by Maia Starr
“Ginny, right?” the woman said as she came to an abrupt stop before her and the kids. Before Ginny could react, the woman looked Ginny up and down, stopping at her hair. “Oh, wow! Your hair’s so golden and pretty...ah, I wish mine would look that amazing!”
A faint smile appeared on Ginny’s lips, though the woman’s energy was so tangible, Ginny recoiled slightly. “Oh, um, thank you...and yes, I’m Ginny Whitlock. Are you the one May Silver sent to guide us through the island?”
The woman nodded. “Yep! That’s me. I’m Callie. I’ve lived on Silverwood my entire life, so feel free to ask any questions you have.” Her eyes darted down, smiling and crouching down to get on eye level with Oliver and Grace, who both hid behind her legs. “And who are you two?” she said, planting her elbows on her knees and motioning them both forward.
Tugging them forward slightly, Ginny whispered to them both. “Go on; it’s alright to say hi.”
Oliver came out first, his expression turning stoic as if facing down some great beast. “Hi,” he simply said.
Grace followed suit, though she actually stepped out from behind Ginny’s right leg. “Hi.”
Callie giggled at their responses, causing Ginny to smile. Maybe coming to this island wasn’t a bad decision after all. “The boy is Oliver, and Grace is the girl. They might be a little shy at first, but once you get to know them, they’ll be bursting with energy; isn’t that right, guys?” Shaking them both produced little smiles on their faces, and soon enough they were both out in the open rather than behind Ginny’s legs.
“Aw!” Callie cooed. “You two are adorable. I’m sure you’ll both love it here on the island. Speaking of which, I’m supposed to walk you guys straight to the house...but if you’re hungry or anything, just let me know. One of the only towns not that far from here, so it isn’t a big deal if we grab some food first.”
Ginny glanced at both of the children first but seeing them not react to Callie’s suggestion told her they weren’t ready to head into town. “Why don’t we go to see the house first? We’re not especially hungry right now.”
“Sounds good to me!” Callie rose to her feet. “Then just follow me. It’s a little bit of a walk, but at least it’s good exercise.”
“Lead the way.”
As they crossed the street and strolled onto the path Callie had come from, Ginny couldn’t help but look over her shoulder at the ferry one more time. Just in case.
The walk only took around fifteen minutes at most, but just like Callie had explained, it was great exercise.
Maybe it was too much exercise, as both Oliver and Grace began to wobble and droop their heads, yawning and rubbing their cheeks as they neared the coast.
Both Callie and Ginny laughed at their reactions to the walk. “Is the walk even longer from here to the towns?” Ginny asked.
“Just a tiny bit,” Callie admitted, clasping her arms behind her back. “It’s not as bad as you might think, and moving is always a long day, so I’m sure that your kids will be fine on days where they haven’t been traveling all day.”
“Hopefully they will.”
Suddenly, Callie’s eyes brightened against the woodland backdrop, causing Ginny to flinch slightly. “So what’s it like to be a single mother...if it’s alright if I ask?” she quickly said, leaning into Ginny’s space.
A single mother? Ginny hadn’t thought of herself as a single mother yet, but she supposed it was true now. There was no Danny or other man in her life yet to help with the kids. Though the term unnerved her as if just saying it would bring Danny closer to her. “Oh, well it's...complicated. As if it were second nature to her by now, Ginny glanced over her shoulder once again, looking to make sure there was nobody on their trail.
Callie must have sensed her sudden spike in fear because her smile faded and she remained quiet for the rest of their short journey to the sea.
When they finally did reach the cresting hills that overlooked the beach, both Oliver and Grace couldn’t contain their excitement, jumping up and down and straining to rush forward. Unwilling to deny the children their fun, Ginny let go of the two, each giggling and laughing as they ran up the hill to look out over the ocean. “Just be careful!” Ginny yelled. “Watch your footing!”
Not feeling their small hands in hers made her weary and worried, but Callie touched her shoulder, breaking Ginny out of her spell. “There’s also something I should let you know. The cottage will probably need some repairs and the like, and so we already have someone out here looking at the house to see what needs fixing up.”
