Chapter Fifteen

The place Bree spoke of was on the other side of town under a little gazebo someone had built off the side of the road. With everyone else gathered at the dance, the town was quieter than usual. Quiet and empty.

Once Bree parked the car outside the diner, she took my hand in hers, then walked me over to the gazebo where we could sit down.

“I’d ask how you knew about this place,” I said as I sat down beside her, “but I’m pretty sure I know.”

“It was one of the first things we built for the town,” Bree said with pride. “After all these years, it’s still as beautiful and strong as the day it was finished.”

“Can’t the same be said for everything else you’ve done since then?”

“It can,” she agreed, “but I didn’t bring you here to talk about my work.”

“It’s symbolic.”

“It is,” she said, leaning over to grab something from underneath the bench. “We put them here so they could see how far we’ve come,” she said as she handed me an old photo wrapped in protective plastic. “A lot of folks don’t believe in spirits or the essence we leave behind once we’re gone, but Jackson and I can feel them. Not just those we’ve lost but others as well.”

“Why here?” I asked as I looked over the snapshot of a woman that looked exactly like Bree with an older gentleman standing beside her. “Why not in the woods near those ruins I found?”

“Because this spot is protected by the town.” She bowed her head then. “Like it or not, the world is expanding. It’s getting crowded, and as that happens, the area we have left gets even smaller. This town wasn’t always here. In fact, the woods, the hills, and even the mountains used to be pack territory. Not just one of them, but several. This is why it’s so important the locals don’t know about our pelts. If they did—”

“They’d run you out of your territory.”

“Yes,” she said with a quick nod. “And as much as I’d love to have a truly sacred place for the spirits of my family, it isn’t realistic. One day, someone will come up that hill, knock down our trees, and expand the area to fit even more houses and fields. Even if every pack in the area got together, it’s a territorial war we could never win. So we sit back and do what we can to blend in while keeping the other wolves at bay.”

“A fight on two fronts,” I said with a shake of my head. “That sounds exhausting.”

“It is,” Bree admitted as she turned to face me. “But just as I’ve spent the last few months looking after you, it’s something I can’t walk away from. This is my home, our sanctuary, and as much as it pains me to think of our future with this town and the other packs, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

“You can’t leave,” I said, “and I’d never ask you to.”

“You say that now, but what happens in a few months? What if you go back?” Her voice was tight, her eyes fixed on the ground.

“That’s still a long way away,” I told her as I took her hands in mine. “I might not be able to see into the future, but I like where I am now. I understand why you brought me here tonight and why you’re telling me these things, but I promise, I have no intention of leaving anytime soon.”

“You were about to get on a flight.”

“That was before all of this. Before…” Before the wolf in my yard, Jackson’s injuries, and her admission.

“It’s okay. You can say it.”

I chewed my bottom lip, then met her gaze when she finally looked at me again. “Before I knew your truth. Knowing your truth isn’t going to push me away, Bree. It isn’t enough to make me stay, either. However, it does explain a lot, which is why I’m here now. I could’ve gotten on that flight. I could’ve run to my car and driven far out of town.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No, and just like you can’t fully explain your feelings for me, I can’t tell you why I stayed. I wanted to leave, I did. I wanted to run from all of this,” I said, gesturing at the town around us. “But something kept me here. At first, I thought I was just mesmerized by the wolves in my yard and how beautiful they were, but even after I saw you shift, even after I saw Jackson’s injuries…” I shook my head. “It gave me another reason to stay. Seeing that side of yourself explains everything.”

“And what about the next time things get hard for you? There are no more secrets on my end, so will you run from me then?” Her eyes darkened, and for a brief moment, I noticed a slight flicker behind them.

“That’s your wolf talking, isn’t it?” She hadn’t said as much, but Bree had never spoken to me like that before.

“Sorry,” she apologized. “Maybe eating at that dance tonight wasn’t such a good idea.”

“I’d love to say I won’t run, but given my recent track record…” I trailed off and left it at that. “I’m going to try my best.”

“Then I promise to do the same.”

 

 

The ride home was quieter than before. Bree didn’t talk excitedly about the dance or about her brother. Instead, she focused on the road as I tried to figure out where I’d gone wrong. Bree knew from the very beginning that my stay here was only temporary. Or it was supposed to be, anyway.

So for her to hold it against me…

Not her, I corrected myself. Her wolf.

Did it really matter? In the end, they were the same person. Even if I could see that far into the future, relationships go sideways all the time. So, just because she claimed we were fated mates didn’t mean things would be easy for us along the way.

“Every relationship has its struggles,” I said to her as well as myself. “I know you don’t want to hear that, but I’ve built an entire business on that idea. Some work out while others don’t. The reasons why are endless, none of which we’ll realize right at the start. They might not even have to do with the fact that we’re one human and a wolf. They might not have anything to do with you being a shifter at all.”

“I feel like there’s a but in there somewhere,” Bree said as she cast me a sideways glance.

“But if you’re willing to be patient with me, to take things slow and not let your wolf freak out when she doesn’t get her way, then I’m willing to try.”

“So am I,” she said as she continued to focus on the road. “I’m just not used to—”

“Waiting?”

“Going slow,” she corrected me. “Living in a pack, you learn to do things in the moment. One day at a time, you know? Anyway, it’ll take me some time to get a handle on things, including my wolf, but I promise not to push you unless you’re ready to take the next step with me.”

“Good thing I’m not planning to wait that long,” I said with a shy smile, placing my hand on her arm when she looked at me again. “I realize you’re right, and it isn’t just because of the fate thing, either. I do feel it, as much as I want to say that I don’t, it’s there. I’m just not as accustomed to it as you are.”

“We wolves are practically raised on the fact that we might eventually meet our mate. It doesn’t happen for everyone. There have been a lot of wolves who’ve just settled down and gone on to live happily married lives.”

“But?”

“It wasn’t for me. Between the loss of our parents and having to look after Jackson, it wasn’t in the cards. There’s only so much one person can do, and if I have to choose between settling for an opportunity to live a normal life or staying with my brother, you’d better believe I’m going to stay with him. But now?” She shook her head, completely at a loss for words. “I don’t know.”

“He’ll always have a place in your life. Opening your heart to someone else doesn’t mean there’s less love for him.”

She smiled at that, taking my hand in hers a moment later. “That isn’t one of the taglines on your website.”

“No, it’s not,” I agreed. “Though I guess it should be.”

“I like that it’s just for me,” she said with a small smile.

“Does it help?” I asked, hoping I wouldn’t be the one to step between her and her brother.

“It does, actually. Thank you.”

“So, what should we do now?” I asked as we reached the very edge of my property. “It’s still early.” No doubt the dance was still going on.

“I’m not ready to call it a night just yet, so if it’s okay with you, I’d like to stay a little while longer.”

“I’d like that very much.”