I hate that Chase can feel my uneasiness. The last thing I want is for him to think I’m weak. I’m far from it. Physically, yes, but mentally I can handle anything that comes my way. I watch Chase drive away, wondering what the hell his mother has in store for me. She genuinely appears friendly, but that easily could’ve been just for show.
Maureen bumps me with her shoulder. “Thanks for coming.”
Once Chase’s car disappears, I look over at her. Her hair is dark and covered with a straw beach hat. She gives off the typical beach vibe with her flowy, golden-colored boho dress and sandals. I may be older than her, but she has a pearl of wisdom in her eyes that I know I don’t have.
“Did I have a choice?”
Her kind smile makes me regret asking. “Everyone has a choice, Kara. We choose to do the things we do in life. It’s up to us to make sure it’s the right path.”
My stomach clenches, and I can’t help but think her words were intentional. I know I’ve made bad decisions in my lifetime. And, of course, I’m paying the consequences for them now.
Maureen waves her hand for me to follow her. “Come. I’m going to show you what we’ll be doing this morning.”
I follow behind her to the back of her red truck where it’s filled with boxes of jars.
“What is all of that?” I question.
Maureen smiles at it all. “Homemade jams and canned vegetables. It’s what I do now that Chase runs the vineyard.” She turns to me, her aura warm and kind as she grins. Her presence sends a calming essence through my body, and my shoulders ease their tension.
I nod toward the goodies. “Where are we taking it all?”
Maureen lifts the tailgate and slams it shut. “To the farmers’ market. I have some friends with local businesses in town. They’ve been struggling here recently, so I give them all of this to sell. It helps pay their rent. Hopefully, soon they’ll be back on their feet again.”
“That’s really kind of you.”
Maureen shrugs. “I do what I can to help. They’re good people, and I don’t want to see them suffer.” She takes a step toward me. “If you had a friend who needed help, would you help them?”
Her question catches me off guard. From what I can tell of Maureen and her personality, I know she must have a slew of friends. I’m sure people gravitate toward her when she’s in a room. Sadly, you can count the number of friends I have on one hand, on less than a hand. In all honesty, it’s more like two fingers.
“I don’t have many friends,” I confess, “but the ones I do have, I would do what I can.”
Her lips pull back, and she nods. “Good enough. You ready to go?”
“Whenever you are,” I reply.
We get in her old, red truck, and it rumbles to life. She seems so tiny behind the big wheel as she puts it into gear. The second we move, the car bounces me all over the place. I hold onto the door handle with all my might.
“Hang on, dearie,” she laughs. “We’ve meant to get the shocks fixed.”
With all the money I know the Maheegans have, Chase’s parents live a meager life. Now Chase, on the other hand, enjoys the finer things in life. It makes me wonder if he’ll turn out like his parents when he gets older.
As soon as we’re onto the main road, the bumpiness lessens. I focus on the scenery, not knowing what to say. Finally, Maureen clears her throat, and I glance over at her. She looks at me quickly and smiles before focusing back on the road.
“I know about everything that happened.”
Inwardly, I groan and hold my breath, muscles so tense I feel frozen in place. What do you say to that?
Before I can say anything, Maureen places a hand on my shoulder. “It’s okay. We all make mistakes. No one knows what you’ve been through. After living over two hundred years, there had to be a lot of ups and downs.”
Confusion sweeping over me, I look at her. “You’re the only one to think that.”
She shakes her head but keeps her eyes on the road. “No, I’m not. My son does, too.”
I turn my attention back to the window. “I don’t understand why.”
“You’re not a bad person, Kara. Just confused and lost.”
“What makes you say that?” I ask, tearing my gaze away from the ocean.
With a sad smile, Maureen meets my eyes. “Because I can feel it.”
* * *
I helped Maureen drop all the vegetables and jams off at the farmers’ market, minus a jar of her pickled green beans. She heard my stomach’s incessant growling, so she set some aside, which I’m genuinely thankful for.
Her human friends were grateful when they saw how much she’d given them to sell. Of course, Maureen didn’t tell her friends I was a prisoner of her son’s. For the three hours we were there, I got to walk around and talk to people at my leisure while Maureen did her rounds. Everywhere she went, the people smiled and spoke to her. I’m not used to that. When I go places, I want people to stay away from me. However, not so much here. The vibe is different. Granted, most of the vendors are older humans. Maybe it’s a sign I’ve been around the wrong type of people. In all honesty, I’m sure I relate more to the older crowd. I’ve been through everything they have.
Once we’re back in the truck, I finish off the last of the green beans. Maureen’s eyes widen when she looks over and notices them all gone. “Is my son not feeding you?”
