by Tia Louise
“Doris,” I say, intending to pass her and head into town to find Mercy. I don’t want her working anymore. I’m desperate to hold her in my arms.
“Where are you going, Kona?” She squints up at me before pulling out the biggest pair of sunglasses I’ve ever seen and putting them over half her face.
“Headed into town.”
“Going to find that little girl who’s been spending the night?” She adjusts the cane on her hip. “Back in my day, they’d have you two at the alter with a shotgun for all this shacking up.”
That makes me grin. “Mercy’s parents died when she was young. I don’t think her older sister is the shotgun type.”
“Dylan Strong.” The old lady nods, and I pull up short.
“What did you say?”
“Folks always trying to change their names. Think us old timers will forget who they really are.”
Returning to where she’s standing, I lean down. “What do you know about Mercy’s family?”
“One of those Strong daughters was my best friend.” Her voice grows sentimental, and her eyes look past me into the distance, into the trees. “It was a long time ago. She went away.”
Doris has some pretty deep wrinkles on her ancient face, but I can’t believe she’s much more than eighty. She can’t be talking about anyone who could help us, and most likely, she’s talking about Mercy’s mother who died. “I’m sorry for your loss.”
“I’d know her by the mark. They all have it. Tells you who they are.”
For a moment, I don’t respond. I’m pretty sure Doris isn’t aware of the shifters in Woodland Creek. At the same time, she’s a scrappy old biddy. No telling what she knows, and if she were best friends with Mercy’s mother… Don’t best friends tell each other everything?
“Those shoes fit you well.” She motions with her cane to the canvas slip-ons I’m wearing. “Figured you two were about the same size.”
“Oh, yeah. Thanks again.”
“Don’t thank me.” She starts for her house, and I straighten, watching her go. “Love is stronger than death. It’s deep magic. Stronger than anything.”
She wobbles through her door, and I stand there watching her like an idiot, puzzled by her strange words. “Stronger than anything,” I repeat as the metal door slams behind her. “Deep magic.”
Even if she’s talking about her dead husband, I can’t help thinking she’s giving me a clue. Turning for town, I take off at a jog, but her words linger in my thoughts.
Vows
Mercy
It’s my last day at the gym. I feel a twinge of sadness saying goodbye to my young client. She’s always so stressed out, and I think she considers me her friend. I can’t help feeling like I’m alone now that I know what’s ahead of me.
This time Andy accepts my resignation and says he’ll give me a reference when I get to California. I never mention Koa’s firing. Everything has changed since that day, and things like unfair dismissals seem very trivial.
“Dude, I can’t believe it,” Jim says, standing behind the juice bar. “Your dream is coming true.”
“I hope so,” is all I can bring myself to say. One way or another, I won’t be here on Friday. The thought gives me a shudder.
“Will you write to me when you get to California?”
“What if I send you a text?”
“No way, dude. I want postcards. Send me one with the sign on it.”
“Sure.” I don’t bother telling him I’m not headed to Hollywood.
When I look up and see Koa entering the parking lot, I don’t even say goodbye. I’m out the door and running to him before Jim has even finished speaking.
“Any news?” I hate the way I sound, breathless and desperate.
It’s so pathetic that I’m looking for him to save me, but I’m out of options. My sister tried, I tried… short of running away, which I know would be a death sentence for Penny and Dylan. I don’t know if he would spare Autumn, since she now lives in New York.
God, this is so hard to comprehend. I can’t reconcile the Hayden I’ve known for two years with this monster stealing my future. Still I can’t shake the cold determination of his gaze, the chilling entitlement in his voice. You’re mine, Mercy.
“Slayde has requested the autopsy photos. They’re old, but he’s hoping he might find something unusual, accidental death… anything, really.” Koa’s expression is grim, and I’m afraid I’ll be sick.
Pausing a moment, I take a deep breath and steady my nerves. He touches me, and the warmth of his love soothes my jumping insides. “I was thinking as I walked over here, I’ve never taken you to dinner.”
Wednesday night dinner? My brow lines as I look up at him. “You want to go out tonight?
“I think we could use the distraction.” A hint of a smile crosses his lips. “Will you go on a date with me?”
“Of course.” Slipping my hand in the crook of his arm, my smile doesn’t come naturally, so I force it. “It feels like we’ve been together so long, but we haven’t really.”
His large hand covers mine. “I never could have predicted any of this when I left Princeton, but I wouldn’t change it.”
“You wouldn’t?”
“Not the part about you and me.” He gives me a squeeze. “The rest of it—”
Stopping, I turn and face him on the sidewalk. “We won’t talk about it any more. Tonight is our first date. We only talk about us.”
He does a little nod. “Deal. Do you want to go back and change clothes?”
Looking down at my long black pants, yoga top, and jacket, I fasten the zipper and smooth my hands down the front. “Where did you want to go?”
“There’s a Duck place ahead.” He points up the sidewalk in the direction we’re headed.
