Chapter 324

• Today, the air smells like wood smoke and fresh grass, and there’s a warmth that seems to settle over everything, comfortable and easy.
• Jade settles in beside me on one of the benches, Penny happily tucked on her lap, reaching for Jade’s necklace with all the tenacity of a tiny, adorable tornado. My attention keeps wandering, though, pulled across the grounds to where Alec’s holding a training session for some of the pack’s teenagers. He’s clearly in his element, focused and commanding, moving with that quiet intensity that’s so frustratingly magnetic.
• “Someone in town told me that Alec’s been doing this every week for them,” Jade explains after she catches my eye with a knowing glint. “Thinks it’s important they learn how to handle themselves young. And, of course, he’s gotten a fair bit of attention for it.”