“It’s so fresh and light,” Elise remarked as they entered into a small communal hallway. “I love it.”
Caleb took his phone from his pocket and pressed dial to tell the developer they were here. The phone rang and rang before finally going to voicemail. “Strange, Mr. Kipper said he’d meet us here.”
“Perhaps he’s on his way. He might not answer a call while he’s driving, particularly on the coast road.” Elise smiled patiently, while Karros cast a suspicious sidelong look at Caleb.
He thinks we’ve messed up, his bear said. He thinks we’re wasting their time.
If Mr. Kipper doesn’t arrive soon, that’s exactly what we’ll have done. Caleb looked up, there was a car approaching. He’s here. With some relief, Caleb went outside and met Mr. Kipper.
“Sorry I’m late. I had trouble with a warlock, he’d managed to seal himself into one of the apartments. Some kind of transmorphic spell gone wrong.” He shook Caleb’s hand. “I should have a no-magic-allowed clause written into my leases.”
“How did you sort it out?” Caleb asked.
“I had to call a spell repairman out. Donald Miller. He’s an expert at these kinds of things, took care of the problem in minutes. I handed the bill to the tenant, he wasn’t happy, but then I pointed out to him that it’s a good thing I didn’t bill him for my time, too.” Mr. Kipper straightened his suit jacket as he strolled toward the apartments.
“The building looks stunning,” Caleb said as they mounted the steps where Elise and Karros were waiting.
“It does, doesn’t it? I’m pleased with how it turned out. As you know, the apartments used to be a single row of houses.” He stopped at the top of the steps and turned to look at the view. “That never gets old.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Caleb agreed, happy Mr. Kipper was in such a good mood despite his tenant’s magical mistake.
“Hello.” Elise came to meet them. “I’m Elise and this is my brother, Karros.” She smiled warmly.
“And the apartment is for you?” Mr. Kipper stared at Elise, his eyes narrowing before his expression cleared. “You’re a fae?”
“We are,” Karros confirmed. “Is that a problem?”
“No, not at all. I’ve only ever had a handful of fae tenants, but they’ve always been reliable and keep the properties clean and tidy.” He laughed good-naturedly. “They also don’t tend to try experimental magic, at least not indoors. Although I did once have a fae rent an apartment from me who brewed a sweet concoction from some fruit, I can’t remember the name, but I never could get rid of the smell. Very sickly.”
“Parder. The fruit is used to make a very potent wine,” Elise said.
“Ah, parder, that was it.” He wagged his finger at them. “No parder brewing.”
“I can’t stand the stuff,” Karros replied.
“That’s good.” Mr. Kipper took the keys from his pocket and jingled them on his finger as he led them up a flight of stairs. “The apartment is on the first floor.”
“The view will be even better from up there.” Elise’s eyes lit up as she followed Mr. Kipper upstairs.
“Thank you for doing this.” Karros stopped at the bottom of the stairs and half-turned to face Caleb.
“I want you to stay in Wishing Moon Bay, so I’m not exactly doing this out of kindness. I have a vested interest in the outcome,” Caleb admitted.
“And that’s why I like you, Caleb.” Karros studied the bear shifter. “You’re an honest man. My people are renowned for their trickery.”
“But not their magic wands.” Caleb chuckled. “We have a lot to learn from each other and I want you to know that I intend to do whatever it takes to win Elise’s heart.”
“I get that.” Karros glanced upstairs. “All I’ve ever wanted was for her to be happy.” He turned his attention back to Caleb. “But her happiness doesn’t revolve around being a homemaker. She wants to be a chef. Children haven’t fit into her idea of a perfect life for a while.” He lowered his voice. “At least that’s what she’s convinced herself.”
“So, you’re saying she does want children?” Caleb’s brows knitted together. After Karros’s admission that his people were tricky with their words, he didn’t want to get caught in a trap.
“She does. At least she did until she got scared.”
