Chapter 7
SEVEN
Fern
The second Jameson leaves, the house feels too quiet.
I pace for a while, touching the edges of furniture like I’m making sure it’s all real. That I’m really here. That I wasn’t dropped into some awful nightmare where my dad is pounding on the door, and the truck is waiting outside.
My chest tightens.
Pulling Jameson’s phone from my pocket, I brush my thumb over the screen. I blink when I see that his background is a picture of me, staring out the window, a small smile on my lips. When did he take it?
I can’t stop thinking about what he said about us being fated to be together. I still think he’s crazy, but that would explain my reaction to him.
Could he be telling the truth? Could we be soulmates?
That thought alone is strange enough to make my throat burn.
I swallow hard and dial Roxie’s number. She answers on the first ring.
“Hey! I was about to call you. I have most of my things together. Do you want me to grab anything from your apartment? I’ll have to wait until your dad is out, but I can try to grab whatever you need.”
“Yeah, my bag is packed. I shoved it in the back of my closet, underneath some blankets. All my important documents and savings are in there.”
“Okay, I’ll grab it before I hit the road.”
“When are you leaving?” I ask her.
“Probably two days. I need to tie up some stuff. Quit my job, get all my things loaded into my car.”
“Okay, good.”
“Your dad came by again. He was really agitated. I think he was drunk too.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised.”
“He asked if I’d heard from you. I told him no. Pretended I was worried because you’d disappeared. I told him I was going to file a missing persons report with the police, and he freaked. He said he already did, which was clearly a lie.”
“They’re looking for me here too,” I admit.
“Seriously? Are you safe? Do they know you’re there?”
“I don’t think so. I heard they’re looking for me where I escaped from the truck. Hopefully, they’ll think I’m long gone by now.”
“But still…”
I can almost see her biting her lip worriedly. “I know. I’m staying put until you get here.”
“How are things there?”
“Weird,” I admit.
“How so?”
“Jameson, the guy I’m staying with, he’s… weird.”
“Weird, how?”
“He’s so intense. Always hovering over me. He took me shopping today… and he told me something.”
“What?”
I hesitate. “He says he’s a bear.”
Dead silence greets that statement. I can picture Roxie’s blank gaze as she tries to figure out what I mean.
“Like… emotionally? Or—”
“Like an actual bear. He says he’s a shifter.”
A beat of silence.
Then Roxie squeals. “Oh, my God. You’ve been kidnapped into a paranormal romance novel.”
I roll my eyes even as a laugh escapes me. I shouldn’t be surprised. Roxie has always been a romantic at heart. I should’ve known she would want me to end up with Jameson.
“Please don’t make this sound cute. I almost got sold into marriage.”
“Okay, fair. Still—hot bear man.”
“He says I’m his fated mate.”
She gasps. “YES! I KNEW IT.”
“You did not,” I mutter.
“I totally did. Tell me why this is weird? Tell me the downside.”
“The downside?” I repeat weakly. “The downside is that I don’t know him. At all. And he expects me to believe we’re destined because biology or magic or whatever decided it.”
“Fern,” Roxie says gently, “a hot guy wants to love and protect you for the rest of his life. That sounds like a win to me.”
“I don’t know him! How can I trust him? How can I trust any of this?” I whisper. “How can I trust him when men have lied to me my whole life?”
“It’s a leap of faith,” Roxie says gently.
“I’m not sure I have that in me. Words are cheap.”
“Then trust his actions,” she says immediately. “Not his words.”
I go quiet.
“Has he done anything bad to you?” she presses.
“No,” I admit. “He’s been… nothing but careful. Respectful.”
“And how has he been since you met? What has he done?”
“He rescued me without asking for anything. He’s kept me safe. Told me the truth about the cult and the danger I’m in. Told me about what he is. He’s cooked for me, cleaned my clothes, and bought me new things. Given me space.”
Roxie hums softly. “Sounds like a keeper.”
Her words settle in my chest and stay there.
Maybe she’s right.
Maybe I’m just scared to admit it.
“I’ll think about it,” I say finally.
“I can’t wait to meet him. Maybe I’ll find my own bear shifter to spend the cold nights with.”
“Oh, my god,” I groan.
She laughs. “I’ve got to go, but I’ll call you once I’m on the road.”
“Okay, be safe.”
“I will,” she promises.
We hang up, and I wander through the house.
I peek out the window, but all is still and calm outside.
Heading down the hall, I step into what looks like an office.
I pause to study the photos on the walls.
Medals and commendations are on display, and I smile as I scan them.
Looks like Jameson was a soldier, recognized for his service and dedication.
Old photos hang in neatly framed rows along the far wall. Jameson, in a uniform, younger but just as intense. A group of soldiers laughing together. A much younger Jameson with a woman I assume is his mom. Medals sit on a shelf beneath it all, polished to a high gleam.
Proof of who he was before me. Before this.
I turn away from the photos and go to the kitchen. It’s getting late, so I decide to make dinner for us. Maybe I should do something nice for Jameson. It’s the least I can do after all he’s done for me.
I lose myself in chopping up vegetables and grilling chicken. Finding some rice in the cupboard, I prepare it to add to the chicken and vegetables.
When Jameson walks in later, surprise flickers across his face as he sees me plating up the food.
“Everything okay?” I ask anxiously.
“Yeah, we’ll be doing more patrols. They haven’t come onto our land yet, and we’d like to keep it that way.”
We both sit and eat.
“What did you do while I was gone?” he asks.
“I talked to Roxie. Snooped around your place.”
He grins. “Find anything interesting?”
“A bunch of medals.”
“Ah, the office.”
“Yeah. I’m surprised that you’re not still in. Based on all the medals, it seems like you could have been running the Army by now.”
He snorts. “No chance.”
I take a bite of my chicken. “Why did you get out?”
“I got shot. Medically discharged.”
“Oh… I’m so sorry, Jameson.”
“It’s okay. I have this place and Midnight Haven. If I were still in, I wouldn’t have been here to catch you and keep you safe. It all worked out.”
I wonder if he truly believes that. It’s obvious from those photos that he was happy in the military. He must miss it.
I clear my throat. “I told Roxie about you… being a bear.”
His gaze holds mine. “How did she take it?”
“Better than I did.” I laugh. “I, um, I have questions.”
“Okay.” He nods.
“What does all this mean… long term? My being your mate?”
His gaze sharpens, and he sets his fork down. “It means that if you choose me, I’ll be yours for life, and you’ll be mine. No turning that off once we’re bonded.”
“Bonded?”
“I’ll bite and mark you on the night of the full moon,” he explains.
“The full moon?”
“Tomorrow night.”
My chest tightens. “So soon?”
“We don’t have to do it this month. We can wait until you’re ready, until you’ve made a decision,” he assures me.
I swallow. This is all happening so fast. Roxie will be here in two or three days, depending on the weather. That means that I have to decide quickly.
Do I stay in Night Grove Falls? Or do I run… again?