Chapter 16

"Hey, Mama. You got any siblings?"I almost forgot to ask before the conversation ended. Mama was too busy teasing me for me to think on it.

"No, it was just me. Why?"

"Nothin', really. Just a guy here looks a lot like me. The crew says we look like brothers. I don't got any secret siblings I don't know about, right? Did Pa ever step out on you?"

I felt bad the minute it came out of my mouth. We didn't talk about Pa. He was an asshole. And it wasn't my business if he stepped out or not. Mama didn't get angry with me, though. At least, she didn't sound mad.

"No… Not to my knowledge anyway. But your Pa did have a brother. They were estranged, so I never met him. But your Pa always complained about how much bigger his brother was than him."

Huh. I always wondered where I'd gotten my height from. Pa wasn't a big man, which was why I got rid of him when I was still a cub. I outgrew him by thirteen. Ma wasn't any bigger. It seemed weird that I was so much bigger than my folks.

"No one ever mentioned him before."

"Well, like I said, they were estranged. Didn't get along in the slightest. I don't know much about him. I can check in Pop-pop's old belongings if you want, see if I can find a photo."

Pop-pop was Pa's dad. We moved in with him when I was little. He was a lot like Pa, stoic and kinda angry. After he died and Pa took off, we stuck his stuff and Pa's in boxes and shoved them in the attic. If Pa ever wanted to come back for them, he could, but I didn't think he'd do that. He was too afraid. I told him if he went near Ma again, I'd put him down.

"Uh… Nah, I'm okay. I'll talk to Derek more. See if he's got any more info. It'd be wild if we were related, though."

Mama's smile was warm, and she glanced at Talia for a second before answering. "Fate is funny like that sometimes. Let me know if I can help, okay? And don't forget to call. I worry about you all by yourself."

"Mama…" I grumbled. Didn't matter that I was fully grown, she still babied me.

"Don't complain about me lovin' you, boy. Now off you scoot. Enjoy your vacation. Love you."

"Love you too, Mama."

After I hung up, I shoved the phone back in my pocket, but I wasn't in any hurry to leave. Talia was tucked up against me, and she seemed relaxed. I didn"t want to rush her back to where she was a little less comfortable, waiting for someone to come inside the trailer.

"You two have a good relationship," she commented, looking up at me.

I nodded. "Yup. It wasn't always great. I was angry a lot as a kid. Mama has a bear too, but she never fought back against Pa when he put his hands on her. I was frustrated when she didn't. Didn't really understand what submissives were until I got older. She couldn't fight back. She wasn't built like that."

Talia frowned at her hands, twisting her fingers. Her voice was real quiet when she admitted, "I wasn't always a submissive. I wasn't as dominant as Kiara, but I did okay. It's why Kiara gets so mad at me. She only remembers the before. I'm not that way anymore."

I hummed, scratching my beard thoughtfully. "Maybe. Or maybe you just need more time. You can't rush it. If you push too hard, you'll only make it worse. Who knows? Once you're comfortable and get your confidence back, your dominance could come with it."

She wrapped her arms around her middle, sinking in on herself. She didn't think it was possible.

"And even if it doesn't, that's okay, too. There's nothin' wrong with bein' submissive. Submissives are just as important as dominants. You're perfect, just as you are."

Surprised, she looked up at me with wide eyes. She really was perfect. So pretty. I would do anything for more shy smiles and tinkling laughs. When I cupped her jaw, she leaned into my hand, her eyes fluttering shut like she was soaking in my comfort. I loved that too. I loved how she trusted me, and how she leaned on me for support. I wanted to keep her. But that felt wrong. She was recovering. I didn't want her to end up needing me. She needed to stand on her own two feet.

I couldn't resist kissing her again, though, but I didn"t let it get too far. Last night was… amazing. But it shouldn't have happened. I blamed my stupid penis for getting all excited when I should've been comforting her. It couldn't happen again. Talia needed to heal. Maybe once she was all better, I could take a shot to be with her. Not yet though.