“Pond and Duck?” I think they’ll let me in like this.
“You’re beautiful in anything.”
I shake my head. “You’re very good at the boyfriend lines.”
“It’s not a line.” His strong arm is around my shoulders again. “I’ve thought you were beautiful since the first night I saw you.”
“Naked in the moonlight?”
“Your birthday suit is by far my favorite outifit.”
I don’t know how, but he makes me smile. For a flicker of time, I feel light. We’re at the restaurant in the center of town, and he holds the heavy wooden door for me to enter. The hostess looks about my age. She’s dressed in all black with her red hair in a ponytail.
“Table for two?” She asks brightly, and I nod. “Inside or out?”
Glancing up at Koa, he quickly answers. “Inside.”
She nods and takes off toward the back of the restaurant. “I’m surprised. I thought you’d say out,” I whisper.
“Normally, I would, but I don’t want the moon to bring us down.”
My hand goes up. “Good idea, and that’s the last we’ll say about it.”
A sad little grin lifts the corner of his mouth. I have to look away fast before my heart breaks.
“Here you go!” The hostess stands beside a tall, wood-paneled booth. “Your server will be right with you.”
We’re just sliding across the slick leather benches into the cozy nook when a young man appears. “Water will be right out. Would you like anything to drink?”
Koa blinks at me a moment before looking up at the guy. “It’s our first date. I think we should start with champagne.”
“Congratulations! I’ll have it right out for you.”
“Really?” My nose wrinkles when the server disappears. “I’m not sure we should be celebrating.”
This time Koa holds up his hand. “You said tonight was about us.”
Pressing my lips together, I let my eyes travel over his beautiful face. His dark brow lowers over his green eyes, and his black hair is pushed back. He’s so powerful. I want to hide in his strong arms forever, forget the consequences.
“I would hold you forever if I could.”
My ch
eeks pink, and I look down. “I forgot you sense my feelings.”
Reaching across the table, he extends his hand. I place my smaller one in it, and his fingers close. “So tell me, what got you interested in pottery?”
Focusing on our connection, I let my mind travel back to that winter three years ago. “I was bored. The winter was terrible. It never stopped snowing. I thought I’d go crazy if I had to sit in that mansion one more day.”
“Still, pottery? Why not the silversmith?”
“I walked into town, and this little pottery studio had just opened. Mercedes, the owner, was in the back throwing a bowl. I asked if she’d let me watch her work, and she said yes. The rest is history.”
“She taught you?”
The waiter returns with two slim flutes of bubbling gold wine. Koa winks at me, and holds his glass to mine. “To first dates.”
Hopefully not the last, I think as I sip the crisp beverage.
The waiter takes our orders — I can’t resist ordering the wild nettle pancakes, but Koa gets the roasted duck confit. When we’re again alone, the handsome panther across from me grins.
“Pancakes?”
“I’ve never had wild nettles.”
“Don’t get stung.”
“Besides, I was hoping you might share your duck.”
That gets me a groan, and I actually laugh. Lifting the sparkling wine, I take another sip. “Thank you for this.”
Our hands are joined again in the center of the table. “I had to get us out of that apartment. It was either this or shift and run all over the countryside.”
“We might never come back if we did that.”
His eyes hold a look, and I know what he’s thinking. Would that be so bad?
“No,” I answer quietly. “If only…”
“Back to your story. You said Mercedes taught you to spin bowls.”
“The technical term is throwing, and she did teach me. After repeatedly saying she wouldn’t. Every day I went back. The snow cut into her business, and I offered to pay. It wasn’t long before she caved.”
“You’re really good.”
“It’s a craft, so the more you do it, the better you get.” A server puts small plates of salad in front of us and a basket of sourdough bread with anchovy spread in the center. I lift my fork and take a bite of the bitter greens cut by balsamic vinaigrette while Koa samples the bread.
“Salty,” he says. I reach out and he hands it to me. A small nibble and the sting of fish fills my mouth, teasing my inner cat.
“I love it!” Handing it back, I take my own piece, covering it with the spread. “Tell me when you started boxing.”
He leans back in the booth, exhaling. “In middle school I started getting into fights. I don’t know why I was always at war with everybody. My mom was a gentle lady.”
“Shifter?”
“No — that came from my dad’s side. She taught me to keep it a secret, and she tried to teach me about our ways. The legends.” I watch as he toys with the triangle of bread on his plate. “I didn’t like being different. I didn’t want to know about the man who ditched us. I guess I listened to her more than I realized.”
My chest aches at the thought of him growing up that way, alone without an alpha. “I became an alpha, even though I didn’t know what it meant,” he says, addressing my feelings. “Both of my parents were tall, and by the time I was in high school, I was a head above everyone else.”
“So you started boxing?”
“My dad was a boxer. It came naturally to me. My nickname was mostly a joke.”
“Stitch?”
