by Bianca D’Arc
“Roger that, and thanks.” Jim nodded again, and the waitress came over with their check. Jim picked it up. “I’m officially on an expense account from SeaLife Enterprises, so this one’s on them,” he told them all with a grin. “Ezra told me to pick up the tab for you all, and I’m happy to do so.”
Martin nodded, making polite conversation as Jim offered up a shiny new company credit card to the waitress. Lisa left the table with Melissa, heading for the ladies room, but Helen stayed with the guys. She was feeling a bit panicky and sad, knowing this might be the last few minutes she ever spent with Jim. How had he grown so important to her in such a short time?
They all stood and began heading toward the exit once Jim had filled out the credit card receipt with a generous tip for the waitress. He handed it to the woman on their way down the aisle toward the door. There was a small vestibule where they waited for Lisa and Melissa to rejoin them, Martin’s eyes on the inside of the diner, through the glass of the doors.
Helen saw Lisa and Melissa heading toward the door about the same time the men did, and Jim opened the outer door for Helen. She went through it, out into the late afternoon sunshine. With any luck, she would be home before full dark had fallen.
Jim paused at the bottom of the stairs with Helen while Martin waited for his women folk in the vestibule. This was, perhaps, the last moments she would ever have alone with Jim, but she couldn’t figure out what to say. Luckily, he seemed to have something to tell her as he turned to face her.
“It’s probably best if you continue as far as you can with Martin and Lisa. I’m sorry I can’t travel with you all the way, but duty calls.”
“I understand. I’m sorry we didn’t get more time together,” she said, feeling bold.
Jim’s smile lit her insides. “Me too,” he replied in a low voice, his blue eyes holding her gaze as if he could see within.
Maybe he could. Maybe that was some secret werewolf thing. Or a Navy SEAL thing. Helen couldn’t be sure. But whatever it was, Jim had that magic touch, and it sent her senses spinning.
“Will you text me when you get home, just so I know you made it there safely?” he asked. She had his cell number. They’d all exchanged contact numbers before setting out on this little convoy.
“Oh, I was just thinking that I’d probably be home before it got really dark. But yes, I’ll send you a text. I—” She had been going to tell him to call her anytime, but Martin and his family rejoined them, halting her words. Darnit.
“We’re not too far from home now, either,” Martin added, no doubt having heard what Helen had just said. She still had to get used to shifter hearing. “We’ll be taking Route 78 northward, then we get off at exit 10.”
“So do I,” Helen told the bear family with some amazement. “Our farm is just outside Frystown.”
“You’re kidding,” Lisa piped up. “We go farther south, past Shaefferstown, near the wildlife preserve.”
“I go there in the fall to watch the migrating birds,” Helen said, excited by the idea that this nice family lived so near to hers. “You should stop in at the farm and have dinner before heading home,” she offered. “We always have plenty to eat, and I’m sure your house has been closed up for a while, right? You probably don’t have anything fresh in the refrigerator.”
“We were going to stop at the supermarket on the way home,” Lisa admitted.
“Don’t do that. I’m sure my folks will send you home with plenty of farm-fresh provisions. At least enough to get you through until you can get your house up and running again.”
“Are you sure they won’t mind your inviting strangers over?” Lisa asked, seeming hesitant.
“Mind? Are you kidding? Mom is probably already packing a cooler of goodies for you to take home. She has a gift of foresight, you know.” Helen chuckled. It was no less than true, as these people would learn when they met the matriarch of her family.
“You’ve already eaten their food,” Jim put in. “All that meat and dairy at Kiki’s was from their farm and their neighbor’s dairy.
Martin actually groaned. “That was some good food,” he added.
“All organic,” Helen offered, grinning. “Just don’t be surprised if they want to ask you impolite questions about being a bear shifter. We only have wolves in the family so far, and they’re a very new addition. They’re also quite distantly related, so we don’t see them much. I know my folks, and my siblings, are really curious.”
“We don’t generally talk about ourselves, you know,” Martin said, but she could tell he was going to accept because the food had already won him over.
“That’s okay,” she assured him. “I just wanted to warn you that they might ask, but if you choose not to answer, they’ll respect that. We all know what it’s like to have a secret that needs keeping.”
“Well, all right, then. We’d be pleased to accept your offer of hospitality,” Martin replied formally. “We’ll just follow you, once we’re back on the road, okay?”
Helen grinned. “Sounds like a plan.”
Martin shook hands with Jim in farewell. Lisa and Melissa gave Jim hugs, and then they headed for their vehicle to get everybody settled before they got back on the road. That left Helen with Jim for one final, all-too-short moment.
“I’m glad they’re going with you,” he said. “That was nice of you to invite them. That couple has been through the ringer looking for their little girl. I suspect you’re right about their cupboards being bare.”
“My family will take good care of them,” she promised. She had to say something before they parted, but there was no time. “Will I ever see you again?” she wondered aloud.
Jim paused, his stunning blue-green eyes catching her gaze as warmth sparked between them. “I hope so, though I’m not sure if it would be wise.” He stepped closer to her and took her hand in his. “You’re an intriguing woman, Helen.” His voice dropped low, and she felt it in her bones as he moved even closer, his head lowering toward hers.
