by Roxy Wilson
“Hi. How are you doing?”
She wrapped a towel around herself and joined them. It was already evening and most of the guests had disappeared inside. The reason why Justin and Devyn chose to stay outside was because both of them didn’t like to stay in the suite. It reminded them too much of the terrible ordeal they suffered. Even though Roger was a horrible man who was plagued by greed, this wasn’t the end either of them wanted for him.
He chose death, but she wished he’d done it elsewhere.
“I’m okay. Justin, you want to go and say bye to your friend?” Devyn pointed to the dark-haired, nine-year old. “There’s Kayden. I think he came to say bye since he’s leaving tomorrow.”
Justin glanced at the young boy who was waiting for him by the end of the swimming pool. “I’ll go see him.” He walked away.
Devyn watched them talk. It had been good for Justin to hang out with other kids his age. He liked company. Now she was thinking it might be a good idea for him to go to a normal school where he could interact with other kids. Even though he was homeschooled for most of his life, it was probably time to make some changes. She would talk about it with Keran at a later date.
“Roger’s autopsy is complete,” Keran announced. “It was ruled as a suicide.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. Although Keran hadn’t given her any reason to believe he might get into trouble, she was worried. Now, she could relax. “But—didn’t they find out that he was a—werewolf?”
“When we’re human, we’re human. They wouldn’t have seen anything different.”
“Oh!” She blinked her eyes. Good. At least one thing was over and done with. “So what do we do now?”
“We can leave if that’s what you want.”
She nodded. “I think Justin and I would like that. It would have been nice to relax here but not after what happened.”
“He had to mess this holiday up, too.” Keran ran a hand over his face. He looked haggard, drained.
She’d never seen him look so defeated before. Although he didn’t admit it, she could tell he was a little broken up about Roger’s death. He’d cared for the man too deeply and for too long to completely disassociate from the death. He wouldn’t be the man he was if he didn’t care. Still, she felt bad he was going through this grief. Roger had not only ruined their holiday but also shaken their belief in friends. It would take a while before they all got back to normal.
“I’m sorry.” She settled into the lounger as she kept an eye out for Justin who was still talking to his friend. There’s so much she wanted to know but she didn’t want to ask in front of Justin. This was a good opportunity. “What made you decide to come back to the suite?”
“I had a gut feeling that the place Roger wanted me to be was at the house, which meant I needed to be with you guys. It was a good thing I talked to you and Justin before we took off. I was set to leave but after that phone call, I—changed my mind.” He sighed and glanced upwards at the sky. The sun was nearly hidden and it was getting dark. “I’m sorry I didn’t reach you in time to save you from Roger’s claws.”
She reached forward to grab his hand. “You got there in time and that’s all that matters. Don’t worry about anything.”
“I wish…” He didn’t finish his sentence and he didn’t have to.
She understood what he meant to say. Devyn squeezed his hand. “His death wasn’t your fault.”
“Wasn’t it? I should’ve anticipated he would do that because he failed in the one thing he considered important above all.”
“Listen to me, Keran. I refuse to let you carry this baggage of guilt. He brought that on himself. The man was crazy for power and for money. There wasn’t a damn thing you could do to make him change his mind.”
He sighed.
She saw Justin making his way back after bidding Kayden farewell. Devyn let go of his hand. “Don’t do this to yourself.”
He smiled, but she could see his smile didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’ll try.”
Justin reached them. He yawned. “Simon’s going back tomorrow. He wanted to know what happened but I told him I was in my room and don’t know anything.”
She didn’t know what to say. The child had witnessed far more than what they wanted him to see. What kind of an impact it would have on him? She didn’t know. All they could hope was that he would be able to get over it in time. “We should order dinner.”
“Okay.” They walked with him to the room. “When are we going back?” Justin asked.
She glanced at Keran who seemed deep in thought. “Do you want to go back, darling?”
“I think so. Everyone is always asking me or looking at me—and I think I just want to go back home,” he said.
“We can leave tomorrow,” his dad said.
She glanced over at him. “I think that’s a good idea.”
They had come here in order to get a break from the nightmare that plagued them, but the nightmare followed. Now this place no longer held the appeal it did just two days ago. It would be good to go back home and start living a normal life again.
After they went in the suite, Devyn took a shower. When she came back out, Keran was standing by the window.
He was looking out at the balcony where Roger had spent the last minutes of his life fighting him.
“Are you all right?”
He turned to face her. A brief smile hovered over his lips. “I think it’s going to take all of us some time to be okay. But I’m heading in that direction. What about you?”
She stood close to him.
Grief and pain radiated off him. He was far more upset than he showed. It couldn’t be easy for him to forgive and forget the man who betrayed him.
“I’m doing well. Don’t worry about me. I’m much stronger than I look.”
His smile took her breath away. “You’re stronger than any woman I know. It’s been a blessing to have you in my life.” He grabbed her and held her close. “Did I tell you that you mean the world to me?”
She cocked her head. “You could today.”
“How could I have been so negligent?” He planted a kiss on her lips.