Ginny sighed. “No wonder it was dirt cheap. But it’s not like I’m penniless. Who do I need to thank for that?”
As the two of them stepped closer to the hill, Callie pointed just down the coast to where a lonely old cottage rested, watching the waves crash softly against the rocky shores. And walking towards them from the house was a man that took Ginny’s breath away.
Tall and burly, the man who walked towards them along the hill was just barely able to contain his defined muscles within the simple gray t-shirt he wore. His long strides were a testament to his great height, and his tanned skin seemed to ripple under the heat. Locks of dark brown hair hung over his forehead, just barely keeping out of the steely blue eyes that sucked Ginny in. And his smile...wide and sparkling white, with dimples adorning each side. Ginny wanted to faint right then and there at the sight of him. For a moment, she couldn’t even remember what her ex-husband’s name was.
“That’s Zander. He’ll be taking good care of you,” Callie whispered, nudging Ginny’s ribs.
Embarrassment over staring at Zander rushed to her face, turning her as bright as a tomato, and causing Ginny to shamelessly imagine being alone in a room with a man like Zander. Of course, she couldn’t exactly imagine all the things she wanted to, as she still lacked any sexual experience with a man, but she could dream all she wanted.
“Mommy, look!” Oliver called from the hill. Glancing over to him, Ginny noticed him holding up a big seashell, light shining through it and around it. He held it up to his ear and grinned. “I can hear the sea!”
“Let me see,” Grace suddenly interjected, clawing at the seashell.
Oliver swiped at Grace trying to shove her away. “No! It’s mine!”
“But I want it!” Grace reiterated.
Soon enough, the two began to wrestle with each other, grabbing and pulling on the seashell. Ginny’s daydreams about the hunk walking towards her evaporated instantly as she watched the two struggle with each other. “Enough, you two! Oliver, let Grace have some time with the shell.” But as soon as Ginny said anything, Oliver’s grip slipped on the shell, leaving Grace to pull away with the shell and for Olive to stumble backward over the small cliff.
Ginny's heart leaped in her chest, and she instantly dropped her suitcases and sprinted forward, calling Oliver’s name just as he was vaulting over the edge.
But Oliver never fell past the edge, as Zander, the man Ginny had yet to meet, had raced forward and dove to catch Oliver’s wrist just in time before he fell a couple dozen feet to the ground. It had all happened so fast that Ginny hesitated to move forward anymore, and found her voice gone. Her chest thumped like crazy as Zander grunted as he stood up, bringing Oliver back up and to his feet; she just couldn’t get her eyes to move anywhere other than him. Oliver stared at Zander in awe, and Grace went rushing over to Oliver, crying and throwing the seashell in her brother’s face.
It wasn’t until Zander pointed at Oliver that Ginny finally ran forward. “I don’t mean to be presumptuous or anything...but is this your kid?”↡¶
Chapter Six
Zander
Boy, was Zander glad he didn’t wear his heart on his sleeve because his pounded quicker than it should have that afternoon. It was Zander’s heart and body he had to thank, as it reacted on its own when he dove to catch the boy from certain death. It was only after he had lifted the boy back up onto the ledge that the gears in his head finally b
egan to work again.
Then his heart began to pound like crazy, and not just because he’d save some kid from falling to a rocky death below, but because the woman who rushed forward to wrap her skinny arms around the boy had looked up at Zander with wild green eyes—eyes that sucked away his breath and stopped him from taking another step. He couldn’t rip his eyes off of her, nor he could he stop his inner wolf from ramming into its cage, howling to claw itself out into the open. Slender like a forest nymph, her fair skin sparkling under sun’s rays and her silky, platinum blonde hair curling down her back, Zander was convinced the woman before him was nothing short of a goddess.
As she rose to her feet, her brilliant green eyes locking with his and her delicate pink lips parted, her breath getting caught up in the quick yet powerful breeze that rocketed through the space between them. “Thank you.”
“Zander.” One large stride brought Zander within an arm’s distance of her, and a genuine grin appeared on his grizzled chin a moment later. “Call me Zander. You wouldn’t happen to be the woman who bought this old cottage, would you?”
