Chapter Seven – Alfie
I think we’ve done it, Alfie’s bear said.
Yeah, if by it, you mean made a good impression, Alfie replied with some relief. Things could have gone so very wrong after he’d turned up at the garden project like a stalker. In his haste to see his mate again, he hadn’t considered the optics.
The optics are that we did not want to lose our mate when we had only just met her, his bear said.
But that’s exactly what we nearly did, Alfie said as he straightened up.
“Alfie.” Finn was looking at him, eyebrow raised.
“We’re done here for now,” Alfie said, realizing he’d zoned out while talking to his bear. He looked around. “Does anyone need help with their plot?”
“I…” Finn looked around, then glanced back to Alfie as if trying to read his mind. “I think most folks are close to finishing up for the day.” He paused and Alfie could almost see his brother’s mind working.
“Well, in that case…” Alfie began.
Finn’s expression brightened. “You guys should reward yourselves with coffee and cake at the garden center.” He looked at Marion. “Has Alfie told you it’s…”
“The best kept secret in Bear Creek,” Marion finished, then she chuckled, sounding so completely different from the woman who had arrived at the garden center by mistake. “Although I’m beginning to think it’s not a secret at all.”
“You might be right there,” Alfie said.
We’re gonna have to thank Finn for this, too, his bear said.
Marion hasn’t said yes yet, Alfie replied.
True, his bear said. But who can resist cake?
Thankfully, not Charlie. “Can we, Aunt Marion?” he asked.
And Marion could not resist her nephew’s plea. “Sure, I think we need a reward.” She turned to Alfie. “My treat.”
“Oh, you don’t have to,” Alfie replied.
“I think I do,” Marion said, “for all the help you’ve given us, and the project.”
“You know better than to turn down an offer like that,” Finn said to his brother, looking a little smug with himself.
“True,” Alfie said.
“Okay, let’s go,” Charlie said as he started collecting the tools.
Marion bent down to help Charlie, gathering the trowels and small rake they’d used. Her movements were more relaxed now. Even the way she smiled at Charlie had changed, becoming more open, less guarded.
As for Charlie, in just a few hours, the boy had been transformed from the wary, withdrawn child who’d hidden in the car to this eager helper who couldn’t wait to get back to the garden center.
“I’ll take those,” Alfie offered, holding out his hands for the tools Marion had collected. Their fingers brushed as she passed them over, and that now-familiar spark danced between them.
“Thanks,” she smiled shyly at him before she turned away and began packing up their few personal belongings, tucking Charlie’s water bottle into her tote bag.
There was a softness to her movements now, a slight relaxation in her shoulders that hadn’t been there before.
As if some invisible weight had been temporarily lifted.
“Welland’s carrot cake is legendary,” Finn said casually, though his eyes gleamed with mischief as he glanced between Marion and Alfie. “And his hot chocolate might actually change your life.”
“That’s a big claim,” Marion said, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s the secret ingredient,” Alfie explained, as he checked they had left nothing behind. “He refuses to tell anyone what it is, but there are theories.”
“Cinnamon,” Finn suggested.
“Cardamom,” Alfie countered.
“Magic,” Charlie offered seriously, making all three adults turn to look at him.
For a moment, there was silence, and then Alfie burst into delighted laughter. “You know what, Charlie? I think you might be right.”
The boy ducked his head, pleased but shy about the attention. He tugged at Marion’s sleeve. “Can I bring my heart stone?”
“Of course,” Marion said, her voice filled with affection. “We could paint it and then use it to mark the plot.”
“Cool,” Charlie said as he retrieved his special stone from their pile.
“I’m heading back to the vineyard,” Finn murmured as he leaned closer to Alfie. “Mom’s expecting me for lunch.”
“Tell her I said hi,” Alfie replied, suddenly realizing he’d have to introduce Marion to their mother soon. The thought was both thrilling and terrifying. “But as for…”
“You’re secret is safe with me.” Finn clapped him on the shoulder.
Is it? Alfie’s bear asked, not sure their brother could keep this big a secret for long.
“Tell Mom and Dad I’ll pop by later,” Alfie said. His bear was right, he needed to tell his parents at the earliest opportunity. But he had other priorities right now.
Coffee and cake with our mate, his bear said excitedly.