She saw his kiss coming a mile away, but she didn’t want to stop him. No way, no how. Helen had been wanting to discover what Jim’s kiss felt like since soon after meeting him.
He moved closer still, and she finally found out. His kiss felt divine. It tasted sublime. And it made her feel finer than she ever had before.
Her head was still spinning a moment later when he lifted his lips from hers. She met his gaze once more, and she thought she saw a glimmer of regret in his eyes. Helen was feeling a boatload of regret, herself. Not for the kiss, but for the fact that he was leaving, and despite what he’d said, she might very well never see him, ever again.
“Be well, Helen,” he said, his tone intimate.
“Stay safe, Jim. And, when this is all over, call me sometime. Okay?” Her heart rose in hope, but his noncommittal answer didn’t give her much to build on. He stepped away and headed for his pickup.
Devastated by the kiss and the sheer drop off the cliff when he failed to agree to call her when things were calmer, she went to her car. She had to get a grip. She would be seeing her family shortly, and it would never do to let them think that her emotions had been so churned up by a man she’d only just met. If they even suspected, she’d never hear the end of it, and she could do very well without the teasing that would follow from her siblings, or the concerned looks from her parents.
Sliding behind the wheel, she started her car and looked over, just one last time at Jim. He was already in his truck, with the engine purring. He was looking her way, too. Was it her imagination, or did he have a wistful look in his eye?
She raised her hand to wave, but Martin had already pulled out and honked once—in farewell, she supposed, to Jim. Jim looked away, sticking his hand out his window to wave at Martin, Lisa and Melissa. Helen realized she was supposed to go in front of the family’s car, so the time for dawdling was over. She put her car in reverse and backed out of the parking space.
She pulled in front of the family’s much larg
er vehicle, and her view of Jim was eclipsed. Shaking her head at what might have been, she drove out of the parking lot and headed for the highway they’d left earlier. They would continue on their northeastward trek while Jim headed for another highway ramp a few miles away, which would take him away from her…possibly forever.
A couple of hours later, the sun had disappeared below the horizon, but there was still enough light to see the farm fields as Helen turned into her family’s driveway. Down the long gravel road, she drove with the Ebersole family following behind, past tall corn and waving wheat then, finally, to the fifty-tree orchard that was closer to the house.
The yard was lit up, awaiting her arrival, and as she pulled her little car into its accustomed spot, her family spilled out of the house to welcome her home. Her mother came first, of course, having known already exactly when her baby girl would return. She gave Helen a hug and a look that said more than words could ever express, of pride and commiseration…and hope.
Mom always knew everything, so she probably had foreseen something about Helen’s reaction to Jim. Helen would have to question her mother later, but first, there were the guests to introduce and make welcome. Helen watched as Martin approached cautiously, parking his car outside of hers, even backing into the spot, so he could make a quick getaway, should that prove necessary.
She didn’t take offense. Magical folk and shifters didn’t mix. As a general rule, none of the Other races mixed much in modern times. Though shifters and mages, and yes, even bloodletters had been allies in the far, distant past, their camaraderie had not lasted the centuries. Each group had kept to themselves for as long as anyone living—except maybe a few of those immortal bloodletters—could remember.
Martin’s caution was understandable, especially considering what he and his family had just been through at the hands of an evil mage. That he’d accepted her offer of hospitality at all had said a lot about his willingness to trust her based on his recent association with both Helen and her sister, Kiki. The fact that Kiki was now mated to a bear shifter had probably gone a long way toward Martin’s willingness to give Helen the benefit of the doubt. That and the way Helen had taken to little Melissa, healing her wounds and befriending the child.
“Mom, I want you to meet Martin Ebersole, his mate, Lisa, and their daughter, Melissa,” Helen said, escorting her mother over to where the family was slowly emerging from their vehicle.
“I’m so glad to meet you all,” the matriarch of the family said, her smile beaming as she extended the hand of friendship to the newcomers. “We’ve got dinner almost ready. Come on in, and you can freshen up a bit before we sit down to eat.”
The meal was a great success, and they sent the little family on their way with a cooler full of perishables and several boxes of preserves, fruits and vegetables from the family’s stores. They’d even taken little Melissa out into the kitchen garden after dinner, which was just outside the back door, and let her pick some herbs she liked. The fact that it was dark out didn’t deter the little werebear cub. She could see better in the dark than just about anyone present, except for her father.
Helen put her arm around her mother’s shoulders as they watched the family drive away. “I think we made some friends here tonight,” she said, feeling happy and wistful all at the same time.
“It’s a good thing,” Helen’s mother said in that dreamy sort of a voice that sometimes indicated a moment of prophecy. Helen listened closely. “We’re going to need all the alliances we can get in the trials to come. What has grown apart will need to reunite, and all creatures who serve the Light will have to work together to defeat the threatening darkness.”
Helen felt chills run down her spine. When her usually happy mother spoke in such dark terms, it was time to batten down the hatches and prepare for…what sounded very much like…war.
