Chapter 18 Rissa #2
Elle took a deep, steadying breath, then closed her eyes.
For a long moment, nothing happened. Then, slowly, her form began to shimmer and blur at the edges.
Fur the color of autumn leaves sprouted along her skin, spreading and thickening.
Her body elongated, bones shifting and realigning.
As she shifted, I slipped the robe off of her shoulders.
We usually shifted naked. It was no big deal, but to a thirteen-year-old girl shifting for the first time in front of her dad and her dad’s friend—or whatever I was—naked was awkward. I’d hated it at first, too.
With one last shuddering breath, Elle fully shifted into a sleek, russet-colored wolf. She blinked, her eyes now a striking amber.
Nathan's face split into a grin, pride shining in his expression. "You did it, kid."
Elle took a tentative step forward, wobbling slightly on her new legs. A soft whine escaped her throat as she tested out the foreign sensation of four paws instead of two feet.
I felt the familiar tingle under my skin, the call of my own wolf. I stripped quickly, and in the next heartbeat, I shifted, my human body melting away into sleek black fur. I padded over to Elle, nuzzling her reassuringly.
Nathan shifted too, his massive russet and gray wolf coming to stand on Elle's other side. He nudged her playfully with his snout, a clear invitation.
And then we took off running into the woods behind the house. The thud of our paws against the forest floor echoed the wild, joyful beating of our hearts.
Elle moved awkwardly at first, stumbling and unsure in her new form. But with each stride, she grew more confident, more graceful. A victorious howl suddenly tore from her throat, echoing through the trees.
I joined my voice with hers, then Nathan’s, too. Our howls intertwined and danced in the crisp autumn air, a song of celebration, of welcome, and belonging.
After we had a good, long run, exhausting Elle completely, I headed over to the inn for my tea with Erin.
Warm light flooded through the inn's windows as I stepped inside, the scent of freshly baked scones and rich coffee enveloping me.
Erin looked up from the counter, her face breaking into a wide smile. "Rissa! I'm so glad you could make it."
I returned her smile, shrugging off my coat. "Thanks for inviting me. Your inn is lovely."
Erin led me to a cozy table nestled by the window. Pale blue curtains framed the view of Stock Creek's quaint main street in the distance. Nathan’s neighborhood, and thus the inn, were on the outskirts of town.
She poured steaming chamomile tea into delicate floral cups. "I figured you could use some relaxation."
"You figured right." I settled into the plush chair. The warmth of the cup seeped into my hands. I took a sip, the soothing tea washing away the day's excitement.
"So, tell me about yourself." Erin leaned forward. "We barely got a chance to talk when we met."
I traced the rim of my cup, considering. Where to begin? "Well, I'm a Pre-K teacher. I adore working with kids. Their curiosity, their joy. It's infectious."
Erin's eyes sparkled. "That's wonderful. I can tell you have a nurturing spirit." She tilted her head. "What brought you to Stock Creek?"
A flicker of pain twisted in my chest. The miscarriage.
The suffocating grief. The need to start over.
I took a breath, pushing the memories aside.
"I needed a change. A fresh start. Stock Creek seemed like the perfect place to heal.
And my father and brother live here. Gavin, the police chief, is my older brother. "
Understanding softened Erin's features. She reached across the table, giving my hand a gentle squeeze. "I know a thing or two about needing to start over."
"Oh?" I searched her face, sensing a story there. "What's your story, if you don't mind me asking?"
Erin leaned back, a wry smile tugging at her lips. "It's a bit of a wild one. I was on the run from the mafia for a while. Stock Creek was my refuge."
My eyes widened. "Seriously? The mafia? That's intense."
She laughed. "Tell me about it. But coming here, meeting Ashton, it changed everything." A dreamy look crossed her face. "When we mated, I became a dragon. Like him."
I grinned at her. “That had to be overwhelming.”
She blew out a big breath that fanned her hair away from her face. “Oh, yeah. But enough about me.” She grinned from ear to ear. "So, tell me about Nathan."
I nearly choked on my tea. "Excuse me?"
Erin laughed. "Oh, come on. I see the way he looks at you. And the way you look at him."
Heat crept up my neck. "I don't know what you're talking about." But even as I said it, I thought of Nathan's intense gaze, the electricity that seemed to crackle between us whenever we were close.
Before I could answer further, two other women entered the inn. Erin waved them over. "Rissa, meet Aurelia and Skye."
Aurelia, a stunning woman with eyes that were nearly golden, gave me a knowing smile and flipped her black hair over her shoulder. "So you're the one Nathan's all tangled up about."
I groaned. "I walked into a trap."
Skye, a petite blonde with deep blue eyes, grinned. "Absolutely."
They all laughed, and I couldn't help but join in. As the conversation flowed, easy and warm, I realized something important—I wasn't just building a life here. I was building connections. Friendships. A sense of community I hadn't felt in a long time.
The thought filled me with a bittersweet ache, memories of my old pack, my old life, rose to the surface. But as I looked around at these women, at their welcoming smiles, I felt a flicker of hope. Maybe I could find a new place to belong.
As I left the inn, I bumped straight into Nathan on the way back to my car in his driveway. His gaze flickered over me, something unreadable in his expression. "Tea?" he asked, a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips.
I huffed, fighting back a smile of my own. "Don't start."
But even as I said it, I felt the pull between us, the undeniable attraction that simmered beneath the surface. I wondered, not for the first time, what it would be like to give in to it. To let myself fall.
He chuckled. “See you tomorrow night. For our date.”
With a final, loaded look, I stepped around him and got in the car, my heart full and my mind racing with possibilities. Stock Creek was changing me, day by day. And for the first time in a long time, I was excited to see where the journey would lead.