Batukhan appeared by Chance’s side and he said, “Let’s go to the meditation room so we may have some privacy. Mac, would you like to join us?”
Ana appeared torn between following Lifen and going with Chance. Yesterday he may have wanted her to give him privacy as he dealt with his demons, but he was almost numb from the series of events. In the last few hours he’d come to grips with going home to face his mother and now he’d been delivered the girl he’d nearly killed.
He looked at Ana and she slipped her fingers through his. There was no way of hiding anything from her. He knew that now. “Come with me?”
“Of course,” she answered.
They went to the meditation room and Batukhan slid the doors shut. Chance immediately asked, “So, what’s going on? Why’s she here—I don’t get it.”
“Come sit down. I won’t talk to you while you’re standing.” Batukhan walked around him and settled on a cushion, his legs crossed effortlessly while his back remained straight. His wide shoulders blocked the sunlight that poured in from the windows, creating a shadow across the wood floor.
Mac patted his shoulder and pointed to one of many cushions laid out on the floor in a semicircle. Chance let go of Ana’s hand and listened to Batukhan. He sat on a pillow; then Mac and Ana flanked him on either side. All eyes remained on Batukhan when he began to speak. “Do you remember the first time we met?” he asked Chance.
Flashes of memories came to mind: Gabriella hanging laundry out to dry beside her home and his hunger when he felt her energy, being thrown to the ground with a sheet flung over him and waking in the decrepit abandoned shack where he’d met Batukhan for the first time. Chance nodded.
Batukhan rested his thick fingers on his knees. “I knew, just as you did, that girl had power. I do not know of healing, but when Lifen and I spoke after my arrival here and she forgave me, we discussed our past and our future. She no longer felt the need to guide youngling shifters to find their place in the world as I do. She decided her interest was to create balance through training healers. I informed her of young Gabriella’s location so she might seek some new students. We did not want to say anything to you because neither of us were certain Lifen would find her or if the girl would want to come home with her. Clearly she found her, but that is only half the story.”
Ana, who’d been sitting quietly, interrupted him. “When Chance had the sickness I dreamt of him—he was a cougar, about to pounce on that girl, Gabriella. I hadn’t thought of it again until I saw her just now. She obviously knows Chance was that cougar, but I don’t understand why you didn’t prepare Chance at all. That just doesn’t seem fair.”
Batukhan looked at Mac before he answered, “It wasn’t right for Lifen not to warn Gabriella that she’d be taking her to a place where Chance was. Gabriella wasn’t aware of shifters, so it took some explaining. Once she understood the situation, Gabriella insisted that you,” Batukhan addressed Chance, “not know of her arrival so she could judge your character based on your reaction. She has been told that you had a sickness that made you crave power and that you weren’t acting in your right mind. It was her own test.”
“And I have been trying to prepare you,” Mac added. “My mother always told me that a man of inaction grows roots and will forget what he is. I know it has been hard facing the things you were made to do, but you have to forgive yourself and take equal action to make things right. You cannot forget who and what you are. Who do you know yourself to be?”
The question left Chance speechless. He wasn’t sure anymore. So much had happened. The voices rattling around inside his head had turned him around, like a game of pin the tail on the donkey. He’d been blindfolded and spun in circles. It made it hard to trust or hear his true, inner voice again.
“Well, you don’t have to answer that question now, but”—Mac stood up and smiled—“I hope you know yourself to be someone who likes beef stew, because it’s what’s for dinner tonight.”
Voices echoed in the hallway and Batukhan said to Chance, “Are you ready to go join everyone, or do you want to stay in here a bit longer?”
Chance sighed and shook his head. So much that had happened didn’t make sense, but somehow it all seemed right. Maybe, despite all of the hardships, he’d been given what he needed to get through everything. Maybe Mac was right and he needed to remember who he was and not hide from anything any longer.
“I’m good.”
They all stood up. Batukhan and Mac made their way to the door and slid it open. Ana hung back to give him a hug.