Just like Zander, the woman remained silent, gawking at him. From this distance, Zander had to look down to stare into her vibrant eyes. Those big orbs of hers spoke to him, in all sorts of ways. As they twitched and narrowed and remained watching him closely, he saw more than just appreciation for what he’d done for her son. He saw...fear, apprehension, and the way her hands tightly gripped her children’s shoulders told Zander she wasn't just shaken up from the fall, but rather always on edge. He’d have to step lightly around her for the time being, he supposed.
“Yes, I am,” she finally said, her voice smooth and young, yet muffled in the next heavy winds that howled through. “I’m Ginny Whitlock.” For once, Ginny tore her gaze from Zander and glanced around him to peer at the cottage, her gaze and lips tightening. “I suppose that’s the house then?”
“Yep! She’s one of a kind.” Zander’s grin widened as he glanced over his shoulder. “A little in need of some new makeup, but she’s still got charm.”
“Enough to keep Zander here practically all day!” Callie suddenly appeared at Ginny’s side. “You know he’s been here trying to look at what needs fixing since this morning.”
Chuckling, Zander scratched his head. “Just doing my part! Making sure there weren’t any major problems before letting you live in the house. I’ll be giving you the tour as well.”
“Tour, huh?” Ginny said, a shy smile forming on her lips, causing Zander’s blood to rush around in his veins. She glanced down at her two children, both as blonde as their mother and who both stared at Zander like he were some zoo animal. She shook them slightly to grab their attention, and when they both looked up at her with curious eyes, Ginny spoke. “You guys ready to see our new house?”
The girl nodded vehemently, and the boy simply smiled. Noticing Zander’s raised eyebrow, Ginny proceeded to introduce each of them. “This Oliver and Grace. They’re twins. Say hi, guys.”
“Hi,” Grace said shyly, glancing down at her feet.
“You’re really fast,” Oliver said next, causing Zander to chuckle.
Crouching down, Zander winked at them both. Grace’s cheeks flamed up, but Oliver’s grin grew in size. Zander poked Oliver in the chest. “I am, and I’m very thankful that I am, or else we’d be fishing you out of the sea right now.” Oliver’s expression darkened quickly at Zander’s words, his face drawn and eyebrows raising, so Zander amended his statement. “What I mean is that one day you might be just as fast as I am, so you can save someone like how I saved you. You get me?”
A flicker of understanding crossed Oliver’s face, and he nodded.
“Good!” Rising to his feet, Zander motioned for Ginny and her kids to follow behind as he walked up the sloping hill to the cottage. “Come on, do you guys want to see your cool new home?”
“Yes!” both of the children shouted, racing to catch up to Zander.
Callie turned her back on them, walking away. “I’m heading back to Wolf Den, okay? I’ll see you later, Ginny!” With that, Callie sauntered off back into the forest, disappearing quickly from sight.
“Wolf Den?” Ginny said as she turned back to Zander, her brow raised.
At first, Zander cursed Callie for even mentioning their shifter home base, but then a fantastic idea sprung into shape in his mind, and Zander glanced at Ginny with a smile stretching from ear to ear. An urge compelled him to say what he said next, despite how adamant Flint and the rest of the pack were about keeping their shifter nature a secret from the outside world. “A little community deep in the woods, where both Callie and I live.”
“Oh...you and Callie,” Ginny said, her voice dropping, “...so you guys are—”
“Together?” Zander finished, laughing at the suggestion. “Nope! I’m friends with her husband. I’m as single as this cottage is.”
“Oh.” Giggling, Ginny didn’t notice Zander slow his stride to fall in next to her. Before she even noticed him walking next to her, he leaned in, or over, as Ginny was at least head smaller than him, and whispered.
“Happy about that fact, are we?” Zander mused, whistling as Ginny went bright red and began to fumble with her words.
“It’s not that!” she exclaimed. “I’m just...ugh; I don’t even know what I’m saying right now.”
Oliver and Grace reached the front door first, glancing back at both Zander and Ginny with pleading looks, jumping up and down, each with a hand on the doorknob. Ginny nodded, and both children struggled to open the door and run inside.
“Well, either way, my singleness isn’t what makes Wolf Den so special,” Zander said, peering at Ginny sideways.