“Scared of what?” Caleb asked, wanting to run past Karros and join his mate in the apartment above.
“Scared that she was too old to find the right man and settle down. It was easier to convince herself that she didn’t want those things anymore.” Karros held out his hands, palms up, as if he were balancing scales. “Now she believes that being a chef is all she needs for a fulfilling life. At least until she met you.”
“And now?” Caleb asked hopefully.
“Now I think there’s going to be a war inside her, a battle for what she truly wants.” Karros placed his hand on Caleb’s shoulder. “But maybe with you, her true mate, she might get to have it all.”
“I’d give her everything if I could,” Caleb assured Karros.
“I believe you.” Karros glanced upward. “We should go join Elise, she’ll wonder where we are.”
“Sure.” Caleb hoped his mate was wondering where he was. Or maybe she didn’t care at all.
She cares, she feels the connection, his bear replied. I can see it in the way she looks at you.
Are you sure that’s concern and not annoyance? Caleb asked. Meeting us sure has messed with her plans.
Without us, she wouldn’t have gotten the chance to work with Ivan. It’s one of the many ways she needs us. His bear was resolute in his conviction. She also wouldn’t have a chance to view this apartment.
True. He followed Karros up to the first floor and headed down a short hallway. The first door on the right stood open, the light from the apartment spilling out.
“Wow.” Karros stood in the doorway and stared at the view that met them.
“Stunning, isn’t it?” Mr. Kipper turned to face them.
“It sure is.” Karros crossed the apartment to stare out at the ocean beyond.
“I’m not sure anything else about the apartment matters except for the view.” Elise’s eyes shone as if filled with tears as she turned her face to her brother. “What do you think?”
“I think you should thank Caleb for bringing us here.” Karros looked over his shoulder to where the shifter was hanging back by the door.
He was afraid to intrude. The decision as to where they lived was not his to make. This was between Elise and Karros.
But we certainly wish it was our decision, his bear said. If only we were moving in with our mate.
That would be incredible, Caleb agreed. And one day it will be us. We will win Elise’s heart and she’ll live with us and wake up each morning beside us.
“Shall we check out the rest of the apartment?” Karros tugged at Elise’s sleeve.
“Sure.” She cast a beautiful smile in Caleb’s direction as she followed Karros toward the bedrooms. “Thank you, Caleb.”
“My pleasure,” Caleb answered.
And it truly was. He loved seeing his mate so happy.
From this day onward that would be his sole goal in life.
Chapter Seven – Elise
“What did you think?” Elise asked Karros as they left the apartment building. She’d have agreed to rent the place right away, but she suspected Karros had some reservations.
“I like it. I like it a lot.”
“But?” They turned around and looked back at the apartment.
“I wish there was some outdoor space. A back yard or a front yard. Somewhere I could grow things.” He shrugged. “But this isn’t about me.”
“Yes, it is,” Elise insisted. “This is about us finding somewhere for us to both live.”
“Why don’t we go look at the house,” Caleb suggested. “Mr. Kipper doesn’t need an answer right now, but you’re going to have to be fast if you do decide to rent this apartment, it won’t be av
ailable for long.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to say yes now?” Karros asked.
“No.” Elise shook her head. “Well, yes. But you know me, I’m impatient and it would be better to at least look at another property, so we have something to compare it to. The rooms were a little small.”
“But the view is magnificent,” Karros added.
“Come on, the house has a good view, too,” Caleb herded them toward the truck. “Not of the ocean, but the mountains. The rooms are also bigger and once the yard has been landscaped, you’ll have outdoor space, too.”
“Okay. Let’s go.” Elise sighed and took one last look at the view as Karros opened the truck door and waited for her to get in.
“We have to go back across town.” Caleb started the engine. “It’ll give you a chance to get a good look at the place and I’ll point out anything I think might be useful.”
“Our very own tour guide.” Elise grinned.
