"Are you crazy? I could never be ashamed of you," she said, then swallowed hard as she got up the courage for what she was going to say next. "You haven't met my family because I haven't met them, either."
"What are you talking about?"
"I don't know them. I've never lived with them. I spent most of my life in and out of group homes or moving from one foster family to the next. That's why when we first met, it was so easy for me to stay with you all the time."
He turned back towards her, his grey eyes burning so deeply she had to look away. Numb from never having a family to grow up with and knowing now that they would never appear, she didn't have tears left.
"You don't know anything about them?" he asked as his finger traced her cheek.
"Nothing. All I know is my mother left me at the hospital and couldn't be bothered to give me a name. The only thing I have is this bird pendant."
She lifted the silver charm hanging on a long chain around her neck. As he held it with the tips of his fingers he smiled. "This isn't just any bird, it's a crane. They're all over down here. They love the water. Have you ever looked up the spiritual meaning for the crane?"
"Spiritual meaning? There's enough crazy stuff that goes on in this town without my adding to it," she said.
"The symbolism of the crane is to use your past as a source of strength for the present," he said, ignoring her.
"My past doesn't give me any strength. If anything, it's the opposite," she said as she lowered her head. "I've been clinging to this dumb bird hoping it meant something, that maybe she'd come back for me or at least this stupid thing, but nothing. She wouldn't even sign her rights away so someone else could adopt me," she said as a lump formed in her throat. "Why would anyone be so cruel?"
"I don't know why people do the things they do, Faith," he said, his voice soft. "I'm sorry you had such a hard life, but you're with me now. I'm your family. You don't need anyone else."
He slipped his fingers behind her neck and pulled her head down to him. Slowly his lips moved against hers and she relaxed back into his nook. As long as he loved her, she wouldn't need anyone else in the world.
Present Day
"If Abel wants to, he can find me," Faith said to herself as she headed into the woods.
She didn't care if he went after her or not, she needed to get away. Even if it was just a few minutes. Since his pack had been captured by the Kapok Council, he had changed again. Gone was the Abel she knew and clung to believing he still was, and in his place was someone else. Someone she didn't want to know.
Wrapping her arms around herself as she walked, she picked up her pace, hoping to get her blood moving to warm her. Leaving the house on a cool night wasn't the smartest thing she ever did, but at least the full moon shone through the thick trees and onto the forest floor. She had to count her blessings somewhere.
Seeing a path up ahead between the trees, she followed it, wondering where it would lead. The dead grass was worn away to the dry sandy dirt below. The further she got from Abel, the slower her breath came and the tension left her body as she relaxed. She wasn't shaking anymore and her heart didn't ache as much. Taking in a deep breath, she felt calmer.
The path straightened as the moon slipped behind a cloud, making it harder to see. A woman with long black hair in a glowing white dress appeared down the path. She looked towards Faith, then turned around as if she heard something before running forward and disappearing into the trees. Without thinking, Faith followed her, weaving between the trees, but she couldn't keep up. The moon came out and lit the forest again and Faith found the path through the trees.
As she stepped back onto the path the woman appeared again, this time a little closer. She looked at Faith, then behind her again, before running. Faith couldn't tell if she was running out of fear or if she was playing a game with someone, but she needed to find out.
"Wait!" Faith called out as she reached the trees the woman disappeared into. The woods were too dark and thick for Faith to see, and she wasn't crazy enough to keep chasing her. The last thing she needed was to get lost. It didn't matter how curious she was. As it slowly dawned on Faith that the woman might be a ghost, she turned around to look in the direction the woman kept turning towards and noticed a large clearing through the trees.
Snaking her way through into the clearing, she looked up at the bright moon lighting the area. As she stepped towards the middle of the clearing, the woman in white appeared again and smiled at her. Faith didn't know what to think or expect. As a witch, she should know something about the dead or even how to communicate with a ghost, but Faith wasn't an ordinary witch. Magic and witchcraft meant nothing to her. She only became a witch for Abel.
Seven Years Ago
"Faith, I'm telling you," Abel said, "with those eyes, you must come from witch blood."
"No, you're nuts. The green eyes thing is just superstition, like red hair. And I don't have red hair."
"Just humor me. You don't know anything about your family, don't you think if you tried this out it could be a connection to them? Maybe a little hint into who you really are?"
Faith sighed. He always knew exactly what to say to get her to do things she didn't want to. Despite Abel filling the spot of her family and always being there for her, it wasn't enough. She desperately wanted to know something about her ancestors and the mother who abandoned her.
Flipping the silver crane around her fingers, she nodded slowly. "Fine, what do you want to do? Dunk me in water and see if I drown? Or light me on fire and see if I burn?"
"Very funny," he said. "This isn't the witch trials. You just need to focus and tell me what cards I'm holding up."
Abel held out an ordinary deck of playing cards with a red swirl backing and handed them to her. Flipping through them, she didn't notice anything odd. The cards felt normal. She held them up to the light and couldn't see through them, and none of them looked any different from the other when the back of the card faced her.
