“Oh, I remember. We had to take a break up here for the longest time, but it was during that break I fell in love with this place.” Her gaze drifted to take in the scenery. “I sat right here and tried to calm myself down. I was so angry with both of them for ruining our hike. When you climbed up here with me and curled into my side, I knew the two of us would be back without them. You always loved the outdoors as much as I did.”
The memory washed over me. The two of us had sat on this rock listening to Dad and Gracie bond in their complaining while we bonded in gazing at the beautiful sight before us.
“It was so peaceful here. One of those moments I wanted to bottle and keep forever,” Mom whispered. “And then we started down the mountain again. Your dad and Gracie complained less because they knew the hike was almost over, but it still sucked to be in their presence.”
“It did,” I said with a nod as I took another bite of my sandwich. “Gracie started running ahead of us on the trail she was so excited we were almost to the car.”
“Yup. She fell and I freaked out she’d really hurt herself.”
“Oh yeah! I forgot about that,” I said. “She was jumping on the rocks alongside the trail, posing like she was a statue. I remember her slipping off one. She busted her knees.”
Mom nodded. “I nearly had a heart attack. I thought I saw her face bounce off the ground. I could’ve sworn she hit her head on the rock in front of her and when she came up I’d see blood. Thank goodness that wasn’t the case.”
“She was lucky.”
“She was.” Mom took a sip of her water. “One of her knees swelled and was black and blue for a few days. It could’ve been so much worse, though.”
“Remember how much she milked that hurt knee afterward?” I asked with a grin.
Mom rolled her eyes. “Oh my God, yes! She went to Callie’s and borrowed her dad’s crutches. They were way too big for her. I thought for sure she’d break her leg by being silly with them. God, she used them for nearly two weeks.”
I rolled my eyes. “She’s always been such a drama queen.”
“That she has.” Mom glanced at me. “The two of you have always been like night and day.”
“I know. We still are.”
“I’ve noticed.” She took a bite of her sandwich, but her eyes never wavered from me. “You really turned into a beautiful, strong, independent woman, Mina. I’m so proud of you.”
Warmth flowed through my chest. “Thanks.”
“I mean it. I’m so proud of you and who you’ve become.” She placed a hand on my knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to help guide you. It looks like you did a great job on your own, though. I love you, sweetie. Happy birthday.”
“I love you too.”
“I have something I want to give you. It’s not much, just something I want you to have.” She unzipped the front pocket of her backpack and pulled out something wrapped in white tissue paper.
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” I said as I took it from her. “Coming here with you was enough.”
“I wanted to,” she said. “This isn’t everything either. Me, Gran, Gracie, and your dad all pitched in on something else. You’ll get it later at Eli’s–um, at home.” She winked.
“At Eli’s party, you mean?” I teased.
“Yes, at Eli’s party.” She exhaled a breath. “Sorry for spoiling that for you. I couldn’t contain myself. You have no idea how many times I dreamed of being able to spend birthdays with you girls again.”
“It’s okay. I get it.”
I reached out and pulled her into a hug. When we parted, she nodded to the gift in my hand.
“Open it.”
It didn’t weigh much and fit in the palm of my hand. I had no clue what it might be.
A large grin stretched across my mother’s face while I tore at the tissue paper. Whatever was inside, she was pleased to be giving it to me. I peeled back the tissue paper, revealing a silver ring with a black stone.
“It’s beautiful,” I said. “I think I remember seeing you wear this.”
“I’m sure. I used to wear it all the time. It was a gift from my mom. Something she gave to me about a month before my parents’ car accident.”
“Oh. Wow.” I didn’t know what to say. She barely talked about her parents. I’d always imagined it was too hard for her. All I knew about them was they’d been in a bad car accident that took their lives when she was a teenager. “Thank you. I know how much this ring means to you. I promise to take care of it.”
“I know you will,” she said as she pulled me in for another hug. “It’s been passed down from generation to generation. It was my mother’s great-grandmother’s. Just be sure to pass it on to one of your daughters one day. If you decide to have kids that is. I know that’s probably the last thing on your mind right now.”
“Uh, yeah. Kids are definitely not on my mind yet, but I promise to pass the ring on when the time comes.”
“Happy birthday, honey.”
“Thank you.”
“All right, let’s finish our lunch and head back down. I don’t want to keep you too long. So many festivities are waiting for you today.” Her eyes sparkled when she spoke.
“Ha ha,” I said sarcastically as I slipped the ring on my middle finger and stared at it before taking another bite of my sandwich.
Best birthday present ever.
7
Eli was gone when I got home. He’d left me a sticky note on the refrigerator saying he’d be back soon and he hoped I’d enjoyed the hike with my mom. I left the sticky note on the fridge and headed to Moonshine’s crate.
After taking her out, I gathered some clean clothes and headed to the bathroom for a shower.
Lukewarm water slipped over my skin as I thought about how different this birthday was compared to my last. In the course of a few months, my entire life had completed a one-eighty. Eli and I were imprinted and bonded in a way that was hard to put into words. Mom was back in my life, safe and sound. Dad was sober for the first time in years. I had a job and was in college. I’d moved out of Gran’s.
