Claimed Mate by Roxie Ray
Liv
Iwoke up the next day feeling as refreshed as I had in a long time; which was wild, given I’d shifted to my wolf and back as well as done that whole…glowy, smoky thing. I made a mental note to ask the prince if that had an actual name as I got up, careful not to disturb the sheets. Cal looked absolutely worn out, and even if he hadn’t said anything to me, I could sense things hadn’t gone the way he’d hoped with his father. The lack of enthusiasm practically screamed ‘family issues.’
I knew those well.
Grimacing at my own dark joke, I padded softly to the kitchen, grateful that Maren had found someone willing to lend us a coffee maker. With everything so different, it was nice to have one ritual remain intact. I scooped the grounds into the filter and measured out the water, enjoying the meditative-like moments as I waited for the coffee to percolate.
Once the coffee was ready, I added milk and sugar, and took it outside. I stood with my bare feet on the earth, smiling as the rising sun slowly illuminated the other little homes in a misty pink color. Maybe I’d get some kind of chair to put out front. We didn’t have a porch or a deck, but it would still be nice to sit out here in the spring or summer.
I realized that was a bit of a long-term thought and quietly stuffed it back into whatever corner of my brain it had come from. I could deal with that later. Right now, I could be happy with my coffee and a beautiful sunrise, and I could be grateful Cal and Maren were safe, even if the former wasn’t entirely happy. I could be grateful, too, that I had met someone willing to teach me about fae magic.
Later in the day,Malachi and I met to work out a schedule. I was surprised to realize he had so many things to do on such an idyllic little farm, but maybe I shouldn’t have been. I would train in the morning, before breakfast, and then later in the afternoon, time—and energy, he said, but I think he was underestimating my enthusiasm—allowing. I got the sense that Malachi wouldn’t be handling all of this, but didn’t ask. He had also suggested I have dinner every other evening with his sister, so she could give me a crash course on all the political machinations of the two courts, and everything around them.
Frankly, I would much rather stick to learning magic, but how do you tell a prince no?
When I returned in the afternoon, I was a bit surprised to find Cal at our little home. He didn’t seem to be doing anything at all. I tipped my head to one side as I pulled my shoes off at the door. “Hey…you okay?” I asked, unable to help myself. “You aren’t hurt and hiding it, are you?” Shifting should have taken care of it, but given the fae magic and silver weapons we’d run into even before we got to the farm, I couldn’t take anything for granted.
Cal glanced up from the hole he was trying to stare into the wall. “Hm? Oh, yeah. Just tired.” He forced a smile and shrugged. “A lot happened the past few days, you know? I think it’s just catching up with me.”
“Oh.” I didn’t really know what to say to that, so I sat down on the futon next to him, placing a hand on his knee. “Well, you know, not all hurt is physical.” When he didn’t say anything to that, I gave a gentle squeeze. “You don’t have to tell me. But if you are hurt, and you want to tell someone, I’m here.”
I couldn’t make him talk if he didn’t want to. I paused for a moment and leaned in to press a chaste kiss to the side of his cheek as something else occurred to me. “It’s okay to be hurt, Cal.” I felt the muscles in his leg tense between my hand and my heart ached. Had no one ever told him that before? His mother was one of the strongest, most caring women I’d ever met, but maybe it was different being her son as opposed to her neighbor’s daughter. I had no idea what their relationship looked like when it was just the two of them. What Cal felt like he had to shoulder, regardless of if Christine had tried to take it on herself, or leaned on him for support.
Unable to think of anything else to say to break the silence, I sat in it with him for a moment, my hand on his knee. I thought of warmth and something sturdy, leaning against a brick wall baked in the sunshine. Warm sod on a summer hill. I was there. I was support. And if he didn’t want to talk about it today, or tomorrow, or next week, it didn’t matter, because I was still there.
It had gottendark and I was just starting to wonder what I ought to do about dinner when someone knocked at the front door. Before I could answer, Maren poked her head in, offering me a wave. “Hi, Liv! Cal.” She beamed at us both before stepping inside. Corin followed her a moment later. “So, about that girls’ night?”
“Oh!” We hadn’t don’t much planning outside of ‘hey, that sounds like a good idea,’ though thankfully, my contribution was just space. Not that I asked Cal if he minded them coming over. It was his space, too. I gave him a sideways glance. The door shut and I looked up, realizing a third woman had come with the others. I didn’t recognize her.
Maren giggled, seemingly reading my mind. “This is Kayla, we ran into her on the way. I think we’re going to have a movie night, so we don’t have to impede on Cal!”
I paused and glanced back at the man. He raised one shoulder in a shrug. “Go on,” he said, making a little shooing motion with one hand. A small smile had returned to his mouth. My shoulders felt a little lighter. “I can amuse myself for an evening.”
“Are you sure?”
Cal stuck his tongue out and made a face so absurd I almost laughed. “Yes, Olivia Burns. I am a big boy, and I promise not to burn the house down with the hot plate while you watch a movie.”
