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Three days later in Virginia
Siofra held her hand out the open window of Rory’s Expedition as he drove them through gorgeous Virginia country. Air flowed through her fingers. Rory kept the windows down when it was pretty like today, because he understood how she couldn’t get enough fresh air.
It smelled of freedom and happiness. She took in everything on the drive and mused, “Richmond is beautiful. Do you miss it?”
“Sometimes.”
Rory would be a work in progress, same as she was. He did his best to open up, but the trip to his hometown had been her idea.
She could tell he didn’t want to go, but he’d do anything for her as she would for him. What she hoped to do for him this afternoon was bring closure so he could heal parts neither Siofra nor his jaguar could heal for him.
Chilly air rushed across her neck. Not from the open window and not the normal kind. Siofra glanced around.
The female ghost she could never speak to, who had appeared in the bounty hunter’s cage, now rode with them, cross-legged in the backseat. Same jeans and Live. Love. Laugh. T-shirt on. Her hair band had not changed, nor had her bare feet
Siofra had explained to Rory about seeing ghosts and sometimes communicating with them. Instead of looking at her as if she were crazy, as she’d feared, he’d called it a gift and thought it was cool. He said it made her even more special. But she hadn’t mentioned the ones that hung around regularly like this one, and she didn’t want to bring it up now. Rory had plenty to think about right now without alerting him to unexpected company.
For the first time, two things happened that shocked Siofra. The translucent woman smiled, and she spoke in Siofra’s head.
I felt your power, Siofra, when you joined with your mate.
Siofra glanced at Rory to be sure he hadn’t noticed anything, but he was deep in his own mind, wrestling with painful memories.
Siofra tried communicating with the woman mentally. Why have you never spoken before now?
I did, but you couldn’t hear me. Your Cadell energy interfered, but your Gallize power has now risen to the surface and is dominant.
Siofra considered that this woman knew so much about her and asked, Who are you?
I’m your mother.
Hot tears hit Siofra’s eyes, and she blinked hard, taking a few breaths to fight them back. She flashed back to this woman rocking an invisible baby in the cage at the auction, then pointing at Siofra. Well, duh. No wonder this ghost had seemed so frustrated. She’d been trying to tell Siofra even then.
Siofra’s head swirled with questions, but one popped out. That means you have to be Gallize, right? But why did you ever get involved with a Cadell?
I did not know I carried Gallize blood when I joined with your father. My father pushed me on him to get rid of me and I was so young I did as I was told. Your father gave our first born, my son, to the Cadells while I was pregnant with you. I never let him near my body again.
You didn’t want me?
Of course I wanted you, her mother quickly said. I did not want him to give another child to the Cadells. He was excited about a female. At that point, I realized it was for all the wrong reasons.
Siofra realized something. You didn’t abandon me, did you?
No. I tried to run with you. He found me and ... beat me badly. I didn’t recover.
That miserable dog.
Rory turned to her. “What’s wrong? I can feel that you’re upset.”
Life with a shifter would make keeping secrets tough. Siofra wanted to share all her secrets with Rory, but she’d spent the last three days getting him to Virginia. She would have plenty of time to share this with him.
She smiled and drew a calming breath. “I’m not upset, honey, just excited about our future and still anxious about the baby.”
He gifted her with one of his smiles and pulled her close enough to kiss her without losing sight of the road.
She patted his arm and he went back to driving and frowning again.
I must leave, Siofra, her mother said.
Why? Siofra was careful to keep her breathing even and not alert Rory again.
Over the years, I would force myself to take some form when I could so I could find you. I have fought against going to the light for too long. I did not want to leave you alone, but you are safe now. More than that, you are powerful and have a good man. I am proud of you.
Siofra fought the tears that wanted to roll. Rory was too close to their destination. Smiling when her heart broke for the woman who had loved her, Siofra said, Thank you for being my mother, my personal guardian, and for giving me life. I will miss you.