Best of all, I was happy. Truly happy.
A new text came through on my cell, pulling me from my thoughts. I finished rinsing my hair, eager to see if it was Eli. The anticipation of what he had in store for me today had me on pins and needles.
I shut the water off and grabbed a towel before reaching for my phone. The text wasn’t from Eli. It was from Ridley.
Happy birthday! I know you have a busy day planned, but I thought maybe you’d want to meet for coffee?
Warmth centered in my chest. I loved I had people in my life who wanted to wish me happy birthday. For a split second, my mind dipped back to the email I’d gotten a week earlier from Alec. He’d been embarrassed for getting the date of my birthday wrong, but I was touched he’d cared enough to remember.
Thanks! And absolutely! Where do you want to go? — Mina
Eli could wait on me if he came back while I was gone. Besides, I hadn’t been able to spend much time with Ridley the last few weeks. The bulk of my time had been spent at work or school, and before that it was spent with my family or Eli. While I wasn’t much for coffee, I could go for a green tea frappe.
Shouldn’t you be the one to decide where we go? After all, it is your birthday.
Okay. How about that place on Main Street? — Mina
I towel dried my hair while I waited for her to respond.
Sounds good. When do you want to meet?
Is thirty minutes okay? — Mina
Sure! See you soon.
While Mirror Lake was small, Main Street was always busy. Shops and restaurants lined both sides of the double-lane street, making it hard to find a parking space in front of the coffee shop. I didn’t mind walking though. The fresh air was nice.
I spotted Ridley on the metal bench outside Hava Cup Bistro. She was smiling at her cell.
Was she texting Benji?
&
nbsp; I loved the two of them as a couple. Their relationship was cuter than ever.
“Hey,” I called out as I neared her. “How long have you been waiting?”
“Oh, hey! Not long.” Ridley stood and tucked her phone away. “How’s your birthday been so far?”
“It’s been great,” I said, unable to suppress the wide smile that spread across my face. “My mom took me to Whiteside Mountain for a hike this morning. It was something we used to do before.” I didn’t have to elaborate, Ridley knew the rest of that story. “It was sort of our tradition. We hiked it two birthdays in a row.”
“Oh, that sounds like fun! I’m glad she’s back, and that you were able to do that with her again,” Ridley said as she opened the door to the coffee shop and stepped inside.
The scent of freshly brewed coffee rushed to my nose as the sounds of the place floated to my ears.
“Thanks. Me too.”
We stepped in line behind a group of teenage girls. The shortest was chatting animatedly about some guy named Dylan. Apparently, he’d dumped her the night before. From the way her friend on the right glared at her, it was clear this wasn’t a surprise.
“Do you and Eli have plans later?” Ridley asked, pulling my attention to her.
“Something is planned; I’m just not sure what. I know there’s a surprise party, but other than that, I don’t know.”
Did she know something? Would Eli have come to her for ideas? My gaze skimmed over her profile.
“Sounds fun,” she said.
I shrugged. “I guess. I’m not one for surprise parties.”
“How can it be a surprise if you already know about it?” she teased.
“True,” I said as we moved up in line. “Who were you texting? Benji?”
“Yeah.” Her face lit up. “He said happy birthday, by the way.”
“Tell him I said thanks.”
“Have you talked with anyone else today?” Ridley asked over the loud noise of the coffee grinder.
“Becca sent me a text earlier, and Alec wished me happy birthday last week via email.”
She arched a brow. “Last week?”
“He got his days mixed up.”
“Okay, so why did he email instead of texting or calling? That seems weird. Who uses email anymore?”
“Apparently, he lost his phone and wanted to make sure he didn’t miss wishing me a happy birthday. He didn’t realize he was a week early. I felt bad pointing it out, but it was still pretty funny. He was super embarrassed.”
“I bet. Poor guy.” She stepped closer to me, letting an older couple leaving a table have more room to get by. “How’s everything else been? Things still going okay with living with Eli?”
“Yeah. For the most part. I mean, we’ve had a couple of arguments about where to put things, but other than that it’s been good. I like living with him.”
I didn’t just like living with him, I loved it.
“That’s awesome,” Ridley said as we moved up in line. “Where is he? Is he working, or does he have the day off?”
“I’m not sure where he’s at to be honest. He’s probably out getting stuff for my surprise party.” I laughed. “When I came back from my hike there was a note on the fridge saying he’d be back later.”
“I’m sure whatever he’s got planned is going to be spectacular.”
“Maybe.”
The teenage girls in front of us placed their orders and then stepped aside to wait. The shorter one was still going on about her break up. From the look on her friends’ faces, they seemed sick of hearing about it. Heck, even I was tired of hearing it, and I didn’t know the girl.
“Hey. What can I get for you today?” the blond barista with a pixie cut asked us.
I ordered my usual green tea frappe while Ridley ordered a salted caramel latte. She paid for both drinks before I could pull out my wallet. I thanked her as we stepped to the side.
“So, how have things been at the inn?” I asked after we situated ourselves at a table.