I can feel the burn of embarrassment on my cheeks. “He does. I think my body’s just trying to adjust to this new lifestyle.”
Maureen slows the truck and pulls off onto the side of the road. “Want to take a walk on the beach? There’s a perfect spot coming up.”
I haven’t felt the sand on my feet in over a decade. “Sure,” I say, glancing out at the ocean. “I’d like that.”
She gets back on the road and drives another mile or so until we see a couple of cars parked off to the right. “Here we are.”
She slides the truck into an opening beside some bushes, and we hop out. The path down to the beach is a little rocky, but luckily, I don’t fall and rip open my skin. I’ve noticed how clumsy I am without my wolf’s agility.
Once we’re off the rocky path, Maureen removes her sandals and holds them in her hand. I do the same, and my feet sink into the sand. The last time I set foot on a beach was when I took a trip to Cedar Island, North Carolina. You could only get to the beach house by driving on the sand. There was hardly anyone on the island, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
Maureen and I walk side by side, the water lapping at our feet as we walk through it. “Tell me about your mother,” Maureen says. “What was she like?”
When I think back to memories of my mom, all I try to focus on are the good times we had. If she was still alive, I can only imagine the things we would’ve done together over the years. She would’ve loved the vineyards.
“She was beautiful,” I reply, trying with all my strength to keep the burn behind my eyes at bay.
A small laugh escapes Maureen’s lips. “I bet. You’re a stunning woman. I’m assuming you take after her?”
I smile, but I know the gesture doesn’t touch my eyes. “Guess you could say that.”
Maureen frowns. “You don’t have to talk about her if you don’t want to. I was just curious.”
“No, it’s okay,” I say, bending down to fold my jeans up over my calves. They’re already soaked, but I want to step farther into the water. Plus, it gives me an excuse to turn away from her. The way she looks at me is as if she can see into my soul … it’s a little unnerving, but also motherly in a sense. It makes me miss having my mother around. There are times when I try to imagine what my life would be like if I still had everyone in my family. The problem is I always come up blank. I’m the last Channon.
“Kara, are you all right?” Maureen asks, her voice soft.
Clearing my throat, I stand and keep my focus on the sea. “I’m fine. I was just thinking about my family. My mom would’ve loved it out here, but we were part of the Royal pack, so we stayed in Canada with them. Back then, we didn’t have transportation as we do now. It was hard to travel thousands of miles in a decent amount of time.”
Maureen chuckles. “I understand. When I was little, cars weren’t invented yet.”
“That’s right. You’re younger than me but still know what the world was like a hundred and fifty years ago.”
She nods. “The world has changed.”
We continue our walk down the beach. “Yes, it has. There are days I wish I could turn back time and change things.”
“Are you talking about the day of the attack?”
My body tenses. “Yes. My mom was a good woman, and so was my grandmother. They had their true mates, and everything was perfect. We were royals and part of the strongest pack in the world. I belonged there.”
“Until your father wanted power,” Maureen adds.
“Yes,” I reply, feeling the anger well back up in my chest. But now there’s more: regret and shame. “I didn’t know he was going to attack the alpha. I was too focused on other things. If I’d just paid attention, I might’ve seen the signs.” I was young and in love. Zayne was the only thing I ever thought about. That’s why it hurt when he let the pack banish me.
Maureen lays a gentle hand on my shoulder. “Sometimes those closest to us can deceive us the most.”
Her hand slides off my shoulder, and I nod. “I didn’t even know my mom wanted the power. Sometimes I wonder if it was just my father’s ambition that made her think she did.” Then, with a heavy sigh, I focus on my feet sinking into the sand. “I’ll never know for sure. What I do know is that I won’t forget that day for the rest of my life. It’s the day I lost everything.”
Maureen steps in front of me and grabs my hands. Usually, most wolves give me a wide berth, especially other females, but not her. There is no fear in her eyes, only compassion.
“You haven’t lost everything, Kara. You have your vineyards, and you also have a place with the Timberwolf pack.”
Mouth gaping, I stare at her as if she’s lost her mind. “Your pack doesn’t want anything to do with me. I’ve seen that firsthand.”
She shrugs and lets me go. “Maybe some of them, but I know my son doesn’t feel that way. That’s all that matters.”
The mention of Chase sends butterflies through my stomach, and I do my best to ignore it. “His association with me will only bring him grief.”
Maureen shakes her head. “He’s the alpha, Kara. The pack loves him. He’s hard when he needs to be but also caring and supportive, even when all of his friends are finding their mates, and he’s not.”
A pang of jealousy tightens in my chest. I can’t imagine Chase with a mate. “Do you think Sierra is Chase’s mate?” I ask, hoping my curiosity doesn’t pique her interest.