After she handed the deck back to Abel, he shuffled the cards and randomly picked one.
"Go on, concentrate on the card and tell me what you see," he said.
She shook her head, sighed, and rolled her eyes. "Fine...five of spades," she said as she shrugged, not having a clue why she even chose that card.
"That's it!" Abel said then turned the card around to face her.
He continued this through half the deck with Faith naming the card each time.
"That's incredible! See, I knew you had it in you!"
Faith shook her head. "You're bullshitting me. There's no way I got them all right."
"Think of all the things you can learn! Witches can communicate with the dead, they can affect the weather, and they can even communicate with animals. I bet you can learn charming."
"What are you talking about? Are you getting me a kettle and a broom?"
"I'm serious, Faith. This is huge! I know some people. I bet they can teach you how to charm." Abel paced the room. "Did I ever tell you about the crane curse? Maybe that's what that crane around your neck is about. I remember reading once that in Leeds Point, there is a crane curse that goes back hundreds of years. It had something to do with charming." Abel continued excitedly. "I always thought it was a fairytale or folklore like the Jersey Devil in these parts, but maybe there's some truth to it. I'll have to look it up. You know there's a bit of truth in everything."
Present Day
Faith looked at the woman smiling at her. She seemed more visible now, almost human. Her clothing were solid now too and Faith could see she wasn't wearing a dress, she was in a white cotton nightgown.
As she stepped towards her, the woman put her hand up towards Faith as if telling her to stop. Thinking about the teachings she underwent with Abel, the thing she learned most about witchcraft was that nothing ever worked unless she believed and concentrated on it.
Taking a deep breath, she summoned up her courage and spoke. "I'm Faith. Who are you?"
T
he woman smiled again. Her lips didn't move, but Faith heard her speak.
"I'm Miranda."
A twig snapped in the surrounding forest, and Miranda quickly changed into a white crane and flew up towards the sky before disappearing. Faith's heart pounded in her chest as she watch the bird spread its wings across the night sky before fading into a passing cloud.
"You need to be more careful. You know the Council is looking for you," Erich said as he stepped into the clearing, the moon reflecting off his naked body.
Faith forced herself to look away. She had a hard enough time being around him when he was dressed, it made her hate being a human because of it. Erich was almost ten years younger than her, the last thing she wanted to do was act like a cougar.
"I needed some fresh air. If I get caught, I get caught. The Council are the good guys, they're not going to hurt me. Besides, why is the Council after me? I came to them."
"This is more complicated than you realize," he said as he approached her.
"You have no idea what complicated is," she said as she thought about being in love with Abel yet despising him at the same time.
Faith continued to look into the sky, wishing he would go away. Something about him made her feel weak and helpless, and although she'd never admit it, she liked it. Knowing that he was strong and would protect her made her feel safe and confident, but she'd never let him know that. Wrapping her arms around herself, she rubbed her arms, noticing the cold air again.
"Let's get you home."
"I can get home by myself. I don't need your help."
"Fine, suit yourself," he said as he turned back towards the wooded area he stepped out of. He slowly sprouted dark brown fur, his body bulked up and widened further as he changed into a grizzly bear.
As he entered the woods, Faith realized she had no idea how to get back. She wasn't sure if she could find the path again and even if she did, she got so turned around from chasing Miranda that she wasn't sure which way to go.
"Crap, wait! Erich!" she called out after him before running towards the forest.
With his eyes glowing, the large bear peeked his head out of the woods and studied her. Having lived with Abel for so long, the habits of shifters remaining in animal form with their glowing eyes didn't bother her. What did was when they looked at her cocky like the bear did now. If it was daylight, she'd tell him to go to hell and she'd wander the woods until she found the house. She didn't have a choice though at night.
"I don't know how to get back."
The bear snorted at her and re-entered the clearing. Gently bumping her with his side, she climbed on the massive animal and clutched his fur between white knuckles as he trotted into the forest.
His fur was softer and thicker than she imagined. Wrapping her arms as best she could around his tremendous neck, she rode him as he weaved his way through the trees. As she bounced along, Faith couldn't help but think how absurd it was that she was riding on top of such a dangerous animal. If Abel knew...
She let go and fell hard onto her side on the ground. As her temple hit the exposed root of a large pine tree, everything went black.
"Faith, wake up. Faith?"
She thought she was blinking, but she couldn't see anything. Was she awake? Asleep? She heard Erich's voice calling her, felt the heat from his hand against her cheek and the cold of the Pine Barrens floor, but something wasn't right.
A blinding light cut through the darkness and made Faith wince before Miranda, the woman in white, appeared. Faith felt Erich pick her up, but what she was looking at didn't change as her mind seemed to have disconnected from the rest of her body. Miranda smiled softly at her then began speaking, but her lips didn't move.
"It's okay, you're fine but I really wanted to talk to you," Miranda said. "I need your help. You have to find my son and give him something from me."
Faith struggled to speak, but words wouldn't come out.
"Use your mind, Faith. Here we don't speak like you're used to. Just think the words you want to say to me."
