Chapter Five – Alfie
Now we’re the ones doing the walking away? Alfie’s bear asked incredulously.
We are. Alfie gritted his teeth as he did just that even though it was one of the hardest things he’d ever done in his life, each step was like torture, as if a part of him were being stripped away.
But he could not turn back now. He had to fulfill his promise to go and collect the canes and the tools from the garden center.
He needed to show her he was a man of his word.
I guess they do say absence makes the heart grow fonder, his bear said, as he took some satisfaction at seeing Marion’s expression when he’d promised to return. That tiny flicker of hope, quickly hidden but unmistakably there. It was enough to sustain him through this brief separation.
“Alfie!” The call stopped him just as he reached his truck. He recognized his brother’s voice immediately.
Here we go, his bear said with a roll of his eyes. But there was no denying the gratitude they both felt for Finn. He’d made their lives complete, even if it was by mistake.
Alfie turned to see Finn hurrying across the parking lot with a wide grin on his face. Although there was an undercurrent of apprehension about the way he looked over his shoulder.
He’s probably worried he’s going to get mobbed by every single shifter in town. Once word gets out he’s performed another match-making mix-up. His bear chuckled happily.
Oh, yeah, Alfie said. And I hope with all my heart that he can do the same for all our brothers and cousins, and everyone else. But more importantly, perhaps, himself. He deserves it.
He does, his bear agreed. No words would ever be enough to show his brother how grateful he was.
“Hey, Finn,” he said, trying to sound casual despite the emotions churning inside him.
Finn stopped a few feet away, his eyes searching Alfie’s face with almost painful scrutiny. “Is Marion...” he began, then seemed to struggle for words. “Is she your mate?”
Alfie couldn’t help glancing back toward plot number twelve, where Marion and Charlie were working side by side. Even at this distance, he could feel her presence like a physical thing. Could sense her, smell her scent carried on the gentle mountain breeze.
Then he turned back to Finn and nodded once, unable to keep the wonder from his expression.
“I don’t believe it!” Finn’s face drained of color at his brother’s confirmation.
“You mean you don’t believe I met my mate, or that it’s all down to you and your magical matchmaking mix-ups?” Alfie asked, unable to resist the opportunity to tease his normally composed brother.
Finn ran a hand through his hair and let out a surprised chuckle, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. “I am so happy for you, Alfie. But this does put more pressure on me. I mean...” His voice trailed off, and Alfie could see the weight of responsibility settling on him.
“I know.” Alfie placed a reassuring hand on his brother’s shoulder. He could only imagine Finn’s conflicting emotions, joy for his brother finding his mate, warring with the growing expectations from other single shifters. “I can’t thank you enough for what you did, even if it was accidental.”
“Oh, Alfie,” Finn looked up, his expression brightening.
“No, thanks required. I’m truly happy for you.
And for Marion and Charlie, too.” He glanced toward the garden plots where Charlie’s small figure was visible, still diligently clearing stones.
“I don’t know their full story, but they deserve happiness.
And I know you’ll give them that, and the stability Charlie needs. ”
“I’m gonna try,” Alfie promised, his throat tightening. He wished he knew Marion’s story, understood what haunted her, what made her so guarded. But that would come with time. He wanted to hear it from her when she was ready to share it.
“I don’t know how it keeps happening,” Finn admitted, shaking his head in bewilderment. “I could have sworn I sent that message to Mary-Ann.”
“Fate,” Alfie said with a shrug and a small smile.
“Fate,” Finn repeated with a mirthless laugh. “I guess I just wish I could control it, so Nero and Stanley could find their mates, too. Not to mention our cousins.”
“And you,” Alfie added quietly, recognizing the loneliness his brother tried so hard to hide.
“A man can dream,” Finn murmured, his gaze distant for a moment.
“And I am proof dreams come true,” Alfie replied, with arms spread wide and a smile on his face.
“You are,” Finn agreed and pulled his brother into a bear hug.
“Thanks, Finn.” Alfie hugged him right back.
“So, what’s your plan now?” Finn asked, as he finally let Alfie go.
“Honestly?” Alfie leaned against his truck. “I have no idea. She’s...cautious. And Charlie...” He thought of the boy’s wariness, the way Marion protected him. “There’s something there. Something they’ve been through.”
Finn nodded thoughtfully. “Take it slow, then.”
“That’s the plan,” Alfie agreed, though his bear grumbled in disagreement. Patience wasn’t exactly a bear trait.
“Does she know? About us?” Finn lowered his voice, though there was no one nearby to overhear.
Alfie shook his head. “Not yet. That’s...going to be a conversation.”
“You’ll be okay,” Finn reassured. “So, where are you going?”
“To get some stakes for the tomatoes and to grab those tools…” He arched his eyebrow at Finn.
“It was the first thing that came to mind,” Finn confessed.
“I know you were trying to help,” Alfie said.
“And we all know I do a better job when I am not trying to help,” Finn said lightly.
“One thing I know, Finn, is that your heart is always in the right place.” Alfie clapped his brother on the shoulder. “And that is what counts.”
Finn swallowed hard and nodded, then sniffed loudly. “Well, you’d better get those stakes. Don’t want to keep your mate waiting.”
Mate.
The word sent a thrill through Alfie every time he heard it. Mate. After all these years of waiting, wondering, watching his brothers and cousins find their other halves, it was finally his turn.
As he climbed into his truck and started the engine, Alfie thought of the journey ahead. Marion clearly carried wounds, and Charlie did, too. Gaining their trust wouldn’t be easy or quick. But if planting seeds and watching them grow had taught him anything, it was patience.
And Marion was worth waiting for. Worth fighting for. Worth whatever time it took to show her that he was nothing like the shadows in her past.
