by Vella Day
Acacia
Hidden Realms of Silver Lake
The Four Sisters of Fate
Book 3
Vella Day
Acacia
Copyright © 2019 by Vella Day
Google Play Edition
www.velladay.com
[email protected]
Cover Art by Jaycee DeLorenzo
Edited by Rebecca Cartee and Carol Adcock-Bezzo
Published in the United States of America
E-book ISBN: 978-1-941835-86-9
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author except in the case of brief questions embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events or locales, is entirely coincidental.
A goddess in need of some solitude. A bear shifter in search of a connection. All seems perfect until a secret threatens to destroy it all.
Acacia Faiten has been discontent for, oh, at least one hundred years. Being an immortal goddess of Fate isn’t what it’s all cracked up to be. It might sound rewarding, but it only makes her realize what she’s missing—someone to love. Then she meets the hunky werebear Will King, who has good looks to spare. Score!
Will might own his own company, but nothing seems to interest him anymore. The solution? He needs to find his mate. As luck would have it, while on a camping trip, what does he find? Her! In the site next to his no less is Acacia, a woman who is incredibly beautiful. Be still his beating heart. So what if she has no idea how to light a stove? She’s the one! Life can’t get any better until she proves she’s not really human, and his hopes are shattered.
Is there anything Acacia can do to convince him they belong together? Forever.
Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Copyright Page
About the Book
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Excerpt from Magnolia
Other Books by the Author
About the Author
Chapter One
Two weeks of enjoying the outdoors. Alone. With no responsibilities. Acacia Faiten couldn’t be more excited—or more nervous. Yes, it was probably dumb to have chosen camping for her vacation—since she’d never been before—but she liked to challenge herself. It wasn’t as if she hadn’t prepared. After scouring the catalogs and several internet sites, she’d bought a tent, sleeping bag, a foam pad, a small stove, and some food. What could go wrong?
Even though all three of her sisters swore not to use their goddess abilities for two weeks, if Acacia fell down a ravine or something drastic, she had no problem teleporting back home. Crawling out of said ravine, dirty with scrapes and bruises, was not her thing. After all, she was one of the goddesses of Fate, and a goddess had to conduct herself with dignity.
The airport intercom announced the loading of her plane, jarring her out of her reverie. Acacia had checked in her backpack and the rest of her gear, so all she had was one small carry on. She was ready to go.
As she moved through the line to board, she couldn’t help but wonder how her sisters would do on their trips. Poppy, their youngest sister, was returning to Plux in Grindale Province, where she had waitressed last year. She’d be fine. Nothing stopped her from doing what she wanted. It was Primrose, her sweet, shy sister who was about to see snow for the first time in Thedia Province that worried her the most. For some crazy reason, she wanted to learn to ski! Let’s just say Primrose wasn’t the athletic one of the group.
Magnolia, the eldest, was staying back at the pottery shop they owned, refusing to discuss her plans. Most likely, she wanted to be home in case her skills were needed. She’d announced that just because the sisters wanted to have some fun for two weeks, didn’t mean someone else’s mate wouldn’t end up in trouble and need her magical skills. If Magnolia wanted to be a stick in the mud, that was her choice.
Despite the flight being a few hours long, the commuter plane was a small one. To her delight though, she had a row to herself, which would enable her to stretch out. Not one to squander her time by looking at clouds, Acacia pulled out a manual on camping, since one could never be too prepared. She envisioned sunny days, beautiful views, and total peace and quiet.
Whose stupid idea was it to go backpacking anyway? Sure, trail maps weren’t three-dimensional, but Acacia had figured out that when the little squiggly lines on the topographic map were close together, the path would be steep. She just didn’t expect them to be this steep. After an hour of hiking, she discovered why she was so exhausted: her backpack weighed more than she did.
Acacia was so tempted just to teleport to her destination, but her pride prevented her from caving. And she would not let a little blister force her to use her powers. Nope. She would do this like a normal human would—without resorting to magic of any kind. Poppy would forever yank her chain if she did.
After two hours of climbing what appeared to be a vertical path, Acacia stopped to catch her breath and drink some water. Peaceful quiet surrounded her, helping to calm her and allow her to savor and enjoy the rich smells of the Tarradon forest. Once she slipped off her heavy pack and set it down, she felt so light that she was almost convinced she could fly.
The whole purpose of the trip was to find herself. While she was great at putting on a happy face in front of her sisters, she’d been restless of late. Or, should she say she’d been restless for the last few decades? Acacia and her sisters helped to ensure those who were destined to be with each other were given the chance to do just that. While it wasn’t nice to complain about the hand Fate had dealt her, just once she wanted to experience love, passion, and desire. Watching from the sidelines was hard. It was why she’d come to the Bellney Forest near Crenshaw in Hearndon Providence. It was world renowned for its trails, lush foliage, and amazing scenery. It was also far away from Avonbelle Province.