The followingweek was pretty much the same. I picked up Talia and Leo in the morning, drove them to school, and hung around. I didn't always stay by Talia's side. I wanted her to be confident by herself. I went fishing with Malcolm and on a hike with Violet and Theo on his day off. Sometimes I could convince Talia to come outside with me, enjoy the sunshine. Not every day, but little by little, she was coming out of her shell. She said hello to the crew in the mornings before going into the school and didn't tremble so hard when she was getting out of the car anymore. In the evenings, she got to know the crew better, starting with the women.

We stuck with the plan to introduce her to the men one at a time. They usually came around lunch time. It made it easier on Talia if Leo was nearby. I knew she didn"t want to rely on him, but there was nothing wrong with him joining us for lunch. He still glared at everyone, but he growled less the more Talia relaxed.

When it reached the point where I was supposed to go back home, I called Audrey and asked for more time. I explained what was going on, and I wasn't ready to give up my job just yet. If Talia got better and didn't need me anymore, I would have to go home eventually. Audrey didn't seem to mind and told me to take my time.

Today was special. It was a weekend, so no school for Leo. My plan for the day would push Talia's comfort by a lot, but if she pulled it off, I felt like it'd help her feel more normal. I showed up at her place early, and Leo let me in with a grouchy frown. He wasn't a morning person, and it took him a while to wake up.

"Mornin', little cub."

He grunted, shuffling back to let me in. He didn't glare at me anymore, and he seemed comfortable with me. I hadn't convinced him to go on another fishing trip, not after what happened last time, but I didn"t blame him for that. It was hard enough for him to let her leave the trailer during his school times. I was reluctant to leave Talia alone after that, too. I just hid it better.

"Mom's getting dressed."

I nodded. Talia and I hadn't been intimate since that day, either. I didn't think Leo knew what happened in the forest, and I was careful not to let it slip. He swayed on his feet a little and I steadied him with a hand on his shoulder.

"You okay?"

He rubbed his eye with his fist, frowning at the floor. "M'fine."

Yeah, I didn"t believe that for a second. He looked dead on his feet. I nudged him towards his room. Maybe some fresh air would help. "Why don't you get dressed? We're headin' out soon."

"Where are we going?"

"Found a nice restaurant in town I wanna bring you guys to. They got lots of sweets."

That woke him up a little, and he frowned up at me. I waited for his argument. He usually protested if he thought I was pushing too hard. He looked uneasy, and his voice barely came out a whisper, but he didn't argue. "Are you sure?"

Good cub. He was trying so hard to not smother Talia. "Yeah, little cub. I'm sure. If we get there early, the place is quiet. She'll be okay."

His discomfort wouldn't go away until he saw Talia thriving, but with another nudge, he went to his room to get dressed. Talia's smile was timid when she came out of her room, but she gave smiles more freely now. It made my chest tighten and longing swelled in my throat. I was pushing a little harder today because I knew I couldn't stay too much longer. I was falling for her, and I didn't want to put that on her. She had enough to deal with.

Talia wrung her hands the whole way to town. I tried to distract her with one of my audiobooks, but I could tell she wasn't fully paying attention. Most people were at the farmer's market today. The crew told me that. Half of them were there, too. A lot of the restaurants had booths there for food, but the one we were going to today stayed open. The owner said he wasn't feeling up to the bustle of the market lately. It meant the restaurant was quiet like I'd predicted, only a few tables with people drinking coffee and talking quietly.

Talia's grip on my arm was tight, and her breathing was a little off, but between me and Leo, she was doing alright. Better than when I first met her. She'd come a long way since then.

"Mornin' Frank," I called. The owner looked up from his stool behind the counter. He had been reading the paper while the shop was slow.

"Uh oh. Here he comes. You're gonna eat me out of a restaurant one of these days, Teddy."

I snorted, stopping on the other side of the counter. I came here most mornings and picked up donuts for Talia and Leo. I always got extras for the drive because I was really hungry in the morning. Frank liked to tease me for eating so much.

"Maybe you should make a batch just for me. Might save ya some time."

Frank rolled his eyes, but he was smirking as he pushed off his stool to come stand across from us. He turned to Talia with a kind smile. "Mornin'. I imagine you're goin' broke tryin' to feed him, too."