by Haley Weir
Claire held her stomach next to Drake’s side, and when he next spoke, his words were full of happiness. He proclaimed, “my brothers, at last we may begin a new age of the dragons. One of peace and rebuilding; of homemaking and family. I have never been more pleased to say welcome home to my brothers. At last we can come home, to the Hudson House. May we all find the peace and happiness we have fought so hard for.”
Scyros looked down at Belle and kissed her with eternal passion and love. He knew this was where he was meant to be: at home with his mate, whom he loved beyond measure for the rest of time.
*****
THE END
North Peak Shifters
Blue Ridge Bear
Chapter 1
“Okay ladies, after you read your monologue, you’ll either be asked to stay for the dance portion or to leave. We thank you all for your time, and hope you continue to come out for auditions,” announces the director. Mikayla continues to stretch while reading her monologue over and over to make sure she has the words perfectly memorized. She isn’t nervous, exactly. If anything, Mikayla exudes confidence at every musical theater audition on Broadway, off-Broadway, and off-off Broadway.
“So, are you ready?” says Mikayla to Sasha. Sasha is seated with her head in her hands, with sweat noticeably staining her gray t-shirt. Mikayla and Sasha are friends through the theater scene, and often see each other at the same auditions.
Sasha lifts her head up.
“Well, I would be more ready if I could get any sleep last night. My neighbors decided to take up playing the bongos. Isn’t that great?” says Sasha, her words dripping with bitterness.
Mikayla can’t help but feel a little relief knowing her direct competition isn’t quite on her a-game. Not that Mikayla would wish a bad audition on anyone. Then again, maybe she would. It’s been almost a year since Mikayla was cast in any productions. Despite putting in long hours with her acting coach, singing coach, and taking a dance class three times a week, Mikayla wasn’t landing any roles. She is not easily broken, though. She’s been through enough devastating family ordeals that life has given her no choice but to toughen up. You are resilient, you are brilliant, Mikayla would say to herself, especially in times of distress or nerves. It’s her mantra that reminds her just how much she can handle.
“Mikayla Andrews,” called out the director. “You’re up,” says the director. “Please, through this door,” she says.
“Wish me luck!” Mikayla says to Sasha.
“Luck, not that you need it,” says Sasha. Mikayla couldn’t tell if Sasha’s well wishes were sincere, but it didn’t bother her. Mikayla takes a look in the full body mirror before walking in. Wavy, brown hair cascades over her shoulders, long enough that it flows half way down her back. Her thin frame is adorned in all black ensemble: a black v-neck, black jeans, and black platform boots with a heel. She always wears heels at an audition. They make her feel powerful, like she can stomp out any insecurity.
Mikayla follows the director, Ashley, into the audition space. In the room were other members of the production team. They are casting for an original musical that will be staged at a small theater off-off Broadway. The script was written by a group of NYU Theater students. It was such a hit that the show is being performed all over the country. Mikayla desperately wanted to nail her audition and be a part of the revolutionary, all-female musical.
“Hi, my name is Mikayla Andrews,” she introduces herself.
“Hi Mikayla, thanks for coming in. We’re very excited to be producing Modern Day Woman: The Musical. What will you be performing today?”
“I’m very excited to be auditioning. I think having an all-female production in 2018 is incredibly powerful, and I-”, Mikayla begins, before getting cut off by Ashley.
“Thanks, Mikayla. What will you be performing?”
“An original piece for an original musical,” Mikayla says.
“Okay, get started whenever you’re ready.”
Mikayla turns around, back to the crew, to take a deep breath and prepare. You are resilient, you are brilliant, she tells herself. She turns around and takes a step forward.
“I remember my first love. I remember how it felt, like the first spring day of the year. I remember being sun kissed, and my first kiss. I remember losing it all. Losing the precious feeling of sunshine on my skin at all times, losing a part of me.” She’s executing her original piece poignantly, hitting every mark. As she begins to step forward for the climax of the piece, her ankle rolls and she collapses to the floor with a shriek.