For the next two weeks, Acacia promised herself that she would communicate with nature in order to figure out what she was missing in her life—or rather how to get what she’d been missing.
Ugh. As much as she’d be content to sit on the rather damp log for another few hours and rest, the afternoon sun was waning, and she wanted to reach camp in time to set up her tent. She’d read the instructions a few times on how to erect her home away from home, and it had looked simple enough, but the big question was, could she do it without any magical help?
The next hour of hiking proved to be even more tiring and quite painful. Twice, she took a wrong turn and had to retrace her steps. When a signpost appeared pointing to Farlow Gap, she grunted a sigh of relief. She was close. The campsite she’d chosen was near a stream, which was why she’d purchased a foldable fishing pole. Not that she’d ever fished before, but she’d seen many people dangle the line in the water and then come up with dinner. It didn’t look all that hard.
With aching, throbbing muscles, she finally arrived at her destination. The campsite was a flat area with a coating of soft frenlen tree needles on the ground. Acacia smiled. Home. At least it would be for the next two weeks. According to the map, a ton of trails led away from this area, providing her with a lot of places to explore.
She dumped her pack and scoped out the area, tr
ying to decide the best place for her sleeping quarters and kitchen area. Her tent had poles, so she could erect it anywhere, but she liked one area in particular that sat between two tall trees.
“Okay, woods. It’s time to test my skills.”
The collapsible poles were to be threaded through some kind of attachment system that was color-coded. It looked easy enough. Acacia spread out the nylon tent and went to work. The problem was that she couldn’t tell for sure where to put the poles. The colored attachment straps didn’t really line up.
After a few missteps, she gave in and looked for the instructions. To find them though, she had to empty out half of her pack. By the time she located them, the light had dimmed and made it hard to read. This was not how she wanted to start her restful vacation.
Then she heard what sounded like pots and pans clanging not far from her, and she stilled. Shit. She thought she’d be alone in the mountains. She neither owned the forest nor had she reserved this campsite, but because this place was so huge, what were the chances others would pick this spot? Apparently high.
She inhaled, trying not to let anything come between her and her enjoyment of the outdoors. Acacia wouldn’t bother anyone, and hopefully whoever was at the other site wouldn’t bother her either.
Two hours later, after many failed attempts, Acacia finally had her tent set up. She might have worked faster if it hadn’t been so damned dark out. With a thin moon and only a few stars, it was too late to look for wood to build a fire. All during the hike, she’d dreamed of making some hot chocolate or tea and maybe even roasting some marshmallows. It would have been the perfect ending to a fairly grueling day.
Tomorrow’s activity was clear—she’d have to spend the day getting organized. Right now though, she needed to unpack and get a good night’s sleep.
Will King hung the bag up high to keep the food out of reach from the brown bears he’d seen prowl this forest.
“Ironic, isn’t it?” his good friend Lucas Deland asked. He was holding up the food bag so Will could tie off the line.
“What? Hanging a bear bag?”
“Yes.”
“Just because I’m a bear shifter doesn’t mean I don’t highly respect real bears in the woods.” He’d met up with a few before and thankfully had been able to chase them away before either one of them had been injured. “They always seem to be hungry, and human food is easy pickings.”
“That’s true.” Lucas stilled and held up a hand. “Did you hear that?”
Will’s hearing was super sharp. “You mean the woman cursing in the next campsite over?”
“Yes. Should we go over and give her a hand?”
Will finished tying off the rope, smiled, and wrapped an arm around his best friend’s shoulder. “When we passed by that campsite this afternoon, it was empty. I doubt a woman is there by herself. And if she is, having two men descend at night would scare her. I’m sure she can take care of herself. No unskilled hiker would come this far into the woods alone. That’s what car campgrounds are for.”
“Maybe.” Lucas peered through the thick trees. “I don’t see any fire.”
Will huffed. “Hey, if you’re that worried about her and want to be a hero, go ahead and check up on her.”
Lucas looked up at the sky. “It doesn’t look like rain, so I guess she’ll be fine. We can introduce ourselves tomorrow.”
“Who says she’s not with several people or someone who can help her?” However, he hadn’t heard any other voices besides hers. This woman had a tone that was a mixture of confidence and frustration. He patted Lucas on the back and moved toward their campsite. “If she screams, I’ll be the first one over there.”
“Just don’t shift into your bear form and charge into her campsite,” his friend warned.
Will looked back over his shoulder at his friend and chuckled. “I stopped doing that kind of shit when we were kids.”
Lucas held up his hands. “Just saying.”
“Come on. The fire needs a few more logs.”
“You stoke the flames while I find the flask,” Lucas said.
Will and his best friend went camping for two weeks every year. It was their time to bond and get away from the rat race of Edendale. The two of them had started an electronics company in Lucas’ garage. Will never imagined that five years later they’d both be richer than sin and highly successful.
