Fated (The Stratton Pack Book 1)

by Stella Blue

  “Yeah. It’s a shame about Hazel,” Phee murmured sadly. “But at least she got you back where you belong, huh?” Teddy nodded in agreement. “How long are you here for?”

  “I don’t really know yet,” Teddy admitted. “We’re getting Hazel’s shop back up and running. She missed so much when she got sick.”

  Phee nodded understandingly. “Well, we’ve got to have a girls’ night sometime. We’ve got years to catch up on,” she pointed out.

  Teddy smiled. “You got it, Phee,” she agreed.

  Phee beamed. “So what can I get you? It’s on the house.”

  “Phee…” Teddy began. Phee stopped her.

  “Don’t try it. My childhood best friend just magically rolled into town, and I’m going to treat her. It’s my family’s diner, after all,” she pointed out.

  Teddy sighed, knowing better than to test Phee’s stubbornness. She ordered food for herself and the Aunts, and Phee delivered the order to the fry cook. Shortly after, the waitress returned to Teddy with a cookies-and-cream milkshake. “Still your favorite?” Phee remembered.

  Teddy smiled. “You know me too well,” she chided, taking a sip. Phee just laughed and excused herself to deliver a customer’s order of chili.

  They’d been inseparable during their childhood. Phee was shy and caring where Teddy had been adventurous. Their younger years were filled with sleepovers and secret handshakes. When Teddy and Maggie moved away, the two friends swore to stay in touch. But time passed, and life got in the way. Now that she was home, Teddy hadn’t realized how much she missed her friend.

  The bell above the door jingled, and Teddy glanced over at the entrance, shaken from her thoughts. A fair-skinned woman entered, a long, black braid bouncing on her shoulder. She wore a waitress’ uniform identical to Phee’s, and a moonstone pendant rested against her collarbone. “That’s Cora Burnett,” Phee piped up, answering Teddy’s silent question. “She came to town a few years ago after a bad breakup. She’s from up north.”

  Cora approached the two, fastening an apron around her waist. “Hey, Phee. Who’s this?” she wondered, gesturing toward Teddy.

  “This is Teddy,” Phee answered. “We’ve been best friends since we were kids. She’s back visiting family.”

  “Oh, hi! I’m Cora,” she said, reaching to shake Teddy’s hand. The fry cook placed Teddy’s burger and fries in the window, and Phee bagged it up. “So you and Phee go way back, huh?”

  Teddy nodded. “Our mothers were both nurses at the hospital,” she explained. “We met one day on the playground, and the rest is history.”

  “That’s cool,” Cora said, sliding a notepad and pen into her apron pocket. “Are you visiting your mom while you’re here?”

  Teddy shook her head. “My mom passed away a few years back,” she explained. Cora’s face fell, and she immediately apologized. “Thanks, but it’s okay. I’m here visiting my Aunts.”

  “The infamous Sisters Kane,” Phee said, coming back to the counter.

  Cora raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “Ah. So you’re a Kane?” Teddy nodded. She expected that sort of reaction, knowing that the Kane women had a bit of reputation around town for their witchcraft. But since no one had ever actually witnessed the women using magic, the people of Eaton resolved to rumors. As a kid, Teddy heard people blaming the Kanes for everything from Mayor Hendricks’ hair loss to the annual rainy season.

  Phee just laughed. Having grown up with the Kane women left her with a much more open mind. “Don’t get too excited,” she warned Cora. “The Kanes are as normal as any other family.”

  Cora chuckled, toying with her necklace. The blue streak in the stone glimmered in the light. “If they’re anything like my family, then they’re anything but normal,” she joked.

  The bell above the door jingled, and the two waitresses changed their expressions instantly. Cora eyed the new customers suspiciously, while Phee smiled like a lovesick teenager. Intrigued, Teddy turned to see who had triggered their responses.

  There was no doubt that the two men standing in the diner were Emmett’s brothers. They had the same Stratton jawline and striking blue eyes. The oldest of the brothers, Wyatt, had a hulking frame and a thick beard. Tattoos peeked beyond the edges of his mountain ranger’s uniform as it strained against his muscles. He chose a booth and spread out, surveying the diner carefully as if it were his territory.

