TM [Complete ✔️]

29. Laughter

Zane's P.O.V

After I was done talking to Dali, I went back to my suite to check up on my daughter and Sofia.

Knocking softly on the door of the nursery, the she-wolf peeked her head out, closing it softly as I motioned for her to come with me.

"I'm sorry I was an ass," I mumbled, unable to look at her. I hated the way a single glance at her made me feel. "I've had a lot on my plate, but you're right, despite what you've gone through, you've never taken it out on me and it seems that's all I've done the entire time I've known you." A genuine smile spread across her face as she dipped her chin.

"You know, it's the second time someone's apologized to me about being an ass today." I smiled too, knowing she'd forgiven me already.

She jumped off the barstool she'd been occupying, pouring two plates of eggs and bacon and carrying one of them to me.

"You know you don't have to cook, right?" I asked as I dug in, the taste of salt almost making me spit the food out.

"Don't expect it from me anyway, I suck at cooking." I was curious how she'd made it so far, being a mother and then living alone, but didn't dare ask. She dug into her own food, quickly pushing the plate away. "As I said, I suck at it."

Sofia's P.O.V

"As I said, I suck at it." I shook my head in annoyance. So much for saying thank you to the male who'd offered his home.

But then, as if the very sun had come out to peek into the room, he smiled, something I had yet to see him do for me and me only. His pearly white teeth showed through as he tipped his head back, the smile growing into full-blown laughter.

It was beautiful and absolutely mesmerizing. I couldn't help but gulp as I stared and listened, the sound of his laughter caressing my ears like a long-forgotten tune.

It sounded so... Right.

Suddenly, I wished I could have seen him before, with Rose, just so I'd catch more. More of him, of his personality, of his smiles, his beautiful laugh.

When he stopped, tears were brimming in his eyes, making my heart clench at the vulnerability in them.

"I thought I'd never do that again," He whispered, my hand itching to hold his as I stuffed it into my pockets so I wouldn't do anything stupid.

I offered him a small smile, instead. It was all the consolation I could lend either of us whilst still recovering from parts of him neither of us thought we'd see.

I missed the sound, the sight, already, and knew I'd do close to anything to witness it again.

"You made me laugh," He mumbled, more to himself than to me, his eyes still brimming with unshed tears as his gaze met mine and the icicles surrounding my heart slowly but surely began to melt.

That mesmerizing laugh and breathtaking smile... Were for me.

"Alpha," a voice sounded behind us, making me jump and breaking the moment. I sighed, in relief or sadness, I didn't know, watching as Zane hopped off his seat as if nothing had happened, vulnerability forgotten as he greeted Beyla's nanny.

"I could've watched her for you," I mumbled as Zane made himself comfortable again, hoping I wasn't crossing any lines.

"I actually thought you'd want to come with me."

"Oh," recovering from the shock, I quickly asked, "Where?"

"I need to assess the damage to the territory, mostly the gardens, and thought you'd help." He rubbed the back of his neck. "And I just thought you wouldn't want to be alone as you saw the damages, too." I gulped, both hating and loving the new side of him he was allowing me to see.

I wasn't used to him thinking of me, however small the gesture, and hated that at any given moment, he could just as easily take that treatment away.

"Yeah, I would like that." I finally replied.

***

Soon enough, we'd gotten dressed and made our way outside, silence stretching between us. There was too much sadness in watching your home be so dark and gloomy, even if it had been sunny this morning. Still, it looked nothing like it used to before yesterday, the burnt trees, homes, and parks shattering our hearts.

I looked at my feet as we neared the gardens, unable to lift my head and see all the hard work my team and I had put in just gone.

Zane moved closer to me until our arms were touching, my wolf hating the fact that our mate was finally showing us some affection and care and we couldn't do anything in return.

Not when the pack seeing us would complicate our lives too much.

"Are you alright?" His breath on my ear made me shiver as I exhaled.

"Is it really bad?" I asked instead of answering.

"Yes," he sighed heavily, "but I'm sure you'll make it even better than before." I nodded, remembering how I'd said the same to him as I finally lifted my head.

A choked sob got stuck in my throat as my gaze traveled along the miles of ruined gardens, thrown around plantations, at the greenhouse with the fairy lights now nothing more than shards of broken glass.

Even if my team and I managed to return the space to how it'd been before, which we would, we'd never manage to do it in time for the fall. It was already late August and planting was meant to start in early September, so we would have no fall produce, which meant no money for the pack, in turn not allowing us to renovate.