It was my honor. I will miss you, too, but your baby girl will have my light blue eyes.
Siofra almost gasped and silently asked, My baby will live for sure?
Yes.
What is your first name? Siofra asked as her mother’s image began to become more see-through.
Devany. I must go. I will always love you, my baby girl.
It took everything she had to not react. As Siofra watched, her mother faded until a tiny light sparked and vanished. Her heart broke a little.
Rory looked around. “Did you feel anything?”
“Like what?” Siofra asked, concerned that he’d freak out. She needed time to process this for herself and could wait until after this trip.
“Ah, it was nothing. Forget I asked.”
Happy to do that, she sat back and thought on all the times she’d wondered about her mother. She mulled over the times she’d seen her mother’s ghost and smiled to herself.
Then she sat up and kept watch. They were close to their destination. Time would come soon for her to share with him about her mother and that she had a name for their little girl. Devany. Once Siofra had a chance to tell him all about her mother’s spirit and this meeting, and he knew where the name came from, she had no doubt her mate would be thrilled.
Her heart felt lighter. That’s what closure should do for a person. She felt giddy with the knowledge their child would live, because she believed her mother. The baby had already lived for three days, longer than any of the Cadell attempts.
She hoped she was right in pushing Rory to find his own closure, because he was turning into the cemetery where his brother had been buried. Rory had not made it to the funeral and still felt guilty for not being there for his kid brother.
Once they parked, he took her hand and led her around as he searched for the marker.
When they found it, she noted, “Fresh flowers. Someone else has been here.”
Rory’s voice was thick with emotion. “My mom probably.”
She wanted to make this easy for him, but buried feelings of guilt were never easy. “Tell me about Tyler.”
“He was a good student, strong athlete and out to save the world.”
“Sounds like someone you’d want for a brother or son.”
Rory didn’t reply at first, then said, “He was the best of us three boys. I had issues. I didn’t realize until later they were early warnings of what Baatar ended up dealing with, but that doesn’t excuse letting Tyler and my family down.”
If she could not get Rory to forgive himself, this wound would stay with him forever.
While she struggled with a new question to move the conversation in the right direction, she felt energy form next to her in a chilly cloud.
A young man who favored Rory stood there. Could that be his brother?
He looked barely twenty. His gaze moved to Siofra. He asked, Can you hear me?
Yes. She asked, Are you Tyler?
He nodded, staring over at Rory. I wait here every day for Rory. I didn’t think he would come and I’d eventually disappear. I am so sorry for what I did to him.
Siofra couldn’t believe this. She had to figure out how to relieve both of them of their guilt.
She said to his brother, Rory doesn’t blame you for anything.
Rory’s hand reached for hers and she wondered if he could feel his brother. He squeezed her hand.
His brother said, I know. Rory blames himself for me. I heard my family talking about it.
She needed to do something. She asked the brother, Would it be okay if I told him you were here?
Tyler leaned forward to look harder at Rory. What if he runs away?
She said, He won’t go anywhere without me and I’ll stay.
Okay. His brother straightened.
Squeezing Rory’s hand, she said, “Babe?”
“Yes.”
“Uhm, your brother wants to tell you something.”
Rory let go and jumped away. “What? Where is he?”
“Right next to me, big bad scary shifter.”
“Shh! He doesn’t know.”
His brother said, Yes, I do.
She repeated that.
Rory stared at the headstone then at Siofra. “How could he know?”
“Does it matter?” she asked, wanting to stay on topic.
His brother said, Tell him an older man with strange eyes, almost like eagle eyes, comes sometimes to talk. He can’t hear me, but he tells me how you are and the many great things you’ve done.
Softening her voice, she said, “Sounds like the Guardian has been visiting here to talk, but he can’t hear Tyler.”
Rory’s mouth gaped open.
She explained, “Tyler feels guilty about what happened.”
“Why? I’m the one that screwed up,” Rory complained in a savage voice. “I’m the one who left him to attend a shifter meeting alone.”