Chance mumbled, “I’m ready to be me again.”
Green eyes sparkling in the sunlight, her lips parted and her cheeks lifted. He felt her joy and couldn’t stop himself from smiling. She was all the motivation he needed.
At dinner that night, the table was full. Not a single seat remained empty. Lifen and Batukhan sat at either end, while Chance, Ana and Mac sat along one side and Gabriella was surrounded by Jordan and Derek.
“This is good, but not enough spice,” Gabriella said after taking her first bite of stew.
For the first time, Mac frowned and said nothing.
Derek swallowed a large mouthful and offered, “We’ve got some hot sauce—I can grab you some.”
He jumped up and left the room. Gabriella watched him go as if it was the first time she’d noticed him.
“Now that you’re back, Lifen, Chance and I were planning on going home for Christmas,” Ana said. She grinned apologetically to Gabriella. “Please don’t take it personally. I look forward to getting to know you, but my mom would kill me if I didn’t go home to be with my family.”
Gabriella took another large bite of stew. “I understand. If my madre was still alive I would never have left her at the holidays. She would have been so happy to see this snow. It is the first time I have seen it.”
Derek got back with the hot sauce and lowered it to the table while he asked, “Seriously?”
She accepted the bottle and shrugged with a sad expression. “It is very different from home here.”
Everyone quieted down, so Lifen took the pause in conversation to her advantage and looked at Chance and Ana questioningly. “How long will you be gone?”
Ana responded, “Maybe a week or so. Our parents still don’t know we’re engaged. If you never hear from us again, it’s because my mom’s killed me.”
A strained expressed crossed Lifen’s face and Ana added in haste, “I’m just kidding. I know you worry, but it’ll be okay.”
Lifen glanced at Batukhan and said, “I guess I will take this time to get started with Gabriella. There is much she doesn’t know. It may be good to give her some one-on-one training while you are gone.”
“I think Chance will be happy to skip our sessions together,” Mac said. “I won’t hold it against him.”
That was a hard call. The time spent with Mac made him relive painful memories, but going home would make him face his reality moving forward. Either way, it would be hard, but he’d pick any future that Ana was in. He took a quick bite of dinner and mumbled, “Who are you going to torture while I’m gone?”
Mac laughed and shook his head. Lifen raised her eyebrow and ignored them.
“I’m not sure if you need me anymore. I don’t often stay this long in a proper house and I miss the forest. I think Batukhan and Lifen can handle you now and if they can’t, I think Ana should be able to. You didn’t seem all that interested in the Three Sister’s Soup anyhow, even if it is your loss.” For the first time, Chance saw Mac stare out the windows with a melancholy expression. He almost appeared like a caged animal, longing for its freedom.
When Mac mentioned leaving, a new feeling surfaced. Chance didn’t want to see him go. In the past Chance may have lived a solitary lifestyle, relying on himself and a select few, but now he was surrounded by people who he could be himself around. People who understood him and weren’t afraid of what he was. Even at his worst.
He pushed around a cube of meat
in his bowl with a spoon. “You don’t have to leave. I won’t be gone that long and I’m sure I’ll need some therapy when I get back.”
Mac turned to face him. His dark eyes were still while he stared at Chance. “Yes, I think you are in need of my recipe as much as you deny it. Therapy you may need, but I don’t know if I want to hear all about your childhood. Maybe I will explore around here while you’re gone and come back to hear about your family drama, if your mother-in-law doesn’t kill you like Ana says.”
Chance felt the corner of his lips turn up and he answered, “Thanks.”
Chapter 10
Ana fired up the engine to her VW van. Its loud echo reverberated off the walls of the three car garage. Jordan had cleared the driveway with the snow blower the previous night so they could leave without any trouble the following morning. Chance had already packed their things into the back of the vehicle and the garage door was open, letting in the cold air from outside.
