Leala Linney Chapter 4

Phil can’t take her eyes off of the woman sitting across from her. How those gentle eyes sparkle with her easy humor, deepening the laugh lines that prove a lifetime of positivity. How her soft face lights up as she tells a funny story, making her skin glow even while her cheeks become rosy. How her infectious laughter bubbles up from deep inside, hearty and heartfelt, yet buoyant and joyful, carrying Phil along on waves of it. Phil hasn’t laughed, hell not even smiled, this much in years. 
 

She’s a breath of fresh air, Phil thinks with wonder. Leala’s the embodiment of joy. She’s – extraordinary. And there’s no way I can tell her what I am, dammit. Freki, her wolf half, growls low. Since retiring from the military, Phil longs for someone to share her life with. Her pack helps, but Freki is driven to mate. And Phil can’t disagree with her wolf. After decades of war and fighting, she really wants to remember how to find humor in ordinary things, how to really live. How to love. It’s been too long. 

 

“Is something wrong? I’ve gone on too long about that silly show I’ve been binge watching haven’t I?” 
Leala worries her lower lip and now that she drew attention to them, Phil can’t look away from those full, luscious lips, while she both applauds and curses Leala’s astuteness. Freki is giving Leala her full attention, too: Head high, ears forward, tail stiff. Phil imagines kissing those lips and feeling them respond to her pressure, to her tongue. When Freki’s high whine nearly comes out of Phil’s mouth, she shakes her head to dispel the vision.

 

Phil pulls herself together and runs a hand down her face, physically wiping her thoughts away. “Of course not. Sorry, I was thinking of..something else. I didn’t mean to distract you. Please, finish your thought at least.”
Leala squints at Phil, obviously trying to figure her out. But Phil’s a master of hiding her thoughts and feelings, thanks to Uncle Sam, and she’s not sure if she’s happy that Leala will come up empty. 

 

Finally Leala shrugs. “Okay, don’t tell me. We’re all allowed our secrets.” 

 

Her voice sounded lighthearted, but Leala’s expressive face appears...disappointed. Phil could kick herself and wants to take it back, to erase that look from Leala’s eyes, but a lifetime of hiding what she is keeps her mouth firmly closed. She stares blankly at her coffee cup. Damn it all to hell. She doesn’t like being the reason for that look in Leala’s eyes. Freki growls low and sends her a stillshot of wolves mating. Phil’s blank facade almost cracks and she nearly gapes before she catches herself and seals back up. Are you serious Freki? Freki responds with a sharp bark. Phil stares at the woman across from her. No wonder she was so drawn to her in the store. No wonder she couldn’t get her out of her mind.

 

When Leala doesn’t say anything more, Phil feels compelled to try to mend that fence. “So, you enjoy shopping, and manicures, and binge watching cooking shows and Port Protection.” That one came as a bit of a shocker, but the way Leala talked about it, the awe she feels watching those determined people carving out their lives in such dire, extreme conditions, made Phil almost want to watch it. “What else do you enjoy doing?”

 

Leala holds her empty cup between her palms and slowly rolls it between her hands. Her emotive eyes remain shut down. “Oh, you know. I don’t get out much. I work, watch tv, shop. That about sums it up. I’m pretty boring.” She shrugs and smiles but it looks hollow and she won’t meet Phil’s eyes. 

 

Well this went FUBAR at Mach speed. Time for some serious damage control. Again. How do I keep getting myself in these situations with Leala? Freki bares her teeth, agitated that they’ve upset their mate. Really? Are you sure? I mean, we don’t even know her. Freki growls. Okay, okay. I’ll fix it. Hold your horses, wolf. Phil clears her throat and tries to figure out how to put that laughter back in the beautiful femme’s eyes. “Well ‘boring’ is the last word I would use to describe you, Leala. No, if I were to describe you I would use words like fun-loving, joyful, witty—”

 

“Yeah, I’m a real comedian.”

 

“Intelligent, generous, loving—” 

 

“Oh, good, I’m a funny golden retriever.”

