Chapter 10 SHANA
I stepped out onto the porch, snorting at Beau’s antics as he played in the snow. Taking a drag off my cigarette, I contemplated how much to tell Charlie. The truth was, I found my wings when I was traveling. I found myself, and the confidence that Charlie gave me when I was younger taught me how to be resilient in the competitive photography atmosphere. I didn’t think that we would’ve lasted had she not cut contact all those years ago.
“Hey,“
she said as she closed the door behind her.
“Hi, gioia,“
I replied, and she took the cigarette out of my hand to take a puff.
“I haven’t had one of these in years,“
she said as she exhaled.
“I don’t smoke often anymore. It seemed like something to do while Beau was doing his business.”
“Yeah, you’re going to be out here for a minute. Thanks for taking him.“
Wrapping an arm around me, she pulled me close.
We shared the remainder of the cig in silence, and as Beau made his way back up to the porch, Charlie opened the door and let him in. She grabbed my hand before I could follow him in and closed the door.
I scrunched my brows, and she kissed my temple before leading me down into the snow. I shrieked as it got in my boot, and she laughed before bending down to give me a piggyback ride.
I hopped on, unsure where we were going. She led me into the glen behind the house. The snow was already several inches deep, and I feared we were going to slide down the hill. It would be fun tomorrow to go sledding since there wasn’t a chance we were leaving, but tonight, I wasn’t prepared.
“Why are we here?“
I asked as she sat me down.
Her breath came out in a plume as she sighed. “It’s time I tell you what happened all those years ago.”
“Okay,“
I drew out, stiffening. I wasn’t sure why she was choosing now. I knew this would change everything.
“Eighteen years ago, I was attacked right where we’re standing. I came here to set up a surprise for you, but—" She choked back a sob, locking her hands behind her head as she let the snow fall directly on her face, trying to compose herself. She was beautiful, even in her grief.
I wanted to go to her, to wrap her up in my arms. There was a single lamppost a couple hundred feet back, so all I could make out was her silhouette. Instead, I stayed where I was, remaining quiet to give her a chance to gather her thoughts.
“I thought I’d been left for dead. At the time, there was no cell service up here, and no one knew I was here. I thought I was never going to see you again.”
“Oh my god, Charlie.“
I took a step forward, but she put her hand out, keeping me where I was.
“We were supposed to meet so I could take you to the airport. I was going to bring you here first for a small wedding ceremony, just you and me. So you’d know that I meant it when I said I supported your dreams,“
she almost whispered into the quiet the snow provided.
“Instead, I woke up days later in an unfamiliar place, ravenous. I was told that I wasn’t safe to be around. I spent many years trying to recover and relearn how to live.”
“Why wasn’t I made aware of this?“
I asked. “I would have come home. You left me out of the loop. I grieved you, Charlie.”
Even with the low lighting, I saw her flinch. “This is where I need you to understand that what I’m about to tell you is going to sound like I’m telling stories.“
she sighed.
“Telling—what?“
I was so confused.
“Before I finish this story, I need you to know that I never stopped loving you. I bought this house because I needed to be close to the memory of you. I don’t want you to say anything yet. I never wanted to leave. I hoped if I bought this place, you’d just come home. I didn’t expect it, but I hoped it,“
she took a breath. “I want this. Us.”
“I want that too,“
I said under my breath. I wanted to go to her, but I stayed where I was.
She raised her head, her posture changing from defeated to determined. Her feet were planted shoulder-width apart, pointed toward me. She expected me to run. I promised myself I wouldn’t. Whatever she was going to tell me was going to irrevocably change us, but I was prepared.
“Magic exists, Shana,“
she said simply.
“I know,“
I answered, relieved that was all she had to say.
Her eyes widened. “You do?”
I smiled. “Did you think I could have traveled as far as I have and not run across it? Believe in ghosts I’ve seen with my own two eyes since we were young? Of course magic exists.”
She huffed a laugh. “Okay, true. Well, it’ll be best if I just show you, then.”
“Show me what? Are you a witch?“
I playfully replied.
She started stripping down, and my confusion ratcheted up a notch. It was freezing cold, and I was terrified of her catching frostbite.
From one moment to the next, she went from a human to a large wolf. I couldn’t tell what color her coat was due to the lack of light. I thought I was going to pass out. Not from fright, but from excitement.
I always wondered if shifters existed. Charlie was a werewolf. What was this life?
She took a step toward me, and I took that as a sign to get closer to her. I fell to my knees, petting her neck. Her temperature had changed with her shift.
Her fur was incredibly soft, her coat thick. She nuzzled into me, and I wrapped my arms around her tight. We stayed like that for long moments until the snow finally got to be too much for me.
“You’re beautiful, Charlie. I need to know everything,“
I said as I stood up. I grabbed her clothes off the ground, and we padded back to the house.
By the time we reached the house, she was bipedal, but in a sort of human-wolf hybrid form. As I opened the door, she was back to her beautiful, naked self.
“Thank you,“
she said quietly.
“For what?” I asked.
“For not freaking out. I thought you were going to run for the hills, and I was trying to prepare my instincts not to chase.”
I laughed as I handed her clothes back to her. “I’ll let you chase me any day, gioia.”
“Oh, mon coeur, does that mean you want to try this again?“
Her voice was hopeful, but small, and I never wanted her to feel small again.
I echoed the sentiment I’d thought earlier in the day. “I thought I could live without you. I was so wrong. You’re stuck with me.”
She smiled. “Wait until I show you the worlds. Get ready for an entirely different landscape photography experience.”
I scrunched my brows. “Worlds? As in plural?”
Instead of answering, Charlie pulled me into another breath-stealing kiss.