13. Chapter Thirteen
Without Cole, the cabin feels bigger and soulless. I can’t even feel him along the mating bond. Not as strongly as I’d felt him before, so I know he must be closing himself off from me.
No wonder, considering how my birth was tied to his father’s gruesome death.
I screw my eyes shut, trying to block out the heartache I felt for that poor cub. Scared. Alone. Witness to something no child should ever have to see.
The distance between us stings. After spending the last couple of days feeling connected by a shimmering light, it feels weird to be apart.
I thought if I gave him time and space to sort through his emotions, he’d be back.
But it’s been over twenty-four hours, and he hasn’t.
And that hurts. More than I thought it would.
Luckily, emotions fuel me. They spur me on, acting as a catalyst to focus only on the things I can control. In this case, that’s the words on the page. So, I’ve channeled all the hurt and fear I’ve felt into my characters as I let my fingers fly.
As the words flowed out of me like a cleansing downpour, I didn’t stop to question how it was that I could so easily see the cabin fade from my view in a silvery, pale pink light. I didn’t give any thought as to why I was able to slip into the skin of my Bruno bear, scent his woods, view his world and his issues the way he did. I paid no mind to the glimmer of magic I felt pulsing through me as I filled page after page, working tirelessly and unaware of the time.
I barely ate. I barely slept. I only bore down and wrote, pushing away all thoughts of the bearded, grumpy bear shifter who’d taken a swipe at my heart and stolen it.
But today, I typed “The End” sooner than I thought I would. It’s the finale the fans have been clamoring for, with sacrifices made, revenge had, and the hero triumphant. Forever changed by his journey and ready to settle into his hard-won happy ending.
Janelle will be thrilled.
Hell, I’m thrilled.
If I can just get some cell reception to call her and let her know, then I can rest easy knowing that the bulk of my work is done.
But as I come out of the visions that have held me in thrall for the last few days, all those questions I’ve held at bay return in full force as I turn over the not-just-a-pendant in my hands.
Was Cole right? Was I a witch with a talent for unwittingly spellcasting? Did my wishes and words come together to create the results I wanted with power I didn’t even know I had?
Is this what the evil witch meant when she said I’d be “blessed by the Goddess”?
If so, did that mean I had unwittingly influenced everyone in my life and everything good that’s happened to me?
Have I actually earned the success I’ve enjoyed with my writing?
Are any of the relationships I’ve built real? The ones with my friends, my family? Or did I attract these people to me with my own pining and wishful thinking?
Worse, did I do the same to Cole?
The thought makes me feel sick. What if this is all a fabrication and he’s not really my mate? Could it be he only wanted me because I wanted him so badly I literally made my dreams into reality?
My head spins and I drop my forehead to my keyboard, blowing out a heavy breath.
Maybe Cole’s nipping our connection in the bud. Severing it so I can work out how to properly and responsibly deal with my gifts and so he can find his true mate.
My stomach twists, sinking like a stone.
I’m his true mate. The one, the only.
I raise my head, brain clouded with questions I can’t answer, and push out of the chair. Get it together, Rae.
Even if I am gifted, isn’t it a little arrogant of me to think I’ve made all this happen?
I shower quickly, trying not to think about the times I’ve been in here with Cole or the thousand ways his cozy cabin felt like home. In fact, everything about the campgrounds has felt like home–which makes sense now–and I’m reluctant to leave.
But with my book done, there’s no reason for me to stay here.
Except, of course, for him.
Assuming this bond is real and not some unintentional enchantment. I wish we could talk. Clear the air before I head back to the city.
But it’s obvious that he’s avoiding me, and I don’t have the faintest idea where to start looking for him.
After I pack my things and tidy the cabin, I head into the holiday village center. I march into the front office and find Clayton manning the desk.
“Hi, I’m looking for Cole. Any idea where he is?”
“Up the mountain.” He peers at me with curiosity in his eyes. Arms crossed, he looks even bigger and more intimidating than he did the first time I met him. “Something I can help you with?”
From out of the corner of my eye, I see Melanie Osborne flying in from the back room. She waves a bright pink sticky note in the air, a wide smile on her round, friendly face.
My own smile turns tenuous as I remember what she’s been through. How she’s still standing, still smiling, still laughing despite the loss of her mate. She hasn’t let her grief overwhelm her.
“Rae, I was just about to come your way. The rental company has been trying to get a hold of you. Said you weren’t answering. I told them the connection’s spotty up in these parts. They’ve got a replacement rental car lined up and said they can drop it in today.”
“That sounds good. I might head home a day early to get this book back to my editor as soon as possible.”
“Oh no, honey, you can’t leave us so soon. Not without enjoying more of the comforts we have on offer here. You haven’t even been to the spa!” There’s an undertone of worry bleeding through her words, and I cover her hand with my own.
“Next time. It’s been magical staying here, and I’ll be back again. Maybe even before the fan convention.”
“Are you sure?”
I nod.
“Well, it’s been lovely to meet you, Rae. You’re an absolute charmer.”
Heat pricks behind my ears and I withdraw my hand. With a wan smile, I head for the door. “Yes, I think that’s part of the problem.”