His touch was enough to send a thrill of excitement slide up and down her veins. Yes, soon they would all be able to move on. That was all she hoped and dreamed of.
“I love you, Devyn. I know nothing about our relationship has been normal but I promise you I’ll do my best to keep you and Justin safe and to make you realize that life isn’t this…adventurous all the time.”
“I don’t mind adventures,” she told him. It felt good to be in his arms. She wriggled free when Justin came out of his room. “But yes, I look forward to a boring life now.”
He laughed. “I’ll try to give you that then.”
The doorbell rang and Justin rushed over to answer.
The waiters brought in the food.
Devyn followed Keran to the dining room as the waiters set up their dinner. Tomorrow, they would go back home and they would make a new beginning. She could only hope that this time around, no one came in to spoil their fun. She had enough of adventures. It was time to start a new chapter in their lives—and it remained to be seen if it would prove to be as exciting as she hoped it would be.
Chapter Eighteen
He’d messed up a lot. Ever since Devyn came into his life, things had taken a turn for the worst—and it had nothing to do with her presence. First the kidnapping, then the threats, and finally the attack. Now that Roger was gone, Keran wanted to start things on a clean slate. It had been two days since they came back from the resort. All the police inquiries were over, and he could now concentrate on his relationship with Devyn.
He still had to worry about Justin though. After the first appointment with the therapist, his son appeared to be in better spirits. Keran prayed the child would forget all the bad things and begin to enjoy the things that he used to before. As yet, Justin was still showing signs he was scared of the future. He refused to step outside th
e house without Devyn or Keran. He was having nightmares, and he just wasn’t his usual exuberant self.
It worried Keran.
He wanted his son to recover, but the therapist told him to be patient. It was important to give the boy time to recover from the terrible ordeal. Keran didn’t have a choice but to be calm. He wanted to do so much but the more fuss he made, the greater would Justin suffer.
Time was the best healer.
And he had to have faith in that.
“What’s wrong?”
He turned to see Devyn as she walked towards him with two glasses of wine in her hands. Resplendent in an aloe vera green dress, she looked ravishing. It was difficult for him to take his eyes off her. For too long, he’d neglected her, and she never complained, never groused. She was too good to him, and he was damn lucky she hadn’t left him yet. “I was just thinking about Justin,” he confessed.
“He’s going to be all right. Weren’t you the one who told me he was strong? And he has proven that many times already.” She handed him a glass. “Any other child would’ve been strung out by now, but he’s relatively calm.”
“Sometimes he’s too calm. I mean—he should be—throwing tantrums and breaking things to take out his anger, his frustration, but he is—”
“That’s not his style, and it’s because of the way you raised him. He’s having nightmares. I find that disturbing enough. Frankly, if he was throwing glasses or breaking things, I wouldn’t be able to handle it. Now at least, I can look at him and worry a little less, because I feel he’s coping well.”
“Yeah, he’s doing fine…I guess.” He wrapped an arm around her waist. She fit perfectly against him. He didn’t know any other woman who completed him like she did. “I’ve got to thank you for the wonderful work you’re doing with him. The therapist told me you’ve played a role in helping Justin deal with this situation.”
“I haven’t done much.”
He smiled down at her. Trust her to never take credit. He’d seen her talk to Justin many times. The way she explained things, the stuff she said, the boy listened to her. He trusted her, loved her. Keran could tell she was just as protective about his son as he was “You’ve saved us both.”
“Now, you’re embarrassing me.”
He laughed and sipped some wine. Outside, he saw Justin as he strolled in the garden. He looked a little forlorn. “I’m sorry. I won’t say how wonderful you are more than once a day.”
Devyn put her hand on the glass of the window as if she could capture Justin within her fingers. “I was thinking…well, Justin was going to talk to you about it, but he’s a bit hesitant because he thinks you’ll say no. And I guess I should—”
“Tell me”
“He wants a pet. His suggestion was a wolf.” Devyn chuckled. “But I was finally able to convince him it would be difficult to hide a wolf from the other kids and their parents, and now that he’s supposed to attend a regular school, it’s important for him to blend in. I think…he should have a dog. I know it’s going to be a problem to get a dog that’s going to be comfortable in a house that’s full of werewolves, but I was thinking that maybe a German Shepard might be a good choice. They’re good, brave dogs—and…” She glanced at him and winced. “Sorry. I should just be quiet. It’s not my place to suggest these things.”
“What are you talking about? Of course, it’s your place to suggest these things. You’re my woman…and Justin loves you.” Keran shook his head. “I’m just amazed I never thought about it myself. I guess I didn’t needed a pet because I was running around with other wolves my age. There were a bunch of us when I was growing up, but Justin doesn’t have any close friends with whom he can share all that he is.” He sipped some more wine. “A dog is a great idea. We should get a puppy because then he can grow up with Justin and he won’t be scared of him or us.”
“Great.”
“I think a dog is the perfect solution. It will help to take Justin’s mind off what’s happened and give him something to focus on.” He kissed the nape of her neck and actually felt her shiver at the brief contact. His entire body flooded with warmth and a shiver coursed down his spine. He wanted to do so much more to her, but as always, he had to be careful. He didn’t want to scare her with his passion. “We should get one today.”