He did have a point. We hadn’t even been…I don’t know, dating? Seeing each other? Whatever it was we were doing, we hadn’t been doing it that long. He would be fine on his own for a few hours.
“All right,” I decided. “Sounds fun!” I gave Cal a kiss goodbye and followed the trio out the door. “Don’t burn the house down!” I teased.
“Don’t stay out too late!” he called back as I shut the door behind me. He sounded lighter, at least for a moment. It was enough. It wasn’t everything, but it was enough.
“Where are we going?” I asked Maren, following her as she led us to the large building. We had breakfast there, and there was a training room in there…but I was starting to suspect this place had a lot of nooks and crannies that were not immediately obvious upon first glance.
“There’s a movie room,” Maren confessed, looking a bit proud of herself.
I couldn’t help my shock. “A movie room? Seriously?”
Corin laughed at my surprise. “I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, Liv, but we’re in the middle of the woods, and not all of us are content to just poke at vegetables all day long. We need something to do!”
I laughed in return, shaking my head. “I don’t know, it’s a nice change of pace,” I said, following them into the building and down a hall. Once again, we were going down the stairs into what might be called a basement in any other building.
“We’ll see how you feel in a week, city girl.” Corin winked and tucked a strand of hair over her ear as she walked over to an island bar. I just noticed her hair was a shade of turquoise, fading back to brown at the roots.
I joined her, curious as to what she was reaching for. “Your hair looks really— Holy shit, are those saltwater taffies?” Waxy paper caught my eye and I leaned over as she snickered, scooping a few up into a cup and handing them to me.
“Sure are. Looks like the snack bar also has some chocolate, maple candies, those awful wafers… or chips and popcorn if you’d prefer salty.” She glanced back up. “So, what was that about my hair?”
“Your hair looks really good,” I gushed, too enraptured by the plethora of goodies on offer to police my compliments in case I came off as over-enthused. Corin just did a hair flip for my benefit, so I assumed my compliment was well received. “Is that a mini-fridge?”
“Yep.” Corin gave her best impression of a TV game show hostess. “Inside, you may find water, seltzer, soda, or, if you’re very lucky, even beer. What’ll it be, ladies?”
“Seltzer and chips. Salt and vinegar, please.”
“Right-o. And you, Kayla?” Corin asked, handing me Maren’s snacks to carry with me.
“Oh, a beer, I think,” she answered, sounding a little shy.
Once Corin handed me a can of Sprite, I wandered back over to the middle of the room. Maren and Kayla had pulled out of basket of blankets, placing them around four recliners. It wasn’t exactly a movie theater, but it was damn near close! I couldn’t help my giggle as I nestled into a chair, handing Maren her snacks as she sat beside me.
“This is amazing,” I said, eyes flicking to the screen as Maren fiddled with the television remote. Someone else dimmed the lights.
“Isn’t it?” Maren replied, scrolling through some options. “I’m not sure who came up with the idea; isn’t it amazing what you can do with a projector and some comfy furniture?”
I nodded. When I was younger, I had always wanted an in-home theater. Who didn’t want to watch their favorite movies over and over on the big screen? Even childhood me realized buying a theater was ridiculous, but my ten-year-old self thought having one at home was more practical. Maybe if I’d have been this creative, my father would have actually gotten around to building one for us.
My mood dimmed, and I glanced back up at the screen. I leaned over to whisper to Maren. “Is this…is this new Mad Max?”
“Sure is,” Corin said from Maren’s other side. She grinned. “Hope you weren’t expecting Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, or whatever.”
I snorted and shook my head; absolutely not. ‘Chick flicks’ were Lisa’s thing. My father and I usually watched sci-fi or action movies; his favorite was Indiana Jones and Raiders of the Lost Ark, but the original Mad Max movies were often in his rotation. I hadn’t seen the new one, though. We just never got around to going when it was in theaters, and I just hadn’t had the heart once he passed…
For some reason, though, I found myself looking forward to this one.
The chatter simmered down as the movie started; I reveled in every moment of the red dust and harsh scenery. I might have even liked Furiosa a bit better than Max by the end.
“Anyone up for another one?” Kayla asked, standing to turn the lights to halfway.
“I’m not opposed,” Maren hummed, “but I definitely need more snacks if that’s what we’re going to do.”
Corin was already on her feet, moving back to the little snack bar. “What’ll it be, miss?” she asked and I couldn’t help my next question.
“Corin, were you ever a bartender or a waitress in a past life? You’re smoother than most of the girls Maren and I worked with in the diner.”
The witch gave a mock bow. “I will take that as a compliment, but no. If all I was doing was making magically tasty plates of pasta and unbelievably good cocktails, I don’t think I’d have to leave my coven!”
My brows bounced up. “Is…that a thing for witches? You need a pack…er, coven?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Yes and no. It’s not quite as binding for a witch as it would be for a wolf. Some even choose to practice in solitude, but you’ll likely never find them, since, you know. Solitude.” Her emphasis made me think hermit. “But having a coven allows you to share the burden of a spell. It’s also a wealth of knowledge. Imagine if you had to learn everything about being a wolf on your own?”
