“You’ve done that.” Her smile couldn’t quite hide the anguish in her eyes.
This was hell.
Reluctantly, he stood. “Stay in bed. Stay warm.”
“I’ll walk you to the door.” Winona reached for her crutches, stood, followed him to her front door, where his duffel waited. She disarmed the security system. “Do you want to pack a lunch or something, take an apple, some carrot sticks?”
“I’ll be fine.” He drew her into his arms, held her close, savoring the feel of her. “I don’t want to go, Win. You feel like a part of me in a way that no woman ever has.”
“I’m going to miss you so much.” She held him tight, finally breaking down, her body shaking as she wept.
He held her for a time, then drew back, tilted her face up to his, kissed her tears away. “Don’t give up on us, angel. We’ll work this out somehow.”
She nodded, smiled through her tears. “Text me along the way. Let me know when you’re home again. Good luck tomorrow. I’ll pray for you.”
“I will.” He willed himself to let her go. “Goodbye, angel. Tom ñei.”
She smiled again, laughed. “There is no word for ‘goodbye’ in Lakota.”
Jason laughed, too. “Then let’s just say, ‘until I see you again.’ Stay safe. I’ll let you know when I’m home.”
He must have been stronger than he knew—or incredibly stupid. In the next moment, he did the impossible. He turned away from her, shouldered his duffel, and walked out into the cold, snowy morning.
Winona watched Jason’s truck disappear down the street as he made his way toward the highway, her heart feeling like it had been ripped in two. When he was gone, she shut the door, made her way back to her bed, and sobbed into her pillow. But there was only so long a person could cry.
She made herself get up, take a shower, brush her teeth. Then she went into the kitchen to make breakfast. It wasn’t easy to do when she needed both hands on her crutches to move around.
A knock.
“Chaska?”
He stood at her back door, concern on his face.
She made her way over to him, checked to make sure the security system was still disarmed, and opened the door. “Hey.”
Chaska stomped the snow off his feet and walked inside. “How are you holding up? I was out shoveling and saw his truck drive away.”
Winona shook her head, tears filling her eyes. “I miss him so much already.”
Chaska drew her into his arms and held her, comforting her like he’d done a thousand times before. “He loves you, Win. It will work out.”
“That’s what Jason said.”
“Come. Sit.” Chaska pulled out a chair for her, poured himself some coffee, and sat across from her. “Do you remember when Naomi went to live on the reservation with Doug and Star? She and I were apart for what felt like an eternity, and now we have a new baby boy.”
“I remember.”
“It was hell. I knew she needed to live with her family, to learn about her heritage. But living without her was hard.”
“How did you get through it?”
“One day at a time.” Chaska stood. “Here’s what we’re going to do. You’re on medical leave. It can’t be easy to manage alone with crutches. Naomi and I are on parental leave. You’re going to pack a few things. Then we’ll lock up your house, and you’ll stay with us for now. You can keep Naomi company, listen to Old Man’s stories, and cuddle Shota when Naomi needs to rest.”
“I won’t get in the way?”
“You’re my sister, Winona. You’re never in the way.”
“Thanks.” She sniffed back her tears. “I would like that. That’s what Jason wanted me to do, too.”
“He’s a smart man.”
While Chaska packed up perishable food and carried it to his place, she threw clothes on the bed and gathered her toiletries. By the time Chaska came back, she was more or less ready to go. He got out one of her bags, helped her pack, then carried the bag outside. “I brought my truck. It’s slick out there. I don’t want you falling.”
He helped Winona into his vehicle, drove around the corner, and walked beside her, carrying her bag, as she slowly made her way to the front door.
Grandpa was there, waiting. He held the door open for her. “Come in out of the cold and have some breakfast with your family. Coffee is on the stove.”
Jason waited outside the hearing room for the decision, his Wolf brothers with him—at least the ones who weren’t on duty. Even Ren, who hadn’t yet returned to duty, was there. They’d come to show their support and offer their testimony on his behalf about his work as a Shadow Wolf.
“You’re one of the best. There’s no way they’re going to terminate you, man.” Ren rested a hand on Jason’s shoulder. “This is just a formality. When you pulled that trigger, it was either kill or be killed.”
“We’ll see.” Jason had expected to be nervous, but he wasn’t. Some part of him had already accepted that this was his last day in uniform.
His mind was fixed on the future—and Winona.
She had sent him a text message wishing him luck. It had included a photo of her blowing him a kiss, her hair tousled from sleep.
If he got fired, he’d pack up, head to Scarlet, and sort out his life from there.
“You seem worried, brother.” Ellio cracked open a can of soda. “But you know we’ll stand with you, no matter what happens.”
“It’s not that. I’m not worried.”
“Then what is it?” Dale asked.
Jason knew he shouldn’t tell them. They were his brothers, which meant that they could be true pains in the ass. But some part of him couldn’t hold back. “I met someone in Colorado, a Lakota woman. She’s special.”
That shut them up—for a moment.
Six sets of eyes stared at him, blinked.
Then they all spoke at once.
“You got pictures? I want to see.”
“Yo, man, I knew you’d get over Elena.”
“You think she’s the one?”
“You in love again, bruh?”
Jason shook his head. “I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”
“Come on. Just show us a photo. You took photos, right?”
Jason knew they wouldn’t give up. He took his phone out of his pocket, scrolled to his favorite photo, and held it up for them.
Ren leaned closer. “Whoa. She’s … hot.”
Ellio grabbed his phone. “Does she have a sister?”
Milo took the phone next and began to scroll through Jason’s other photos. “She is fine. What’s her name?”
Jason took back his phone, locked it. “Winona.”
He was saved from further idiocy when the door opened, and he was called back inside. He drew a breath, got to his feet, and went to face his fate, the Pack following him inside and taking their seats, while Jason remained standing.
Cal Milford, their division director, sat, hands folded over Jason’s file, looking grim. Jason’s supervisor, Resident Agent-in-Charge Mick Nez, sat beside Milford, his expression giving nothing away.