Chapter 11 – Return
Maeve
I cleared passport control and moved to the luggage conveyor belt to retrieve my big suitcase. Reaching for my cell phone, I quickly texted Nan to let her know I had arrived. It was still early in the morning in New York, but I knew she’d be worried about my flight anxiety.
Thanks to Remington, there was nothing to worry about. I found myself scanning the luggage reclaim area for my new friend, who was nowhere to be seen. Instead, I noticed a smiling young man not much older than me holding a sign with my name.
“Maeve?” He questioned. There was something about him I couldn’t place my finger on.
“That’s me,” I smiled.
“Ye leuk fantastic!” He reached for my luggage. “Here, let me help ye wit that.”
“Thank you.” I followed him out to the waiting Range Rover.
He seemed to recognize me as if we had known each other, but nothing clicked for me. I tried to recall boys in school with the same blond hair and blue eyes as he had. A flicker of apprehension made me a bit wary. He loaded everything in the trunk and quickly held the door open for me.
“Thanks.” I looked at his handsome face again, trying to bring back a memory.
He took his seat at the wheel and drove away from the airport. “Are ye hungry? Dae ye need tae stop fer anythin?”
“I’m all set, thanks. Just a little tired.”
I looked out the window as we drove north toward the pack. The sky was overcast with clouds threatening rain, typical of most days in Scotland. The trees had started turning beautiful shades of yellow, orange, and red. The south bank of Loch Lomond was in the Lowlands and could be reached in half an hour, but I knew we were driving over an hour to the northern bank in the Highlands.
When I was little, I’d come with my mother to Glasgow on the pack bus to shop or do something fun in the city. The bus was disguised as a Highlands tour bus thatran from our pack to George Square in the city's center twice a day. This allowed those who wanted to shop, attend school, or work an easy mode of transportation.
“Does the pack still have the bus that comes into the city?”
“Aye, ye remember that.”
Then, he eagerly told me how the pack had acquired two new resorts and expanded the Highlands tour operations. Apparently, human women loved touring the Highlands with bare-chested, muscled shifters wearing tartan kilts. I laughed and tried not to roll my eyes as he told me. Having read so many romance novels, I knew it was true. Highlander books fueled a fun and sexy fantasy.
The conversation turned to me, and he seemed keen to hear about my life in the Royal Kingdom. I told him about the beautiful territory, the great lake, and the generosity of the royal family.
“The pack was so large that it was split into two… Moon Realm East and Moon Realm West,” I explained. “But we always come together for large pack celebrations.”
“Hae ye seen a lycan?”
Have I seen a lycan? I nearly laughed at the question until I recalled how Rex’s lycan fur felt beneath my palms. I was a weak little human, and seeing a lycan so close should have scared the hell out of me, but it didn’t. I hadn’t just seen a lycan; I had slept with one.
“Yes,” I replied. “They’re nearly as impressive as the golden wolf.”
“Ye've seen th’ golden wolf!” It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway. I had seen the Alpha King’s golden wolf several times, and he took my breath away each time.
“Is it true… aboot lycan blood turnin another intae a lycan?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. I knew that Persephone’s mother and both of Kairo’s parents had been turned, but I didn’t know how. These were ancient secrets the Alpha King kept to himself. There were no books or history because lycans had been extinct for over a thousand years.
I shifted the conversation back to the Highlands pack. “Does Old Mister McCarthy still play the fiddle?”
“Aye! We’re due fer a ceilidh soon.”
“Sounds like fun,” I remember attending ceilidhs when I was little. They were more common during the dark winter nights when we would gather at the pack hall or someone's house. It was a tradition that included stories, poetry, singing, music, and dancing.
“Almost thare.”
I wanted desperately to ask him his name, but I didn’t want to be rude since I had just spent an hour talking with him like an old school friend.
The car turned down a well-worn, familiar lane that wound through the mountains, leading through pack territory. I looked out at the beautiful lands, rich greens with smatters of fall colors. The dramatic vistas, woodlands, and waterfalls made this ancient territory mystical. To humans, it would have looked like a private resort property with cabins and protected forest lands, but it was all owned by the pack.