Once I’m back in the main shopping area, I can’t help but look longingly at the families strolling past. A trio of young wolf shifters race through the main plaza, their tired, smiling parents looking on indulgently. A baby mermaid flicks her tail, gurgling happily as she reaches up for her human father’s ice cream cone.
I turn away, hurrying into the on-site grocery and supply store, intent on replacing all the ingredients I helped myself to when I’d first arrived. If I have to leave my heart behind in Fable Forest, then I might as well leave behind a fresh batch of the muffins he liked so much.
After paying, I motor around the corner with my arms full and trip over a skipping rope held by a pair of giggling twin pixies. Their mother swoops in, sharply scolding them and sending me an apologetic look over her shoulder as she ushers them out of the way.
“Won’t be long now,” an old, stooped woman says, cackling as she sways with her cane in hand and uses it to nudge a box of oats back my way.
“What won’t?” I ask, trying to reorder my stack once again.
“Til you’re chasing little ones of your own around here.”
I glance up sharply, taking in the crone’s crooked nose and clear, sharp eyes. “Oh. Uh. No, I don’t have any kids.”
“Cubs,” she corrects loudly. “It’ll be cubs. Twins. And it’ll be in… Oh,”—she wiggles her fingers in the air, mouthing to herself—“seven or so months, if I remember right.”
“What?” I blink hard, swearing I can see a twinkling light blue shimmer around her.
“Am I not speaking loud enough, girl? Can’t you hear me? I said, you’re. Having. Cubs.” She smacks her cane down against the floor. Shaking her head, she mutters to herself, “Told that sulky bear she’d be coming for him, and he still didn’t listen. Fool.”
Then she pats her pockets, looking for something. When her hand comes up empty, she turns to go, but I leap to my feet.
“Wait. You… You told Cole I was coming? You know who I am?”
One cloudy gray eye peers at me. “I know you’re that baby. The one the Sorceress Magen tried to imbue with her ugly, dark magic. But that backfired on her, didn’t it?”
She cackles, shaking her head so her long, gray braid sways behind her.
“What do you mean it backfired? Do you know what happened that night?”
“Magen meant to merge her powers with the ones your mama had. Your mama was a healer gifted with charms. Magen was obsessed with control and skilled at manipulating people around her for her own purposes, but she couldn’t make anyone love her. That’s a gift freely given, that.
“So, when she killed Charlie Osborne, she might’ve taken his life, but she didn’t succeed in stripping him of his fierce love. Ain’t nothing powerful enough to do that. All she accomplished in the end was stripping herself of her powers.”
“So, she didn’t pass on her powers of influence to me? I’m not… I’m not evil and manipulative?”
“No, girl.” The crone laughs, a sharp crack that transforms her face with mirth. For a second, I see the young witch she must’ve been once. “You got your mama’s heart. Golden and pure. And if I’m not mistaken, her healing gifts too.”
I think back to Cole’s surprise at the speed of his healing, wondering if I’d done that.
“Besides, babies aren’t born evil. They make choices as they grow. And if you were evil and manipulative, you wouldn’t have been marked as a worthy mate, now would you?”
My fingers fly to my neck where Cole’s mark is still bruised and tender. “Who are you?”
“He didn’t tell you?” She waves her hand. “Maebeth Thireault. I run the Mystica shop here. Which reminds me. You’ll be needing a new one of these now. For you and the babies.”
Digging deep into her other pocket, she withdraws a braided leather necklace bearing another three stones. They gleam and shine in the light as she dangles it before my face, then tucks it into my hand.
“You made my necklace?”
She bobs her head, eyes shining. “Before your mama died, she bade me to make it for you. Took longer than I thought it would to call you home, but you made it in the end. Safe and sound, as promised.”
Maebeth pats my arm and gestures to the Mystica shop behind her, its shelves glittering with gemstones, geodes, and other witchy gifts. “You take care of yourself and those cubs of yours. And you come see me again soon, okay?”
I nod.
“Oh.” Maebeth turns to look back at me. “Welcome home, Aurelia.”
Home.
The word hammers around in my head as I gather up the items and trek back to the cabin. My mind whirls with the revelations Maebeth dropped on me, and I mechanically put everything away and glance around the cozy space. All too easily, I can imagine children running and laughing outside, chasing each other along the stream.
But the picture isn’t complete without a big, gentle grizzly in it.
Sliding a hand over my soft belly, I feel a warm, protective instinct rise up in me. With my eyes shut, I roll the new stone pendant between my fingers and reach for that shiny thread of connection. It’s faint, but I still feel it pulsing within me, a triple thread that unites me with my grumpy bear shifter and ties us both to the twin babies just forming inside me.
The very thing I’ve been seeking is now something I will be able to provide for the cubs I’m carrying. And I want to do it here. In Fable Forest.
With my mate.
Cole, where are you?
Peering out at the expanse of forest and mountain beyond the cabin walls, I spy the entrance to the hiking trail beyond. Clay said he’d gone up the mountain. If that’s where Cole is, that’s where I’m going too.