“I’m Riley Hawkins.” She stepped forward, offering her hand the way humans did. “Nice to meet you. I’m looking for Mary and Louis Woods, a cute elderly couple that used to run this place. Are they available?”
The red-haired woman’s warmth faded to sadness. Her eyes went soft with grief.
“You knew them?” she asked quietly. “They were my grandparents. I’m Wen. They... they passed away several years ago.”
The bond flooded with Riley’s sorrow. Sudden and acute, a blow to the chest.
“Oh.” Riley’s voice was small. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know.”
“How could you? It’s not as if we advertised.” Wen’s smile was gentle despite the sadness. “How did you know them?”
“I used to come here as a child. With my godmother, Maris Hawkins. We’d visit regularly. Mary and Louis, they were always so kind to me. Let me read anything I wanted.” Riley’s voice wavered slightly. “I haven’t been back in years. I should have... I should have visited sooner.”
“Maris Hawkins.” Wen’s forehead creased. “That name sounds familiar. I think my grandmother mentioned her in some of her letters.” She paused, studying Riley more carefully. “Why are you here now? After all this time?”
Riley glanced at me. I gave her a slight nod. Your call.
“I’m looking for answers,” Riley said. “About my past. My parents. This is the only connection I have to my childhood, and I thought... maybe there might be records here. Information. Anything.”
Wen and Malachar exchanged a look. Some silent communication passed between them, the kind that only mates could share.
“My grandparents kept extensive records,” Wen said finally. “Diaries, journals, correspondence. I’ve been meaning to go through them for years, but...” She swallowed. “It’s been hard. Too painful.”
“I understand,” Riley said softly.
“But if there’s an answer in there that could help you...” Wen straightened, resolve settling over her features. “Come with me. The archives are in the back.”
Wen led Riley toward the back of the store, chattering as she went. She was talkative, warm and open in a way that seemed to put Riley at ease.
“The archives are a mess, honestly. Gran kept everything, but her organizational system was... creative. We might be here a while.”
“I don’t mind,” Riley said. “Thank you for doing this.”
“Of course. If there’s even a chance it helps...”
Their voices faded as they disappeared into the back room.
I stayed behind, as did Malachar.
“She’s your mate,” Malachar said. Not a question.
“Yes.”
“Human?”
I paused. “That’s... complicated.”
Malachar’s eyebrows rose. “Complicated how?”
“She shifted. Two days ago. Into a white wolf.”
The other king’s expression went from curious to genuinely shocked. “That’s not possible.”
“And yet here we are.” I ran a hand through my hair, frustration bleeding through. “We’re trying to figure out why. She was raised human, had no idea what she was until I claimed her and... woke her up.”
“The claiming triggered a shift?” Malachar shook his head. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“Neither have I. Hence the road trip in a death trap vehicle to a tiny human town looking for answers about her past.” I gestured vaguely at our surroundings. “Her parents.”