  Kitt, the middle child, had an easygoing look to him. With a thinner frame and a beanie atop his head, he seemed more laid-back than Wyatt. He approached the counter, and Phee eagerly went to help him. Cora and Teddy watched him order two double cheeseburgers and “a whole mess of fries” while Phee’s eyes stared at his lips. Before she went to give his order to the fry cook, he reached over and tucked a curl into her ponytail, grinning.

  Cora rolled her eyes and leaned against the counter. “What’s that about?” Teddy wondered, knowing that the other waitress knew more.

  “They’ve been dating for a few months now, and it’s sickening. I don’t think I’ve seen two people so happy,” she admitted. She left to go tend to customers.

  “Phee,” Teddy hissed, drawing her friend’s attention. Phee came to her side. “You and Kitt are a thing now?”

  Phee laughed. “Yes. He’s so kind and funny, and…” she trailed off. “I’m gushing, aren’t I?”

  Teddy smiled. “It’s fine. If you’re happy, I’m happy.”

  “I guess you’re not the only one with a Stratton man wrapped around your finger,” Phee teased. When Teddy frowned, Phee continued. “Emmett Stratton has carried a torch for you ever since he kissed you in the pumpkin patch.” Phee eyed her friend. “Am I right to guess that he’s not the only one who’s still smitten?” she teased.

  Teddy rolled her eyes as Phee set her lunch order on the counter. “You’re such a romantic, Phee. I got to get going, okay?” she said, standing. With another hug, she departed the diner, returning to Hazel’s shop.

  While Seph set up the window display and Andie pored over an array of financial documents, Teddy had spent her afternoon focusing on cleaning and organizing the storeroom. The busy work kept her mind off of Hazel’s death, a fact she was grateful for. After all, it was hard for her not to feel Hazel’s presence in the workshop, where she’d spent hours and hours concocting remedies like the perfect lavender thyme lotion.

  During her cleaning frenzy, Teddy uncovered a leather-bound journal tucked beneath the brittle remains of old flowers. Opening it, she recognized Hazel’s handwriting. Seph called for her help, and Teddy stuck the book in her purse and forgot about it for the rest of the day.

  As Teddy laid down for a welcome night of sleep, she remembered the journal and retrieved it from her purse. She climbed underneath the covers and opened Hazel’s journal, scanning the first page. The year written at the top of the first page was dated more than thirty years earlier. The journal entry spoke of a garden in the woods where Hazel first grew some of her magic herbs.

  Intrigued, Teddy read through the journal. Something in her was desperate to figure out how to find the garden. She scanned the pages of the journal, pausing when she encountered an old photo glued to the page. A photograph of four teenage girls facing away from the camera as they stared at the sun setting over the hills.

  Teddy immediately recognized her mother’s long wavy brown hair and smiled. Beside Maggie, Teddy recognized Andie’s pale blonde hair and Seph’s long curls. But she couldn’t identify the last woman. “My girls,” the caption read. It listed each daughter’s name.

  “Ariella Rose,” Teddy whispered, sleepily studying the silhouette of the mystery woman.

  She fell asleep clutching the journal.

  Chapter Six

  The next day, Seph and Teddy drove into town and opened the shop. As Teddy unpacked a box of beeswax candles from the storeroom, she thought of Hazel’s journal. Seph was on the phone with Andie, who had stayed at the house. When she hung up, she looked to her niece. “Teddy, can you grab a few sprig
s of the mint drying in the storeroom?” she requested.

  Teddy retrieved the leaves and returned to her aunt. “What do you need them for?” she asked. Seph just held up her fingers and counted down from five.

  The shop door opened, and a tired, nervous woman walked into the store. “Wendy!” Seph greeted, beckoning for the woman to come to the register.

  The woman fidgeted. “Hello, Miss Kane,” she replied.

  “Call me Persephone. I insist,” Seph said sweetly.

  “Persephone,” Wendy repeated. “I got a call from your sister. She told me to come to your store.”

  “Right. She told me you were having some money troubles,” Seph admitted. The other woman looked ashamed, but Seph reached out reassuringly.

  “The house needs repairs, and the bills are just piling up. Not to mention I’ve got two teenagers that want to go to college,” Wendy lamented. “Everything just gets expensive.”