“Oh, god! Are you okay?” asks Ashley with urgency. Mikayla’s face flushes. She feels her blood boil, angry for making such a fool of herself in front of the directors and production crew.
“I’m fine, I just need to get up. Can I start over?” she asks, still on the ground.
“Of course, but that looked like it really hurt, are you sure you are up to continuing?” asks Ashley.
Mikayla clumsily pulls herself off the ground. She limps back to where she started, but the pain so excruciating she wants to scream. It’s just a twisted ankle, she tells herself.
“I remember my first love. I remember how it felt,” Mikayla begins, her voice quivering. The pain is too unbearable.
“I’m sorry, I can’t do this,” Mikayla says, hot tears beginning to well up in her eyes. She couldn’t tell if it was from the pain or her anger at herself for screwing up so badly. She limps as quickly as she can out of the audition room and waits until she’s outside on the street to let out a heart wrenching sob. So much for resilience, Mikayla thinks to herself as she hails a cab to the emergency room to go get an x-ray.
Chapter 2
“You know when they say ‘break a leg’, they don’t really mean it, right?” says Avery to Mikayla on the phone. Mikayla is in her apartment, with her broken ankle wrapped in a hot pink cast and propped up on her ottoman. If she has to wear a bulky cast for the next eight weeks, she’s going to do it in her own personal style- bold and fabulous.
“Yeah, I wonder if I got that part,” Mikayla jokes to Avery. They both laugh. While Mikayla is frustrated that she’ll be out of the job hunt for the next few months, she’s still able to laugh at her mishaps. She knows she’ll lose her spark if she ever stops being able to laugh at herself. The last thing she needs is to sink into a depressive state while at home bingeing Netflix and recovering. Mikayla reminds herself to always look on the bright side: at least until she can walk comfortably with a boot over her cast.
“It’s kind of incredible that you managed to break your ankle during your monologue and not even during the dance portion,” says Avery with a snicker.
“Alright, I get it,” says Mikayla sharply. She can laugh at herself all she wants, but Avery better not dig into her too hard.
“I’m happy you called me though. I really miss you.” Avery used to be Mikayla’s audition buddy before she found love with a sexy billionaire who lives in a penthouse apartment on the Upper East Side.
“Well, you’re the one who decided to find true love and leave me behind!” says Mikayla playfully. It’s true that Mikayla was a little bit jealous. She dates occasionally, but every guy seems to be a total dud. She’s reasoned that they’re intimidated by her confidence, but a small voice of insecurity in the back of her head still wonders if she’s intrinsically unloveable, doomed to be a lonely spinster.
“It’s crazy, isn’t it?’ Avery responds. “But, hey, listen. I’ve got a crazy idea. Blake and I are headed up to his cabin in Blue Ridge for the summer. I think you should come along.”
“Blue Ridge? Like upstate? I’ve heard it’s beautiful there, but I don’t think I’m exactly in the state to be out in the wilderness, hiking and fishing for food or whatever.”
“Girl, it’s more glamping than camping. You’ll be treated like royalty. You won’t have to lift a hand…or an ankle, “ says Avery. Mikayla can feel the idea growing on her. Getting away from the city may be exactly what she needs to
recover. Without auditions to work towards, Mikayla is suffocated by the chaos of Manhattan. It would probably be in her best interest to get some clear mountain air pumping through her lungs while she’s on bedrest.
“You know what? That sounds amazing. I’m in. Plus, you know my sister is getting married upstate this summer, so that will make it easier for me to help with wedding preparation.”
“Perfect! Great! I promise, it’s gonna be an amazing time. I’ll text you all the details and everything! Talk soon!” They hang up.
Mikayla gazes out her window that overlooks the Lower East Side. “See ya!” she says to no one in particular before wobbling over to her closet to find her best mountain outfits.
Chapter 3
“Thanks!” says Mikayla as the driver of the car Avery sent to take her to Blue Ridge helps Mikayla unload her bags. She’s arrived in Blue Ridge, a quaint upstate New York town surrounded by mountains. Mikayla can’t remember the last time she saw mountains, gloriously and almost daunting in their stature. The sun shines on her face, and a cool mountain breeze creates goosebumps all along her arms. She’s at the door of the cabin, propping herself up with one crutch. Soon, she’ll be able to walk without a crutch and just a boot. But, as Mikayla was finding out, recovery is a slow process. She’s just thankful she can be somewhere so beautiful during the process.