“Pretty good. Busy, but good. The closer it gets to fall, the more guests we have,” she said as she pulled the lid off her latte and set it aside. “I don’t mind, though. I like it when the house is full. The energy from all the people is pretty cool.”
“How’s everything else?” I asked as I motioned to all of her, hoping she understood I was asking about her magic.
She was a Caraway witch. They were known as the most powerful witches in Mirror Lake. In Ridley’s case though, she didn’t harbor much magic. Gran had once said she might be a late bloomer like I was when it came to becoming moon kissed. While I wasn’t sure if that was the case with Ridley, I did know what it felt like to feel different. Especially when compared to the others in your family.
“Nothing new to report there. I get vibes sometimes about places or objects. It’s generally stronger if it’s a place or an object attached to someone who’s passed away, but that’s about it. Nothing spectacular. My aunt has been working with me, but nothing seems to trigger my magic.” She adjusted her glasses and allowed her gaze to drift to the latte clasped between her hands giving me the impression the topic wasn’t one she was comfortable discussing. “I’m okay with it. I mean, I guess. If all I can do is get vibes off things, then that’s all I can do, right? At least it’s something.” She shrugged.
She was lying. She wasn’t okay with that being all she could do. Who would be when you came from a legendary family of witches like she did?
Ridley wanted something more, and I hoped one day she’d get it. She deserved to be as powerful as her aunt and cousins.
“Oh, before I forget. I have something for you,” she said as she twisted to reach inside her purse. She pulled out a box the size of my phone wrapped in sparkly green paper. “It’s not much.”
“You didn’t have to get me anything. Meeting here and hanging out was enough,” I said, meaning every word.
“I wanted to. Happy birthday.”
I took it from her and carefully tore off the paper. Inside the box was a silver keychain that said the forest calls and I must go.
“I love it!”
“I’m glad. I saw it the other day and thought of you.”
“It’s so cute. Thanks.”
A text came through on my cell. I reached for my phone. It was Eli.
Are you still at the coffee shop with Ridley?
“Is it Eli?” Ridley asked as she sipped her latte.
I nodded. “He must be back at our place. He’s asking if I’m still here with you.”
“We can go if you need to.”
“No, it’s okay. We can hang out for a little while longer. He won’t mind,” I said as I sent him a reply letting him know I was still with her and would be home soon.
He texted me right back.
Enjoy.
“You two are so cute together,” Ridley insisted.
“Thanks.” My cheeks grew warm. I set my phone down and took a sip from my drink. “So, do you like all your classes? I figured we’d have at least one together, but I guess not.”
“I know. I can’t believe that either. I figured we’d at least see each other on campus. It’s not like it’s gigantic.” She laughed. “But, yeah. I guess I enjoy my classes so far. What about you?”
“Yeah, I like them.” A guy at the bistro table behind me bumped my chair when he scooted his out to stand. I flashed him a dirty look when he didn’t apologize, and then shifted my attention back to Ridley. “I think it’s going to be hard managing work and school, though. It’s not something I’ve had to deal with before.”
Ridley waved my words away. “You’ll find a balance that works for you after a couple of weeks. Trust me.”
She knew what she was talking about. During high school she’d worked at her aunt’s inn.
“I hope so,” I said.
My stomach knotted as the conversation from a table behind us floated to my ears.
“I heard there was another body found this mornin
g,” the younger woman said. “Apparently, it was a thirty-two-year-old woman found while some guy was jogging. Could you imagine? I mean, I don’t know what I’d do if I was jogging along, minding my own business, and came across something like that. They said the body was mutilated like the other victims of the Midnight Reaper.”
“That’s awful!” another woman said. “Where was this one?”
“That’s the worst part. It was only about thirty miles outside of town.”
The other woman gasped. “That’s too close for comfort! When are they going to catch whoever this is?”
“My thoughts exactly. I told you the killer was going to make his way here. I had one of my feelings about it right after they reported about the last two women.”
“I don’t like this at all,” the other woman said.
“Me neither. Leah is pissed because I haven’t let her go out with her friends much since they reported about those two women in the city being murdered. Now, I don’t think I’ll let her go out at all—especially not after dark—until this person is caught.”
“I don’t blame you. I’ll probably do the same for the boys. Actually, I wish the town would create a mandatory curfew. Then maybe it wouldn’t seem as though we were torturing our teenagers.”
“You know they’d think we were torturing them regardless,” the first woman cackled.
“True,” the second woman said.
I bit my bottom lip. My eyes locked with Ridley’s across the table. It was clear from the look on her face she’d been eavesdropping on the two women behind me as well. They were talking loud enough for nearly everyone in the coffee shop to overhear their conversation.
“Do you think it’s something supernatural?” Ridley whispered.
I nodded. “Do you?”
“Yeah.”
“What are you thinking it is?” I asked.
She leaned in closer. “I’m not sure. A vampire maybe? I heard some of the bodies were drained of blood.”
“Where did you hear that?”
I thought about the news articles I’d read and the reports I’d heard. None of them mentioned anyone being drained of blood.
Moon Grieved (Mirror Lake Wolves Book 5) Page 4