by Sammie Joyce
I cast Kea a sidelong look and saw that she was hanging off every word Ruben and I had spoken so far. We hadn’t even got to the part about the mountain yet or the treacherous trip home which had landed us in trouble with a pack of hungry wolves who had mistaken me for dinner.
“I had a calling,” I explained, sinking back and twining my fingers with Ruben as I continued the tale of where I’d been for almost a month.
I had a captive audience in the shifters, their expressions awed and disbelieving at times, particularly when I got to the part about the mountain lake and the endless caves where I’d lost Ruben for those terrifying moments.
“But why?” Karine moaned, unable to take another moment of my story without background. “Why did you go there? What were you searching for? What did the spirits want from you?”
I paused and looked at Ruben, waiting for him to object, but to my surprise, he nodded slightly, encouraging me to go on. I had expected resistance, not encouragement.
“A few weeks ago,” I began, starting on a new story. “I was approached by a human who desperately wanted to become a shifter.”
My words were followed by a hollow buzz of disapproval. Instantly, I saw Davis, Lowell, and Flint turn their eyes on Kea. Emmett’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Ruben and I had a disagreement about her desires,” I rushed on before anyone could say anything. “And truthfully, I wasn’t even sure it could be done, but there was something about her words, her plaintive need to be one of us…I couldn’t refuse without trying.”
“What are you saying?” Flint growled, untangling himself from Margot-Celine, despite her best attempts to keep him down.
“I’m saying,” I replied. “That we went in search of an artifact.”
“An artifact from the legends?” Hud’s eyes were dubious. “T-that’s just a creation tale.”
“Is it?” I asked, reaching for the satchel I’d brought outside with me. “Because Emmett found one and it worked for him. His mate, our friend, Kealani, believes it could work for her too.”
There was an uproar now, as Emmett glared accusingly at Kea while she stared sheepishly at the ground. Flint was fuming and Davis shook his head.
“Are you out of your mind?” Flint howled and I wasn’t sure if he was talking to me or Kea. Maybe both.
“Kea, you said you’d stopped with this foolishness,” Emmett growled. “You promised!”
Kealani looked at me with hurt in her eyes but I held her gaze, wondering if she could guess what I’d have to say next.
“Your selfish desires could have seen Larissa dead! You almost killed Ruben!” Flint fumed. “And for what? For a fairy tale, that’s what!”
“It’s not a fairy tale,” I intoned, stopping Flint in his tracks. I had the attention of the group again as I held up the flat stone, worn from years of hiding. If there had been an animal on it once, it had long since faded away but I knew in my gut that it was an artifact, one that Kea wanted more than anything.
“I-is that…” Flint began to sputter and I nodded, snatching it back as he came to take it from my hands.
“It’s an artifact,” I assured him. I turned and smiled at Kea whose eyes had become wide saucers of shock.
“Y-you found one,” she breathed, emotion choking her voice. I nodded again, rubbing my fingers over the smooth surface absentmindedly.
“You can’t give that to her!” Flint roared. “I-it’s…”
He trailed off as Margot-Celine took his arm.
“Why not?” she murmured. “Why can’t she become a shifter too?”
Flint looked confused, his eyes shadowing as he looked around at his people. He must have seen what I did, their eyes echoing Margot-Celine’s question.
“Why would you ever want to divide two beings who are mated to be with one another?” Margot-Celine asked, her soft French accent making the words musical. They warmed me, particularly when I saw Flint’s face easing as he considered what she had to say.
“She went through great lengths to get this,” I added. “She’s been tenaciously pursuing ways to become one of us. I think I need to give it to her.”
“B-but,” he sputtered. “Then what? H-how would you even…I mean…”
“We would need to re-enact the circumstances that surrounded Emmett’s change,” I answered, understanding what Flint was asking. I had given it a lot of thought over the past weeks. “I believe with those variables in place, I know enough magic to help the process along. I can’t guarantee anything…”
I looked at Kea again, hoping she understood what I meant about no guarantees but her face could only register unadulterated excitement as she continued to gape at me.
Before Flint could concede as I knew he would, Ruben spoke, his words making my blood run cold.
“Flint’s right,” he growled, snatching the artifact out of my hand. “You can’t give this to her.”
Shock and disappointment didn’t have time to register before he was on his feet, moving away from me and all I could do was try to pick my jaw up off the cold ground.
20
Ruben
I stopped abruptly, hearing the stunned murmurs of everyone around me but my eyes were only on Kea who suddenly looked like she was going to cry. I crouched down and watched her expression shift from shock to uncertainty.
“I don’t think Larissa should give this to you,” I said again, pressing the artifact into her hand. “I think I should be the one to give it you you.”
I could tell she had no idea what to say about my about face in the matter. She was undoubtedly thinking about the last time she’d seen me and how strongly I’d felt about the matter that I seemed to readily accept now.
“Y-y-you don’t think that shifters should procreate,” she gasped, shaking her head. “Y-you said that there were too many already.”
