by Susan Hayes
They walked inside, and Fern hit the light switch on the way in. It was definitely a girl’s bedroom. There were stuffed animals on the pillows and an open closet door revealed a collection of outfits that were far too small to fit the woman Fern was now. The walls were painted in a forest motif with fairies, dryads and other fae creatures peeking out from behind trees, flowers, and under toadstools.
He had intended to carry her to the bed, but one look at it and he knew that wasn’t going to work. “I think we’re going to need a bigger bed.”
“Oh shit.” She burst out in giggles as she spotted the problem. “I was supposed to get a new one for my birthday the year everything went to hell. You’d better put me down for this.”
He lowered her slowly down his body, enjoying the moment of full contact before he had to let her go.
“Goddess I’m ready to be done for the day,
But before I can sleep, I need somewhere to lay.
Please upgrade this bed to one made for two,
Extra firm, if you please,
So mote it be and thank you.”
A surge of green and gold sparks flickered like flames, and the child-sized bed blinked out of existence. The light got brighter, and when it faded again, a queen-sized, four poster bed stood in its place. The only thing that hadn’t changed was the pattern on the comforter. It was still emblazoned with tiny pink and purple unicorns gamboling across the fabric.
“Nice pattern.” He pulled her back into his arms for a slow, heated kiss, his hands moving along her curves and committing every inch of her to memory.
“So, this is my room, unicorns and all.” She said when he raised his head again. “It’s weird. I recognize everything, but none of it feels like it’s mine.”
“You’re not a kid anymore. If I could go back to my old bedroom, I’m sure I’d feel the same way.”
She moved away, drawing him toward the bed. “Tell me about it?”
He was distracted by the vision in front of him and missed the corner on the conversation. “Huh?”
“Your room. Your childhood. Something. I feel like you’re getting a crash course in who I am. Seems only fair you tell me a little about you.”
“I’ll make you a deal. You get into bed and snuggle up with me, and I’ll share.”
Her brows hit her hairline. “You…you want to snuggle?”
“Hell yes. Because snuggling leads to touching, which leads to more orgasms. It’s the circle of life.”
She snorted. “More like the circle of lust.”
He grinned. The more he got to know her, the more he discovered that Fern was not who she pretended to be. Or at least, not who she thought she was. What the hell had Baba Yaga done to her, anyway? He knew the high witch had locked away both Breeze’s memories and a fair portion of her magic. Fern clearly still had all her powers, but what if she’d had something else taken instead?
In a few minutes they were settled in bed with her head on his chest and their legs entwined, and it struck him he hadn’t been with anyone like this since he’d come to Wyrding Way. He’d been too busy at first, and later, he’d just never had the inclination to go prowling around the bigger towns looking for a hookup.
Fern nestled in a little closer and uttered a sigh of contentment that did more for his ego than her early cries of pleasure. “Okay. I’m snuggled. It’s story time now. Once upon a time, there was a wolf Shifter named Orion.”
“And he lived with his little brother, Hunter. He has other brothers, too, but they were all older and worked for our dad at the family business. Everyone was always busy, so Hunter and I spent a lot of time on our own.”
“What business did they run? A pub like the Watering Hole?”
He snorted. “Fuck, no. My family are transporters.”
“You mean, truckers?”
“Sort of. More specialized, though. They deliver the kind of cargo that needs to get from one place to another with no paperwork and zero questions asked.”
Her pretty green eyes widened. “Like in the movies? Martial arts, bullets, and explosions?”
“This is Canada, not Hollywood,” he reminded her. “It was mostly bar brawls, cursing, and then apologizing to the bar owner after we’d wrecked the joint.”
She chewed on her lower lip for a second before asking, “We? Did you used to do that kind of work, too?”
“A few jobs, yeah. The day I got my driver’s licence my dad put me to work, but I didn’t like it much. I already knew what I wanted to do, but I stuck around until Hunter finished school. Next time dad and our brothers went on a run, we packed up our stuff, kissed our mom goodbye, and never looked back.”