"Zane," I called, unable to recognize my own voice past the thumping of my heart, "How are we going to fix this with no money?”

"Knox has given me a large loan, we'll be alright." I nodded, managing to swallow a bit of the lump stuck in my throat.

Not everything relied on us. We'd have until March to fix everything for the spring. It didn't matter if we'd have to wait until next year to attend the fall festivals, or if for the first time in years, our pack wouldn't have its own pumpkins to decorate and carve on Halloween.

Even if not now, we'd be alright, and that meant something. Actually - it meant everything.

***

While Zane left me alone to assess the damage done to the rest of the pack, I took a closer look at the gardens and made lists of things we'd need to repair them as per his request.

Then, we met up with Greg inside his office and the three of us sat around his computer, going through the list I'd created and ordering the most necessary items through different websites as we tried to somewhat budget.

Zane had just left, locking up behind himself and waiting for me to follow him to his suite, when the old man stopped me.

"Go ahead, I'll be right behind you," I told my mate, the male leaving us alone.

"What's up, are you okay?" I asked Greg as soon as he was out of earshot.

"Sof, Zane knows I know you're his mate," he confessed.

"What? When did he find out?"

"Yesterday when you were sleeping. I came to see you and he pulled me out of the room to let you sleep and I was so worried about you that I slipped and told him." I rubbed my temples, the day being exhausting enough already.

"Well, he's not too mad about it if he hasn't brought it up, so it's fine." My friend sighed.

"I'm really sorry, Sof!" I grabbed his arm in reassurance.

"It's alright, promise! Wolves are bound to find out sooner or later anyway. "I mean, I'm living with him for the time being."

The old man shook his head.

"How's that going?" I shrugged.

"Fine, I guess. He's nice and it's great to not come home to a quiet house for once."

"Except that's not your home, Sofie, please don't forget it, I don't want you to end up hurt because of him again." His eyes held so much love and worry as he warned me, I couldn't help but pull him into a hug.

"I know, I'll be careful, don't worry about me." I may not have told him about our fight or the laugh Zane gave me later but it wasn't his to know.

The less he worried for me, the better.

"Well, goodnight, Sof!"

"Night, oldie," I gently punched his shoulder, my friend grumbling as he walked away while I smiled all the way up to the suite, where the sound of cooing met my ears, only widening my smile.

"You need help there?" I asked Zane through a laugh, the poor guy covered from head to toe in what looked and smelled like pea purée.

"Beyla hates peas," he grumbled as I continued to laugh, passing him napkins while he glared at me.

"Do you honestly think napkins will help?" I stared him down, even more laughter bubbling out of my throat.

"Nope. Not unless it was a whole truck of them, anyway."

Once I stopped laughing, I took the napkins from him and wiped the just as messy pup.

"Go have a shower, I'll make sure she's fed," I suggested.

"Thanks but I don't need the help, I've done perfectly fine the past eleven months."

"I'm not saying you haven't, just that if you can clean yourself of the peas, you should take it," I said, "besides, I love pups and don't mind helping out."

"Fine," he sighed, defeated. "There's some steamed vegetables and a bit of chicken on the counter, just give her those in small chunks." I nodded, smiling broadly as he left and I got to spend some time with the little girl, watching as she ate with the multiple exceptions of food thrown to the ground.

***

After Beyla ate and Zane finished with his shower, I did my best not to stare at the grey sweats and white t-shirt he'd put on before he left to give his daughter a bath and the air finally returned to my lungs.

When he was done putting her to bed, we heated up some lasagna Gwynn had made for us before coming over here earlier, then Zane gave me another long shirt of his to sleep in before I was off to bed, too exhausted to even think about what it felt like to be asleep with him just down the hall, in his clothes, reeking of him.

Zane's P.O.V

The sound of all too familiar whimpers woke me up. My ears were trained to catch even the slightest sound, especially now that I was a single father, but even if they hadn't been, the heart-wrenching sounds were too loud not to be heard.

I carefully left my room, glancing at Beyla's door and exhaling a sound of relief when I made sure it wasn't coming from her bedroom. Sure, the voice sounded nothing like hers, but one paranoid enough could never be too sure.

Not knowing what to do, I went back to my room and sat on the bed, listening as the whimpers turned into mumbling, then to full-blown screams and cries before I finally couldn't take it anymore and went to check on Sofia.

A/N

Hi, Treasures! Make sure you join my F-a-c-e-b-o-o-k group Teddy's Treasures for extra content and discussions! The poor dude gets woken up because of nightmares too often :