“I’m trying to make myself useful.” Caleb drove along the coast road with the window rolled down.
“You’ve already done that.” Elise glanced at her mate. Caleb must feel like the odd one out since Elise and Karros were the ones searching for a home and were so used to being around each other, it was as if they knew what the other was thinking.
“Yes, you have, Caleb.” Karros chuckled. “So far, you have excelled in proving what a good mate and husband you would be for Elise.”
“Karros.” She dug her elbow in his ribs as Caleb shuffled uncomfortably in his seat.
“That isn’t why I’m doing this,” Caleb said. “I would help you even if Elise and I weren’t mates.”
“A good Samaritan.” Karros nodded. “I believe you.”
“What are your other brothers like?” Elise figured this was a good time to get an idea of Caleb’s family and what she could expect from them.
“My brothers.” Caleb rubbed his chin. “Aiden is a lot like me.”
“Do you have a connection? Do you know what the other is thinking?” Elise asked.
“Some of the time. We’ve spent so long together, living together, working together, it’s hard to know if it’s a twin thing or just because we’re so close.” He gnawed on his bottom lip.
“You’re worried that’s going to change now that he has a mate.”
“And I have a mate.” He glanced sideways at Elise.
“Of course. I should have said now that you both have mates.” She looked down at her hands clasped in her lap.
“Things change. Life changes.” Karros stared out of the window at the road ahead.
“It does.” Elise nodded. “Whether we want it to or not.”
“But surely you want things to change,” Karros said. “As a shifter, you want to find your mate. And you must wish for your brother to be happy, which means you wanted him to find his mate.”
“Of course,” Caleb quickly agreed.
“I wanted to come and work in the hotel and learn from Ivan. But it’s still scary,” Elise said. “So, I can understand what you mean.”
“But you’re both up for the challenges that lie ahead,” Karros replied. “Especially since you have each other.”
“And we have you, big brother,” Elise said. “And Caleb’s brothers, of course.”
“You’re not alone.” Karros’s expression faltered. Was he scared of being alone? With their relationship with their parents fractured, and his sister mated to a shifter, he must be scared he’d end up alone.
“Neither are you,” Elise reminded him. “We are family and that will never change, in the same way that Caleb will always have his family.”
“Elise is right. When a shifter meets their mate, their family simply gets bigger,” Caleb replied.
“Oh, no.” Karros waved his hand at Caleb.
“What’s wrong with that?” Elise asked.
“That’s like saying that we will now be related to Flora’s parents.” He chuckled. “Hey, you should lead with that fact when you tell Mom and Dad that you are mated to a shifter.”
Elise laughed. “Oh, they will forgive you for ruining their plans to be socially mobile. I’m sure they’ll figure out a way to tell their friends that they are related by marriage to the Lord of the Starlight Realm after all.”
“Yeah, it won’t matter that it’s not directly through marriage.” Karros leaned back in his seat and chuckled. “You’ve saved us, Caleb.”
“You’re welcome.” Caleb chuckled and shook his head as if he thought they were crazy, which they probably were.
“We’re on the other side of town already.” Elise leaned forward and stared out of the window as they drove past houses on the edge of town.
“How much farther is it to the property we’re going to view?” Karros asked.
“It’s about another mile.”
“There are the mountains, I see what you mean about the view.” Elise’s blood quickened in her veins. The ocean view had been stunning but the pull of the mountains in the distance excited her. There was so much to explore.
“It’s all so green,” Karros murmured.
“There’s the house.” Caleb pointed to a house set back from the road. It was nestled amongst a small copse of trees, and behind it was a cluster of farm buildings.
“It looks cozy,” Elise said.
“Is that a bad thing?” Caleb asked.
“No, not at all. I like cozy.” She smiled softly, she’d like to get cozy with her mate. Her cheeks flamed red as that thought intruded her thoughts.
