Chapter 27
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
Six Months Later.
Early fall had settled over Fate Mountain. The leaves were turning, and harvest season had the orchards working overtime. The air was cool and clean, carrying the scent of wet pine and woodsmoke.
The mate bond hummed in Reed’s chest. Siren’s presence had become so familiar, he couldn’t remember what it was like to be without her inside him.
She’d moved into his cottage. Her leather jacket hung on the hook by the door. Her motorcycle boots sat beside his hiking boots.
She’d started taking yoga classes at the community center. And her yoga mat was now rolled up in the studio beside his guitar.
On a misty fall morning, Reed walked into the kitchen to find Siren standing at the counter, pouring coffee into two mugs. She was wearing one of his flannels over her panties. Her dark hair loose around her shoulders. He could smell the scent of their lovemaking wafting through the air.
“Morning,” he said, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.
“Morning,” she said, leaning her head back against his chest.
Six months ago, she would have flinched at his touch. But it was the opposite now. Siren no longer had walls up against him. She was still a bad ass operative. But with him, she was his lover.
She couldn’t keep her hands off him, and more often than not, when they were at home, they were in bed. Not that love making was all they did. They had learned that they enjoyed all kinds of activities together.
They’d been out to the lodge for dinner several times. They’d started going fishing together every other weekend at the dock at his dad’s house. Siren was an amazing fisherman. Not that Reed was surprised.
They walked into town for the Saturday market and visited his sister Holly at her booth.
They bought fresh bread at Sweet Summit Bakery twice a week.
Brie had taught Reed how to bake her famous lemon squares.
But he was sure she’d kept out a secret ingredient.
Even if they weren’t as good as Brie’s, he loved sharing his baked treats with Siren by the fire.
“I heard ‘Out of My Hands’ on the radio this morning,” she said, turning around in his arms. She pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I’m so proud of you.”
His album had come out two weeks ago, recorded with an indie label out of Portland.
He’d recorded several new songs in their studios, re-recorded a few that needed more polish, and they’d helped him master his previously recorded tracks with a professional producer.
It had come out better than he could have imagined.
It was twelve songs in total. He’d written a few brand-new songs about his adventure with Siren. And falling in love with her.
“Out of My Hands,” was the song about his shifting issues. The one he’d debuted at the brewery the night Carl Unger was killed. He’d added a new bridge that reflected what he’d learned about working with his bear with Siren.
“The DJ called it ‘authentic mountain folk with unexpected emotional depth’. He said you’re on the brink of stardom. Will you remember me when you’re famous,” she teased.
Reed blushed as she batted her eyelashes at him. He didn’t care about fame. He’d been working on this album since he was in high school, and he’d finally finished it. He had Siren to thank for that. She’d been his muse. And his inspiration.
Siren’s phone buzzed on the counter and she picked it up.
“It’s Dom,” she said. “I need to take this.” She squeezed his shoulder and stepped into the bedroom.
Reed sipped his coffee and gazed out the window over the sink. Little pots of cooking herbs lined the sill. The grass in the backyard was fading to brown, and the leaves of the big maple were brilliant orange. A few fluttered on the breeze as the morning sky brightened to eggshell blue.
Siren came back to the living room a few minutes later, dressed in thick jeans, a black sweatshirt, and boots, sliding into her leather jacket over her shoulder holster.
“I need to go in today,” she said. “I’ll be home later this afternoon.”
He walked her to the door and watched her mount the Harley parked under the carport in the driveway.
“Love you, baby,” she said, throwing him a kiss before pulling on her helmet.
“Stay safe, angel,” he said, waving as she turned and rode away. He watched her accelerate down the street, engine growling, her dark hair whipping behind her in the wind.
His dark angel. Dangerous and beautiful. He was the luckiest man alive.
Reed went back inside. He had Saturdays off from work at the Institute. He puttered around the house, sipping coffee. He strummed his guitar and then opened his phone to read the news.
The headline of the New York Post said, “No Way Out: Ashcroft Evidence Ruled Admissible.”
