Chapter 5
Alaric
Shay showed up the next morning while I was up checking the roof.
He squinted up at me, eyes narrowed against the pale morning light. “What’re you doing?”
“Checking for weak spots. We had a storm blow through a day or so ago, and I wanted to make sure the roof is still sound.” I had Everly to worry about, after all.
“Uh-huh. What else have you done today?”
I squatted near a shingle that looked like it was crumbling at the edges, but it turned out to be just dirt. I scowled, wiped the grime away with the back of my hand, then moved on.
“Ry?”
I looked down at my oldest friend, currently masquerading as a pain in my tail, and sighed, dragging a hand through my hair.
My skin felt warm, almost hot against the chill in the air.
The light snow flurries hissed as they touched me, instantly melting.
The scent of pine from the nearby woods drifted on the morning breeze.
“I had a virtual meeting with my CFO, made bread for me and Everly, caught and prepped some fish for dinners this week, and worked out.”
Shay’s expression was blank, but because we’d known each other for nearly six decades, I knew what he was thinking. He was thinking I was making myself sick trying to take care of my mate—and he wouldn’t be wrong.
“Uh-huh. Get down here.”
I shook my head, tossing a branch off the side. I needed to get up here and power-wash the roof. That last storm had made things a mess. “I’m busy. Go bother someone else.”
I sensed magic flooding the area. Curious, I glanced down at my best friend, then turned fully toward him when his eyes started glowing bright green, signaling he was pulling on a significant amount of magic.
I folded my arms over my chest and widened my stance, daring him to make a move. Go for it, wizard.
He grinned, reading the challenge perfectly, and lifted a single finger—though he didn’t even need to. Then he scooped me off the roof like I weighed nothing more than a tuft of dandelion fluff. The wind tugged at my shirt as he set me down gently in front of him, his eyes dimming back to normal.
I knew he was trying to look out for me, but I wasn’t ready to hash this out yet. Everything felt too new, too fragile, and too easily broken.
“I’m busy,” I growled.
“This is an intervention.” Shay’s voice was calm, but his green eyes held earnest concern.
I ignored him and trudged over to my chopping block, then slammed a piece of wood onto the block, gripping the axe tight enough to make my knuckles ache as I raised it high. Thunk. The splintered wood sprayed everywhere. The action felt satisfying, cathartic even. I lined up another piece.
“Don’t need one. Aren’t there people in Port Noble you could hassle instead?”
“Alaric Wynvar,” Shay said in a powerful voice, “don’t make me prove to you that I can best you!”
I paused, bowing my head, then sighed and tilted my face toward the sky, closing my eyes. Fat snowflakes drifted lazily down, landing on my eyelashes and sizzling against my cheeks.
“She’s your mate,” Shay said quietly behind me.
“Yes, but she can’t know yet, Shay.”
“Why not? You’ve been waiting forever for her. Aren’t you happy she’s found you?”
I finally turned to face him. He was bundled in fleece-lined snow pants, a thick sweater, and a coat with the collar pulled up to his jaw.
I stood in jeans and a thin tee. My inner dragon fire was able to keep everything but subarctic temperatures at bay.
Even then, if I was in my shifted form, I would be comfortable.
“Of course I’m happy she found me! That’s not the point. The point is that she’s human. She doesn’t feel the pull. She doesn’t understand that we’re mates.”
“So you’re just... not going to say anything?” Clearly, he thought this course of action was insane. Maybe he was right, but...
All my life I’d been latched onto by others because of my power, lineage, or wealth. Everly wouldn’t do that—I knew she wouldn’t. But the fear still lingered. I tightened my grip on the axe. “Is it really so wrong to want my mate to love me for me? This is my mate. I don’t want to mess this up.”
Shay’s expression flickered painfully, and he looked away toward Port Noble, clearing his throat.
He got it, just as I knew he would. He’d had similar experiences because of his power—people fawning over him, people trying to get close for the wrong reasons, people trying to seduce him.