“Here we are,” he said as the cabin came into view.
My heart thundered wildly in my chest, and I pushed the door open before the car stopped. I stood frozen, drinking it all in. Eight years, and it still looked the same. Tears pricked my eyes, and time seemed to stand still.
The loch was about two hundred feet away, and the boat dock my father had built was still there. The small boat we often took fishing was gone, and my eyes looked out over the loch, half expecting to find him returning with a string of fish. A gentle, crisp breeze greeted me, and the smell of burning wood filled my nose. My gaze drifted to the smoke from the chimney, and memories flooded me.
“Maeve, dinner’s almost ready. Get in here and wash up before your father gets home.”
“Mam, we're nae done playin' yet,” I whined. Fiona and I were digging in the vegetable garden where my mother had pulled a few carrots up for her stew. As winter neared, the days were getting shorter, which meant less time playing outside.
“A’ll brin ma wings tomorrow, an we can play faeries,” Fiona said. We liked to pretend we were woodland faeries, helping to take care of the forest and animals.
“See ye tomorrow,” I waved goodbye and watched Fiona run home. Her family had the biggest cabin along the lake.
The sunset cast a beautiful glow over the loch. Sometimes, when I gazed out during twilight, I could almost see a small island shimmering in the middle of the loch. I squinted my eyes, trying to focus on it, hoping to see it again.
“Maeve,” my mother called out, breaking my concentration.
“Coming,” I huffed out and stomped through the door.
“Maeve?” The driver called my name.
“It still looks the same,” I managed to say, turning to see if Fiona’s family home was still there. It was.
“Come, Alpha Louise is waitin.”
“Alpha Louise?”
“Aye, she wanted to stock up, an air it oot fer yer return”
He pushed the door open and easily carried my bags through. The warmth radiating from the cabin hit me, and I fell speechless when I stepped inside.
“Maeve, how good tae see ye again,” Alpha Louise greeted me with a warm smile. “Welcome back tae th’ bonnie banks o’ Loch Lomond.”
“Thank you,” I replied, feeling a bit shocked. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
Everything looked almost the same, including the big, cozy sofa in front of the large stone fireplace. My mother often hung a stew or soup pot from the hook to cook slowly all day. The kitchen, dining area, and living room had a wide-open floor plan. There was only one bedroom on this level… It was small, but it was perfect. I looked up to see the loft that had been turned into my bedroom.
“Thanks fer fetching her, Angus,” Alpha Louise thanked the driver, and I felt my blood run cold.
Angus! She said Angus. I had only known one Angus, and he had a horrible older brother named Jack. Angus had the same MacDougall blond hair and blue eyes my father had.
“It wis mah pleasure, Alpha,” he tipped his head. “Welcome home, Maeve.”
My father’s nephew had been so cruel to me when we were younger that I found it hard to believe this was the same young man I had just spent over an hour with. My father’s parents, who refused to acknowledge me, were Angus’ grandparents—the same people who had threatened to disown my father if he accepted his mate.
“Was that Angus Jameson?”
“Aye,” she replied with a nod. “He practically begged tae come git ye.”
I wasn’t sure what to say. She had been the Alpha when I was little, but it’s not like she would have known about primary school bullies. Alpha Louise was busy training warriors, not babysitting school children.
“Ye must be exhausted,” she said. Her Scottish accent wasn’t as thick as the others, but I knew she was well-traveled and had studied abroad. She was one of the first female Alphas after Rex’s Great-Aunt Anabeth had broken through that old tradition. My father had served Alpha Louise proudly as chief warrior, and my mother had nothing but respect for her.
“Jet lag is a real thing,” I replied. The sympathetic gaze in her eyes said she already knew about my failed shift. “It’s been a very exhausting week,” I added feebly.
“Ye're goin’ tae be alright, Maeve. Ye’ll see,” she assured me. “Ye have a home at both packs. Ye can study here if ye wish.”
“I can’t thank you enough,” I choked back the tears that threatened to spill.
“Yer parents loved ye so much,” she told me with conviction. “I’m goin’ tae let ye get settled in today. Th’ kitchen has been stocked, and th’ linens washed. Ye hae my number. Please call if ye need anythin.”