“You said that?” Emmett demanded, drawing closer to his girlfriend for the first time since I’d seen them together. I nodded, reaching out for one of his hands too and at first he resisted but when I forced the issue, he relented. I put their palms together, the artifact in the center of them.
“I did say that,” I agreed, hearing the swell of confusion around me. “And I realize just how wrong I was. In fact, I was wrong about a lot of things, things I would have never realized if I hadn’t gone with Larissa to find this artifact.”
Emmett looked at me warily while Kea continued to look dazed and she turned her stare toward her boyfriend imploringly.
“I’m sorry,” she breathed. “I know I said I’d stop with this but Emmett…”
She paused to visibly swallow as I stepped back to let them have their moment.
“Emmett, I’ve wanted nothing more since we’ve met than to be a part of your world, to run with you, to experience what you experience. I-I want to have your babies, little shifters just like you.”
I could see Emmett’s face softening at her confession, his eyes lowering slightly as he considered her words.
“I just couldn’t rest until I’d exhausted every possibility,” she went on, her voice cracking slightly as she continued. “And I think this is the last possibility.”
I felt a hand slip into mine and I didn’t need to look to know it was Larissa.
“You had me reeling there for a minute,” she whispered as the polar bear and his mate eyed one another. “I thought you were going to take the totem and run.”
I gave her a small smile.
“I thought I told you that I’m not going anywhere without you again.”
“Shh!” Larissa said suddenly and I realized that something magical was happening, even though it had nothing to do with the totem—at least not directly.
Emmett was down on one knee, his hand still wrapped in Kea’s. She gasped aloud when she saw what he intended to do, her free hand falling over her mouth in shock.
“I want to have little shifter babies with you too, Kea,” he told her gruffly. “But more than anything, I want you at my side, no
matter what. Will you be my wife?”
“Uh, maybe you better wait to see if the artifact works first,” Davis cracked. “I mean, what if she shifts into a sloth or something.”
Larissa and Flint scowled at the young grizzly and he looked sheepishly at the floor.
Emmet grinned and quickly answered. “Then we’ll have the best-looking sloth-polar bear babies in Alaska, won’t we?”
Kea laughed through her tears and wrapped her arms around his neck, raining kisses over his face before she managed to say the word “yes.”
There was a scattering of applause and cheering through the group and Kea pulled herself back to dry her eyes before turning toward Larissa who had dropped her head on my shoulder.
“So,” she asked, clearing her throat. “Now what?”
It was a good question. I looked toward my mate for the answer but Larissa shook her head, right before jutting her gaze toward Emmett.
“That’s what you should be asking him,” she told her. “Now what? What were you doing when you turned? You found the artifact and…?”
Automatically, Emmett’s eyes shifted upward toward the sky. The greens, blues and violets of the Northern Lights were beginning to show themselves.
“The lights?” Larissa asked and he nodded slowly.
“I was under the lights, holding the totem…”
“I know a better vantage point than this,” Larissa started to say but suddenly, she stopped like she’d been jerked by a string.
“What?” I asked.
She ignored me and turned to the shifters.
“Ours is a democracy,” she said slowly. “This is a decision that needs to be made as a group, not by one person alone.”
I realized where she was going with this and I felt my breath catch as I looked around.
“Will you accept Kealani as one of us should this work?”
“Yes!” Karine and Lily called in unison.
“Yes,” Davis agreed, followed by Hud and several others until the air was filled with concessions. All eyes fell on Flint who had yet to speak. I knew he wouldn’t go against the majority, even if he had reservations about humans and their affect on the shifter community. To my surprise, he looked at me, a wry smile touching his lips.
“If Ruben can admit that he was wrong, I suppose I can too,” he growled. “Yes, I will accept and protect Kealani as one of my own if this happens to work.”
I hadn’t realized I’d fully been holding my breath in wait of Flint’s response but I apparently wasn’t the only one and whoosh of air flowed forward as Kea choked on a sob of gratitude.
“Fine. Good,” Larissa said, all business again. “Then let’s get to the top of the mountain.”
“I know just the place,” Davis laughed and Lowell blushed.
* * *
A circle formed around the trembling girl and for a moment, I thought Kea might turn and flee into the mountain woods behind us. I tried to give her a reassuring smile, even though I had no idea how this might turn out. But Kea’s gaze was fixed firmly on Larissa, her hands held out to take the artifact from her.
“Hold it up, toward the lights,” Emmett instructed and I could see he was digging into his memory for what he had been doing that fateful day. “And close your eyes.”
“Close my eyes?” Kea echoed.
“The lights can blind you,” Larissa agreed, stepping back slightly, not fully into the circle with the rest of us.
Again, I was struck by her beauty, the mysticism that permeated the air around her like an aura as she closed her eyes and began a chant in Inuktitut. I didn’t understand the words but the call upon the spirits to help Kea through this incredible journey was understood by each and every one of us. I couldn’t bring myself to close my eyes like the others, my fascination growing, not only by what might happen but by my mate, who had changed my entire world in such a short time.