The conspiracy had made national news for months. Reed and Siren’s names had been kept out of the papers, but they’d been watching the coverage.
Draven and Ashcroft were still awaiting trial. The evidence against them was overwhelming, and their lawyers’ attempts to suppress it had failed repeatedly.
Diana Reyes had come out of hiding after the arrests and was consulting on the prosecution as an expert witness on the financial trail.
The others who’d helped them had gone back to their lives. Greg Sullivan had returned to his quiet existence in Ohio, relieved to be free of the burden Carl had left him.
Justice had been served. The people who’d tried to destroy Fate Mountain were finally facing consequences.
After a quick shower, Reed got dressed and decided to go over to the farmers’ market.
He chatted with his sister, picked up some honey oatmeal soap from Joy Kinkaid, bought a dozen lemon bars from the bakery stand, talked to the organizer about playing at the final fall market day celebration.
Then he went across the street to buy a six pack of beer from the brewery and checked in with Max about the entertainment schedule for the beer festival.
When he got home, he found Siren’s motorcycle was parked next to his SUV in the carport. He put away the things he’d picked up at the market and put the beer in the fridge.
He found Siren sitting in one of the Adirondack chairs on the back porch. She was staring out over the trees that lined the backyard. “You’re back early,” he said, sitting beside her, offering her a lemon bar.
“It was a quick meeting. Nothing serious,” she said, taking a bite of the treat.
He noticed she had a handwritten note on her lap. “What’s that?” he asked.
She sighed, looking down at the paper. “I wrote my mother a letter while you were gone.”
Reed knew about Siren’s mother. She’d told him bits and pieces of her childhood while they’d traveled across the country. But after they’d moved in together, she’d shared the full weight of the loss of her father, and the toll it had taken on her relationship with her mother.
“What made you decide to do that?” he asked.
“Something Dom said to me today after the meeting. About how being bonded with Velaria has changed him. It got me thinking…” Her voice was steady, but the tension of pain was right below the surface. “About my bond with you.”
Reed could feel her emotions swirling. Like something sharp and heavy was trying to break free. Like an old wound wanted to finally heal.
“Our bond is… everything to me.”
“Me too,” he said without a second thought.
“My mother… she was a human bonded to a shifter. When my father died…” She shook her head. “She fell apart. I’m starting to understand why.”
She was quiet for a moment, staring at the paper in her lap. She sniffled back tears and looked up at the fading afternoon sky.
“It doesn’t excuse what she did.” Her voice hardened. “She chose a pervert man over her own daughter. That is unforgivable. But I’m starting to understand how broken she was by my father’s death.”
She turned to him, her blue eyes bright with tears. “I can understand why she was grasping for anything that might fill the hole that my father’s death left in her heart. She was shattered, and had no support or understanding of what it meant to lose a mate like that.”
“Are you going to send the letter?” he asked.
“No.” She looked back out at the trees. “I don’t want to reconcile. But… I’ve been angry for so long.” She exhaled slowly. “I don’t want to be angry anymore.”
She pulled a lighter out of the pocket of her jacket and lit the letter. It burned up quickly, and Siren let the ashes fall into a metal bowl at her feet.
Reed reached out and took her hand, so proud that she was his mate.
Later that night, they drove out to Hampton Orchard for a family dinner hosted by Ash and Eliana.
When they stepped around the path to the back of the farmhouse, the yard was overflowing with the Bright family.
All of Reed’s siblings and their mates were there.
Oliver and Eli were running around between the trees.
Harvest season was in full swing, and the trees were heavy with ripe fruit. Smoke rose from the grill where Ash was watching over the meat. Holly trotted over and gave Siren a hug, telling her she’d missed her at the market that morning.
Reed’s father had baby Jasper on his hip and was making faces that had the toddler giggling.
Eliana came out of the house, wiping her hands on a towel. “Reed. Siren. Perfect timing, we’re just about to sit down.”
They gathered around the big table in the dining room. The surface was covered with harvest dishes, grilled salmon and steak, baked yams and squash, fresh sourdough bread, sweet butter, and apple pies. Eliana invited everyone to sample her soft and hard ciders.