I knew, because he’d told me. And every time, he got as frustrated as I did that the world was like that.
That what should be beautiful was instead tainted by people whose only motivation was greed and selfishness.
This was a sore spot for both of us, maybe more so for him because Shay’s life would be significantly shorter than my own. Sorcerers didn’t age like regular humans, not with magic in their veins, but they weren’t immortal either. They could live for centuries, but eventually, they still died.
When Shay died, I would mourn him deeply.
“She’s your mate, Ry,” Shay eventually said, turning back to me. “Mates are shifters’ other halves. She won’t be like that.”
I shook my head. The axe still dangled in my hands, so I thunked it back into the block and started stacking wood to bring into the cabin.
“I just want to give her time to get to know me.” I hunched my shoulders, exhaling a breath that fogged in the cold air.
“Look, I’m not an idiot. I know I have to tell her soon—about who I am, what I’m worth—but I’m going to hold off on telling her she’s my mate for a bit. ”
Shay frowned as his phone buzzed. He pulled a glove off with his teeth, dug into his pocket for it, glanced at the screen, then sent it to voicemail.
Tugging his glove back on, he said, “Look, I get where you’re coming from.
But can you imagine getting to know someone, falling in love with them—because, let’s face it, she’s your mate, and she will—and then finding out he’s your mate, the other half of you, and he didn’t tell you? You’re just asking to get burned, man.”
“It’s a good thing I’m fireproof, then.”
Shay’s voice softened. “She might get hurt, Ry. I know the last thing you want to do is hurt her.”
I squeezed my eyes shut against the gut punch that thought was.
He was right. Hurting Everly would be like hurting myself.
I didn’t want to cause her pain. I just felt so unsure.
What was the right move here? Honesty was the best policy and all that, but sometimes honesty too fast could sink something good.
I was afraid it would be too much for her, and she’d fly right back out of my life.
Shay sighed, and I turned, my arms full of wood, and gave him a look.
“Just spit it out. Hurting my feelings has never stopped you before.”
His lips tilted slightly in a smile, then he grew sober.
“I think it’s normal to be afraid, Ry, but I think she can handle it.
Whatever mate is chosen for you is supposed to be your equal.
” He shook his head. “I don’t think you’re giving her enough credit.
I know she’s human, but I can tell from the way magic flows around her that she’s been through a lot.
” He grimaced. “Also, I think you’ve run out of time.
I saw the Everlight Enclave in Port Noble before coming up this morning. ”
I froze. The Everlight Enclave was here already? My chest tightened. How had they known about the change in my health so quickly?
I pinned Shay with a searching look, but he shook his head and held up his hands. “It wasn’t me. You know they’re connected to some of the oracles. They could have found out that way.”
“But so quickly! Everly barely got here yesterday!”
Shay sighed. “I know, man. It sucks. But you knew this was going to happen if you got better. It wasn’t if but when.”
My thoughts spun. I had wanted to protect her as long as possible from my world, but after only mere hours, she would be thrown right into it. This was exactly what I hadn’t wanted!
Then I sighed in surrender. There was nothing to be done. My past was coming for me. “I just hoped I’d have more time to prepare her first.”
“I’m sorry. I know it’s not ideal.”
I squinted at him, the rising sun shining directly into my eyes. “You think she’ll stay?” I asked, my voice hoarse with emotions I couldn’t even begin to name.
Shay smirked. “If she doesn’t, I’ll let you choose one of the spells from Arcanum Obscura to use on me.”
He thought an ancient spellbook that no one understood would comfort me if Everly left? It took the patience of a dragon to refrain from strangling him. Then I caught the twinkle in his eye, and shook my head as I stomped toward my cabin. He was just messing with me, as he always did.
“Ry?” I turned.
Shay’s face was soft. Certain. “She’ll stay. Trust her.”
I nodded and entered the cabin.