“And I’m the Matefinder now. I had a vision of Mason’s mate, but I got scared and backed out of it before I could figure it out. Kai was there.”
My mom sat down on the ground, just plopped right down on the ground and stared at the forest in shock.
I sat down across from her, placing my hands on her shoulders. “Mom.”
Her eyes were yellow. “You’re not pack, I can’t feel you,” she said.
“Yeah, it’s super weird. I’m hoping you can fix it,” I told her honestly.
Then she looked at me and smiled. “I’m proud of you.”
Her words settled over me, bringing tears to my eyes. Of all the things I expected her to say, it wasn’t that. “You’re not mad?”
She laughed. “Shocked as shit, yes. Mad, no. The vision I had of you and Gavin ended up with you dead. Anything is better than that.”
‘I love when mom cusses,’Jaxon told me and I rolled my eyes.
My mom stood then and transformed her hand into a claw. “Let’s make you pack.”
Yes, thank you God. I needed to feel like pack, it was driving me crazy not to.
I extended my forearm and she swiped it, drawing blood. “Blood of my blood.” She scratched her other arm and touched ours together. Mist saturated my arm and went up my body. I immediately felt the warm fullness in my chest. Pack. But it was different, detached.
My mom frowned.‘You feel like pack but more like a human member. Like another species.’
‘At least we can communicate with the bonds again,’I replied and she hugged me.
Gavin had been waiting patiently but now he cleared his throat. My mom walked over to him and looked him square in the eye. “Matefinder, huh?”
He nodded nervously and she smiled. “Welcome to the club. Come on, we have a lot to talk about.”
She slung an elegant arm over his shoulder and led us into the house. The scents of my home filled my nose but something was missing. Dad, I realized with a pang of sadness.
*
My mom made me tell her everything about the past forty-eight hours. It was awful to recount some parts and I tried to be delicate when I talked about Gavin’s mother and her situation, but I wanted my mom to know the evil lengths the Skin Walker went to. After all of it, my mother just sat there in shock for a few minutes.
Then she turned to Gavin. “Let’s catch you up.”
Over the next few hours I tried not to fall asleep as my mom taught Gavin skills of being a Matefinder. How to flow with the visions and not force them, history of their kind and other stuff I blanked out.
Mason and Avery were passed out upstairs. It had been a long drive.
Finally, Gretchen came down to the basement holding a jar that contained a stinky-ass paste. I could smell it from across the room.
“I have a theory,” Gretchen began. I perked up a little, interested in what Gretchen would have to say. “Anya was born the Matefinder, it’s a genetic gift so it will never fully be gone from her.”
Oh God, please don’t confuse me more! What the hell did that mean?!
“But he is her True Mate so it’s possible to magically swap gifts,” she concluded.
Even more confusing! Argh! I was shocked at the fear that had spiked inside of me at thinking she was going to try to take my bear away and give me my wolf back. I realized then, I didn’t want to change.
My mom’s face was drawn in concentration and it looked like wheels were spinning in her head. “What’s that?” She pointed to the jar.
Gretchen grinned. “If Anya rubs this on her arms and touches Mason, she should be able to replay the vision Gavin got.”
Gavin and I both stared in shock at Gretchen. I grew up around witches, hell I was half witch – at least I think I was still half witch – but what she said was … amazing. If this paste could really do that … wow. Just WOW.
