Motley Crewed Shifters - Chapter 67: Chapter 67

It was true, in the last couple of years I’d tried dating again. But it was only a few times. I wasn’t flippant about men or my feelings, for fuck’s sake.
“No! I didn’t say that. I know you’re not flippant,” Penny started, and dammit, I realized I’d said all that aloud.
“You know what? I gotta go,” I said, shaking with emotion.
“Avery, wait! I just want to make sure you understand how serious this is. Shifters can die without their mates. You can’t just throw him aside when you get scared,” she said, and I hated that even a part of that made sense to me.
“For your information, Dante and I spoke at length about what it means to be mates. I’m sorry if you don’t think I’m good enough for him, or that I’m too emotionally immature to understand, but what you think doesn’t matter because he disagrees with you,” I told her, ignoring the metaphorical knife she just stuck in my back.
“Rosie? Rosie, get your coat on, Sweetheart. Say bye to Aunt Penny and Aunt Jezebel. We have to go,” I called out.
Standing up quickly, I walked away from Penny and Jezebel. I ignored the sound of my name coming from the two women and found Rosie standing by Mrs. O’Hare plating up the cookies they’d just baked.
It smelled great, but I was in no mood. Shock and anger mixed with grief and sadness, but I had to keep it together for Rosie.
“Wow! You two were busy!” I said with false gaiety.
Rosie narrowed her eyes, and she nodded towards the cookies.
“Mama? Are you okay?”
“Yep. I’m fine.”
“The cookies are ready. Want one?”
“Not yet, Baby. Get your stuff,” I told her.
“Think Danny will want some?” Rosie asked, smiling at the mention of his name.
I was glad she was chatting about cookies. That meant she hadn’t heard me argue with Penny. That was something, at least.
“Nice. I’m sure he will. We can take some to go. Mrs. O’Hare, would you be so kind,” I said, clearing my throat and trying to hold my tears at bay.
The front door opened, and with it a burst of chilly wind flew inside.
“Sugarplum? Hey, Avery. Is Jez here? Emmet is coming in a few minutes for her,” Max said and went straight to the living room.
I barely acknowledged his greeting. My eyes were on the figure standing behind him.
“Danny!” Rosie yelled and ran to Dante who scooped her up in his big, capable arms.
He nuzzled her cheek and said all the right things to Rosie’s million questions, but his velvet eyes were on mine. I knew he could tell something was wrong, and right then, that meant everything to me.
“Coat on, Baby Girl,” I said, and Rosie went to grab hers off the hook.
I sucked in a sharp breath, the kind that felt like it expanded every corner of my chest, and Dante stood there, waiting.
His posture was steady, unmoving, but there was something in his eyes. An intensity. A quiet plea.
It spoke louder than words. I felt something tugging inside my chest. Like a thread wrapped around my heart, and it was leading me to him.
He didn’t hound me. He was giving me space, letting me come to him when I was ready.
Without thinking or hesitating, I ran straight into him.
Dante didn’t falter. Not an inch.
The moment I reached him, his arms opened wide, enveloping me in a hug that felt like home.
He pulled me close, holding me tightly to his warm, solid body, and I let out a shaky exhale, everything in me finally releasing.
The scent of him wrapped around me. Crisp, clean, like winter wind carrying the fresh bite of pine trees.
It wasn’t just comforting. It was grounding.
Like stepping barefoot onto cool earth after wandering lost for too long.
Dante was great at giving hugs. His embrace was firm yet tender, as if he knew exactly how much strength I needed without overwhelming me.
I pressed my cheek against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my ear.
That sound, that steady thrum of life, soothed my frayed nerves in a way nothing else could.
Dante didn’t speak yet, and neither did I. We didn’t need to. In that moment, his presence said everything I needed to hear.
I’m here. You’re safe. Whatever it is, we’ll face it together.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, my angst began to fade, replaced by the calm certainty that I wasn’t alone.
“What happened, Honey?” he asked, kissing my temple.
“Nothing. It’s nothing. My emotions are just all over the place.”
“Did you wanna stay for dinner? Max invited us.”
“No,” I replied too quickly. “I want to go home.”
“Home?” he asked, and my heart jolted.
“Oh, um, I meant your cabin,” I said, tearing up and feeling like a fool for thinking of it as my home.
“That is your home, Honey. Yours, mine, and Rosie’s,” Dante said, his big hands cupping my face. “Got it?”
“Got it,” I whispered, needing to hear that from him.
“Good. Let’s go. You ready, Rosie Posie?”
“I’m ready,” Rosie said as Mrs. O’Hare walked back inside with her and a wrapped plate with cookies.
“Good evening, Dante,” the older woman said and nodded her head at me.
“Mrs. O’Hare,” he said and dipped his chin.
She’d always been kind to me and Avery, and I appreciated her not saying anything now about the argument I’d had with Penny.
“Look! I made cookies, Danny,” Rosie interrupted matter-of-factly.
“They smell great,” he said.
Dante took the plate from Rosie with one hand, keeping the other on the small of my back as he ushered the two of us outside to his truck.
It was still warm inside, thank goodness. The icy wind bit through my jacket and the temperatures were dropping. Rosie didn’t seem to mind, but that was normal.
She prattled on and on about her baking adventure with Mrs. O’Hare, which made me feel guilty for not paying attention. But it did give me a slight reprieve from having to speak.
My heart was hurting and for the first time since I found out I was pregnant, I felt bereft.
Penny had always been my lifeline.
My person.
In a totally platonic way, of course. But maybe I’d been wrong to think of her as family.
I mean, my own didn’t want me. Maybe it was dumb to expect someone who wasn’t related to me to really care.
Shit. I hated this. Hated feeling like I was less than.
But sometimes emotions needed to run their course.
Sometimes sadness needed to be felt.
I just wasn’t expecting now to be one of those times.
How could she think that about me? How could she?