pick one, research it, and write a book about it, geared toward young adults.”

“That sounds amazing. If it’s science-based, maybe we can find a project we can work on together.”

“Our teachers would die laughing if they heard you say that. You were the first one to raise a stink if any of them suggested we do group projects.”

“Yeah, but they always wanted to pair me with someone who wouldn’t pull their weight. I know it’s the one high-achieving student with two average students and one low-achieving student and we were supposed to work together. I always ended up doing all the work.”

Sadie looked at her and shook her head. “You always ended up doing the work because you are a control freak and perfectionist. You wouldn’t trust the other students to do a good enough job to get you that A you had to have.”

Talia tilted her head and smiled. “There might have been a little teensy bit of that going on.”

“We’ll have to talk about a project together and set boundaries.”

“That’s fair,” Talia said.

The bell rang and the women sighed in unison.

Talia packed her dishes in her lunch box and shook her head. “Here we go. They are always wired up after lunch. I swear that sometimes the lunch ladies put crack in the food.”

Sadie stuck her tongue out at Talia. “Good luck. I have an easy afternoon planned.”

That evening, Sadie flipped through the channels on the television and came across one of Dakota’s documentaries on amur leopards. As of 2007, there were only nineteen to twenty-six of the animals left in the wild. They were native to southeastern Russia and northeastern China. They had been hunted to near extinction because of their spotted fur.

Dakota’s passion for the animals was evident in his deep voice, his facial expressions, and his body language. His pictures and videos of the majestic animals made Sadie’s heart hurt for them. She watched the documentary, mesmerized by the sexy man who spoke for the leopards.

Sadie almost felt selfish for wanting him to stay in Angel’s Creek. Dakota did important work by bringing attention to the plight of animals in the world and by documenting their lives so they wouldn’t be forgotten if they did become extinct.

She took a shower and then hopped into bed, holding onto a body pillow as she stared at the ceiling. Sadie was frustrated with herself. The fact that she was so enamored of him and was constantly thinking about him made her feel like she was back in high school again.

A long-term love wasn’t possible. Sadie wasn’t a fool and wasn’t going to allow herself to indulge in any kind of fantasy world where he fell in love with her, decided to stay in Angel’s Creek, and they had babies. Even if he did decide to stay, he would end up resenting her and any children they would have because they represented a prison.

“What could I possibly get out of this relationship besides a broken heart?” she asked the pillow she clutched. “We could have a good time for a little while. I could have some great memories after he left. What have I got to lose? I already care about him. I already think about him all the time.”

It took her a long time to get to sleep and she was exhausted when she woke up the next morning. She only had about three hours of sleep, and Sadie needed at least seven hours in order to function. A cold shower and four cups of coffee did nothing for her but made her have to pee constantly. At least she didn’t have to hold her bladder for hours at a time like classroom teachers did.

The day dragged on. It was a full moon out and true to form, the kids were acting up a little. Two of them decided to get into a fight in the middle of the room. It took four of the other students to pull them apart. Apparently, one of the students was making a lot of inappropriate noises and the second student told him to knock it off repeatedly. Student one did not, and student two kneed the kid in his junk and then pounced on him. The nurse had to come with a wheelchair to get the noise maker, who was moaning about how he’d never be able to have children now and what was he going to tell his parents.

Three girls were gossiping about another girl. She apparently got tired of it and slammed one of the bullies’ heads into the sink in the bathroom.

In general, the kids were rowdy, loud, and acting out. Sadie could feel the aching pain start from her neck, and creep up the base of her skull, to her temples, which hurt so bad they actually burned. Even after some extra strength migraine medicine, her eyes felt as though they were going to bulge out of her head and everything was blurry. She loved her job but was incredibly grateful when the last of them hopped on the busses or got into their parents’ cars and she could leave.

Her mind buzzed and she didn’t remember the drive home. She was at the school one minute and in her garage the next. “I’m glad my car knows the way home because I have no idea how I got here. Hopefully, I didn’t run any red lights or stop signs.”

She dropped her computer bag, purse, and keeps on the table in the foyer and headed straight for her bedroom. “I’ve never lost sleep over a man before. I’ll have to find some way to block him out of my mind before I go to bed at night. Maybe listening to a podcast will help.”

Sadie crawled into bed, loving the feeling of the cool sheets against her skin. She pulled the weighted blanket up to her chin and fell asleep instantly. For a brief second, she thought about setting her alarm but decided that if she slept until it was time to get up and get ready for work, that would be fine.

It was still light outside when her eyes popped open and Sadie was wide awake. Her headache had abated a little bit, although it wasn’t completely gone. She made some grilled cheese and ham sandwiches for dinner and sat on the couch watching a true crime show.

Her phone buzzed notifying her that a new email had popped up. Sadie’s eyes opened wide and her jaw dropped when she saw it was from Billy.

Hi, Sadie. I’m coming back to Angel’s Creek for my grandfather’s birthday. I’ve thought about you a lot over the years. I would love to have lunch or dinner with you so we can catch up.

“Interesting. I haven’t thought about you at all over the years, unless someone directly brings you up.” She wasn’t going to be rude and tell him that, though.

Hello, Billy. I’m so sorry for your loss. Your grandfather was a great man. Everyone loved him and called him Gramps. My schedule is a little hectic right now. Maybe we can find some time once you’re back in Angel’s Creek.

He replied a minute later. Thank you. I will miss him. I look forward to seeing you again.

Sadie sat back and thought about the sandy blond-haired young man she had liked so much in high school. She got on social media and found some recent pictures. He was very nice looking. Billy’s body had certainly filled out, and he had come into his manhood well. However, his picture didn’t do so much as make her heart patter faster or anything. She felt complete indifference to him.

She really wanted to go to the mountain, shift, and stretch her legs for a while. However, Matthias’ warning echoed loud and clear in her mind. The powers that be didn’t think the hunters had arrived in the Angel’s Creek area yet, but she certainly didn’t want to be their first kill, letting everyone else know that the hunters had arrived. She thought about calling Talia, but she would likely be busy with the baby and Sebastian. Growling, she decided that she would just have to stay put.

Sadie decided to go for a walk around the block. “Maybe I should get a dog to keep me company. It could be trained to stay with me when I shifted, and I would have someone to talk to besides myself.”

Her phone rang just as she got back to the house.

“Hi, Dakota. How is Albuquerque?”

“It was good. I’m driving back home now. We have everything set up the way I wanted it. Lydia had some different ideas, but eventually, I convinced her that my way of displaying the pictures was better.”

“You didn’t bully her, did you?”

Dakota gasped exaggeratingly. “Surely, you don’t think I would badger a poor little woman who runs the gallery, do you.”

“Yes, I do. One thing that I’ve learned about you in the short time I’ve known you is that once you’ve put your mind to something, that is the way it has to be, no matter what.”

“Are you insinuating that I’m stubborn?”

Sadie laughed. “There’s no insinuating about it. I’m saying it outright.”

“Okay, so there might have been a little bit of persuasion, but I was professional the entire time,” Dakota admitted. “I was wondering whether you would like to go to the exhibit opening with me Saturday night.”

Her heart jumped into her throat and excitement rose through her. “I would love to.”

“It’s formal, although I’m just going to wear my black slacks, a white collared button-down shirt, and my black dress boots.”

Sadie giggled. “I think I have some cut-off shorts and a halter top along with some flip-flops I could wear.”

She could hear the laughter in Dakota’s voice. “Sounds sexy. I’ll pick you up on Saturday morning around eight. We can play tourist for a while before the gallery opens.”

“I can’t wait.”