Tyler told her, Ask him if I had died five years later in a car wreck, would that have been his fault, too?
She passed along the question.
Rory didn’t respond.
His brother said, Exactly. I’m sorry I died, but it was going to happen at some point no matter what. I followed my heart and did what I believed in, which had nothing to do with Rory being here or not. I wanted to learn more about shifters. A shifter murderer killed me along with others that night. Tell him he might be glad to know they were captured and put down. I didn’t die because of a shifter and Rory is not evil because he’s a shifter. Looking over at Rory, Tyler spoke as if Rory could hear him. You’re a good man, Rory. You should stop punishing yourself and start living your life. You should visit our family, too.
She related it all word for word.
Rory shook his head and told his brother, “Our parents will never accept me again after I missed your funeral.”
Tyler said, Give them a chance. You might be surprised at what they’re willing to open their minds and hearts to for the sake of not losing another son. Don’t make them lose two.
Rory physically staggered when she said those last five words. It hurt to say the words, but he needed to hear them, and based on what Tyler said, Siofra worried there might not be another chance for these two to fix this.
She’d talked a lot in the last three days to Rory about his family, leading up to asking him for this trip. Once he got used to the topic, he admitted he recalled his mother begging him to come home more often, but his mind had been in chaos.
Rory stomped around a moment, then he squatted down and cried. He’d probably never allowed himself to mourn his brother. She dropped to kneel beside him and put an arm around her mate.
When the worst of it had passed, she pulled a tissue from her purse, because the baby was already triggering her own occasional waterworks.
Rory wiped his eyes and stood, pulling her up and to his side. He cupped her cheek. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome, but I think your brother is waiting for you to speak to him again.”
Wiping his face and eyes with his palm, Rory stared at the marker since he couldn’t see his brother. “I still wish I had stuck around and at least talked to you, Tyler, but I was too embarrassed. I’d become a shifter and had seen how dangerous this world was for humans. I got angry about you exposing yourself to something I couldn’t run away from.”
His brother asked, Does Rory like being a shifter?
She would not answer for Rory so she put the question to him.
He hugged Siofra close. “I do now, bro. Took me a long time to accept it and I almost destroyed my animal in the process, but my savior showed up in time.” He kissed her head.
That started a flow of Siofra repeating his brother’s words and Rory answering in a relaxed way as if she wasn’t even present.
Tyler asked, What is your animal?
“A jaguar,” Rory said, pride filling his voice.
Wow, I’d love to see it, Tyler said.
Rory chuckled. “Can’t do it right now.”
What about later? Will you come back and show me?
Pausing, Rory had a thoughtful look. “Sure, I can do that, but ... don’t you want to like, cross over?” Those words had clearly been tough for Rory to get out.
His brother admitted, At some point, but I want to enjoy this a bit more before that. I miss you.
In a choked up voice, Rory said, “I miss you, too, bro. You have no idea.”
When Siofra noticed Tyler’s ethereal form wavering in and out, she suggested they come back tomorrow and talk some more. Tyler thanked her for bringing Rory, which touched her.
As Rory walked her back to their ride, he said, “That was ... pretty special.”
“Special enough to go see your family?”
“Yes, but not today or tomorrow. Soon though.”
That was good enough for her. Now that her energy had bonded to Rory’s, she could feel the difference. The dark places were shrinking and the lighter ones were filling in the holes.
Her mate would be a content man, a happy shifter and a good father.
––––––––
Thanks for reading STALKING HIS MATE. I would really appreciate a review – any length – wherever you buy books.
The next League of Gallize Shifters will be SCENT OF A MATE.
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More stand-alone Gallize shifter stories coming soon.
GRAY WOLF MATE, MATING A GRIZZLY and STALKING HIS MATE are the first three books available in the League of Gallize Shifters series, all of which are stand-alone stories.
LEAGUE OF GALLIZE SHIFTERS