 

Phil narrows her eyes. That’s just about enough self-deprecation. And Leala’s still rolling that damn cup and she still isn’t looking at Phil. Time to take off the safety. “Luscious,” bullseye! There’s those gorgeous eyes. Let’s see what else the beauty’s got. “Voluptuous, sexy, hot-to-trot,” how does she manage to get her mouth in that perfect O? And man I do love making her blush.

 

Leala jerks her head down. She lets go of mangled cup and sets it aside, clasping her empty hands together. “Ah, well, I don’t, um, I mean, that’s…”

 

Phil coughs to cover up her chuckle, but she’s hopeless to keep humor from her face. Of course, if Leala won’t look at her, that’s neither here nor there. Freki waves her tail. “Yes, Leala? That’s what?”

 

Leala clears her throat. “Um, what?” She flaps a hand at her face, like a fan. “Did it get hotter all of a sudden? Anyway, I’ve talked enough. Now it’s your turn. What do you like to do?” 

 

You mean, besides flirting with you and turning you on cutie? With Freki urging her on, Phil decides to lay it all, well most of it, out there. “I retired from the Marines a few years ago.”

 

“A career jughead? You’ve been through it.”

 

Surprise has Phil’s eyebrows arcing high over her eyes. “Sounds like you’ve known a marine or two.”
“My father was a career man. My brother served 4 years, said that was more than enough. What he saw, what he did—it changed him. Drastically. He lives deep in the country now, raises those little bantam chickens and keeps to himself. I never knew my father before he served so I have no idea how it changed him, but I know my mother was always happier when he was off base on a mission.”

 

“I’m sorry to hear that. Serving in the military takes its toll, that’s for sure.”

 

“You were special forces, right?”

 

Again, Phil’s eyebrows nearly crawled into her hair. Freki’s tongue lolls in pleasure. They’re mate keeps surprising. “What makes you think that?”

 

Leala rolls her eyes. She actually rolls her eyes, like a teenager. Phil wants to laugh. Again. This woman is just extraordinary.
“I don’t know, it’s nothing I can put my finger on, but when you spend your childhood surrounded by Marines, you get a feel for who’s who.” She tilts her head and studies Phil. “Well, let me see, your manners and the way you hold yourself says you’re an officer, and judging by the fact you’re still fit after retirement and the determined look in your eye, which says you know you’re going to win no matter what, you have done what few have: earned your place on a special forces unit.”

 

Phil huffs.  “That’s remarkable. You are remarkable.” Okay. This woman is way too clever. Phil will have to work to hide who she is. Freki growls. You know that’s the rule. We have to clear it with the alpha, be certain she wants to be with us, relatively sure she’ll accept us.

 

Leala waves her off. “Oh, no you don’t, we aren’t talking about me again. How do you find life now that you’re out?”
Phil leans back in her chair. If Freki says she’s our mate, I can’t hold anything back. Here goes nothing. She takes a deep breath and blows it out through her nostrils. “It’s been rough, I’ll say that. I see someone, a therapist the VA set me up with. She got me into a program geared toward vets with PTSD. I’m loads better than I was. I still don’t love fireworks and I have a bad night once in a long while. I was able to get work pretty quickly after I got out, which helps to keep me busy and feeling useful. I don’t technically need a job, but it’s—painful to sit around.”

 

Leala straightens up in her chair. “Oh! Well don’t sit here hurting! We can walk!”

 

Phil just stares at Leala. What a sweet, sensitive woman. I never knew someone like you existed. Phil doesn’t know how, but she agrees with Freki. She needs to keep this woman. She holds out her hands to stop Leala. “No, let me clarify, I don’t mean physically painful. I mean, sometimes it’s mentally and emotionally hard for me to be idle for long periods.”

 

Leala relaxes fractionally. “Sure, that makes sense.” She meets Phil’s gaze. “Thank you for telling me the truth, Phil. I want you to know that you can trust me with anything.”

 

Phil holds Leala’s gaze. “I’m counting on that, Leala.” More than I can say, you extraordinary thing you.