“And now you run a restaurant. That’s quite a story. Mine’s not nearly that interesting.”
“How we got to this point is another tale, and it’s damned boring. It involves a tonne of work, very little sleep, and spending a lot of time behind the bar, serving drinks at some of the sleaziest dives in Vancouver.”
“And Hunter? What does he do?”
“We’re partners. I’m in the kitchen or at the bar most of the time, and he runs the business side of things and manages the front of the house.”
“Sounds nice.”
“It is, most of the time. Occasionally the puppy forgets to respect his elders and I have to kick his tail back into line. But we watch out for each other, and now he’s got Jim to watch over him, too. Goddess help anyone who speaks an ill word about that gull Shifter’s momma or his mate.”
She frowned. “Jim was the one with the towels today, right? Funny, most of the others were familiar, but not him.”
“He only moved to town a short while ago. In fact, he was part of a crew hired to pollute the area in an attempt to weaken the land’s magic and drive us all out. When Breeze faced off against them and this little weasel who called himself Shade, Jim switched sides. He came around looking for work a few days later, met Hunter, and poof, mates.” It was the perfect chance to tell her that, just like Hunter, the moment he’d caught her scent, he’d known she was his mate. Only before he could say anything, she interjected.
“Wait, Jim was with the bad guys? And who the hell is Shade? No one mentioned him before. I thought the big bad was someone named Shellfringle or Hellpringle. No, wait. Not that last one, definitely nothing to do with infernal potato chips.”
“Frellshingle. Likes to call himself the Father of Shadows. Shade works for him.”
“Great. No one told me this guy had minions. Please tell me this Shade dude wasn’t short, yellow, and obsessed with tropical fruit.”
He snickered. “Tall. Dark robes. Deep hood. Like a Benedictine monk cosplay gone goth.”
“And Breeze kicked him out of town, right?”
“The second time they faced off, yeah.”
She went quiet. “What happened the first time around?”
“I’m not really sure. Something about needing dark magic to fight dark? She had no idea she had that kind of power, so she didn’t use it.”
“So, her spells would have just rolled off him.” Fern wrinkled her nose. “Wait, she didn’t know she had it?”
“Baba Yaga did a number on her, too. You can ask her about it tomorrow morning. She’s coming by to introduce herself and answer whatever questions she can.”
Fern snorted. “Can she tell me how to beat this Father-of-Lamest-Names-Ever dude? Because so far, no one seems to have much of a clue, and my locket hasn’t given me anything new since I got here.”
He thought back to the night Breeze had routed Shade and his crew of feather-headed thugs. “Did you try asking it what to do?”
She shot him a look somewhere between humoured and horrified. “Please, tell me you’re joking. It can’t be that simple. Nothing in life is so straightforward.”
He shrugged. “It worked for Breeze.”
“Fuck me sideways. Why didn’t anyone tell me?”
“Because you’ve only been in town for a few hours and I think Shaz is afraid
he’ll break your brain if he hits you with everything at once. He’s an annoyingly uptight little fucker, but he really loves you.”
“I thought Tiff-Tiff loved me, too. But she lied to me, Ri. About everything. Who I am. Who she was. She pretended to be a cat for thirteen years!” she sighed heavily. “Trust issues. I have ’em by the score.”
The words were out of his mouth before he could activate his filters. “You can trust me, angel. I’ve never lied to you, and I never will.” He just hadn’t told her the whole truth…yet. That wasn’t technically a lie. He was waiting for the right moment.
“Thank you. That means a lot.” She pressed a kiss to his chest, directly over his heart. “I’m glad you came back tonight.”
“Me too.”
She shifted in his arms and then lifted the locket and let it spin on the end of its chain for a moment. “All right, little locket. I’m home. I found Shaz. What the fuck am I supposed to do next?”
The pendant sprang open and voices rose from it.
