Haven shut her mouth with a click. “I believe you, Ash. I’m just not sure how to break it to her. She thinks you two are life mates. She’ll be heartbroken.”
He shook his head and turned away. “I’m sorry about that, but there’s nothing I can do. I don’t love her enough to mate with her, and I wouldn’t be doing her any favors if I pretended I did.”
“I appreciate your honesty,” Haven replied. “I just don’t know how to break the news to her. I wish I’d never promised to bring you two together.”
He nodded and headed for the door. “I better go. It’s getting late, and I’ve already spent too much time saying good-bye to everybody.”
Haven followed him outside. Ash and Foicks hugged each other, and Foicks clapped Ash on the back. “You’re gonna be great out there.”
Ash grabbed his brother by the shoulders. “I meant what I said. I’ll represent all Bruin kind to the NightShade, not just the people who agree with me. I’ll tell them you want to make war.”
Foicks held up his hand. “Don’t say any more. I trust you to do the right thing. Just take care of yourself, and make sure you come back in one piece.”
“I will.”
Ash hefted his backpack onto his back. He turned to walk away when a couple came out of the trees on a straight line for the bungalow. Haven caught her breath when she recognized her sister. She walked with her arm looped through Bass Cunningham’s elbow.
The pair strolled right up to the bungalow. Sky dislodged herself from Bass to clasp Ash’s hand. “Have a good trip, Ash. Take care.”
Haven gasped. “Sky?”
Sky flashed her sister a satisfied grin and squeezed Bass’s arm again. “What’s wrong, Haven? You’re not the only one who can find a man to mate with.”
“But Ash…” Haven broke off.
Sky compressed her lips and cast a disdainful look toward Ash. “He was never the man for me. I know that, now that I’ve got Bass.” She beamed up into Bass’s face. “Isn’t he delicious? He’s ten times the man Ash could ever be.”
Bass pressed her hands and smiled. Ash frowned at them, but when Sky waved and the couple strolled away into the trees, his expression cleared. “Thank goodness! I dodged that bullet.”
Haven’s heart sank. “I guess it’s a good thing she hasn’t got her heart set on you anymore. She’s moved on.”
Once Sky left, the jolly air returned to Ash’s departure. He turned his golden face on his friends and family and waved good-bye.
The Dunlap tribe and all Ash’s well-wishers waved good-bye. People wiped away tears, and everyone watched him out of sight.
In no time flat, everyone dispersed in all directions. The quiet complacency returned to Bruins’ Peak. The heavy tension of conflict and animosity vaporized in the glowing spring air. The Peak throbbed with life sprouting out of the ground.
Haven gazed into the distance where Ash rounded the last corner on his way to town. What would he find on Renegade Ridge? Would the NightShade be warlike or peaceful? What did they look like? How similar were they to the Bruins?
No one would know until Ash returned. That could take a while. In the meantime, people had lives to rebuild. Relationships torn apart by conflict came back together. Tribes and families mended broken hearts and rebuilt the cooperation to make Bruin kind great again.
Haven’s father crossed her view and took his place in front of her. “We’re going home, honey. You’ll be all right here, won’t you?”
Haven hugged him. “I’ll be fine. If I need anything at all, you and Mom will be the first to know.”
Leda came forward. “I put a cheesecake in the fridge for you. Just do me a favor and don’t have it for dinner.”
Haven laughed. “Okay, Mom. I won’t.”
She hugged her mother and Easton. The family got in the Suburban and drove away with arms waving from the windows.
Two hands materialized on Haven’s shoulders, and Foicks murmured into her hair, “They’ll be all right.”
She closed her eyes and smiled. “I know they will be. It’s us I’m worried about.”
“Us?”
“Us—Bruins, I mean.”
“Are you worried about us?”
She leaned back against his chest. “No. That’s the last thing I’m worried about.”
He separated from her and took her hand. “Come inside.”
