“Mary, is that really you?”
Zira couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Standing in front of her, wearing fitted gray sweatpants and a matching gray crop top with a black sports bra underneath. This was the most skin Zira ever saw from Mary, and she was fit. Her asymmetrical bob with a sleek side-swept bang had red coloring at the tips and her face looked as if she was signing up for a punk rock band. Mary turned her head to look at Zira and her eyes sparked with delight and smiled.
“Luna Zira!”
“Never take your eyes off your opponent,” Zed yelled at her as he lunged at her.
Mary blocked his moves like a pro until he captured her arm and spun her around to wrap his arm around her neck. She struggled for a bit to get out before elbowing him in the stomach, causing him to take a few steps back.
Mary didn’t waste time running towards him. Zed stood up just in time for Mary to jump and wrap her legs around his neck and bring him down like a wrestler. Zira watched with delight, for she thought it was over, but she was wrong. The moment Zed’s body hit the ground, Mary mounted him with a knife to his throat. Zira held her breath at how good Mary was and the fact that this moment was intense between the two. Their eyes were locked and full of…
Before Zira could say anything, Zed smiled while Mary bent down and placed a kiss on his lips. Zira’s jaw dropped to the floor at the display of affection. Mary and her brother were kissing. Was this why he was mad,” she wondered. Did he think I wouldn’t like it? No, that makes no sense. Mary broke away and helped Zed off the ground.
“You’ve gotten so much better at that move, babe,” Zed said, caressing the side of her face as Mary leaned into his palm.
“Woah, woah, woah,” Zira interjected. “Are you guys…you know...”
Zed swiped Mary’s hair to the side, enough for Zira to see a mark on her neck.
“Mates, Zira,” Zed growled at her. “You do remember what that is, don’t you?”
Mary punched Zed in the arm. “Give her a break, Zed. She just got back.” Zed was about to say something, but Mary held up a finger. “You promised you would talk it out. Did you?”
Zed rolled his eyes, but Mary grabbed his face and stared at him. They must have been speaking to each other in their minds. It took a minute or so before she saw Zed nod his head.
“I’ll try, but I just need to be alone for a minute,” he said, glancing at Zira before turning to leave.
“Zed!” Mary turned around with her hands on her hips. “I’m sorry, Luna, but you and your brother have a way of keeping things to yourselves until it blows up in everybody’s faces.”
“What problem does he have with me,” Zira asked, following Mary out the door. “He’s barely talked to me since I got back. Is there anything you can tell me?”
“Well,” Mary started, “he didn’t give me specifics, but I think it might have to do with the day we found out we were mates.”
“That seems odd, but please tell me there’s more.”
“Well, it was nighttime, and I was searching for moonflowers to put in my room when I smelled the most amazing scent. Amberwood and dark coffee,” Mary smiled. “I followed it to a small clearing and there he was. Zed. He was in pain, writhing on the ground. At the time, I didn’t know it was his first time shifting. He had his training clothes on, so I thought at first maybe he pulled something. So, I approached him and tried to comfort him. His eyes were closed, and I remember him saying your name. He said that you promised…”
“That I will be here for him like he was for me,” Zira groaned, shaking her head. She had totally forgotten about the first time she shifted. Zira was so scared to do it in front of people that she couldn’t, so she ran off into the woods.
FLASHBACK
Zed found her and sat with her until she was ready. One minute she was writhing from her bones rearranging, the next she was bouncing around in her wolf form, and Zed was nowhere in sight.
She found him later curled in his bed with Mister Giggles. She didn’t realize shifting would have this effect on him. She remembered their conversation that morning when she returned from her run.
“Hey,” Zira said, poking her head in. “Is everything OK? You left really fast last night, and Nina wanted to show off.”
“Yeah, I just…I didn’t know what else to do…”
Zira sat on his bed. “What do you mean?”
“You were in pain, Zi,” Zed let out with a bit of frustration. “You were in pain on the ground, and I didn’t know what to do, so I ran. I ran like a coward and…”
“Hey, hey, hey. You’re not a coward, Zed. Believe me. I was the one who ran away from the ceremony. You were brave enough to follow and help me through this.”
“But I didn’t help, Zi. You were in pain, and I did nothing.”
“Sure, its painful at first, but it’s like that for everyone. What matters is that you stayed with me until I was ready. You helped me that way.”
Zed shook his head. “I don’t know if I can do that, Zi. I don’t know if I’ll be able to shift. I won’t be strong enough.”
“Of course, you will,” Zira said, getting in bed with him.
“Come on, Zi,” Zed complained, “you’re gonna funk up my sheets.”
“So, I’ll improve the smell that’s already here,” Zira joked. “Seriously though, I will be right there with you. No matter what.”
“You can’t promise that, Zi. What if you can’t find me?”
“Simple, just go to the clearing you found me, and I will find you,” Zira said, giving him a tight hug and sniffing him.
“What the heck? Stop,” Zed screamed, pushing Zira away.
“What? Nina just wants to commit your scent memory. How else are we going to find you,” Zira laughed. “She’s also curious about Mister Giggles inner stuffing.”
“Don’t you dare…Mom!” Zed jumped off the bed, grabbing Mister Giggles and darted for the door with Zira laughing and chasing behind him.
FLASHBACK ENDS
“...so, I don’t know where he is. He’s not answering,” Mary pouted.
“I know where he is,” Zira said, shifting and running towards the forest. It only took her a minute to find the clearing where she knew he would be, and there he was, sitting against a tree.
“Do you not know what ‘I need to be alone’ means,” Zed asked, looking up at Mary and Zira.
“Mary, can you give us a moment?” Mary gave a nod and walked some distance away as Zira leaned against the tree. There was silence for only a moment before Zed stood and walked a few feet away.
“I’m not even mad anymore, so we can just skip all this, OK,” Zed started, looking away.
Zira let out an exasperated sigh. “Thank the Goddess. I have my fill of making it up to everyone,” she said, making her way back to the packhouse.
Zed looked shocked for a moment before recovering. “Zira!”
“I’m just kidding,” she laughed, running and pulling him into a tight hug. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here Zed. Truly.”
“Yeah, whatever. I figured you just wanted me to do this on my own. Be independent and stuff.”
“I mean, yeah but…I made a promise, and I broke it and I’m sorry. I don’t want to be the kind of person that breaks promises.”
Zed was quiet until Zira nudged him with her shoulder. “You don’t have to apologize. I know you had to leave. Just next time, take someone with you.”
“Promise,” Zira smiled. “Besides, this was a good thing, right? You found your mate and she’s a little badass.”
Zed laughed. “Yeah, she is. Took a few months to get used to her hiding daggers in inconspicuous places.”
“It makes no sense to put them in places where people can see them,” Mary said, joining them.
“Agreed but fooling around with you is getting a very close shave,” Zed laughed.
“Ew, ew. I don’t want to hear this,” Zira screamed, making Zed and Mary laugh even louder. It wasn’t long before they were interrupted by Isabella, coming through the trees.
“Zi, there you are,” she exclaimed, breathing like she had just run a marathon. “Arias…crystal…you have to see this!”