Ivy and Henry told stories about the happenings at the nature center.
Holly updated them on her new ornament designs for the upcoming Winter Festival, Elias smiling silently at her side.
Ash informed them that there had been record low forest fires this year, while five-year-old Eli climbed into his lap. Corey proposed a toast.
And then Siren proposed another toast in honor of Reed’s album coming out. He blushed as his family emphatically celebrated him.
“It’s about time,” Ivy teased.
“What took you so long?” Holly asked.
“I needed the right inspiration,” he said, looking over at Siren. She squeezed his hand under the table.
“To Reed and Siren,” Corey said, raising his glass of cider. “My youngest has found his mate. And now all my children have found their bonds. Your mother would have been so proud of all of you.” Reed could see the tears forming in the corner of his father’s eyes.
“To mom!” Ash said.
“To mom,” the kids said.
While Corey said, “To Willow.”
Reed felt his heart ache in pain and happiness. He knew that his mom was looking down on them, a big smile on her face, giving them all a giant hug from heaven.
After dinner, the siblings all helped clean up in the kitchen. When the counters were spotless and the dishes were dried and put away, Siren slipped out the back door and Reed followed her.
He found her looking up at the dark sky, the moon so full and bright it felt like he could almost touch it. It hung above the orchard like a charm in the void.
“I love your family,” she said, arms wrapped around herself against the chill. “It’s like the bond I have with my pack but a thousand times stronger.”
“They’re your family now too,” he said, his voice hushed.
She turned to him, her eyes catching the porch light. Siren wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close. “Thank you, Reed,” she whispered. “I never thought…”
He squeezed her back inhaling her deep musky scent. He closed his eyes, the warmth of her strong body like a miracle in his arms.
“You were always meant to be a Bright,” he said.
She pulled back and kissed him, and he could taste the salt of her tears on his lips. “Come on,” he said, taking her hand. “Let’s go for a walk.”
Hand in hand, they made their way through the orchard. The scent of rich earth and apples on the crisp breeze. Outdoor lights were placed at the end of each row, illuminating the trees and casting long shadows over the ground.
They walked through the orchard to the fence line. The moonlight bathed the world in silver. The trees that had been burned the year that Ash and Eliana met had been removed or rehabilitated.
They stopped at the wooden fence and stared up into the forest. The scent of the wilderness beyond the orchard called to his bear, and Reed suddenly felt the impulse to run.
“Do you want to?” he asked, not having to explain.
“Yes.”
They climbed the fence, and started into the forest on the other side, removing pieces of clothing as they went. Finally, when they were naked in the chill night air, they transformed together.
A dark wolf, his angel, stood beside his massive grizzly form. She nipped playfully at his neck and darted off into the forest. Reed roared and gave chase.
They ran through the trees. Siren leapt over a fallen log. Reed splashed through a shallow stream. The forest was a live around them. An owl hooted in the trees, and a racoon scrambled away from the predators charging through the forest.
Reed was at one with his beast in a way that he never could have imagined before. With Siren’s help, he’d connected to himself more deeply than he’d ever known. And in doing so, he’d connected to her.
He could feel her heart, smell her scent, read her thoughts. And their shared joy transferred between them, growing more ecstatic with each step they took.
They ran to the top of the hill above the orchard. The lights of the house sparkling in the valley. They stopped in a grassy clearing as the moon climbed higher into the sky. The world glowed around them, like they’d stepped into a shared dream.
Siren sat at the edge of the clearing, overlooking the orchard, and Reed nestled beside her. He could hear the distant sound of laughter echoing up the hill, his family saying their last goodbyes for the night.
They listened to the forest. To the soft breathing of their animals in the silence. Their love and connection radiated between them. Her strength. His tenderness. They fit like a hand in a glove.
He felt such a sense of contentment in that moment that he was glad to be in his animal form. No words could ever express that feeling. All was right in his world.
He and Siren were together.
Forever.
Mates under the moon.