“Will do, Alfie.” He raised his voice to call out to Marion and Charlie. “Enjoy the cake! I’ve got to run, but I’ll see you both on the next garden day.” He paused and then added, “If not before.”
Alfie rolled his eyes, but thankfully, Marion had not thought Finn’s last comment strange.
“Ready?” Marion asked, approaching with Charlie at her side, the heart-shaped stone clutched carefully in his small hand.
“Absolutely,” Alfie replied, his heart fit to burst.
“We’ll follow you in our car,” she said, glancing up at Alfie.
“Perfect,” he replied, trying not to show how the simple phrase ‘follow you’ sent a thrill through him.
As they walked to their respective vehicles, Alfie could not resist stealing glances at Marion, memorizing the way the sunlight caught in her dark hair, the curve of her cheek when she smiled down at Charlie.
His bear rumbled contentedly inside him, already feeling possessive, already considering them part of their world.
Slow, he reminded himself as he stowed the tools and empty trays in the back of the truck and then climbed into the driver’s seat. We’re taking this slow .
But his bear only huffed in response, clearly unconvinced that slow was the way to go when they’d already waited so long to find their mate.
He started the engine and edged forward, watching as Marion helped Charlie into the car. He could tell by the way Charlie was waving his hands around that he was having an animated conversation with his aunt. Damn, it was a wonderful sight to see.
A few minutes later, Alfie pulled out of the parking lot with his mate’s car right behind him. It was hard to resist looking in the rearview mirror as he drove. But then, he found it impossible to resist his partner, period.
The drive back to the garden center was both too long and too short.
Too long to be separated from Marion, too short to prepare himself for what came next.
Because coffee and cake meant conversation.
It meant learning more about her, about Charlie, about the shadows that lurked behind their careful smiles.
And it meant sharing himself with them. Not everything—not yet—but enough to start building that bridge of trust between them.
As he pulled into the garden center parking lot, Alfie took a deep breath, centering himself. “Ready or not,” he murmured to himself, “here we go.”
Alfie stepped out of his truck and felt a wave of nervousness wash over him. The sensation was so foreign here that it stopped him in his tracks. This was his domain, more of a home than his cabin in the mountains.
A cabin that might not be big enough for our new family, his bear said.
The thought caught Alfie by surprise. His mountain cabin had always seemed perfectly sized for him.
With two bedrooms, a spacious living area with windows that looked out over the valley, and a kitchen where he experimented with recipes using herbs from his garden.
But now, trying to imagine Marion and Charlie there. ..
We could extend, he suggested. Add another bedroom for Charlie, maybe expand the kitchen.
But it’s not just our decision, his bear reminded him.
No, it’s not, Alfie agreed. He’d lived alone for so long, making his own decisions, never having to consider anyone else’s opinion.
Except Daisy’s, his bear said lightly.
Alfie chuckled. Yeah, where the garden center was concerned, Daisy was more of a partner than an employee. But this wasn’t about his work life.
It was about his home life. His family life.
A family he did not know. Hell, he didn’t even know where Marion lived in Bear Creek. Was she renting? Had she bought a place? What did she do for work? The questions tumbled through his mind, highlighting how little he actually knew about the woman he had instantly recognized as their mate.
We do not know why she came to Bear Creek. Or what she’s running from, his bear added soberly.
Because she was definitely running from something.
Alfie had seen that look before. The heightened vigilance, the careful way she positioned herself to keep Charlie in sight at all times.
It was the same haunted wariness he’d seen in the faces of the young shifters who came to his reach-out programs, the ones who struggled with their dual nature, who’d had their transformations come on unexpectedly or traumatically.
To some, being a shifter wasn’t always the gift his family considered it. Especially those who only discovered their true nature when they had their first shift. Without family, or community support, it could be terrifying and isolating.
Maybe we should talk to Dougray, his bear suggested. His cousin’s adopted son had gone through his own struggles adapting to shifter life. He might have insights on how to approach someone carrying deep wounds.
That’s good thinking, Alfie acknowledged. We could…
Marion’s car pulled up beside his truck, and every coherent thought in Alfie’s head scattered like fall leaves in a strong wind. As she got out, his breath caught in his throat. He still could not believe she was real.
“Is everything okay?” she asked, her brow furrowing slightly as she took in his expression.
“Perfect,” Alfie managed, his voice rougher than he intended. He cleared his throat. “Just thinking about which cake you might like best.”