*
Jim felt every mile he put between himself and Helen like a tear in his soul. He knew he had to be imagining things. He couldn’t really have grown so attached to the woman on such a short acquaintance. Could he?
He’d grown up hearing about shifters finding their mates through arduous trials that tested their commitment to each other. Or the lucky ones found their mates in long-time friends. A few of his extended family had mated within the Pack to other werewolves they had known all their lives until, one day when they were old enough, the mating instinct kicked in, and they realized they had always been meant for each other.
There were many singles in the Pack, too. Uncle Arch wasn’t the only bachelor, nor would he be the last. The sad truth was that most never found their true mates. While some went outside werewolf circles to find their one true mates, it was rare. There were only a few humans who had been brought into the Pack in the past fifty years.
Some even found mates among other species of shifter. There were two werecougar mates—two sisters who had mated with two cousins. The cousin having met the sister at the mating celebration for the first couple. There was also a red fox shifter, a hawk shifter, and the most recent had been a lynx who joined the Pack several years ago.
Of the humans, none were magical. Jim wasn’t even certain it was permissible, according to Pack law. Their Pack had a rocky history with mages, and even though Helen was a healer, she came from a long line of very powerful magic users. The Pack might frown on any association with someone like her.
He wanted to tell himself that he didn’t care what the Pack thought. If Helen really was his mate, he’d go total lone wolf to be with her, if he had to. He’d cut ties with the Pack and live out his life unaffiliated—alienated from his own family. He cringed. Never to see or talk to Uncle Arch again? His family? That would be really hard.
Wolves were social creatures, for the most part. Jim knew for a fact that his wolf thrived when surrounded by its family—its Pack. To forsake his Pack… He wasn’t sure he could survive that.
Of course, if Jim had a mate, and a family of his own, that might make such a sacrifice easier. And, in time, he might find another Pack willing to accept a magical human mate. Helen certainly had gifts of her own to share. Her soft heart was a joy to be around, and she gave of her power to help others. That had to count in her favor.
But it didn’t matter right now. Jim was on a mission, and Helen had probably already forgotten all about him. It wasn’t like humans had the same mating drive that shifters had. She’d probably thought he was interesting at the time. An oddity in a world she hadn’t really known existed. She’d admitted as much to them all while they were eating dinner one night.
Helen, and the rest of her magical family, had only learned about shifters being real when her distant cousin had married into a Canadian wolf Pack a few months before. Until that event, all they’d had were old stories from the family archives, and rumors that they couldn’t verify. Even with the new matings in the family, they still knew very little about shifters in general, though they’d been trying to learn more about the Pack that had married into their line. Due to shifter secretiveness, they hadn’t been able to find out much.
Of course, that would all change now that Kiki had mated to a bear shifter. She was a daughter of the house, not some distant cousin. She’d tell her folks, and her siblings, all about life in a bear Clan. Of that, Jim had little doubt. He wondered if they’d realize how very different bears were from werewolves. They might both be shifters, but they were different species, and their animal halves needed different things. Bears were mostly loners—or had been, before the Grizzly Cove experiment. Wolves were Pack creatures. Family was ultra-important to a wolf. The Pack was a living, breathing unit within which the individuals helped and cared for each other. It was much more involved than the casual relationship shared by the bears who had banded together out in Washington State. At least, that was Jim’s take on the matter.
But why was he worrying about this anyway? He must’ve been mistaken. No way Helen could be his actual mate. Sure, he’d felt drawn to her. Who wouldn’t be? She was g
orgeous and kind-hearted and intelligent. He’d always liked that kind of woman.
Surely, this attraction was just a normal consequence of being around a very beautiful, gifted woman. No way was she really his mate, and any silly thoughts he had to the contrary would, no doubt, fade with time…and distance.
Still, he felt every mile he put between them down deep in his aching heart.
Jim ignored it. He had a job to do. Mission first. Mixed up feelings later. Much, much later.
Chapter Three
Helen’s mother knocked on her bedroom door in the middle of the night. Helen roused out of a restless sleep to find her mother entering her room, her face pale, her hands trembling.
“What is it?” Helen asked, her head clearing as worry set in.
“You have to go,” her mother whispered urgently. “You have to go to him. Go now.”
Helen guided her mother to sit on the side of the bed. “Mom,” she said gently, recognizing that her mother was in a state, probably still half in the vision and half in the real world. She had seen her mother like this a few times before and had learned to deal with it as calmly as possible. Arguing or shouting at her mother would produce no results. “Mom, where do I have to go? What do I have to do?”
“The werewolf boy. He’s driving into a trap. He’s going to die unless you go help him.”
Helen caught her breath. Jim was going to die? If her mother said something so dire, it wasn’t an exaggeration. Her mother was always very particular about the words she chose to express her visions. She wouldn’t make such a pronouncement unless it was absolutely true—as she saw it.
“On a dark beach. An ambush. In roughly twenty-four hours.” Helen noticed her mother was looking at her now, coming more out of the vision as time passed. “You have time to get there and be ready, if you go as soon as you can. He will be hurt. There’s nothing that can stop that, but you can save him. You can heal him and let the enemy think he’s out of play. Then, the two of you, working together, can turn the tables on the enemy.”