Suddenly, the lights above began to dance, their movements becoming almost frenzied. I caught the look of awe on Kea’s face as they slithered down in ribbons to wrap around her body and sweep about her. Larissa’s voice grew louder, stronger and abruptly, the colors became a blinding flash of white. Those of us who still had our lids parted gasped in shock, forcing our eyes closed until I could no longer see the white through my closed eyes.
Cautiously, slowly, I peeked, worried that I might never see again.
But I could see. I saw the amazing animal who appeared in Kea’s place at the center of the circle.
“Another polar bear,” someone behind me gasped and indeed, she was.
“Kea?” Emmett mumbled, ambling forward to put his hands against her fur. Instantly, she turned to nuzzle at his open palm and I felt my heart fill with happiness for both of them.
All around, there was a burst of raucous cheering and suddenly everyone seemed to shift into their animal forms at once, either in solidarity or celebration. I remained in my human form, as did Larissa and Flint who seemed stunned by what he’d just witnessed. It occurred to me that a part of him hadn’t been convinced that it could really happen.
Or maybe he had just hoped it wouldn’t.
Emmett shifted then too, nudging at his mate with his snout and I laughed appreciatively as they frolicked around, Kea clearly learning to move in her new body. I tried to remember what it felt like the first time I’d ever shifted but of course it was impossible to remember. It was as natural as breathing for us.
The polar bears continued their playful wrestling for a few minutes as the party started around me before Emmett ambled to his feet, nodding for Kea to follow.
“I guess we know what that means,” Davis snickered, wrapping his arm around Lowell’s waist. I hadn’t realized he’d remained in his mortal skin too.
“We do,” Larissa agreed, returning to my side to look up at me with warm eyes. “And you can’t blame them for going off.”
“I’m not blaming them,” Davis chuckled. “They’re giving me ideas of my own.”
With that, he winked suggestively at Lowell who flushed and playfully slapped at him, but she allowed him to lead her away all the same.
“I-I can’t believe you can do that,” Flint muttered, appearing before us with stunned eyes.
“Like I said before, Flint, I wasn’t sure I could. I’m happy for Kea and Emmett, and frankly, I’m proud of you for letting it happen.”
“Yeah well…” Flint trailed off and looked behind him where Margot-Celine seemed ill-at-ease among the wild animals in her midst.
“H-how many artifacts did you find, Larissa?” he blurted out and I could tell the question had been weighing heavily on his mind. She shrugged and shook her head.
“It was the strangest thing,” she confessed as she snuggled into me. “There was a huge trunk in the mountain like it was once filled to the brim but there was only one inside it. I was thinking it was such a waste of space but, of course, that couldn’t have been the only one there.”
Flint frowned, gnawing on his lower lip.
“Do you think there’s more floating around out there?”
Again, she raised her shoulders.
“I couldn’t say,” she replied. “If you’d asked me a month ago, I wouldn’t have really believed that the totems existed at all…but here we are.”
Flint nodded absently and wandered away, leaving the two of us to stare at one another.
“Do you want to hear something strange?” she asked quietly and I nodded eagerly.
“You’ve fed me nothing but strange tales up to now. Why would you stop?” I teased.
She leaned forward, lowering her voice slightly as she looked around like she was worried about being overheard.
“Do you remember I told you that I was switched at birth?”
“And then switched back?” I replied, nodding. “Of course.”
Larissa paused and again looked over her shoulder before continuing.
“I learned that the human girl who lived here for those years eventually ended up i
n Hawaii.”
At first, I didn’t understand but suddenly, I remembered that Kealani was from Hawaii.
“No!” I cried. “You don’t think…I mean…”
She shrugged.
“Probably not,” she agreed quickly. “But doesn’t everything happen for a reason?”
I gave her a lopsided smile, unsure of what to make of the information.
“Everything does happen for a reason,” I agreed, drawing her in for a kiss. “And thank gods that reason is you.”
21
Larissa
The party headed back down the mountain, the good cheer infectious now that our numbers had grown again, but Ruben and I needed rest, not more excitement.
Hand in hand, we made our way down the mountainside toward my remote cottage, smiling slightly at the sound of the partygoers.
“I don’t think I’ve heard them this happy since the last birth,” I said, trying to remember the last time we had such a cause for celebration.
“Do you get a lot of births?”
Unexpectedly, I tensed at the question, the memory of why Ruben had come here not forgotten. He felt me stiffness and quickly shook his head.
“I’m not asking—I’m just making conversation,” he said quickly. “I’m not asking because of…well, you know.”
I raised my eyebrows, slightly surprised that he was having a hard time even talking about a culling now.
“We’re responsible,” I told him. “We don’t have a lottery or anything but we adhere to the laws of nature and don’t overdo anything. You can see our community is comfortable, not overpopulated.”
He nodded in agreement.
“I did notice that,” he conceded. “Some communities are overrun, like colonies. There’s not enough food and their secrets are jokes. The unemployment rate is up…”
He abruptly stopped talking but I wasn’t angry that he’d brought it up. It hadn’t really occurred to me that other shifter communities faced these kinds of problems.