  Seph smiled and took the mint from Teddy. “Take this. Rub it on your wallet and keep it in your purse overnight,” she ordered. “When you wake up, your money problems should start working themselves out.”

  Wendy frowned as she accepted the sprigs of mint. “I can’t pay for this,” she warned, looking up sadly.

  Seph dismissed her. “Don’t worry. My mother was a single mom. I’m happy to help,” she explained.

  Wendy smiled appreciatively, tucking the mint in her purse. “Thank you, Miss…Persephone. And please tell your sister thanks for me, too,” she pleaded. Seph nodded. The woman left the store, and Teddy just watched in amazement.

  “How did you know that she had money problems?” she wondered.

  Seph chuckled. “Andromeda. She senses what someone might need, and we offer our services to help,” she explained. “Hazel taught us everything there is to know about herbal magic, so we can probably come up with a charm for just about anything.”

  Teddy considered it. “Do you think I could learn?” she wondered. “Even though I don’t have magic?”

  Seph shrugged. “I don’t see why not. There’s plenty of simple stuff that doesn’t require a Gift to master,” she pointed out. “You could start by studying Hazel’s old journals.”

  “Oh, I found one of them yesterday. It mentioned this secret garden in the woods. Any clue where that is?” she asked.

  “Hazel had a special place in the woods where she grew all of her rare herbs. But she never showed it to me. Maybe Andie can help you find it,” Seph suggested.

  Teddy sighed and leaned on the counter, another question circling her thoughts. “Do you know anything about a woman named Ariella?” Seph looked up at her niece, shocked. “I found a picture with her name written under it. All of your names, actually,” Teddy revealed.

  Seph was suspiciously quiet. She’d opened her mouth to speak when the shop door opened again, and she smiled, glad for the distraction. The aroma of warm cinnamon sugar floated into the room, and Teddy smiled instinctively. A familiar face stood before the pair. “Waylon!” Seph greeted, her eyes lighting up.

  “Seph,” he replied, smiling at her.

  Teddy watched their interaction, amused. Waylon Woodall’s family had owned the bakery down the street from Hazel’s shop for as long as Teddy could remember, and he would bring fresh cinnamon buns to the Kanes every now and then. Teddy never said no to free dessert.

  But Seph loved Waylon for more than his buns. They’d been dating off and on since they were in high school. Teddy even remembered Waylon proposing to her once. Waylon waved at Teddy. “Little Teddy Wilson,” he called, laughing. “It’s good to see you.”

  She beamed. Waylon had always felt like family to her. “Good to see you, too, Mr. Waylon. How’s the bakery?” she wondered.

  “Business is good. Dad’s retired, and I’m in charge now,” he explained. “We do all right. Couldn’t dream of competing with your aunt, though. Her lemon shortbread will take your breath away.”

  At the mention of her famous cookies, Seph blushed. “How many times have I told you, Waylon? Flattery gets you nowhere,” she warned, taking the cinnamon buns from him and handing them to Teddy.

  He laughed. “Well, I’m buttering you up for a reason. You know the Harvest Festival is coming up?” he pointed out.

  Seph scoffed. “Of course. It’s run by a bunch of prejudiced, catty housewives,” she complained. There had been an incident years ago that involved Seph, the head of the PTA, and a pie to the face. Teddy guessed that her aunt was still upset about it.

  Waylon held up his hands in defeat. “I’m just here to see if you wanted to go with me,” he offered.

  “I thought you had a booth to worry about,” Seph teased, twirling a curl around her finger.

  “Dad wanted to sponsor a pie-eating contests instead. So I’ll have the whole night free,” he offered.

  Seph leaned against the counter. “Maybe,” she said finally.

  “I’ll take it,” he accepted, moving toward the door. “Teddy, try not to let her change her mind. The festival is still more than week away.”

  Teddy licked cinnamon bun icing from her fingers. “Only if you pay me in cinnamon buns,” she joked. With a wave, he left to return to his bakery.

  Seph chewed her lip. “I thought you loved Waylon. Why wouldn’t you go with him?” Teddy wondered.

  “I don’t know if I can trust him. He doesn’t know I’m a witch. Besides, he probably just wants to visit the pumpkin patch. It’s so romantic, isn’t it?” she teased.

