I tap my chin, thinking it over. Shaking my head, I laugh to myself. “Nah, I’m not giving her freedom.” I want to make her happy, but I couldn’t possibly let her go.Birds can still be happy in a cage, right?
Think. Think. What can I give her?
Then it hits me.Of course!
I strap on my boots, and I rush out the door, slamming it behind me. I’m headed straight for the woods, and I won’t leave until I find what I’m after.
When I call my wolf forward, he is more than happy to join my cause. I’m cautious about where I step, but I still hustle before it gets dark. Retracing my steps, I locate the place where I first had her in my grasp. It’s crazy how far we’ve come since then and how things have changed.
Every moment with her has burned into my memory, so it doesn’t take me long to find what I’m looking for.
***
I’ve never ran so fast in my life. I knock on the door.When did I get so out of shape?
When you started spending your time stalking a certain someone and not running, my wolf says.
Oh right.I shrug.Worth it.
The door creaks open slowly, though Medein is nowhere near the threshold.
“Caleb, what a nice surprise. What’re you doing here?”
“I need your help.”
Within minutes, the ashes of Jay’s photo float in a black cauldron with olive and amethyst flowery herbs surrounding it. In a dark stone mortar, Medein is crushing more ingredients with a pestle, then dumps them in with the rest.
“Do you think you can fix it?”
“I can do more than that. I can restore it to its original form,” she says. “What happened to it anyway?”
“I destroyed it. Not one of my finest moments.”
Medein’s eyes scan me up and down quickly, full of judgment. “Why?”
I had a good reason then, but any reason will still make me seem like a monster.
I scratch my head. “To keep her safe?”
Her stare drops to her task. Shaking her head, she exhales, “Men.” She wipes her hands, then focuses her attention on the grimoire lying open on her counter.
Smooth rocks are spread on taupe linen in a deliberate pattern. She speaks in an old tongue—a dialect that must predate any time period I’m aware of. The particles swirl in the water like a whirlpool, until a white glow blocks our view of the cauldron. When the magic’s beam fades, the photo is intact, better than it was before.
I look to Medein for permission, and she nods, then pick up the photo and read the text on the back.
Her birthday is April 27th. It’s when her wolf will finally recognize me as her mate. It’s a special moment.
But I won’t tell her. I’ll wait. I don’t want to take that away from her.
“Thank you, Medein. How can I repay you?” I ask.
Whatever she wanted, she would have it. Medein helped me right one of my many wrongs. For the things I’ve done, I’d spend the rest of my life trying to make things up to Jay, but this is one I won’t have to.
“How about the truth, then?” She picks up the cauldron and moves to the sink, dumping its contents, turning her head to avoid the steam.
“The truth about what?”
When the cauldron is empty, she takes a rag and turns to face me. She leans back against the counter as she wipes it down. “It’s her, isn’t it?” She looks up at me. “The one you want to be with.”