* * *
“The darkness comes,
Your time grows short,
You must prepare,
The threat to thwart.
Your memories are clear, your magic restored,
We hope you know you are adored.
Embrace your strengths,
Protect the source,
And if you win, his hand you’ll force.”
Her mother smiled up at her and wiped a tear from her eyes. “We love you so much, Fern.”
* * *
Orion tore his eyes from the picture. “You look so much like your mom. No wonder everyone recognized you today.” They were so alike it had taken a moment for him to realize the woman in the image wasn’t his mate. They even sounded the same.
Fern sniffled and closed the locket with a snap. “What is the point of sending me these cryptic clues that don’t actually tell me anything! I could get more information from a Magic 8-Ball! And what was that about if I win? If? Aren’t parents supposed to be supportive and encouraging?”
“You’re asking the wrong guy. The only thing my dad encouraged us to do was get him another beer, and mom wasn’t really the nurturing type. By the time Hunter and I came around, she’d adopted a more laidback parenting approach. If we weren’t on fire, bleeding out, or under arrest, she didn’t want to know about it.”
“Sounds kind of lonely.” The undertone of sadness in her voice made him ache for her.
“I had Hunter. And you had Tiff. Even if she couldn’t tell you the truth, she was there for you, keeping you safe and trying to guide you. Why else would she pretend to be your familiar for so long? I mean… spending thirteen years as a cat sounds like one of the deepest circles of hell to me.”
That made her laugh a little. “I guess it would to a wolf.”
“Damn right it does.” He wrapped his hand in her hair and drew her up so he could kiss her. “I’d much rather visit heaven again.”
“Me too. I don’t want to think anymore tonight. Got any suggestions on how to make that happen?”
A rush of desire so primal it had a tail and fangs tore through him. His joystick inflated faster than an emergency raft, and the moment his mouth touched hers, he lost the ability to think. If this was what it meant to be mated, he’d make room in his life for Fern. He’d be a fool to do anything else.
Chapter Ten
Fern stepped out of the shower feeling like a new woman. Which, in some ways, she was. Not only was there a bounce in her step that hadn’t been there in days, but her memories were also falling into place. She could recall faces and the names that went with them. She knew where the bathroom was, who ran the hardware store, and that it was only a five-minute walk from her house to Breeze’s, and another five if she wanted to get to Luna’s.
Orion’s advice was working, too. If things got confusing, she just focused on one memory at a time. It wasn’t perfect recall, but it was an improvement.
She zapped her luggage up to her room, sent her childhood things into storage, and refilled her closet and dresser with the contents of her suitcases. She considered redecorating, but she didn’t want to cover up her mother’s artwork. Now she could remember more, the house was becoming precious to her just the way it was. Besides, this wasn’t her house. Not really. It belonged to her parents. If there was the slightest chance she could bring them back, she had to leave everything as it had been. Even if that meant living in a shrine to bad taste and bric-à-brac.
She dressed in one of her more practical outfits: denim capris, tennis shoes, and a sleeveless green top. One good thing about country living, no one was going to judge her if she wasn’t wearing the latest fashion.
She piled her hair up into an artfully messy bun and bopped down the stairs to look for breakfast.
Two muffins later she had found nirvana and was thinking of moving into Orion’s restaurant just so she could have a steady supply of the orgasmic orange and blueberry bliss treats. If that wasn’t their name, she’d have to start a petition to lobby him to change it.
She licked the last bit of berry off one finger and was contemplating what to try next when Shaz pushed through his cat door and stared around the kitchen suspiciously. “Is he gone?”
“For now. His brother called early this morning. Something about a surprise termite inspection.” She claimed one of the Nanaimo bars and then pointed to the box of goodies. “I didn’t even know termites were a problem out here. And if you want any breakfast, you better hurry or I will eat every gooey thing he brought.”