  Teddy groaned. “It was one tiny kiss. Is that all anyone remembers?” she cried. Seph just laughed, and the two returned to work, any thoughts of Harvest Festivals or Ariella forgotten.

  Chapter Seven

  Andie read at the kitchen table with a mug of tea as the dishes from dinner washed themselves. Teddy entered the room, entranced by the plates and bowls. “Teddy!” Andie called, spotting her niece. She read her face and set down her book. “You need to ask me something. What is it?”

  Teddy sat at the table and laid Hazel’s journal down. “I found this at the shop yesterday,” she admitted. “Hazel writes about this secret garden in the woods, and I was just wondering if you knew where it was. I figured I could learn something about the craft if I could see where she worked.”

  Andie sipped her tea. “Mom never showed the garden to me or Seph,” she shared regretfully. Teddy sighed. “But I think I can find it.”

  “How?” Teddy asked.

  “Call it Intuition,” Andie replied, standing. “Put on some walking shoes and grab a jacket. We’re going for a hike.”

  “A night hike?” Seph piped up, waltzing into the kitchen. “Count me in!”

  The three women got dressed, grabbed a few flashlights, and set out into the woods near their house. Under the moonlight, Andie led the way, pausing every now and then to orient them in the right direction. As Andie stood atop a fallen log and massaged her temples, Teddy surveyed the area. A strange kind of energy tugged at her attention, but she attributed it to the fact that they were out in the woods at night.

  “We’re not lost, right, Andie?” Seph wondered aloud. Andie help up a hand for her to be silent.

  “It should be right around here. I’ve been following traces of Mom’s spirit,” she explained.

  Teddy turned around, the sweet scent of honeysuckle beckoning. “Do you smell that?” she called to her aunts. They were arguing about Andie getting them lost, and her question was lost in the wind. Entranced, Teddy followed the scent down a small hill and away from her aunts.

  She paused outside the remnants of what must have been Hazel’s garden. The ground was dry and cracked, and withered plants were everywhere. Even the honeysuckle vine that Teddy thought she’d smelled was brittle and dead. The Aunts appeared behind her, having followed her down the hill.

  “This must be it,” Teddy breathed, taking a step into the garden. The energy within her pulsed. “Hazel’s garden.” She clutched the journal, wondering if Hazel had sat and written there once u
pon a time. The old photograph came to mind, and Teddy decided to ask her aunts before they could change the topic. “Who is Ariella Rose? Why is her name written in Hazel’s journal?”

  Seph’s face darkened with painful memories, and Andie was quiet. “Ella,” Seph whispered. “She hated being called by her full name.”

  “Ella was our sister,” Andie announced finally. “The fourth Daughter of Kane. She died many years ago.”

  Teddy held the journal close to her chest, feeling guilty. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea,” she gushed.

  Andie took her sister’s hand. “I think it’s time we went back home,” she said, gesturing for Teddy to follow her. Nodding, Teddy followed her aunts back toward the house. The smell of honeysuckle grew strong again, and Teddy glanced back at the garden.

  A lone, wild vine bloomed.

  Chapter Eight

  I sit on a fallen log, watching the babbling brook below. The last light of sunset dusts the tops of the trees, casting shadows all around me. The moon is rising, and all is at peace. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I hear a piercing howl in the distance.

  It’s him.

  I abandon my perch and scramble to find my footing on the bank. I’m running through the woods.

  Where is he? Where is he?

  I pause behind a hazel tree to catch my breath. There are rose petals underneath my feet. That’s when I hear it. His low, rumbling growl. The Wolf appears, staring me down with wild, striking blue eyes.

  He’s found me.

  Teddy had dreamt of the wolf every night since coming to Eaton, despite the number of dream pillows she placed in her bed each night. The blue-eyed wolf would chase her through the woods to the hazel tree, and then she’d wake up. The Aunts claimed not to understand the dreams, although Teddy grew suspicious after all of the books in the house on dream interpretation mysteriously vanished.

  As she rode into town on Seph’s old bike, Teddy tried to shake any thoughts of the wolf out of her head. She’d started learning Hazel’s recipes, and she’d left all of her questions about the mysterious Ella unanswered, for the Aunts’ sake.