River's Edge (Banished Book 2) by BA Tortuga

Author:BA Tortuga [Tortuga, BA]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Turtlehat Creatives
Published: 2020-11-09T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Marissa found Miguel sitting in a recliner, dozing and waking up, over and over.

“You okay, son?”

He cracked one eye, offering Marissa a grin. “I am. Just a little cracked on the edges, you know. You?”

She settled in the other recliner, grunting softly. “I’m old.”

“Hey, now. You look pretty good to me, lady.”

She snorted. “I needed to come see Juni, and I missed Laurel, but these days I just want to sit and bubble in the hot tub.”

“We have some natural hot springs here. You should try them before you leave.” Wait. Did he say we?

“That sounds lovely. You should come with me and soak your wrist. Maybe tomorrow, eh?” She leaned her head back. “Are you normally clumsy?”

“No! No, I’m not a klutz. Not even close.” He wasn’t a mountain goat or anything, but he wasn’t clumsy.

“Huh. Tell me what happened exactly.” She sounded so curious, so he just told her all about his two falls.

“Two accidents that aren’t your fault. Remember that.”

“I know. I just feel weird. Like everyone is watching me to make sure I’m not hurting myself on purpose.”

“This is a pack in flux. Everyone here is watching, I told Laurel. Everyone here is worried.”

“Really?” He tilted his head. “I never thought of it that way.”

“From the outside it’s obvious. If you’re old,” she teased.

“I’m sort of extremely outside, but yeah. I understand what you’re saying.” He thought he got it, though.

“At any rate, you just be a little careful, hmm?”

“Yes. Yes, I—I wouldn’t hurt Juni. I swear to you.”

“No, I know that. I worry about you getting hurt.” She paused, and he could see her choosing her words carefully. “In a pack in flux, sometimes the wrong person gets blamed for change.”

“Sometimes?” He sighed softly. “I seem to have been born for that role.”

“You’ll come out on the good side, don’t you worry.” She reached over to pat his arm.

“Thank you. I appreciate it. So much.” He was a little wigged-out, but he intended to keep it together.

“Mmmm. Now, how about a nap while you wait for your man?”

“Oh Goddess. Please. Yes. I just want to rest this arm.”

“Prop it up on the arm of the chair. Here, put a pillow like this.” She made magic with a pillow, and he moaned.

“You’ll learn these things. They’ll have their bumps and bruises.”

“They?” He blinked slow, already more comfortable.

“The babies, honey. Your charges.”

“My—why does everyone keep saying that?” He shook his head, but in his heart he knew he would do anything to protect Juni.

“Because she chose you.”

“But I’m not pack.” He was about to cry. “River didn’t even want me to hold her.”

“Laurel told me. That wasn’t you, honey.” She chuckled. “That was him seeing the first person not her parents hovering over her. How I met my husband, in fact.”

“Really?” He woke up a little for that. “What happened?”

“He tried to attack me the first time I met Aspen. He was an enforcer, Goddess rest him.”

“Oh.” How awful. He couldn’t imagine losing River. “I’m so sorry for your loss.

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