Chapter 24
Jared
The deep cushion of the leather sofa I’m sitting on creaks as I settle in for my latest session with Mohinder.
Unlike the vampire therapist, his cosy office is what I expected.
The walls are a subtle shade of cream with thoughtfully placed pieces of abstract artwork hung in the few spaces free of bookshelves.
The broad strokes in earthy shades of green and brown with a splash of burgundy tie in well with the burgundy leather of the comfortable furniture.
A vanilla-scented candle, made specifically for supes so as not to overwhelm those with a more sensitive sense of smell, burns on the small round side table next to Mohinder’s armchair. It’s soothing.
“Good evening, Jared. How are you today?” Mohinder asks in his gentle baritone.
He begins every session the same way. While the office is nothing unusual, Mohinder isn’t what I expected from a vampire therapist decades my senior.
Not that you’d guess his age by looking at him, a human would assume he’s somewhere in his early thirties, but I’m quickly learning there’s no way of knowing if someone’s thirty or three hundred when it comes to supes.
His hair is shaved close to his head at the sides but left longer on top, the colour dyed a similar burgundy to that in the art on the walls instead of his natural dark-brown.
A vertical silver bar piercing adorns the outer corner of his right eyebrow, and his short, neat nails are painted a glossy black.
Mohinder’s outfits are always professional yet lean into his style in a way I admire.
I dress well enough, but I’ve never been the fashion-forward sort.
His outfit today is a sleek black blazer fastened with buckles instead of buttons over a black t-shirt, and black tailored trousers with a white pinstripe tucked into chunky black boots.
It makes my chocolate-brown suit and tie seem a little boring, but his fun take on office-wear inspired me to try out a pumpkin-orange pocket square today.
Waiting a beat, I take stock of myself before responding to his question. “I’m OK. There was a bit of excitement in the town square yesterday. It was scary, but, surprisingly, I kept it together.”
“I heard about what happened to Raine and that you and Selene ran over to help. Why do you say surprisingly though?”
“What do you mean?”
“From everything we’ve discussed so far in our sessions, I have no doubt that you’re an incredibly resilient and resourceful individual. So, I would like to know why you’re surprised you handled a high-pressure situation like that well.”
I chew on the inside of my cheek. “I guess being afraid for so long has made it hard to remember that I’m more than all the negative stuff.
This is going to sound bad, but I think Audrey being terrified for her mate made it easier for me to cope.
It meant my focus was on helping her instead of worrying about myself. ”
He nods sagely. “None of that sounds bad. In fact, I think it shows you’re a very compassionate person.”
I fidget uncomfortably. “I don’t know about that—anyone would have wanted to help in that situation.”
He gives me a wry smile. “You’d be surprised.” Steepling his hands in his lap, he changes the subject. “How are you feeling about the festival starting tomorrow?”
“Good, actually.” I smile. “My powers are under control, and I’ve been coping much better with crowds since I first came to see you.
Selene and I are going tomorrow evening, and I’m actually looking forward to it instead of dreading being in such a busy environment.
She’s so excited to share the festival with me, it’s made me excited too. ”
“That’s wonderful to hear.” Mohinder gives me a proud smile.
“I’m just hoping news of what happened in the square yesterday doesn’t bring us too much attention.”
“Why’s that? You did a good thing—it’s normal for people to want to congratulate you.”
“Honestly, I didn’t do much. All I did was try to comfort Audrey while Selene undid the spell on Raine—she’s the real hero.
As for the rest, I’m not comfortable being the centre of attention.
Feeling people watching me doesn’t set me on edge the way it did when I first moved here, but it’s still unsettling.
Logically I know The Raven can’t get inside Crystal Lake’s wards, but there’s still part of me that feels like it’s him following my every move, not our nosy neighbours. ”
“Has breaking situations down into rational thoughts been helpful?”
“Absolutely.” I nod. “At first I still went straight to panic mode, but, even though we’ve only been having our sessions for a few weeks, it’s becoming more and more natural to talk myself down before I get overwhelmed.
I’m still afraid. I think I will be for a long time,” I admit.
“But I’m not angry at myself anymore. Needing help doesn’t mean I’ve let The Raven win. ”
“You’ve come a long way in a short time, Jared. Your dedication and openness, both in our sessions and to the work you’re putting in during your own time, is something you should be proud of.”
We talk for a while longer and, as per usual, I leave the fifty-minute session feeling emotionally drained but with a quieter mind and a sense of achievement.
