It’s also where Carina and I met. Deep down, Mom would appreciate knowing I met my mate the same place she met hers, but I wonder how she’d feel about her being a different species.
Carina tips her head, a slight dip into her brows and a pout to her lips. “You never mention your mom.”
“Because you and I have known one another for so long.” It’s a teasing remark that I regret immediately when she frowns. “She died a couple years ago. It’s when Dad’s health began declining; he’s struggling to live without his mate. Mom was… She was one of the good ones. Loved everyone like they were her own child. She was one of the fiercest warriors, one of the best hunters. She took turns caring for all the pack’s pups, even when I grew up. She assisted the elders with whatever they needed and stood as an equal beside Dad. Losing her wasn’t only a hit on us, but everyone.”
“I’m sorry.”
Everyone says they’re “sorry” when dealing with a loss. It isn’t until Carina that I believe someone is. Fuck knows the woman’s known her own kind of grief in the last few days alone.
“She and I went to that pond every other week,” I continue, my throat feeling like it’ll close if I don’t shut up soon. “It was her way of escaping being an Alpha’s mate. After she died, I didn’t give it up.”
“She knows you still visit,” Carina murmurs with conviction. “She never left you, even if it feels like that. She’d be proud of the Alpha you’ve become.”
Shifters don’t have a special place in the Otherworld, but I believe we go somewhere. Ihaveto, to believe she and Dad will be reunited one day.
Carina waves her hand into the air and a series of hundreds, maybe even thousands, of drops lift from the spring; enough to make the overall body lower an inch or so. Her other hand circles in the air. The drops respond, twirling in a vortex before shooting up to the ceiling. It hits, splashing hot water all around, including misting onto us, before gathering in the centre again. A flick of her finger and the drops spin and spin, enough to make a person dizzy, until falling gently back into the pool.
“Amazing.”
Pink darkens her cheeks, and she shrugs one shoulder. “Parlour tricks, nothing more.”
“Considering all I can do is growl, it’s impressive.”
“Uh, you shift intoan animal. You win.” She nudges my side. “This is nice. Thanks for showing it to me. You’re not so bad after all, Alpha. For a shifter.”
Playing it off and trying to ignore the strain in my tone, I nudge her back. “And I never believed a witch’s company would be enjoyable,kamahki.”
“Gonna tell me what that means?”
Never.“Maybe.”
As her feet slowly kick the water, her side decompresses into mine. Another sigh, and then her head falls onto my bicep. As a hunter, I can force my muscles to lock, my body to be still, to avoid scaring off potential prey. It’s those instincts I call upon, even bracing my breath to ensure not even the slightest motion encourages her to pull away. I should. I really fucking should before too many barriers between us crumble. Before I end up falling for the woman who’ll never be mine, not completely. As a witch, she’ll always be owned by a coven—never completely pack property. Her leaving for Twilight Grove is a blessing in disguise.
But right now,shouldcan drown for all I care.
“You’re purring again,” she says in a sing-song tone, tipping her head until looking at me. “When do we have to go back?”
“Not for a while.”
“Good.”
Up close, the creases of her smile become prominent, as do the different shades of purple in her eyes. Her lids lower, chin tipping up. It’s every signal she’s begging to be kissed, but I wouldn’t be able to stop if I took her mouth.
It wouldn’t be a kiss to sooth every ache or take me home. It’d be the destructive kind. The kind that splits me open and leaves me vacant and hollow, aware a kiss is all I can have of her. The soft curve of lips would annihilate me with the offer of more, but reality makes it an impossible future.
For that reason, even though my insides tear apart and my wolf howls, I pull away and climb to my feet.
Staying awayfor the remainder of the day gets even more difficult after our afternoon together, but visiting Dad and going through all Xander’s prep work for tomorrow’s quarterly meeting distracts me.
For the first time in days, I join the others for dinner, claiming my place at the north end of the circle formed around the fire. Wooden log benches cut a V on either side of me, where everyone else sits. It’s loud and rambunctious, conversations flying everywhere.
Xander settles beside me, but immediately directs his attention to where Leah, Claire, and Carina are seated. Claire is pressed tight to Carina’s side, both grinning at one another in a way that makes my heart stop beating. Others are watching them as well, but not with disdain, only curiosity.
“You’re staring,” Xander mutters in my ear, low enough the others don’t overhear.
Of course I am. Who isn’t?
“Maybe there’s something to this mate thing, or she’s cast a spell on us all. But the others are warming to her, even taking to her magick.”
