“I think this was the best first date ever.You really set the bar high for my romantic expectations going forward.”
With a laugh, he scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.“Challenge accepted.”
The following day, she and Sebastian spent a lazy Sunday morning eating breakfast in bed and talking about anything that crossed their minds.She discovered he had a love of old science fiction movies and was one of the youngest in his generation to shift at fifteen instead of the usual sixteen.She shared how she’d had trouble as a young witch with her dual nature, and when she was in high school and would get emotional, her fire magic would flare, and she would occasionally set things on fire.Like a desk or the chemistry lab.
They had lunch in the dining hall with his cousins and she got to know his cousin-in-law Winterlyn, who was sweet and kind.They were already making plans to have a big Christmas celebration once they were with the pack.
Before they headed to meet with Santa, she reached out to her sister again, but the calls and texts went unanswered and left her feeling hollow.
The call to Mother Nature connected on the third ring.
“Hello, dear,” Mother Nature said.“How are things in the north?”
“Cold.”
She chuckled.“I’m sure.What can I do for you?”
“Well, two things.Is Talia okay?I haven’t been able to connect with her.She’s not answering my calls.”
“As far as I know, she is, but I haven’t spoken to her since yesterday.She’s distraught at losing her magic, so it would stand to reason she’d be distant as she comes to terms with the loss.”
“I know, I’m just worried.It’s been me and her against the world since our mom died and our dad left, and I don’t want her to think I abandoned her too because I’m here in Northernmost instead of with her.”
“When I spoke with her, I didn’t get the impression she had any ill will toward you not being here, but it could be something she’s struggling with.That you not only were able to keep your magic, but you found your truemate, and her whole world is upside down.”
Emberlin grimaced.“What can I do?”
“Nothing until after Christmas, I’m afraid.You’re stuck in Northernmost for safety purposes, and she’s not going to be able to come see you either since she’s no longer magical and can’t open a portal.I wouldn’t worry about it because there isn’t anything you can do to help her get through this process.She has to grieve the loss of her magic, and it takes as long as it takes.Just let her know through calls and messages that you’re here for her whenever, and when she’s ready she’ll reach out.In the meantime, I’m going to go see her myself and make sure that she knows she doesn’t have to go anywhere.She’s part of the coven no matter what.”
“Thanks, Mother Nature.”
“I wanted to apologize.”
“For what?”Emberlin asked.
“Because I was so caught up in the loss of the witches captured by Jack Frost for his evil purposes that I didn’t ensure that my own coven regularly kept their magic replenished.I’m partly to blame for not being aware that your magic was depleted to such a great degree that it set off a terrible chain of events.”
Emberlin shook her head.“No, it wasn’t your fault.We’re adults and should be responsible enough to keep on top of that.”
“I can still feel guilty even if it’s not entirely my fault.”
“Fair enough,” Emberlin said, not wanting to argue with the most powerful witch on the planet.“Anyway, the other thing I wanted to check about is that Santa said I would be able to stay in the coven even if I wasn’t living there.Is that true?”
“Yes, of course.And your truemate can join us whenever he’d like.”
“Oh, good.I was wondering about that.”
“Do you think you’ll live in Northernmost?”
“Until we have a family and our kids are old enough to need to be around their peers, and then we’ll most likely move to the wolf pack in Ohio.”
“You can open a portal anytime to visit here and commune with us during the ceremonies and special events, and we’d love to have a Guardian along for extra protection.”
“Thanks.”
“Be well, child, and be safe.”
The call ended, and Emberlin put the phone down, pressing her lips together in thought.At least Mother Nature would check on Talia, and that was more than Emberlin could do until after Christmas.And she really hoped her sister would want to come to the wolf pack and hang out for the holidays.Emberlin would love to open a portal to pick her up and bring her with them to the pack’s territory.