Lucas had balked about coming this year since business was at an all-time high, and he wanted to stay home, but they both needed the stress release. Lucas was just coming off a bad break up, and Will had nearly lost his dad to cancer. Not wanting to dwell on that scare, he turned his thoughts to a conversation they’d had last week and chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” Lucas asked, returning from their tent.
“Just thinking how dumb it was for you to have listened to me about relationship advice.” Will stepped over to the fire, leaned in, and poked the logs with a stick. Flames and sparks shot upward.
Lucas unscrewed the flask, chugged down a good portion of it, and then passed it to Will. “Your advice was spot on. I know now that Brenda wasn’t right for me. I just wish I didn’t feel like shit all the time. It sounds stupid, but I miss her.”
They’d been over this more times than he could count, and yet Lucas still didn’t see what a cheating liar his girlfriend had been. It was one of the reasons why Will wanted the two of them to go on this journey together. “When the right woman comes along, you’ll know it.”
Lucas laughed and snatched the flask back from Will’s hand. “This from the man who never goes out on a third date.”
Will sat on one of the logs a few feet from the fire. Lucas did the same. “I’ve explained before about a shifter’s plight,” Will said to his human friend.
“Yeah, yeah. One shifter. One mate. When are you going to find your perfect woman? Or should I call her your mate?”
Will had given up looking for her. He was in his mid-thirties and questioned if maybe some shifters were meant to live alone. “I don’t have the foggiest idea. In the meantime, I want to explore these woods and have a good time.”
Lucas stared into the fire, the light reflecting off his pensive face. “Now that we’re here, I realize how much I needed to be away from the phones and the demands of running a big company. Thanks for insisting we come again this year.”
“I’m glad you see that now. On to the more important question. Do you have any preference where we should hike tomorrow?”
Lucas shrugged. “We’re here for a while. I’m cool with either fishing or hiking. I say we see what we feel like doing tomorrow.”
Will smiled. “I couldn’t agree more.”
Acacia thought she had everything under control until she actually plopped down on her sleeping bag and realized she hadn’t brought a pillow. Though how she could have carried anything else she didn’t know. If she didn’t figure something out soon though, she’d wake up with a sore neck.
Adding to her discomfort was that the temperature plummeted. In just three hours, it went from fairly warm to downright cold, and her appreciation for the ever-temperate Edendale grew.
After tossing and turning another half hour, she sat up, fumbled around for her flashlight in the total blackness and clicked it on. Not that she was afraid of anything—being a goddess and all—but the light did provide a sense of security as well as helping her to see. Too bad she’d forgotten to bring any spare batteries. That had been an oversight.
With the sleeping bag held tight against her chest, she searched in her backpack for something to use as a pillow. What she found was the plastic bag containing her T-shirts. She stuffed it under a towel to create a makeshift pillow. When she rested her head on it, she smiled. That worked just fine.
“You are pretty smart, Acacia Faiten!” she mumbled.
Despite the plastic crinkling every time she moved, she was able to fall asleep—that was until she awoke, having to pee. No way would she crawl out of her warm sleeping bag a
nd go outside though. Not only was it freezing cold, who knew what else resided in the woods? Okay, she could guess—spiders, snakes, and other vermin. Ugh. Clearly, her plans to come on vacation totally prepared had fallen short.
Holding it in for the rest of the night had not been easy, but she managed. To say the least, when the sun finally peaked in through the thin nylon tent, and the birds chirped away, she got up. Some kind of animal was outside her tent, racing back and forth, but she wasn’t going to let that stop her from doing her thing.
Not only did Acacia have to pee, she was hungry and thirsty. She pulled open the sleeping bag and shivered, glad she’d been smart enough to change out of her clothes last night and into today’s outfit. Even though she’d packed her pajamas, the material was rather thin. It was why she’d decided last night to dress in today’s clean, dry clothes. That was smart thinking on her part.
Once she crawled out of the tent, she was greeted with sunshine streaming through the tall frenlen trees. A ring of rocks with burnt embers inside implied this was where she should build her fire tonight. Acacia would need to collect wood for the evening’s fire, but first she had to have her morning hot tea. Correction: first she needed to do her thing in the woods. Then she’d make her tea.
After locating a large tree to hide behind, she went about her business. When she returned to the campsite, she was rather pleased at her accomplishment. Maybe she’d end up being an outdoor person after all.
While it didn’t look like it would rain, she wanted to set up the kitchen tarp before it did. She tried to remember the drawing from the internet that showed best how to erect it. First, she needed to tie the strings to each of the four corners of the tarp. Next, she had to find a spot with four trees spaced apart evenly. Unfortunately, she found nothing of the sort, so she settled for trees that kind of formed a square. The first dilemma she faced was that she had no idea how to tie a good knot—another oversight on her part. While she could secure the tarp to the tree, taking it down would require a lot of work if the knots weren’t tied right. If it rained, they’d be especially challenging to undo.