She turned around to find Foicks showing a smile she already recognized. She narrowed her eyes. “You’re hiding something. What have you got up your sleeve?”
He tugged her arm. “Come inside and find out.”
She let him lead her to his room. He threw the door open and swept his arm aside. “Ta-da!”
She stared at the room. The messy bed, the dresser crowded with random bits of wire and hand tools, the exposed laundry basket in the corner—all gone. In their place, a big canopy bed with gossamer curtains occupied the center of the room. A grand wardrobe covered one wall, and a vanity mirror sat opposite the window.
Even the dingy old carpet was gone. Hardwood boards polished to a shine gleamed underfoot, and airy white curtains hung around the windows. Cheery wallpaper flecked with colored triangles covered the shabby old painted walls.
Haven stared at the place. Foicks grinned when she looked up at him with her mouth open. “It’s the most I could do before you moved in. I wanted to surprise you, but we’ll get to work on the rest of the place, now that you’re moved in.”
She opened her mouth and closed it again.
“Do you like it?”
She answered by throwing her arms around his neck and covering his mouth and face with kisses.
He pushed her off. “Hey! Not so rough! There’s one more thing I have to do before we can call this place home.”
“What’s that?”
He swept her up into his arms and carried her across the threshold into that room. He tossed her onto the bed, and Haven screamed. Foicks jumped on to the bed next to her and bounced the box springs on hands and knees.
Haven shrieked with laughter, and he pounced on top of her. They kissed until they settled down in one another’s arms. Haven sighed. “This is the best homecoming I could ask for.”
He rolled over on his back and bent his arm under his head. “I’m glad you like it. Dinner is at six, and you’re cooking.”
She smacked him in the stomach and made him groan. “Is that what you want a wife for—to cook and clean?”
He coughed and cradled his arms across his midsection. “Of course not. I want a wife to keep the bed warm. Don’t you know that? Besides, you don’t want to eat my cooking. You would get sick of macaroni after a few days. I know I am.”
Haven rested her head on his shoulder. “The room is really lovely. Thank you for going to so much trouble.”
“Harmony helped me. I don’t know the first thing about this stuff. Hopefully you can make the rest of this place the way you want it.”
“I can’t wait to get started.”
He grabbed her and kissed her again. “At least wait until we’ve christened this bed.”
She shifted up on top of him. “Don’t you worry. This bed is going to get lots of use.”
He closed his eyes. “Yeah, when we’re asleep.”
She didn’t rise to the joke. His eyes popped open when she stared at him in silence. “Just for a second, tell me seriously. Do you regret your decision to stay home with me?”
He petted her hair off her cheeks. “Not for a second. I only wonder sometimes what the NightShade are like. I wish I could see them for myself, but some things are worth giving up. I’m sure I’ll find out in time, anyway.”
She kissed him long and deep. “You’re the greatest.”
“Not as great as you. I only wish every man could experience what it feels like to be as happy as I am now. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”
She rolled in his arms, and his bear presence filled her with that peace and contentment she searched and prayed for so long. Th
e rest of the world could take care of itself as long as these two hearts took care of each other. That was the most important thing in the world right now, and that thing upon which all other goodness would build. The whole world sat on a firm foundation as long as it was on that.
The End.
Bruins’ Peak Bears Volume 3
Books 11-15 are now available as a box set on Amazon! Grab it here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D63XK9N
Witch Academy Box Set (1-5)
Sarah J. Stone
Book 1: The Missing Queen
Chapter 1
Desmond awoke with a start, his body tensing up. It took him a moment to figure out exactly what the problem was, his magic finding its way up to his brain.
He realized after a moment that it was a crash from his kitchen that had woken him. However, the presence that he sensed was not anything that would cause him harm. His dishes and food supply might be in danger, but he was not.
Running a hand over his face, he tried to pull the sleep from his eyes, glancing at the time piece. He was planning to get up now anyway; the alarm would beep after a moment or two. It was later than he normally got up, but he didn't have anywhere to be for another hour.