I said goodbye to her and found myself standing alone in the home. I moved to the shelf on the far wall and stared at my baby photo, a photo of my parents with my grandparents, and a photo of my mother planting flowers. She had long dark hair like Nan, and my father had blond hair.
Reflexively, I stroked my hand through my deep ginger-colored hair. I didn’t look like either of them, and Ialways assumed I looked like one of my father’s Scottish relatives. Everyone in the Highlands pack must have known I wasn’t their natural-born child, especially since it had caused a rift in my father’s family. My eyes returned to my baby photo, and the necklace I recently lost hung over my bassinet—the golden oak tree with golden roots. I’d had it for as long as I could remember, but I didn’t realize it had been with me since I was a baby.
The upright piano was still nestled in the space under the stairs. My mother had spent the evenings teaching me how to play and practicing with me. Most shifters didn’t play musical instruments, but the former Luna at the Moon Realm had a love for music. Rex’s grandma Cassi was a world-famous cellist. She had started the Reach For The Stars music foundation at school for anyone who wanted to learn to play an instrument. My mother learned to play piano through the program, and I also continued lessons when I moved to the Moon Realm.
I tapped a few keys and noticed it was in perfect tune. I’d be sure to thank Alpha Louise next time because she had ensured everything was maintained in the home.
I moved to the fireplace and noticed the large stack of wood… it should be enough for a day or two. I explored the bedroom, the bathroom, and the kitchen. A basket of fresh eggs in different colors, from dark brown to blue, sat on the counter. I lifted the lid on the bread box and found a beautiful loaf of bread. I remember baking bread with my mother in this very kitchen.
I found myself lying on my childhood bed in the lofted bedroom. A small window looked out over the loch, and I couldn’t take my eyes off it. It was just as captivating as I remembered. I scanned the center of the loch for signs of an island thatmay have been there once, but there was nothing.
My phone rang, and I quickly answered when I saw it was Persephone.
“Persephone!”
“Haggis!” It wasn’t her voice that greeted me.
“Flaym, how’s it going?”
“Persephone and I are just sitting in the kitchen with your Nan and Grandma Dori. Everyone was wondering about you, but no one wanted to call and bother you in case you were sleeping.”
“And you don’t mind waking me?” I teased.
“I can call you back after midnight if you prefer,” he laughed, drawing a giggle from me.
“Everything is fine…. the trip was smooth. I’m just getting settled in at the house.”
“Are they feeding you okay?”
“I won’t go hungry here,” I laughed. “Did you know they have blue chicken eggs here?”
“Huh, I’ve seen the sage green eggs in Italy, different shades of brown, but I can’t say I’ve seen blue,” he told me.
“Can I have my phone back?” I heard Persephone protest.
“Just a second,” Flaym dismissed her. “Have you seen anything out of the ordinary there?”
I laughed. “No, I’ve seen no lake monsters, kelpies, or unicorns.”
“But the unicorn is the Scottish national animal,” he reminded me.
“I think I’ll have better luck finding the ghostly bagpiper.”
“You haven’t seen anything that looks like black mist or fog, have you?”
“Black mist? No… the mist or fog is usually white here. Sometimes gray or bluish depending on the sky.”
“Okay! You spoke to her,” Persephone screeched. “You can talk about harpies later.”
“Kelpies,” he corrected her.
“Whatever, give me my phone. It’s my turn.”
I spoke with Persephone for a short time before she passed the phone to Nan. When I was done, I returned to the kitchen to cook some of the beef I found in the refrigerator. I reached for the hanging soup pot and filled it with water and seasonings like my mother did. Then I cut the beef into bitesize pieces and placed it in the pot with diced potatoes, carrots, parsnips, onions, celery, two handfuls of barley, and a single tomato. I hung it on the fireplace hook and left it to cook for dinner.
The old clock by the door said it was nearly three o’clock, and I wasn’t sure what else to do with myself. I thought about playing the piano for a bit, but all I could think about was how happy my mother looked every time we played together. Being here was bittersweet.