The door is cracked open, so Mikayla pushes it open and announces her arrival, expecting Avery to be greeting her.
“I’m here, bitches!” she shouts. Her voice booms through the seemingly empty cabin that, in reality, is more like a mansion in the woods.
“Uh, hello?” a man’s voice calls back.
“Blake?” says Mikayla, starting to wonder where Avery is. She gets her phone and prepares to call her friend, when a strange man appears.
His green eyes immediately catch her off guard, and Mikayla is clearly not the only one surprised. He comes towards her, towering in stature wearing nothing but blue jeans and a white t-shirt that clings to his six-pack. He reaches out a muscular, tan arm to introduce himself, breaking her trance.
“You must be Mikayla. Nice to meet you, I’m Ethan, Blake’s brother and business partner. Avery and Blake just ran into town to run some errands but they’ll be back soon,” he says, flashing a perfectly white and shiny set of teeth. Mikayla can barely make eye contact with the tall man who she assumes must be a model. For someone surrounded by models and actors in the city, she is shocked to find herself so taken aback by the dashing good looks of the man in blue jeans and white t-shirt. His abs are teasing her through the thin fabric. She tries to keep her cool, mustering up a response.
“Hi, I’m Mikayla. Nice to meet you, too.”
“What happened to your leg there?” he said, gesturing towards the hot pink cast.
“Oh, it’s nothing…well, it’s not nothing. I broke my leg. My ankle. At an audition.”
“Right,” says Ethan, “Avery mentioned that you’re an actress. Guess you’re out of work for a while, huh?”
“Yeah, it’s looking like it,” Mikayla says, trying to sound as chill as possible. “Wait, she mentioned me?”
“Yes, did she not mention...me? She made it sound like you were on board for her little scheme. I mean, I told her and Blake not to count on me to follow through, I am not typically one to get set up-” he starts explaining before Mikayla cuts him off.
“Set up? What are you talking about? This is the first I’m hearing of any set up. I thought she wanted me to hang out here so I can recover away from the city.”
“Well, as far as I know, it’s a set up. But I can see you’re not exactly as excited as I thought you might be…”
Mikayla’s mind is racing. She barely brought any cute clothes, and she hasn’t shaved her legs in weeks. The last thing I anticipated was a fling with a mountain man, she thought to herself. She couldn’t help but feel a little angry. Avery clearly withheld information from Mikayla about her intentions for this mountain getaway.
“No, I just didn’t….know. This is all kind of awkward for me, if I’m being completely honest,” says Mikayla. “I’m not exactly at my best,” she says, gesturing towards her injured leg.
“Okay, I can take a hint,” says Ethan. “I’m just going to get back to my yard work. I wouldn’t want to make you feel awkward,” he says, with a clear sting in his words.
“No, wait-” she says, but it’s too late. Ethan walks towards the back of the house and disapears out the door.
Mikayla feels like a fool, which is something she genuinely isn’t used to. She’s sharp, witty, and charming. She nails first impressions. That’s so much of what the theater world is, anyway. Making people like you. She doesn’t want to let this situation ruin her time in Blue Ridge, though. As sexy as Ethan is, he’s clearly a bit sensitive based on their first interaction. Mikayla decides to brush it off, although she still can’t help but wonder what he’s got going on under that t-shirt.
Chapter 4
Mikayla wanders the house slowly, and with a limp, one crutch under her arm. She needs to get settled in a bedroom, but she’s still anxiously awaiting the arrival of Avery. It seems like years had passed since her terrible encounter with Ethan. She can’t stop herself from replaying the scene over and over again, thinking of all the ways she could’ve employed her charm and impressed the hunky man.
