Spectrum (Stone Society #14) - Faith Gibson Page 0,3

Zeke finished off the six-pack while staring at his phone. He contemplated calling Stella just to see if she’d made it home okay. He knew nothing about his mate other than who her mother was. Zeke remembered where Sheila lived back when he took her out, but that didn’t mean she still lived in the same house or that Stella lived close by. Maybe just a text…

Zeke: Just seeing if you made it home okay.

Rubbing his temples as he cursed his father, Zeke mentally prepared for the talk with Cyrus. His siblings’ reactions were always a crap shoot. Some sensed there was something different about them; they just couldn’t figure out what. Others laughed their asses off until he phased and showed them pictures of the family. They always resembled either Jonas or Caroline closely enough to pass for siblings, but when he explained they were their parents, that got another laugh. Explaining how those who brought you into the world didn’t look older than their thirties was always a treat. Not. None of what he had to explain was pleasant, especially why they had been given up for adoption.

Zeke wasn’t ready to get on another plane, having spent the last twenty-three hours in the air, even if it was a short three hours compared to driving eighteen.

Stella: Made it to Mom’s. I live up in New Fallbrook, so I’ll be driving back this afternoon.

Zeke: Good to know. Be careful on your drive home.

He needed to get to Cyrus sooner rather than later, and driving would give him too much time to think. Or make a detour to New Fallbrook. Flying it was. Zeke pulled out his phone and checked the flights leaving that afternoon. Several seats were available on the four-thirty departure, so he booked it. He would wait until he arrived at the airport to upgrade if first class was available. Zeke hated sitting crammed between noisy and nosy humans. He had enough of both on the trip home from Egypt. He much preferred driving where he didn’t have to talk or try to avoid odors humans didn’t realize they gave off. He loved being a half-blood most of the time, but sitting next to a man who enjoyed garlic-laden pizza while waiting on his flight or a woman who doused herself in too much perfume was hell on shifter noses.

Stella: I take it you made it home okay too?

Zeke: Yes. I live in New Oceanside, so not far from the airport at all.

Stella: Maybe we can get together soon?

Zeke: I’d love that, but I have to take a business trip up to Montana. I shouldn’t be gone more than a week, so rain check?

Stella’s reply wasn’t immediate, and Zeke prayed she didn’t think he was giving her the brush off. He stared at his phone, willing it to buzz. When she finally responded, Zeke about dropped his phone.

Stella: Sorry, one of my kids had a question about the assignment the substitute gave them. Rain check is fine.

One of her kids, as in she had at least two. If there were children, then there was a father somewhere. Someone as stunning as Stella wouldn’t have remained single, but the thought of his mate being intimate with another male set his beast on edge, even if it wasn’t fair for either his beast or him to begrudge the female happiness. If she was accepting a rain check, she had to be single. Zeke hadn’t spent much time in Stella’s presence, but she didn’t come across as the cheating type. Either she was divorced or widowed. Those were the only two options he would accept. As soon as he returned from Montana, he would find out.

Zeke: I look forward to seeing you again. I’ll call you when I get back. Until then, take care of yourself.

Stella’s reply was a smiley face emoji with hearts around it. Zeke wasn’t an emoji kind of male, but seeing that particular one made his heart beat a little faster.

Stella wanted to recall the stupid emoji. Zeke didn’t respond after she sent it, and he probably found it childish. Oh well. It was out there. At least he knew she was interested, but now she had to wait several days for him to get back to Cali. At least her week would fly by. Instead of taking vacation with her mother during the holiday break, they had gone two weeks prior, and Stella had one more week of school. Leaving her tenth graders with a