Caleb turned off the road and drove down a rutted track toward the house. The front yard, if you could call it that, was just bare dirt that had been churned up by heavy vehicles during the building works.
However, she looked past that and imagined what the house could be. It was more of a home than the ocean view apartment. She could imagine raising children here, she could imagine them playing out in front of the house on a green lawn bordered by flowers.
“I like it,” Karros said with the same conviction she’d felt for the apartment. “I’d love to help with the landscaping.”
“Yard work is to Karros as cooking is to me,” Elise informed Caleb.
“I like working with my hands and watching plants grow,” Karros admitted.
“When we were younger, that’s what Karros wanted to do but our parents didn’t think it was suitable work. Not when they wanted him to marry for money and status,” Elise explained.
“But now you’re here, you are master of your own destiny,” Caleb parked the truck in front of the house. “I can speak to the owner and ask him if you can do the landscaping.”
Karros looked sideways at Elise. “Let’s look at the house first. We might not like it.”
He opened the truck door and got out. Immediately, he crossed to the dirt and leaned down, picking up a handful of the rich brown soil and let it trickle through his fingers. Standing straight, he brushed his hands clean and stared at the house. He liked this property best, she could see it in his expression.
“Shall we go inside?” Caleb asked from beside her.
She looked up at him and nodded, wanting to kiss him for being so kind. They would never have had the chance to view these properties before anyone else if Caleb hadn’t made the arrangements. He’d gone out of his way to help them even though they were strangers.
“Yes, please.” Elise followed him toward the house while Karros stood with his hands on his hips and stared up at the mountains in the distance.
“Your brother likes it here,” Caleb said.
“He does.” She waited for Caleb to find the key which was hidden.
“Are you going to argue as to where you live?” Caleb asked. “You did like the apartment better.”
“I did. But this house is beautiful. We’d have more privacy. Not a bad thing when you are a fae in a foreign land.” She smiled brightly.
“You belong here,” Caleb assured her. “And people are very accepting of everyone else. If yo
u are friendly to them, they will be friendly to you.”
“We can be friendly.” She held her breath as he opened the door. Already she wanted to be more than friends with Caleb. She wanted to explore what it meant to be his mate.
“It’s not as impressive as the ocean view apartment.” He stepped inside and Elise imagined what it would be like if they lived here together.
Caleb would come home after a day at work and slip off his shoes before coming into the kitchen where she’d be waiting with a wonderful meal she’d made especially for him. They would sit and talk while they ate, discussing their day, sharing intimate moments.
“It’s bigger than the apartment.” Karros had entered the house. Elise had been so lost in her daydream, she hadn’t heard him approach.
“I like it.” She cleared her throat. “It’s closer to town, too.”
“Is the kitchen okay?” Caleb asked. “Or will you be so tired of cooking at work that you don’t like to cook at home?”
“I love to cook at home. I like watching people enjoy my food, that’s what makes it all worthwhile.” She imagined standing in the kitchen with her children and teaching them how to cook, sharing with them the joy she found in creating dishes.
“Although Elise’s first attempts at cooking were not wholly edible,” Karros chimed in, earning himself a reproving look from his sister. “You know what I’m talking about.”
“Of course I do.” She just didn’t want to share that anecdote with Caleb right now. She didn’t need him having second thoughts about asking Ivan to take her on in the kitchen.
“Elise loves the wildwood nearly as much as she loves cooking,” Karros continued the story despite her warning. “When we were young, we used to go stay with our grandma who lives on the edge of the wildwood. She taught us how to forage and what was safe to eat and what was poisonous.”
“You poisoned people?” Caleb asked in shock.
“No!” Elise reached out for his hand, the sudden shock of recognition silencing her explanation and allowing Karros to continue.
“The fruits and herbs found in the woods can have strange effects on people.”
Fae-ted to the Bear: A Wishing Moon Bay Shifter Romance (The Bond of Brothers Book 4) Page 5