She is fixated on his physical appearance. It is as if he walked directly out of the pages of the romance novels she obsesses over each night before bed, a nightly routine carried over from her high school days. She always pictured herself as the effortlessly charming, naturally enticing heroine, but she can’t shake the residual embarrassment from her not-so-smooth first impression. Mikayla sits in the living room. She stares at the cackling fire as the front door opens, and Blake and Avery enter the home.
“Mikayla! Nice to see you,” says Blake warmly.
“Ugh, finally!” says Mikayla, half playfully, half pissed.
“Oh no, I’m so sorry! Sorry!” says Avery frantically, placing down grocery bags. “Hi girl! I’m so glad you made it! Why are you down here alone? Did you meet Ethan?” says Avery in a sing-song voice.
“Yeah. We met. Thanks for the heads up, buddy. By the way, what were you thinking? Not giving me a heads up before introducing me to that... Greek god. Like, seriously. I would’ve brought cuter underwear if I knew what you were up to!”
“I’m sorry. I thought you’d freak out if I told you what I was scheming. I know you don’t like being set up, but I mean, come on! Look at him,” says Avery with a wink.
“Good genes must run in the family!” adds Blake. “Excuse me, ladies, I’m going go find my brother and we’ll get dinner ready. I’ll start taking your bags upstairs and Avery can show you to your room,” says Blake as he grabs two of Mikayla’s suitcases, one on each strong arm, before disappearing up the stairs.
“Thanks, Blake,” says Mikayla with a quick smile before turning back to Avery, still not satisfied with her weak explanation for blindsiding her with Ethan. She decided to press the issue.
“Yeah, I don’t like getting set up. I also don’t like a surprise set up. Why would you do this to me?!”
“Alright, alright. Mikayla, you’re worrying way too much. He’s a cool guy, I promise. I’m sure you’ll have a chance to make a great second impression,” says Avery calmly.
“Fine. Fine! You’re not wrong. I’m cute! I’m fun!” Mikayla says playfully. “Who wouldn’t want a piece of this?” she says, gesturing to her curves in a facetiously cocky manner.
“That’s the spirit, girl! You’re Mikayla Andrews, queen of the New York theater scene, and enchanter of men!” says Avery. The women laugh together, the tension defused.
“Something like that,” Mikayla says.
Chapter 5
Avery, Blake, Mikayla, and Ethan sit around a table on a beautiful outdoor deck as the day melted into evening, and the sun sets over the mountains. There’s the light hum of wind in the leaves and
buzzing of summer bugs. Compared to the constant chaotic noise of Manhattan, it feels silent to Mikayla. She’s sipping her wine with intensity as Ethan sits across the table. It’s unlike her, but Mikayla hasn’t spoken much at all. They’ve finished their meals and are now sipping wine, chatting casually. Mikayla’s working on her third glass. She’s not drunk, but she’s definitely a little buzzed. From the looks of it, everyone else was still nursing their first glass. Great, she thinks to herself. Ethan will be wondering why his brother is attempting to set him up with a drunk.
“You know, I love the city, but there’s something so calming about being in these mountains,” says Blake.
“Totally agree, babe,” say Avery. “Thanks for having us all here! Cheers!” she says with a lift of her glass.
“Cheers!” the gang responds.
“I think I could live here year round and leave the city behind entirely,” Ethan says, to no one in particular.
“Oh, I don't think I could do that. It’s beautiful here, don’t get me wrong. But the city just has so much heart and culture, so many things I couldn’t live without,” Mikayla chimes in.
“So, you’re one of those?” asks Ethan. Mikayla’s almost positive she saw him roll his eyes.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she asks, her face feeling hot.
“Just that you’re a city girl. That’s all I meant. No need to get upset,” he says. His brother shoots him a glance across the table.
“Oh, right,” says Mikayla. “Yeah, a city girl. That’s me. To my core,” she responds, trying to keep her cool. She can’t get a read on this guy. Is his idea of flirting with her just to get under her skin? It’s not quite what he’s saying, but how he’s saying it. It’s like he thinks he is better than her. If there’s one thing Mikayla can’t stand, it’s men with superiority complexes. She’s dealt with sexism her whole life, especially when it came to her father and how he favored her younger brothers over her.