Her head pulsed with a shooting pain that started at her temples and throbbed at the back of her neck. Faith pushed past that and focused on Miranda and thought her words to her.
"How am I supposed to find your son? I'm supposed to be in hiding."
Faith's head spun. She didn't know if this was real or a dream, but she didn't remember her dreams ever being so vivid before. Why did she have to help this woman? Couldn't she find someone else to help? Faith had enough problems of her own. She didn't need to add even more to it.
"I know who your family is, Faith. Come back to the clearing tomorrow night, while the moon is still full, and I'll tell you more."
Miranda disappeared and Faith gasped as she finally opened her eyes and found herself in Erich's arms.
"Put me down!" she said as she pushed against his strong chest.
Gently setting her down on her feet, Faith stumbled but he caught her. "You hit your head pretty hard. Why'd you let go?" he asked.
"I can't smell like you. If I let you take me home like that, Abel would smell you all over me. How do I explain that? He's a very jealous man."
"Abel is barely a man anymore," Erich grunted. "You deserve better."
"You don't know what I deserve. Abel's a good person. He was there for me when I needed someone the most. I can't leave him, I love him."
"I know Abel. I remember him years ago and I know him now. He isn't the same man he once was, and you need to accept that. What you love is nothing but a memory."
"How dare you!" she said before slapping his cheek and stumbling. Erich caught her again and helped her regain her balance. She felt small and safe with him, which only infuriated her more.
"Why did you come to the Council? You asked me to rescue his prisoners and take his pack. I did that. You said you needed to get away from him, that you were frightened of him. So why are you still with him?"
She opened her mouth, but words didn't come out. She couldn't say what she was thinking. He has nothing without me. I ruined him. He's like this because of me.
"A beast like you could never understand love," she said.
Erich turned away and began walking through the trees again. Faith followed, knowing she didn't have a choice if she wanted to get back home. In the distance, she heard a long, high-pitched howl and recognized it as Abel's.
The dim light of the house appeared ahead and Faith quickened her walk and slipped ahead of Erich, no longer needing him. Just before reaching the house, his large hand closed around her upper arm and he pulled her close to him.
As she looked up into his warm brown eyes, she felt helpless. She shoved her attraction to him away and pushed against his bare chest, but he didn't budge. His other hand cupped her face as he met her gaze.
"If he ever tries to hurt you, or if you ever need help, I am always around. You say the word and I will have you out of there and somewhere safe before he even knows you're gone."
His lips crushed hers and her mind spun. As he pulled away, she reached up and pulled his head back down to her. His mouth felt strong but vulnerable and she pushed her tongue past his lips to meet his before stepping away from him.
Damn those Alphas! Why were they always so irresistible to women? Walking away, she felt his eyes on her and it made her feel sexy and wanted, something Abel hadn't made her feel in a very long time. She missed that.
Chapter Four
Rafael steered the long black sedan through the old residential streets. Annoyed he couldn't do this alone, Erich figured he might as well take advantage of the perks of being on the Council despite what he kept from them. He couldn't tell them what he knew about Faith or where to find her and Abel. Erich could care less about Abel, but as long as Faith did, he would do everything in his power to protect him.
"Watch your thoughts once we arrive at the Smythe's," Erich said. "Mr. Smythe is a renowned mind reader and has no qualms using it to his advantage."
"He sounds devious," Rafael
replied.
"No, just smart. One of the smartest men you'll ever meet. Especially for a human."
Turning onto a winding street, Erich was surprised to see so much traffic. As they pulled up in front of the Smythe's old colonial-style house, Erich saw the source of all the traffic–parents coming to pick up their children playing on the front lawn.
As they pulled in front of the house, a slender woman with faded blue hair in jeans and an old college sweatshirt stood up from the middle of a group of children, towering over them. Her brows knitted together and she scowled before storming over to the car like an angry giraffe. Rafael jumped out of the driver's seat as if he was expecting trouble.
"Seriously, Rafael? You really can't take no for an answer, can you? Can't you act like a good stalker and hide? You have to show up in this ridiculous car?" she said.
As Rafael quietly took her abuse, Erich exited the sedan. He stood beside Rafael, listening to her tirade, finding it interesting to see such fire from a simple human. It was obvious Rafael was infatuated with the girl Erich recognized as Pinky Smythe, the daughter to the man they were there to meet with. Erich did find her pretty, but he was willing to bet it was her quirky personality that drew Rafael in. Rafael was always a sucker for a free spirit.
"Rafael, when you're done here, please join me inside," Erich said before he walked towards the front door.
"Wait, you mean you're not here to see me?" Pinky said, sounding dejected.
"No sweetheart, but if that's the kind of greeting I'd get if I was, I'd be sure to show up here more often," Rafael said, his New Orleans accent coming through in full force.
Rafael caught up with Erich as he climbed the few steps onto the porch and rang the doorbell. A lanky, bald man with warm brown eyes answered.
"Erich! I've been expecting you," he said as he pushed open the screen door and let the men into the house.
The Crane Curse Series Complete Boxed Set (Shape Shifter Romance) Page 13