I gave a thoughtful nod; it would be incredibly hard without other wolves. Even now, I could feel the hollow pang; two wolves in an encampment did not a pack make. “I can see the appeal.”
Corin looked thoughtful for a moment. “Since I can see you’re trying not to ask, I’ll just tell you. I left my coven, I wasn’t kicked out. Some of the older witches were very knowledgeable, especially with herbs and potions. I would have done anything to learn from them…which meant I didn’t question what I was being asked to do. When I found out one of the potions I’d brewed killed a woman, I couldn’t believe it. I should have seen it; even though I was an apprentice, I still understood herbs and combinations.” She shrugged as if it didn’t bother her anymore, but I could see the tension in her shoulders. “Anyways, I didn’t want to keep working with people who were willing to sell something deadly as long as the price was right, and I especially didn’t want to work with people who wouldn’t even tell it to me straight.”
“I… Wow. Thank you for telling me,” I said. Even after everything Ben had done, I still struggled with the idea of just walking away from the Bridgehaven pack. I couldn’t imagine what it would have taken for Corin to leave.
“Is it honesty hour?”
I jumped a little, not realizing Kayla had returned to her seat. She’d been damn near silent. “Sorry.” The redhead flashed me an apologetic smile. I realized then that her eyes were wine red. How had I not realized? I guess in the presence of Maren and Corin, I had assumed she was another fae.
Kayla noticed my staring and looked down at her hands. “Yes, I am a vampire,” she said quietly. “And no, I’m not reading your thoughts. It’s the eyes.”
I blushed to realize I’d been that obvious. “Sorry. Haven’t ever seen a vampire before.”
“Most people haven’t.” She shrugged. “For good enough reason. But you’ll probably feel better to know I’m here because I wouldn’t take a blood meal from a human. I’d seen how some thralls were kept in our nest and I just…couldn’t.”
I frowned a little. “Uh, maybe this is a stupid question, but don’t, uh…” I almost said victims. That was probably poor form. “Isn’t that how someone is turned into a vampire?”
She shook her head. “No. A thrall, or anyone, for that matter, has to drink the vampire’s blood three times.”
“So you chose to be a vampire?”
Kayla shrugged. “I lost my parents and my brother was turned. I don’t know if he was seduced or convinced or what, I don’t want to know. But I was seventeen and scared and staying with my brother seemed like the best idea at the time, so I asked the broodmother to turn me, too.” She sighed. “I only lasted about a month until I was run out by my brother.”
“So how do you not…starve?”
She brightened a little. “Willing donations. I don’t bite anyone. It’s all very careful and clean and definitely no mind control.”
“Huh.” I furrowed my brows. After a moment, I shrugged. “Brothers can suck, can’t they? Mine ran me out of our pack.” Except I found out he was my cousin…but I had always considered Ben as my older sibling, and I couldn’t unsee him that way, even with his ill intent.
Kayla flashed me a sad smile, and I found myself eager to steer the conversation away. Even if I hadn’t hurt her feeling with all my questions, I certainly hadn’t made things any better. “So! This place is way more than a farming community, isn’t it?”
Corin snorted. “Is that the line Maren gave you? Yeah, way more than that. Some folks call it ‘The Institute’, and I think that suits it all right.”
“Like…a school?”
“Oh, yeah!” Kayla brightened considerably. “I look after the little ones.” At my confused look, she continued. “Not everyone who comes here is alone. Sometimes families join, and the children still need an education! And some of them just need someone to open up to. Maybe I… Well, maybe I would have made some different choices if I had that, you know?”
I felt myself smiling too; her enthusiasm was pretty infectious. “That’s amazing,” I said, thinking back on my conversations with Malachi and Finola the other day. “And that they have someone to teach them, too.”
Corin smirked. “I’m just security.”
Maren gave her friend a gentle shove. “There’s no ‘just’ about that, it’s very important making sure everyone is safe.”
Kayla and I both nodded in agreement.
Corin’s smirk grew a little. “Well, I guess I am pretty good at wards, too. Liv, you ought to come meet some of the others when you get a break in your training.”
I hesitated for a moment, not entirely sure why, but… “If you want me to, sure,” I agreed. I had no real reason to doubt Corin.
She gave a firm nod. “Good. Good! If you’re going to train, I think it would help to know some others who are training, too. Things aren’t going to get any easier from here on out.”
Was she alluding to the war? I hoped not, but I had a sinking feeling it was exactly that; Corin was just much less blunt than I was. I had to be a little more thoughtful in what I said; I didn’t have the family or the pack anymore. I didn’t want to lean on that, either. What if that’s all I was, though? I did one whole training session, and that was it. I could be a complete flop!
Dread settled over me and I fell into silence, only half-listening as the girls picked out the next movie.