Ana breathed out when she cleared the garage. The snow chains were waiting to be put on. Derek and Chance both wanted to prove themselves useful. Despite the fact that Ana had wanted the opportunity to give it a try, she’d given in.
Ana hopped out of the van. Derek laid out the chains on the ground while Chance gave her a quick peck on the cheek and took her place behind the wheel. He rolled down the window and proceeded to point out Derek’s mistakes. Derek made a series of hand gestures that shut Chance up.
A woman laughed behind her. She turned to find Gabriella coming up the steps. “Boys are so funny. Everything is a competition to them. If we did this we would have been done without an argument.”
Ana looked at the amusing scene in the driveway and joined in Gabriella’s laughter. “Yeah, but it wouldn’t have been this funny. Plus, I kinda think they’re trying to put on a show for us.”
Derek pushed his sleeves up and rubbed his temple with the bottom edge of his shirt, revealing his abs. Chance opened the back access of the car and was peering in at the engine. Somehow a smudge of grease had wound up on his temple. Although she was snickering with Gabriella, truth be told, she found him extremely appealing tinkering around. She never would have pictured herself with a gearhead, but Chance looked so pleased draped over her van, she couldn’t imagine wanting anything different.
He closed the back hatch and lifted his brow. “You ready to leave? I’d rather have my truck to get us home safe, but she’ll have to do.”
Ana sighed. “Let’s hit it. If we don’t get there sometime tonight, Mom’ll call me every hour until we are.”
The others came out to the top of the walkway to say goodbye. Ana hugged everyone while Chance offered handshakes.
Ana climbed behind the wheel and said out the window, “I hope you all have a great holiday together and we’ll be back soon!”
“Oh, we will,” Gabriella answered, crossing her arms. “There are no decorations, but I will take care of that.
Frown lines creased Lifen’s otherwise pristine skin and Batukhan wrapped his arm around her, whispering something in her ear. A faint blush touched her cheeks.
Chance said to her from his seat, “Don’t worry about us, Lifen. We’ll be back before you know it. Oh, and Gabby—I found some holiday lights and left them in the living room for you. Derek and I went into the forest and cut down a tree for you to decorate so it feels more like home.”
Gabriella blinked in surprise. “Gracias.”
Derek threw his hands in the air. “Hey—I wanted to surprise her. You better improve your stamina or I’ll whoop you when you get back. I bet I’d beat you in a race if I stayed human too.” Derek’s dimple gave him a cherub-like appearance, but the gleam in his eye counteracted it.
Ana threw it in gear and began to creep up the driveway to the gate. If she didn’t leave now they’d only start a new testosterone match. With visions of Christmas with her family in mind, she was ready to go home.
She hadn’t made a huge deal out of it before, but she’d always had Christmas with her mother and sister. December was such a magical time, with snow on the ground and the spirit of giving. Her heart condition had been something she could almost forget, but this year it was no longer a concern. Her only worry now was if her mother was going to wring her neck for getting engaged so young.
“What’s up?”
She glanced over at Chance, who was studying her closely. She may be the sensitive one, but he was so tuned in to her, he always seemed to know when something was on her mind.
“Just thinking about Christmas. I’m excited to go home, but I’m just a little worried.”
His brows knit together. “Me too.”
“Your mom will be happy to see you,” she said. “You’ve been gone for so long.”
Chance remained silent in his seat. As he stared out the window, the scenery moved past in a white blur.
“What else is wrong?”
His cheek flinched before his jaw locked tight. Hazel eyes turned almost gray and he said in a soft voice, “Grandfather won’t be there. The holidays won’t be the same without him.”
A tear fell before she could acknowledge the pain it represented. If Niyol had made such a lasting impression on her in only a couple months, she could only imagine the sadness Chance was feeling. She wished Niyol were there to advise them. His death marked the beginning of their tumultuous entry into a dangerous world. No wonder he decided to leave it all behind when he met Chance’s grandmother.
