“Cri, you know he’s going to follow you, right?”
“Why would he do that? He’s never even been to my parents’ territory!” I groaned.
“Because you’re his true-mate and it’s not hard to find out where you’re from. It’s not hard to find out all your local haunts or what you might do. You make an impression on folks, Cri. A big impression. He’s a lucky guy.”
“Teal, you know that’s not true. Sure, I’m great but if you look at my family history---”
“Nope,” Teal said. “I will do no such thing. Look at my family history. Now my grandfather is sending weekly reports of the Moonscale Meals program to me. You don’t get to hide away. You’re going to be another pattern breaker.”
“I don’t ---”
“It’s not a choice, Cri. You can hide from him. Sure, maybe even for a long time but eventually, it’s going to catch up with you. Your wolf and your crow will start working against you to get you to him because they’ll want him too. I’m not even sure how you were able to run away.”
“Tell him to leave me alone,” I said. “People are afraid of you.”
“I’ll do no such thing,” Teal laughed. “He’s your mate and unless he’s hurt you, I’m not getting involved. Cri, you’re a good friend but sometimes you can’t see past the ghosts who aren’t there. I’ll hang around until they get the windows back in the Perch. Then I’m going home to my family unless you need something else.”
“Thanks, Teal,” I sighed.
“Do yourself a favor and don’t do this the hard way. I know you’re going to. Hell, I’m not even sure you can help it, but do this the easy way. Call my grandparents for a ride or take the gateway back to the one close to their house. They’ll get you to Pierce and you two can work this out. It’s only as complicated as you make it.”
“I wish that were the truth.”
“It is. Take care, Cri,” Teal said.
“Tell everyone I said hi.”
The call ended and I was alone with the grass and the trees again. I took a deep breath and considered shifting into my crow. His wings were the fastest way to travel through the Other World. No one messed with crows or ravens because they never knew if you were wild, a shifter, or a soul collector on official business. No one wanted to distract the latter from their important duties.
“He’s not fully right,” a familiar voice vibrated across the points of my ears.
“Dad?!” I blinked as my sire, Creon Nedel, came through the trees and sat down next to me.
“You thought I was quiet because I agreed with what you were doing,” he said, and it wasn’t a question. “I have always supported your choices – hexing notwithstanding – and I’ll continue to do so but it’s not just yourself you should consider.”
“I am considering him,” I groaned. “Did you come all this way to tell me to go to him?”
“You’re an adult. You proved when you moved to Moonscale London to own your bar that you’ll do what you want, and you should. We all want you to be happy, but sometimes that involves letting other people decide for themselves what an acceptable risk is.”
“Is he really deciding for himself, though?” I arched a brow and put a hand over my solar plexus. “I can feel the pull.”
“Yet, you sit here. He still has a choice just as you do,” Dad nodded.
Neither of us said anything for a long time. What was there to say? We could talk our family history in circles, but he was there. He lived through it and didn’t need to be reminded.
“Wouldn’t it be easier for you guys if I came home? The windows and all?”
“Your job isn’t to make our lives easier,” Dad chuckled. “We’ve told you that so many times. You don’t have to do anything to make things easier for us. You get to live your own life. Sure, if I find out who came after you, I’ll dispatch them to the whims of the cruelest ancestors who will take them, but backing down because someone tries to scare you off isn’t in your blood – not on either side.”
“What if they were coming for Mori?” I asked, playing devil’s advocate.
“Then ask the ancestors to have mercy on them because Xenos will out do anything I have planned for them,” he shrugged.
“Do you think it’s her?” I asked because we didn’t say Dad’s mother’s name. Not since the incident anyway.
“I don’t think so.”
“She really hated the Moonscales. Maybe more than she hated you and your siblings,” I pointed out.