“Nathaniel,” he said as the door to his chambers whooshed open at his touch. “What are you doing?”
His former Tiro looked up at him, a piece of toast in his mouth.
“You're awake.”
Desmond raised an eyebrow, leaning against the doorframe.
“You think I can't still sense when you are causing chaos? Eleven years of training you, Nathaniel. I promise that the bond is not broken yet.”
Nathaniel smirked as he searched for more bread, and Desmond decided it was a losing battle. Besides, he was meeting Mariah for breakfast anyway, so he didn't need food here.
He had trained Nathaniel for eleven years as his third Tiro, readying him as a full-fledged witch; the guardians of the galaxy. Magic was dangerous and destructive if not controlled and well trained, and those born with it often didn't survive it unless they were taken from their families and devoted their life to its control. Witches, who were taken to the academies around the galaxy and trained by Maestros, became warriors, guardians, peacemakers, and healers. They were well respected, strong, and completely devoted to keeping the galaxy safe.
It came at a price, of course. They rarely, if ever, saw their families again. They were not supposed to form attachments or have families of their own. They were completely devoted to their craft and their quests. When they were young, they were usually devoted to their Maestros. When they came of age, they were put through a series of rigorous tests that determined whether they could go off on their own and become a new generation of Maestros.
There were exceptions to every rule, of course. Tiros were supposed to be in the academy from the time they started walking, and they needed to be with a Maestro by the time they were thirteen if they wanted to be able to take the tests. Otherwise, they remained at school until eighteen and could work in a minor role. Any time after eighteen, they could take the tests and become a full-fledged witch.
Desmond knew that he and Nathaniel had broken almost every single one of those rules in their years together. It wasn't necessarily on purpose, because he didn't always believe in everything the Jurors dictated. But Nathaniel had been almost fourteen when Desmond finally took him on after a disastrous last Tiro. Nathaniel was stubborn, mouthy, and more interested in fun half the time. Desmond knew Nathaniel would never be the serious, quiet, thoughtful Witch that was expected. Nathaniel was twenty-four when he finally took the tests, passing with flying colors in everything except his attitude.
Now, nearly two years later, they remained at the academy. Nathaniel was teaching some of the classes, and Desmond sat on the Jurors part time, dealing with the intergalactic issues that came their way. Both of them were expected at some point soon to take on a Tiro. But after a bumpy eleven years, Nathaniel didn't seem quite ready to be self-sufficient
Desmond, despite being technically free of a Tiro, found it hard to find time for himself and Mariah – not that he publicly wished for it.
The first day Desmond saw Mariah was nearly thirty years ago. They had both been young witches on their first Tiros. They had locked eyes across the room, and Desmond knew that he was in trouble.
Neither of them had broken any rules, at least in public. But as they started to age toward retirement with a quiet life of advising only in their near future, he found it harder to make sure they were in line and not just existing in a grey area that the Jurors raised their eyebrows at.
He knew Nathaniel was aware of the fine line he walked and took it as challenge. No matter how much Desmond tried and scolded, Nathaniel had always had eyes for women. He wasn't discreet either, and more than once, he had been called in front of the Jurors for disobedience.
Desmond's only solace was that, as Nathaniel got older, he seemed to be settling down and focusing his attention on the one woman he came back to again, and again. A quest on Jeffro – a border planet – had introduced the fifteen-year-old Nathaniel to the seventeen-year-old orphaned ruler, Queen Eliza. She was just as head strong, stubborn, and in control of her emotions as he was. Desmond pretended to not hear the late-night hologram fights they had over the years, and pretended not to hear Nathaniel's thoughts when they were doing well. As long as he was focused on his duties, Desmond could turn a blind eye. And, he noticed, no matter how hard they fought, they always returned to each other. They fought in a way that acknowledged that ending their relationship was never an option.
It was admirable, in a way, except neither of them were supposed to be even thinking of romantic love.