“I’m tired of this sadness.” He reached out and caressed her cheek. “What do you want for Christmas?”
“Oh, no! Presents, we’ll have to go shopping. I won’t show up empty handed.”
“Not what I asked. What do you want?”
Her mind went blank. “I don’t need anything but you. I’m just happy I get to plan my wedding—something I never thought I’d do.”
Chance’s lips upturned and her heart skipped a beat thinking about him standing in a tux, waiting for her at the end of the aisle.
“What about you?” she asked. “Anything you want?”
A predatory expression crossed his face and he leaned across to nuzzle his lips at her neck. His hot breath touched her skin. A chill ran down her back when his words filtered into her ear. “You.”
“You’re going to get us into a car accident,” Ana said, flustered.
“Sorry,” he answered and slowly withdrew to his seat. “So, tell me, when do you want to do this thing?”
“What, get married?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Because I don’t know how long I can wait.”
Ana’s cheeks grew warm and she bit her lip. A wedding wasn’t something she let herself fantasize about often, so she wasn’t sure where to start. As long as the two of them were there, that’s all that mattered to her.
“I don’t want a big wedding, but I have no idea where to start. I just want to be married already.”
“Vegas?” Chance asked with a wink.
“Um, no.” Ana laughed.
After she drove for a couple hours, Chance took over. He seemed happier with something to focus on. Once road signs posted the distance to Sandpoint and Clark Bend, Ana sat a little straighter in her seat. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and asked, “Think we have time to stop in Sandpoint to shop a little? There aren’t many places to buy presents in town.”
Chance checked the time on his phone. “It’s your life you’re risking showing up late. You’d better let your mom know when you’ll be home.”
They stopped at a few stores, picking up some holiday gifts to take home, and were back on the road within an hour, to Ana’s relief. The sun was sinking below the horizon, casting a cobalt glow in the sky. While they drove past the Lake Pend Oreille, Ana searched the twilight for their island and found it: a small, black slice of land that stood out against the white icy water.
She reached out and held his hand to give it a squeeze. “Do your parents know you’re coming home?”
“Yeah, I left a me
ssage yesterday. I figure I’ll drop you off and say hi to Melissa and Eva before heading home. That cool?”
“Of course—do you want me to go with you?”
He shook his head. “No, I’d better check in with them alone.”
“What about our news? Should we tell our parents together or solo? Which is less likely to end up with them freaking out?”
“Well, I know you’ve been worrying about it, but I’ve been thinking that maybe it would be best to do it all at once. Maybe we can plan a family dinner together where we can announce it to everyone. Be done with it.”
Ana thought about everyone together, eating, talking and having a good time. If they were out in public then maybe it would reduce the likelihood of her mom getting too upset. Then again, maybe not.
“That works and it gives me a day or two to get Mom in a good mood.”
The rest of the way they drove in silence, each absorbed with their own worries. Ana’s stomach flipped with excitement when they turned down her road. Each bump and pothole on the snowy surface made her bounce in her seat. Soft yellow light poured from the windows of the little blue house and a wreath with a large red bow hung from the door. An extra car sat on the driveway and she recognized Aunt Tera’s sedan.
“You may not be able to leave as quick as you want. Aunt Tera and Uncle Jace are here.”
Chance pulled up beside the shed and shrugged. “I’ve survived worse.”
He switched off the engine and deafening silence echoed in her ears. Chance placed his hand on her cheek and leaned over to give her a kiss.
“We’ve both survived worse. Don’t worry, my love. It’ll be fine.”
“Let’s get it over with,” Ana said and got out.
Before they could reach for the front door, it swung open, letting out the aroma of apple cider and pumpkin pie. Arms reached out and grabbed them both, then pulled them into the warmth inside.
“Oh my! Ana you look healthier than I’ve ever seen you. Have you grown?” Aunt Tera’s voice rose above Uncle Jace, who was giving Chance a hearty handshake and welcome.
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