Pea vanished. Faith waited for a gust of wind or anything from Pea, but nothing happened. From behind, she heard footsteps entering the clearing, but she was too overwhelmed and worn out to turn around. Her legs couldn't support her anymore and she collapsed onto the soft earth beneath her.
"Oh! Are you okay?"
A girl in a dark cloak with auburn hair knelt beside her. Faith recognized Hannah immediately, but remembering their last encounter, Faith scooted back and tried to move away while grabbing for her pendant at the same time.
"No, it's okay," Hannah said, "I heard everything. I was visiting my mom and saw this crazy huge light come from the forest. I can't believe that was you! No wonder you fell! How on earth did you do that?"
Faith laughed and shook her head. "I wish I could tell you. I was just so angry with her, everything just seemed to shoot out of me. I'm Faith, by the way. And I guess I'm your aunt."
"Let me help you to your feet, Aunt Faith," Hannah said, smiling.
"No, thanks, I'm fine."
Faith stood up and was eye to eye with Hannah. She never met anyone she was related to before and her mind spun as she soaked in their similarities, their height, body type, long wild hair, but especially their eyes. For the first time, Faith felt like she belonged.
"You really do have Pea's eyes," Hannah said. "I always thought it was weird that I had them but my mom didn't."
"I'm sorry you had to hear all of that."
"Nah, it's fine. Seems I'm learning more about Pea all the time. It's a shame really. She was everything to me and now...I'm just really hurt by how she was. I feel like maybe how she was with me was a sham."
"Don't think like that, Hannah. Maybe of all the things she said tonight, you should hold onto that she did one thing right. What she did to your mom and me had nothing to do with you. Just remember how she was with you. She can't change anything now."
Hannah smiled at her and nodded. "You're right. And I really do miss talking to her. I guess you're feeling better?"
Faith nodded. "Better than I have in a long time. I guess I just needed to get it all off my chest. Plus now I have a niece and a sister to get to know."
"Come, you've got to meet my mom. She's going to be thrilled to meet you."
As Faith and Hannah left the clearing, Faith couldn't shake the feeling they were being followed. She tried to look into the trees to see if she could make out anyone or anything, but nothing was there. Convincing herself Hannah's wolf senses would have told her if they weren't alone, Faith didn't say anything as they followed the path out of the woods.
Once they were closer to the cottage, Faith stopped like she had many times over the past month.
"What is it?" Hannah asked.
"This is all too crazy. Your mom isn't going to want to meet me. I can't go in there."
"No, you're crazy," Hannah said, laughing. "Trust me, strange things happen in our family all the time. My mom is going to be thrilled. Just the other day she was saying she wished it wasn't just the two of us. She's just so happy now she wants to share that with everyone."
Hannah hooked her arm through Faith's and they walked up to the small cottage together. Hannah opened the door and pulled Faith into the house with her. Ahead of them stood three people in the kitchen, a beautiful woman with dark hair several years older than Faith and two handsome wolf shifters, one with sandy hair and one with dark blond hair, Faith recognized both of them as Knox and Caleb.
Caleb stepped in front of Faith, his nose lengthening and jaws snapping like a wolf while the rest of him remained human. As he moved closer to her, Faith stepped back out of fear. He had every right to hate her for helping Abel. Hannah stepped between them and pushed Caleb back gently.
"Stop. She's okay. She's more than okay, she's my aunt."
"What are you talking about?" Caleb demanded as he shifted completely back to human. "She's with that coyote, you saw her that night. She can't be trusted."
"I know it’s complicated, but you have to trust me. I heard her and Pea in the clearing."
"She's a charmer and you're a wolf," Caleb said. "You don't know what you heard."
"I didn't charm her," Faith said, stepping out from behind Hannah. "What she told you is true. At least hear me out."
Eliza pushed past Knox, who had moved into a protective stance in front of her, and stepped closer. "She has Pea's eyes," Eliza whispered. "I've never seen anyone else besides Pea and Hannah with those eyes. Let her in."