Shaz hopped onto the counter and came over to assess the contents of the box. A moment later he fished out one of the remaining muffins and slashed it open with his claws before settling in to eat. “We’ve been having a veritable invasion of inspectors lately. It has to be…” he paused to chew for a few seconds. “Damn, that wolf can cook. I still dislike him immensely and do not approve of your choice to dally with someone of his ilk, but credit where it’s due and all that.”
“Opinion noted and disregarded. Ri was exactly what I needed last night, and believe you me, his talents in the bedroom are even more impressive than his kitchen-based brilliance.”
Shaz made a strangling noise. “Goddess please, spare me the details. I’m trying to eat!”
“You tell me what you know about these inspectors and I’ll stop talking about Orion’s talents. Deal?” She zapped open a cupboard, revealing the coffee maker and all the required ingredients tucked inside. Jackpot.
“Everyone is certain the inspectors are part of the Father of Shadows’ plans. They’re checking every place in town. Most of them won’t say much, but the ones that will talk all claim they lost the paperwork, or someone filed a complaint. They started appearing right after Breeze foiled the first attempt to run us all off this land.”
“That was Shade and the gull Shifters, right?”
“Indeed.” The cat flattened his ears. “I didn’t mention Shade last night. Are you getting your information from the wolf now?”
“A few things came up.”
The cat snorted. “I don’t doubt that.”
She caught the jealousy in his tone and understanding dawned. Shaz had been replaced once already, by Tiff-Tiff. Now, he was worried he was being shunted aside again. She wasn’t usually good at discerning other people’s motivations, but this time, it was all very clear. “Orion was a great distraction, and last night, I needed that. But you’re my familiar, Shazzy. Not Tiff, or anyone else. You’re the only one I trust to be in my corner, no matter what.”
The cat perked up. “Too fucking right I am. Always.”
She scooped him up and cuddled him. “I know. And I’m grateful.”
Shaz melted into her arms and started purring like an outboard motor. “I missed you.”
He nosed the locket she wore. “And them. I’ve been alone for so long.”
“I know. But that’s over now. I’m back, and I swear on my magic I won’t leave you again.”
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nbsp; The purring rose in volume, changing from “outboard motor” to “lawnmower at five in the morning” levels. She kept him cradled in one arm while she measured out the beans, ground them and started the coffee machine. As it gurgled away, she poured enough cream and sugar into her waiting mug to make a coffee purist scream in horror. All the while, she talked to Shaz. Telling him about her improved memory and the new verse from the locket.
“The thing is, I don’t know what my strengths are. I mean, other than wine tasting, finances, shopping, and being able to barter in twenty different languages.” She shrugged. “Not sure how that’s going to help battle evil.”
“Finances?”
“I picked up a degree in magical finance.” She wiggled her fingers, summoning a little cloud of sparks to dance around her fingers. “Humans might call themselves financial wizards, but I am the real deal—a financial witch. I’ve been using it to grow what I thought was my trust fund. Turns out…that’s someone else’s money. Mine has been sitting in a bank all this time.” She frowned. “Which reminds me, I still don’t know whose money I’ve been spending.”
“If I had to guess? It was your aunt Tiffany’s. The Summers family fortunes are incalculable. Your mom’s side is comfortable, but your father? Let’s just say there are dragons that envy your family’s wealth.”
“So, I’m still rich?” That thought didn’t bring her as much comfort as it would have a few days ago. Weird. It was like something inside her had shifted now she had her memories back.
“Obscenely so. The Snaggletuths have everything on file.”
“I don’t remember them.”
“You wouldn’t. They’re very quiet. Rarely socialize. Marmot Shifters, quite shy. But they are your family’s accountant and lawyer.”
“More people I’ll have to talk to soon. I’m going to need to make a list.”
“I’ll see to it.” Shaz sounded pleased. “Speaking of which, I think I hear footsteps out front. Are you ready for your first visitors?”
She set Shaz down, took a gulp of her coffee, and nodded. “Ready.”