Healing isn’t easy, and the process is far from over, but the more time I spend with Mohinder, my friends, and of course Selene, the safer I feel in Crystal Lake.
Turns out Corbin forcing me out of The Ledger was the best thing that could have happened to me.
While I still disagree with how my old boss handled the situation, I’m not angry anymore.
How could I be when I’ve finally found my place here in this quirky little town?
Crystal Lake is home, and while he may still haunt my nightmares, The Raven can’t take that away from me.
SELENE
I’m in an open-plan office. Jared’s here, and he’s obviously upset. His hands tremble as he angrily dumps items from his desk into a cardboard box. There’s a raven perched on a bottle-green leather chair, beady black eyes watching him through the glass walls of what must be his boss’s office.
Jared throws a pot of pens into the box, then picks it up without saying a word.
His colleagues look on, but not one of them makes any effort to check on him or say goodbye.
He turns his back on them, striding towards the lift.
The raven slams into the glass, frantically beating its wings as if chasing him off.
I jolt up in bed with a startled gasp, heart racing and head throbbing after the vision.
It’s almost identical to the visions I had before Jared came to town—but those visions were linked to me being a moon witch and foreseeing my fated mate.
Jared and I have met and acknowledged we’re mates even if we’ve yet to complete the bond—so why am I having the vision again?
Jared’s still sound asleep beside me. Since the day he found out we were mates, we’ve not spent a single night apart.
Doing my best not to disturb him, I slip out of bed and make my way downstairs on silent feet.
After splashing cool water on my face and inner wrists, I gulp down a glass of orange juice to get my blood sugar back up in the hopes I won’t wake up feeling like total crap tomorrow.
I brush my teeth again, then crawl back under the covers, snuggling into Jared’s side.
Even in sleep, he throws a protective arm around my waist, holding me to him.
A weary sigh leaves my parted lips. This is what I needed.
We’re both OK. Whatever the vision means, I can deal with it in the morning.
“You’re supposed to be glowing with newly mated bliss, what’s up with you today?” Gwyn asks, adding more change to the till drawer.
“I didn’t get much sleep last night.”
She wrinkles her nose. “OK, I’m happy for you, but as your sister, there are some things I don’t need to know.”
“What? No, it’s not like that.” I bite my lip, debating whether I should tell Gwyneth about my vision or not.
She’s not a moon witch, but she is my big sister, and she gives great advice.
It’s worth a shot. Who knows, maybe talking it through with her will help me figure out what it means.
“You remember the visions I told you about having before Jared moved to town?”
“The ones you finally told me were of your mate,” she says pointedly, still not letting me live down not immediately telling her what they meant after my trip to the library. I didn’t come clean until after meeting Jared. “Of course. Why?”
“I had a similar vision last night. That’s weird, right?”
Gwyn purses her lips in thought before replying. “You said it was similar, not the same. What was different?”
I explain how the whole thing took place in Jared’s old office this time and the bird’s strange behaviour.
“Do you think it’s because we haven’t bonded yet?
” The books Giles showed me didn’t say anything about any potential consequences for a moon witch waiting to bond with their mate, but that could be because supes usually bond pretty quickly after meeting their fated.
Gwyn shrugs. “Could be. Wait, did you say there was a raven? Isn’t that the name the humans gave the serial killer who’s been terrorising humans in London?”
“Yeah, why?” I ask, unsure of what that has to do with anything.
“Jared was an investigative reporter before moving here. Is it possible he was working on something to do with The Raven?”
Huh, that would make sense. “Maybe. I’ll have to ask him. But that still doesn’t explain why I’d have the vision again now.”
Gwyneth shrugs. “Magic has a mind of its own sometimes. I wouldn’t worry about it. Whatever Jared was working on it’s in the past. It’s not like The Raven’s going to come here—we’re in a sanctuary town.”
“You’re right.” I shake my head, laughing at myself for getting so worked up over such a mundane vision. “I think the aftereffects just messed with my head a bit.”
Gwyn grimaces in sympathy. “Another headache?”
“Yeah, but I’m not complaining—I’m just happy it’s not a migraine this time. Jared and I are supposed to check out the festival tonight.”
“Ooh, a date night?” She shimmies her shoulders.
“Yeah. We’ll get dressed up and go to the closing dance in the town square, but I want him to have the chance to check out the games and food stalls before then.” Despite the extra work the festival creates at the shop, it’s my favourite time of year, and I can’t wait to share it with Jared.