I moved my luggage into my parent's room and left it on the floor in the corner. Their closet was empty, but I wasn’t sure how I’d feel sleeping in this room. Every corner held a memory. I had a piece of my parents back, but I felt the pain of losing them again.
I plopped down on the sofa, and closed my eyes. Visions of Rex floated through my mind, and I tried to focus on something else. He was probably on to his next conquest and had forgotten about me already. I thought about the library… I wanted more in my life than working at the pack library and helping Nan with the cooking. I wanted a mate, children, and friends.
A knocking sounded, and I sat up on the sofa. The sun had already set, and I realized I had slept the day away.
“Maeve?” A voice called out and knocked again.
I wiped the drool from the side of my mouth and scrambled for the door. “Coming,” I replied and unlocked the door. The smiling face holding flowers was my childhood friend.
“A’h canae believe ye're here!” She squealed.
“Fiona!” I hugged her. She was much taller than me and a beautiful she-wolf with long, soft brown hair and blue eyes. “Come in, come in…” I ushered her inside quickly and shut the door on the cold.
Her eyes went wide as she looked around the cabin. “I havenae seen this place since ye left.”
“Me either,” I laughed.
“Yer accent is aw but gone,” she smiled. “I hardly recognize yer voice.”
“The accent peeks out when I’m angry,” I laughed.
“Sae, ye havenae lost yer Scots temper then.”
Fiona was studying at the University of Glasgow and shared a small flat with another she-wolf to avoid riding the bus every day, which took one and a half hours each way. She convinced her parents thatthe time traveling was needed for studying and labs. Fiona had come home this evening because she had heard about my return from her mother.
She moved the stew pot into the kitchen, and I retrieved the fresh bread from the breadbox. It was nice not eating dinner alone on my first night here and catching up with my old friend. I told her about my failed shift and discovering I was human.
“A’h canae believe ye were adoptit,” she said. “Mah parents niver told me.”
“I’m surprised Jack and Angus never said anything. They’ve always hated me because they knew I wasn’t their real cousin.”
“Are ye sure? Jack niver said anythin tae me.”
I didn’t miss the flush on her face. “Do you and Jack talk often?”
“Well…” the flush deepened. “We been seein each other on an aff fer th’ last year.”
“You and Jack?”
“Aye. A’h thought he might be ma mate,” she confessed. “A’h know he wis an arse when we were young, but he's matured a lot.”
“You and Jack Jameson?” My mind seemed to have a hard time making the connection.
“He's really quiet charmin now.”
“I bet he is,” I forced down the shock. Angus had also seemed changed since I last saw him, but Jack was the head of the snake. The instigator. The cruel kid who made my childhood miserable. I’d been gone for eight years, and my friend was sleeping with my enemy.
“Are ye okay?” She asked reluctantly.
Of all the photos I’d seen of Jack, the rugby star, on the internet, I’d never seen him with Fiona. I wondered how serious they were, but Ididn’t want to ask. I didn’t want to lose my only friend in the pack because I disliked Jack.
“I’m just wondering why my parents never told me. If the Jamesons already knew, then why keep it from me?”
“Maybe they were plannin on tellin ye whan ye were a bit older.”
“I wish I had known sooner. I’ve dreamed of shifting and finding my mate my entire life. It’s like waking up and finding out it was all a dream,” I sighed. “Maybe I’ll attend university and find someone,” I said half-heartedly.
“Ye’ll probably hae better luck findin a husband now tha ye don’t hae tae wait fer a mate,” she smiled sourly. “No ones found ah true mate in years.”
“That seems to be the problem in all packs,” I told her.
“Really?” She sounded surprised.
“Yes… you’ve not heard?”
“No, but thares a lot o’ rumors,” Fiona whispered.
“Rumors?”
“Th’ Moon Goddess is angry wit us. Some say tis because we've allowit humans in th’ pack.”
“But the Luna Queen is human… and the Goddess herself loved Endymion, a mortal man.”
“Some think tis a demon curse o’ th’ faeries… A load o’ rubbish if ye ask me.”
“The Scots and their myths,” I laughed, shaking my head.