Faith stepped further into the house and entered the warm kitchen where they all stood. In her hand she held her crane pendant on the broken chain and fiddled with it between her fingers like she did whenever she was nervous.
"I'm sorry to come here and I know you have no reason to trust me," she said.
"Wait," Eliza said, "what's in your hand?"
"My mother left me at the hospital shortly after I was born. This was the only thing she left with me. She didn't even give me a name. I always hoped she'd come back for it."
Faith opened her hand and showed the silver crane pendant to Eliza. Eliza grabbed her hand and smiled as she touched the pendant, then almost caught Faith off balance when she gave her a strong hug.
"I remember this pendant when I was little," Eliza said. "My mother Pea had it made for me. She knew an old silversmith in Barnegat and asked him to make it for me so it would match hers. She said it would always protect me." She pushed Faith's hair back from her shoulders and smiled at her. "I was little. I barely remember anything. I was maybe three? But I remember this pendant because I loved it so much. I swear my mother used to make it fly for me," she said, smiling as she blinked back happy tears. "Then one day it was gone. I looked everywhere for it. Pea told me it must've flown to another little girl who needed it more. For once, she wasn't lying."
Eliza pulled a chair out from the kitchen table and motioned for Faith to sit. She sat with Knox across from her. Caleb stood by the door with his arms folded across his chest.
"I'm sorry, but after hearing Pea earlier, I'm really needing a run to clear my mind," Hannah said.
"I'll come with you," Caleb said, walking towards the door.
"No, I just really want to be alone, and Faith doesn't need an audience," Hannah said before turning to Faith. "I always wanted a bigger family even though I was happy with the small one I got. I can't wait to get to know you better."
Faith stood and gave Hannah a hug. Hannah patted Caleb on the chest and whispered something to him that made him smile before he bent down to kiss her as she walked out the door.
"I guess I'll wait for her at home," Caleb said. "She's right as usual, you ladies need time to talk and get to know each other."
Caleb left the cottage, and the roar of his motorcycle faded into the distance. Faith looked across the table at her new sister and an old friend and remembered the real reason she was there.
"Knox, I'm sure you don't remember me, but we were friends a long time ago," Faith said. "I was reminded of it about a month ago when I first learned I might have a real family."
"What do you mean?" Knox asked.
Faith was quiet for a moment as she chose her words. She didn't know how sensitive a subject this was to Knox, but she wanted to tell him everything.
"I first ended up in the clearing because I followed a woman in white. It was Miranda Whitman, your mom. I know how crazy that must sound."
Eliza laughed. "You're talking to the family who visits their dead in that clearing. Trust me, nothing you could say to us will sound crazy."
"Please, Faith," Knox said, "go on. I need to hear everything."
Faith took a deep breath and then explained everything that happened from meeting Miranda, to later seeing Pea and knowing she was her mother, to everything Pea said in the forest earlier that night. At the end, she circled back to Miranda and why she appeared to her to begin with.
"She said she's always been with you, always watched over you. She's so proud of the man you became despite what happen
ed when you were so young. She misses you so much and said she knows how happy and in love you are right now and what you're planning and she wanted me to give you this."
Faith pulled the glittery ring from her pocket and held it out to Knox.
"I can't believe it," he said. "I remember this ring. I only have little memories of my mother, but they're all of her being very loving. Sometimes when I dream I can't even see her, but I remember her warmth and I remember this ring."
He took the ring from Faith, pushed his chair back from the table, and dropped down to one knee facing Eliza.
"Eliza, you know I love you. I've loved you from the moment we met over twenty years ago. I never stopped loving you despite the many obstacles we faced. Fate brought us back together, but I want to be sure we are never apart again. Will you marry me?"
Eliza squealed and jumped out of her chair, knocking Knox backwards. Laughing, she kissed him repeatedly before pressing her forehead to his. "Yes! Oh yes yes yes!"