We’ll take it day by day, he told his bear as Alfie pulled out of the parking lot. Starting with tomato stakes and marigolds.
His bear rumbled in agreement, settling into a contented hum that vibrated through Alfie’s chest. They’d found their mate. Everything else was just details.
We’ll take it slow, his bear agreed as Alfie drove back to the garden center, the familiar mountain roads barely registering in his consciousness.
His mind was consumed with images of Marion, how her rare smiles lit up her face, the fierce protectiveness in her eyes when she looked at Charlie. And the thrill of her touch.
And Charlie, so bright and curious, who’d been so delighted by butterflies and worms, who seemed to be carrying a weight no child should have to bear. Already Alfie felt a deep, primal need to protect him, to see him laugh more often, to help him feel safe.
A family. His family. The thought was overwhelming in its rightness, even as questions tumbled through his mind. What had happened to Charlie’s parents? Why was Marion his guardian? What shadows lurked in their past that made Marion so wary, so ready to expect the worst?
Alfie gripped the steering wheel tighter. Whatever it was, he would help them heal from it. But first, he needed to earn their trust.
Before he knew it, he was pulling into the garden center’s back entrance. Saturday’s crowd had arrived in full force. Cars filled the parking lot, and he could see customers wandering between the rows of plants, employees answering questions, and carrying purchases to vehicles.
All working like clockwork, just as Daisy had promised.
He parked and headed straight for the greenhouse, mentally cataloging what he needed: tomato stakes, twine, perhaps some organic fertilizer, and definitely those marigolds he’d promised Charlie.
The bright orange and yellow flowers would be perfect companions for the tomatoes, both practical and beautiful.
As he entered the greenhouse, the humid air welcomed him, as always. The scent of damp soil and green growing things was as familiar to him as his own heartbeat, but today it seemed somehow sweeter, more vibrant, as if meeting Marion had heightened all his senses.
“You’re back so soon,” Daisy said, turning up at his side.
“I am,” Alfie replied, moving purposefully along the rows of seedlings until he found what he was looking for, a tray of bright, healthy marigolds, their foliage lush and green, buds just beginning to unfurl into blooms.
Just as our love is unfurling and blooming, his bear said with a happy sigh.
“Don’t tell me you never found her,” Daisy said, following close behind him.
“I found her,” Alfie confirmed, carefully lifting the tray of marigolds. The weight of it was satisfying in his hands, solid, real, just like the connection he’d felt with Marion.
“So, how did it go?” Daisy asked, a note of exasperation creeping into her voice at his brevity.
“It was good...” Alfie began, then paused, remembering the wariness in Marion’s eyes. “Apart from the fact that she thought I was stalking her.”
“Stalking?” Daisy’s voice rose in shock, her eyes widening.
“Yeah, because I turned up at the project,” Alfie explained, moving toward the section where they kept the gardening supplies. “Finn tried to cover for me by saying he’d texted me to bring some tools over, but she saw through that.”
“The lack of tools would have been a clue,” Daisy remarked dryly.
“Exactly,” Alfie agreed, selecting several sturdy tomato stakes. “But I told her that I was there to check up on them because I wanted them to fit in.”
“And she believed it,” Daisy said, her expression softening as she reached out to place a comforting hand on his shoulder. “Because it is the truth. You want the best for them.”
“I do,” Alfie said, his voice rough with emotion. “I want the world for them.”
“And you’ll give it to them,” Daisy assured him, her eyes crinkling with warmth. “One plant at a time, if that’s what it takes.”
Alfie nodded, gathering twine and a bag of organic fertilizer. “Charlie seemed to really take to gardening. You should have seen his face when he found a worm.”
“Children know instinctively when something, or some one , is good for them,” Daisy observed, helping him arrange his supplies. “Even when the adults in their lives are more...cautious.”
“Marion has her reasons,” Alfie said, feeling protective of his mate even in her absence. “I just don’t know what they are yet.”
“And you won’t push,” Daisy said, not a question but a statement of faith in his character.
“No,” Alfie agreed. “I won’t push. But I will be there. For both of them.” He picked up the stakes and supplies, balancing them carefully. “I should get back. I promised Charlie we’d plant the marigolds together.”
“Go,” Daisy said with a smile. “We’ve got things covered here. And Welland is making sure we’re all fed and watered.”
“Are you sure?” Alfie glanced around at the busy greenhouse with a twinge of guilt. He’d never been torn like this before.
We’ve never had a mate before, his bear reminded him. As if he could ever forget.
“Alfie Thornberg.” Daisy fixed him with a stern look that didn’t quite hide her affection. “If you think for one second that I’m going to let you spend your time here when your mate is waiting for you, then you’ve gone completely mad. Now shoo!”
“Yes, ma’am,” Alfie laughed, heading for the door. “Call if there’s an emergency.”
“The only emergency would be if you didn’t go back to that garden project right now,” Daisy called after him. “And if you are all in need of refreshment after your morning at the project, you know where we are!”
“I will,” he promised, smiling at the thought of bringing Marion and Charlie back here. Of sharing a coffee and perhaps some of Welland’s delicious bakes with them.
As he loaded the supplies into his truck, Alfie was struck by the sudden fundamental shift in his life.
All in the space of a single morning, his bear agreed.
Yes, Alfie mused. In so many ways, everything is the same. The garden center, Bear Creek, the mountains…
And yet everything is different, his bear finished.
So very different. Because now there was Marion. And Charlie. And the possibility of a future together.
But he didn’t want to rush ahead. He needed to go slow.
One day at a time, he reminded himself as he started the engine.
One marigold at a time, his bear said happily.