“No,” she replies quickly. “They had chemistry, but something was always missing.” A smile lights up her face when she looks into my eyes. “Although I am looking forward to the day my son does find his mate. I’ll have the daughter I’ve always wanted, and soon after … grandchildren.”
It’s crazy to think that she’s younger than me with a full-grown son. I’ve dreamt of the day I would have children, but it’s never felt like it’ll happen for me.
“Chase is a good man,” I say, knowing it’s the truth, even though I really want to say how much of a pain in the ass he is. “He’ll find his mate.”
Maureen’s eyes twinkle. “Something tells me you will, too.” She nods toward the path we just took, and we start on our way back to her truck.
I scoff. “Doubtful. I’m over two hundred years old, and it hasn’t happened to me yet. I’m pretty sure I’ve been forgotten.” I’ve had some animosity toward the Great Luna for a long time now. There are wolves who’ve only lived twenty-something years and found their mates while I’ve had to roam the country on my own for two centuries.
Maureen sighs. “You’re angry.”
“Hell yeah, I am,” I say with a huff. “Wouldn’t you be if you were in my shoes? It was all I could do to stomach through being around the new Royal pack. All around me were nothing but true mates; it was infuriating.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see her watching me, but I keep my focus on the beach. With every year that passed where I hadn’t found my true mate, I could feel the burning inside of my chest growing and festering. I used to believe in the Great Luna with all my heart, but she’s let me down so many times.
We make it back to the truck in silence, but I could feel Maureen’s eyes on me the entire time. I move to the passenger’s side and hop in just as Maureen slides into the driver’s seat. She slips the key into the ignition but doesn’t turn it.
“Do you want to know the real reason why I wanted to be with you today?” Maureen asks.
“I don’t know,” I answer, turning to face her and feeling the weight of everything on my shoulders. “Do I?”
A bit of humor touches her lips. “I think you do. The Great Luna does things for a reason. A long time ago, she gave me a gift.”
I render a light laugh that comes out snarky. “Of course she did.” Maureen’s smile fades, and I instantly regret my words. “I’m sorry. Again, all I’ve been around recently are true mates and those gifted with special powers.” There are several words for the way I’m feeling: jealous, envious, resentful, bitter. The list goes on and on.
Maureen nods in understanding. “I can see why you’d be upset, but you also need to realize how others feel around you. You may not have a magical gift, but you are a royal. There are shifters everywhere who wish they could call themselves that.”
My chest tightens, and I rip my gaze away from her. Maybe I am the cold-hearted, selfish bitch I’ve been told I was a million times over. I’ve always wanted more out of my life.
“Being a royal female has been a curse,” I whisper, keeping my eyes straight and focused on the ocean. “Ever since I’ve been on the run, I had to hide my true self. There are too many who want my power.” Power-hungry wolves would kill just to bond with me, even if I wasn’t their true mate. My royal power would become theirs.
Maureen blows out a sigh. “I can only imagine how lonely that must’ve been. The pack was a little nervous when Chase wanted to bring you here. But now you don’t have to hide.”
“I beg to differ,” I say as an exasperated laugh escapes my lips. “That’s not the impression I got. On the contrary, Sierra enjoyed giving me hell; she didn’t seem nervous at all.”
Snickering, Maureen starts up the truck. “That’s because she knows you don’t have your strength.” Her gaze lands on my wrist, where Laila put the bracelet. “If you did, I’m sure she’d steer clear.”
When I get my wolf back, Sierra better hope and pray she’s nowhere near me. I don’t forget so easily. The truck sputters a few times and shakes as Maureen pulls out onto the main road.
“What gift did the Great Luna give you?” I ask, realizing she never told me.
Maureen keeps her focus on the road, and she quirks her lips. “She gifted me with the ability to see the good in people. Luckily, I’ve never been around someone truly evil.” Her grin widens, and she looks over at me before having to concentrate back on the highway. “I knew you weren’t evil, Kara. As I told you before, we choose our own paths. You strayed a little bit, but I know you’ll get back on track.”
Will I? It sure as hell doesn’t feel like it.
I hold up my hand, and the bracelet slides down my wrist, looking as if I could just take it off. It’s strange seeing it on my body and not being able to remove it.
“Do you know how to take the bracelet off?” I question.
She doesn’t look at me, but I can see it in her eyes that she knows. “It’s a potent spell, Kara. Fae magic is something I’ve never come across before.” We come to a stop at a traffic light, and she places a hand on my shoulder. “You’ll figure it out. I know you will.”
Hopefully, it’ll all be figured out soon. Evangeline should be finding her way to California any day now. If there’s anyone who knows about fae magic, it’s her.