As the three of them laughed, Faith stood up. "I really should be going. This evening has just been amazing for me and…thank you. I just…thank you. You have no idea how much all of this means to me."
She hugged Eliza and Knox before heading to the door, Eliza following her.
"Please come back again soon," Eliza said. "We have so much to learn about each other. You're welcome here anytime."
Faith hugged her again, happy to have a family of her own. "I'll be back again soon. I promise." After waving to Knox, Faith left and headed towards the path through the woods, back to the shack she shared with Abel.
Chapter Nine
Heading back to the house, Faith listened to the chirps of the crickets in the woods. They grew silent as she passed where they were and filled in behind her as she walked. A cloud passed over the moon, darkening the path. Suddenly everything went quiet – even the crickets were gone.
Her eyes widened out of fear and her body trembled involuntarily. Something was following her. She needed to get back to the house as soon as possible, but the worst thing she could do was run if she was being tracked by an animal.
The snap of a twig towards her right made her jump and as the moon peeked out from behind the cloud again, she saw a mangy grey coyote. Each step he took was balanced and purposeful as he shadowed her, his head hanging low with his teeth bared.
Faith's breathing quickened. If this was an ordinary coyote, she could scare it away, but she knew by its glowing eyes that it was a shifter, and not one she could charm into submission. A dry leaf crunched behind her and she spun around to see another coyote stepping out of the tree line and onto the path beside her.
Continuing down the path, she tried to estimate how far she was from the house as her heart pounded in her ears. Another coyote appeared on the path ahead of her and as she wondered if she'd be safer off the path and deeper into the forest, more coyotes stepped out from the trees.
As they circled her, she wondered what she should do. Screaming for Abel might just make them attack her quicker, and she wasn't even sure if he would come to her rescue anymore.
"What do you want?" she said, knowing they couldn't answer in animal form. "I didn't do anything to you."
One of the coyotes snapped at her, saliva dripping from its jaws. She jumped back but quickly turned around when she heard the snap of another set of teeth. They were closing in on her. She was trapped.
The first coyote lunged forward, its teeth glistening in the moonlight, and snapped its jaw at her again, this time catching her skirt. Grabbing at it, she yanked the skirt out of his mouth, ripping it. She refused to go down without a fight.
"Is that all you've got?" she said, glaring at them, her anger replacing her fear.
Charging towards her again, she pushed her arm out to block him. It was more reflex than anything, but her forearm scraped against his sharp teeth, slicing her open. She held her arm as she felt the warmth of her blood cover her fingers. Grinning at her, with saliva dripping from their mouths and their eyes glowing brighter, the coyotes looked demonic. Faith would fight as best she could but she knew in the end she was going to lose.
A loud roar shook the forest, making the coyotes step back momentarily. Faith had no idea what animal could make that sound, and she trembled as she wondered what she had to deal with next.
Thudding sounds along the ground grew louder as something headed towards them through the trees. The other coyotes backed further away from her but still blocked the path, keeping her trapped. Anxious for another taste of blood, the coyote she cut her arm on crouched down in front of her and growled, ready to pounce.
As the coyote sprung forward, Faith screamed as she turned away, huddling to protect herself. Thick fur brushed past her and she braced herself for the sharp pain of teeth sinking into her flesh. Yelping and howling surrounded her. She was afraid to look as she kneeled on the forest floor, but curiosity got the best of her.
Faith opened her eyes and found a large bear in front of her fighting off the surrounding coyotes. One of the coyotes leapt at the bear and he swatted it easily out of the air. The coyote was thrown against a tree, grunting and barking as it landed on the ground before running away. With a mighty roar the bear stood to its full height, dwarfing the coyotes. As he bared his teeth with a growl, the remaining coyotes ran with their tails tucked away.
Without thinking, Faith jumped up and hugged the bear. Gently pushing her away, the bear dropped down to all fours and nudged her like he had weeks ago. She climbed on top of him, happy to be safe, and wrapped her arms around his thick neck as she buried her face against his warm fur.