“Can we? We could surprise him.”
Her eyes gleamed and he could tell she was just as excited about this idea as he was. “Yes, we should. Come on. There’s a pound nearby. Let me call them and see if they have anything suitable.” Suddenly, he had new hope for his son. Keran was amazed he didn’t realize his son needed a companion more than anything else. A dog was the best idea, and he couldn’t wait to carry through on it. Much to his delight, the pound had exactly what they had in mind, and they both left immediately to pick up the gift. When they came back an hour later, Justin was sitting on a chair at the patio in the garden.
As soon as he spotted them, he stood his expression cautious. “Hi, dad, hi Devyn.”
Keran reached his son and ruffled his hair. “Hey, big guy. How have you been?”
By that time, Devyn had reached him. She bent down and planted a kiss on Justin’s cheeks. “Hello, Justin.”
Justin stared at her. “Where were you, Devyn? We had a lesson. Did you forget?”
“Well, actually, I didn’t forget, but your dad and I, we…went to get something.” Devyn placed the basket she carried on the floor. “It’s something special for you.”
Justin glanced at the basket. He frowned. Bending forward, he took off the cloth and then squealed when he saw the black and white puppy that was nestled into the basket. “Oh! Is he mine?”
“He’s all yours,” she said.
Keran set the second basket on the floor. “And this one too.”
With a happy scream, Justin took off the cloth that covered the second dog, almost identical to the first one. “Oh my gosh. Two of them?”
Keran and Devyn looked at each other and smiled. Yes, they’d gone a little nuts.
“Actually, we went to get one, but these two were the last left,” Keran chuckled. "And because they’re brothers, we didn’t want to separate them.”
“I don’t think they would have liked it,” Devyn said. “But if it’s too much for you, we can go and return one.”
Justin dropped on his knees. “No way!”
Devin tilted her head. “If you want to go yourself and choose a puppy—”
“Heck no! I love them.” Justin picked up one and the puppy promptly licked his nose. He laughed and picked up the other one. “What should we name them?”
“That’s a serious endeavor,” Keran noted.
Devyn laughed. “It’s easy. You can call them Joe and Poe, Rocky and Simon, Sugar and Spice—”
“Hold your tongue, woman,” Keran said, enjoying the way Justin’s eyes widened. His son hadn’t looked this happy in a long time. “Naming a dog is a serious, serious decision. It has to be something wise, mature, and worthy of the puppies. We can’t just name them Sugar and Spice.”
“Yeah that’s right,” Justin agreed. “Devyn, you don’t have any idea how long this might take.”
“It might take a few days,” Keran added with a mock serious expression.
“A month even,” Justin said as he clutched the puppies close to his chest. “I’ll have to give it some serious thought.”
Devyn smiled as she stooped next to Justin. He handed over one puppy to her, and she caressed the animal. “I beg your pardon. I didn’t realize naming a pet required so much thought and care.”
“We’ll have to consult some books too.” Keran nodded.
“The internet, Dad,” Justin countered. “We’ve got to know the meaning of all names before we pick two. Where are they going to sleep?”
“We’ll have to build a kennel outside,” Keran explained, pointing at the western corner of the house. “I was thinking we make one in that corner. And it can have two separate rooms for them and a play area sort of a
thing. How about a slide?”
He could tell Devyn thought his idea was hilarious but she sealed her lips together in an effort to stop the laughter that was threatening to spill from her lips. He ignored her. This was actually fun.
“A slide sounds cool,” Justin agreed.
Devyn rolled her eyes. “Before you embark on making a castle for the dogs, there are some other basic considerations.”
“Such as?”
“For now, they can sleep in the baskets in the kitchen, but we have to get bowls and leashes for them,” she advised. “We have to search for a reliable vet who can give them all their shots,” she said.
Justin wrinkled his nose as he rubbed the puppy who was wriggling to get free. “They have to get shots?”
“Puppies are a big responsibility,” she stated.
Belatedly, Keran remembered they’d agreed to give the lecture to Justin, so he would take over some chores. “You have to walk them and feed them. It’s important to take care of them.”
“I’ll do everything.”
“Good then. Let’s go and get the things they’ll need today. I think there’s a pet store nearby.” Devyn set the puppy down and it ran off.
Justin handed the other animal to his father and chased after the runaway puppy.
The boy was laughing. He looked stress free and happy.
Keran reached for Devyn’s hand and clasped her fingers in his. “Getting the dogs was a great idea. He’s going to be so busy, he won’t worry about the things that happened.”
“Yes, I’m happy we got them.” Devyn sighed. “Why do I have the nasty feeling that it’s the security guys who’re going to get stuck with the duty of walking the dogs?”
Keran laughed. “No, don’t worry. I’ll give him a lecture. He has to learn to take care of them.”
Justin brought the puppy back. “He sure can run fast. Maybe we should do a race to see which one of them is faster?”