This life was not an easy one, but it was worth it for the greater good. Despite being two of the most powerful warrior witches in the galaxy, they were still only human.
“Are you going to the showcase today?” Nathaniel asked. “I saw them setting up this morning.”
“I might,” Desmond answered, watching Nathaniel eat his way through half a loaf of bread. The showcases were bi-annual and meant to show off the skills of young witches who were hoping to find Maestros. They came from the various academies to go the headquarters, and it was usually impressive. Desmond wasn't quite sure he was interested in taking another one, though. If he was truthful, Nathaniel had been difficult at best. Desmond would technically age out before another Tiro came of age. He and Mariah had loose plans to not take another one, retiring together. Not that he could tell anyone of that, he knew.
Right now, his biggest concern was getting Nathaniel out of his kitchen. “Is there something wrong with the cafeteria? Or your own kitchen, perhaps? Your room is down the hall, Nathaniel. Surely your own kitchen is closer.”
“I have to teach in ten minutes,” Nathaniel protested. “There's no time to wait in the cafeteria or make my own food. You always have something ready.”
“In case I need to grab something swiftly,” Desmond replied. “I don't usually keep you in mind.”
“I love how prepared you are, Maestro,” Nathaniel grinned. “I didn't have time last night.”
“Why? You finished class at seven p.m.” Desmond raised an eyebrow. “What did you do with your evening?”
“Eliza called,” Nathaniel admitted. “It was a long call.”
“I'm sure it was,” Desmond said. “Go to class. If the professor is late, it says something.”
“See you.” Nathaniel finally finished chewing and took off, leaving Desmond to shake his head. Nathaniel's appetite had not changed since he was fifteen, nor had his energy or his attitude. It was amazing how different they were. Nathaniel's dream was to be on the Jurors, where Desmond couldn't think of a more boring way to live life. Although Nathaniel was successful and well respected, Desmond sometimes wondered where he went wrong as a Maestro.
He tied up the bread bag, putting the dishes in the sink before going to get dressed. He always got Mariah from her r
oom if they were having a meal together, as the hallways were crowded. Mariah had been blinded nearly ten years ago, and although she was very proficient with her magic, using it to see rather than her eyes, he still worried about her. Her last Tiro, Nathaniel's childhood best friend, had graduated early, and Mariah had been working within the safety of the academy ever since. Desmond worried every day she took a minor quest, even though he knew she was just as strong as the first day.
His com-link buzzed as he was finishing getting dressed, and he saw it was Thomas, one of the permanent members.
“I'm not expected for another two hours,” he answered, finishing the buttons on his old shirt.
“I know,” Thomas replied. “I'm not calling because I don't know how to tell time.”
“Good to know,” Desmond answered. “What can I do for you?”
“There was a ship coming from a border planet that had some terrible turbulence. It was full of showcases attendees, and some were injured. Can you stop by the med bay to sign off on their participation? The professor is insistent that they participate, and I'm not sure he's taking their physical state into account.”
“These off-world professors,” Desmond said, shaking his head. “They count their success on the amount of Tiros that get trained, regardless of consequence.”
“I'm aware,” Thomas said. “Will you do it?”
“In an hour,” Desmond replied. “I have plans currently.”
“Doing what?”
“I have plans,” Desmond repeated. “But I will be there.”
Thomas sighed. “Fine,” he answered, not willing to fight. “I'll see you later.”
“You will,” Desmond said, and hung up. He knew that walking the grey areas of magic often landed him with tasks like this, but it was a small price to pay to mostly do as he pleased.
Mariah was ready when he came to the door, looking beautiful despite a plain outfit. Her hair was pulled back, and he was used to the scarring around her eyes that had caused the blindness. Once bright red, the scars were now pure white, crisscrossing her eyes and causing his heart to ache whenever he saw her. She was still beautiful, but he hated that he had not been there to help her.
Bruins Peak Bears Box Set (Volume II) Page 61