When the glow of the porch light appeared, Faith felt her stomach drop as dread filled her. She squeezed the bear's neck tight and he stopped.
"I can't go there. I can't see him," she said. "I can't stay in the house with a coyote tonight. Take me anywhere else, I don't care where. Just not here."
The bear turned and picked up speed. He weaved through the trees until he reached Erich's shiny black pickup truck. Faith slid off the bear, and he walked to the other side of the vehicle where she couldn't see him.
Unable to move, Faith leaned against the truck. She took a deep breath and looked up at the star-filled sky. Her body trembled as she began feeling safe again and her head cleared. As she turned to open the door, Erich's large hand eclipsed hers on the handle.
He was human again but it didn't matter, she still felt protected by him. Dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a navy t-shirt, he left no trace of the bear he had just been.
"No, I got it," he said as he opened the passenger side door before helping her get in. "Where do you want to go?"
Her mind was blank. All she wanted was to be in the safety of her home, but she didn't have one. Abel was at the small house in the woods, and she wanted to be as far from him and any coyote as possible that night. She couldn't think of anywhere she could feel safe at, except for with Erich.
"Anywhere. Just don't leave me tonight."
He nodded before closing her door and walking to the driver's side of his truck. She couldn't take her eyes off him. His broad shoulders, dark, swept back hair, the way his muscles flexed against his clothing as he moved.
Without a word, Erich started the truck and then put his arm out towards Faith. She slid closer to him and wrapped her arms around his chest as she nestled against him.
As they drove in silence, Faith smelled the salty ocean air filling the vehicle as they approached the shore. Lowering the window a little to let more of it in, she admired the sleeping marina with its docked boats gently bobbing. As they went over the bridge and entered the shore town, tiny lights from the buoys lit the way up the inlet towards the ocean.
Driving down a wooded street towards the pier, Faith saw a white figure running through the trees. She blinked, thinking she must be seeing things, but deep down she knew the truth. As Erich turned onto a busy street with small shops lining either side of the road, Faith knew she had to go back.
/> "Turn back," she said. "Just to that last street. The one with the trees."
"What's going on? Is it more coyotes?"
"No, I'm not sure. Maybe it’s nothing, but I have to make sure."
Erich turned the pickup truck around and drove back up the wooded street. As they approached a quiet area with tall pine trees and the sandy soil spilling onto the street, Faith saw the woman in white stop, turn around to look, and then run in the opposite direction.
"Miranda," she whispered. "I have to get back, Erich. Now. I have to get to the clearing."
"Are you crazy? After what just happened with the coyotes?"
"None of that matters. I have to get there now."
"Then I'm coming with you."
"No," Faith said as she shook her head, "you can't. I can't explain it, but I don't think she'll come if you're there. I have to do this alone."
"But what about–"
"I'll be fine. Trust me. You know those coyotes won't be back tonight anyway."
Erich nodded, looking defeated. Faith wished she could bring him with her, but Miranda wouldn't appear with him there. The last thing she wanted was to be alone after what she just went through, but Miranda needed her help.
"I don't like this, Faith. I don't think it’s a good idea."
"Please, it’s something I have to do. I wish I knew what was going on, but I don't. I just know she wouldn't appear for no reason. Nothing will happen to me."
Turning onto the main road, Erich headed back towards the Pine Barrens and the clearing. He drove up the street Eliza and Knox lived and stopped at the end just near the path. As Faith reached for the door handle, Erich leaned over and pulled her close again, claiming her lips with his.
She wanted to stay and wondered what that kiss would lead to, but Miranda's pull was strong and Faith had to find her. Pulling away from Erich, she touched his cheek and kissed him softly before getting out of the car.
"Don't worry about me," she said. "I'll be fine. I'll see you tomorrow."
The Crane Curse Series Complete Boxed Set (Shape Shifter Romance) Page 17