“Then what does?”
“It’s the fact that we’re all shapeshifters.”
The moment Zander spoke the word shapeshifters, Ginny stumbled forward, nearly buckling to her knees if Zander hadn’t caught her in time. His burly arms enveloped her frail midsection as he pulled her back to her feet. Ginny’s face lit on fire, and Zander could imagine steam coming out of her ears.
“Shapeshifters? Hah! For a second, I thought you were serious,” she said, nervously glancing out at the ocean as they both reached the open front door.
Zander couldn’t leave his remark as just that, a joke meant to get a giggle out of a beautiful new face on Silverwood Island; something compelled him to keep going, to reveal all of his secrets right there and then. He’d just met this gorgeous woman, and yet already he wanted to tell her everything about himself, to learn everything about her. Maybe she wasn’t just a beautiful nymph, but a seductress in disguise. Or maybe Zander was much more of a horndog than he wanted to admit.
Zander forced his grin to fade. “I’m serious. We’re all werewolves. Me, Callie, her husband...pretty much everyone on this island can shapeshift into a wolf, or bear, or something, save a handful of regular humans like you.” Glancing back to Ginny, whose perfectly lined jaw was hung open, Zander smiled once again. “If you press your hand against my chest, you can feel the wolf beneath my skin, growling and howling to get out.”
When Ginny remained staring at Zander in disbelief, Zander found himself bellowing in laughter, unable to control his teasing. Rolling her eyes, Ginny pushed past Zander and walked inside the house. “Callie said you’d take good care of me...this is definitely not what I thought she meant.”
“And what did you think she meant?” Zander teased, hopping inside and closing the door.
The front door to the cottage opened to a living room to the left and small kitchen to the right. Directly in front of both Ginny and Zander was a hallway that led to some rooms. Oliver and Grace dashed in and out of each room, snickering and bumping into the walls. Zander smiled at their enthusiastic venture, watching as they explored their new home.
“Take off your shoes!” Ginny shouted into the hallway. “Let’s not track mud into our new house on the first day, okay?” The children shouted something that sounded like an okay, bu
t Zander couldn’t have been sure. Crossing her arms and sighing, Ginny turned back to Zander, her green eyes shining even when out of the sunlight. “I wasn’t expecting to be teased so quickly upon arrival. I thought you’d show me around.”
“Then let me!” Zander said, drifting over to the left side of the house, clearing his throat and “Come one, come all! Welcome to Zander’s grand tour of the lonely cottage by the sea. I respectfully ask that everyone keep their hands and feet to themselves as I go around this cottage. Sound good to everyone?”
While he spoke, both Grace and Oliver poked their heads out from the hallway, completely entranced by him. Zander winked at Ginny moments later, causing her to roll her eyes, but smile all the same.
“First up, we have the living room!” Zander said, pretending to be holding up a microphone to his mouth. “It’s small but comfortable, and yes, this wonderful couch and rug comes with it. Though some of the floorboards are actually rotted over. I’ll bring some new ones soon and replace them. Just watch your feet!” Deftly walking over the boards, Zander managed to make the twins chuckle.
“Next up is the kitchen! It’s small and lacking in amenities, but it can be updated upon request.” Zander said, and then pointed to the windows. “As you can see here, some of the windows have been shattered. I’ve already cleaned up the jagged glass both on the outside and inside, but I highly recommend being careful around here. I’ll have my boys install new windows when they ship in.”
For the next fifteen minutes or so, Zander’s show pressed on, moving from the kitchen and into the bedrooms, making the kids giggle uncontrollably, earning many smiles from Ginny, and wrapping it all up nicely by pointing out some of the repairs Ginny would need to have done by Zander and his tiny crew. For the most part, Zander was doing well, and by the end, both Oliver and Grace were yawning and rubbing at their eyes, heading to the couch to collapse and get a little bit of shut-eye. Ginny had to force them to take off their shoes before they sat down while Zander waited, leaning against the wall, arms crossed. Ginny must have forgotten Zander was there because as she cooed the two children to sleep, her eyes went wide and snapped onto Zander, who waved casually.