“Yeah. As you can see, I’m somewhat oversized.”
Salads gone, our entrees are placed in front of us. The warm, green pancakes are in front of me with an assortment of soft cheeses, asparagus, and wild mushrooms. Koa’s duck is in a deep brown gravy with rice and fennel.
He catches me eyeing his plate and laughs. “Here.” He puts a thick slice of duck on mine, and I quickly eat it. The bird is meaty and rich.
“Mmm,” I groan.
“You’re a cat. You need protein. Not whatever that is.” He waves his fork at my plate.
“I just wanted to try it.” Taking a bite, the combination of nutty pancakes, soft cheese, and savory mushrooms forms an interesting flavor. “It’s not bad, actually.”
“Hmm, I’ll stick with the duck.”
Settling in, I cut another bite of my food. “So were you famous? I’m sure you had to be.”
He nods. “We were getting there, but I’d only been at it a year when… That night.”
Trying to steer the conversation away from our dark times, I point to the ink on his forearm. “What does this mean?” I put my fork down and slide my finger over a black, pointed network of swirls. It’s like an anchor combined with a scythe.
“Polynesian symbol for strength.” He turns his arm up, and I see the black panther on the inside. It’s a gorgeous design with sharp claws and teeth.
“I love it.” With the tip of my finger, I follow the line from the panther’s head down the swoosh of his back along his tail.
Koa watches me in a way that warms my insides. “I’m pretty sure I’ve seen all of you. No marks?”
Shaking my head, I look down at my palm. “I have the pack mark on the back of my neck. It’s covered by my hair.” I touch my neck, right in the center at the base of my hairline where a small network of three circles is hidden.
“I’d like to see it.”
A naughty smile curls my lips. “Why don’t we go to your place, and I’ll show you everything?”
He signals the waiter, who brings the check. Several minutes later, we’re out on the sidewalk, headed for his apartment. I’m curled into his side, holding his arm, but I can’t help looking up at the moon. The faintest crescent of white is still visible in the sky, and a wave of fear tightens my chest. This time tomorrow, it will all be over.
In an instant I’m in Koa’s strong arms. “Stop.” He holds me by the shoulders, giving me a gentle shake. “I can’t feel that in you. We’re not giving up.”
My eyes heat, and I fight against the tears burning in them. I haven’t cried since that first night in the mansion when Dylan told me my fate. I’ve fought tears ever since. I’m not weak. I’m not giving in. And yet…
“It’s not just us, Koa,” I say, defeat thick in my voice. “If it were just us, I would be reckless. I would say yes, let’s run away and keep running. Run until he’s tired of chasing us. But it’s not us. I can’t sacrifice Dylan and Penny for my happiness, and what if the other part is right? What if he terrorizes the town?”
“He’s not going to do that.” His grip on my arms loosens, and he’s rubbing my shoulders with his warm hands. “Something like that would attract too much attention. This isn’t the nineteenth century.”
We start to walk. I’m holding his arm, resting my head on his enormous bicep, and I feel his frustration in my chest. Koa is a fighter. Nothing infuriates him more than helplessness.
“You’re right, but he could still make my family pay. I can’t let that happen.”
We’re at the corner, where the sidewalk ends, and he turns to face me, his green eyes serious. No smile is on his face, and the force of his emotion stills my heart.
“I’m going to fight him, Mercy.” His green eyes glow with intensity. “If we can’t find another way around this, I won’t let him take you without a fight.”
“NO!” I lose my battle with the tears. They’re spilling onto my cheeks now. “You can’t! We’re strong, but we’re no match for him. He’ll kill you.”
“I know,” he nods. “I felt his strength in the woods. Still, I know myself. Watching him take you from me is more than I can handle.”
My breath hiccups in my chest, and I pull myself into his arms. “Then you have to go. Tonight.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” Incredulity fills his voice.
“I’ll return to the mansion. You stay away. Stay at
your apartment.”
“Fuck that—”
“Koa, LISTEN to me.” I’m shouting, squeezing his forearms with all my might. “I can do this. If I have no choice, I’ll go with him. I’ll figure out a way to live.”
“No.” His voice is full of rage, and a fresh flood of tears burns my eyes. The force of his love hits my chest, and it doesn’t matter if it’s fast or we’ve never said it.
I reach up for his face and press my wet cheeks against his. His arms are around me, surrounding me in such strength and warmth. Our bond is so beautiful and good. The first night I saw him flickers through my mind. With my eyes closed, I see his sleek black form moving like a shadow in the forest, enormous and graceful, silently gorgeous.
“You took my breath away,” he says, reliving the memory with me.
Turning my head slightly, I kiss his cheek. “I can’t live if you’re not here,” I whisper. “Our memory will warm me when I’m cold. It will give me hope when I want to give up.”
“Mercy.” He growls, holding my arms again. Anger is all over his face, but not at me. His green eyes glisten, and the muscle in his jaw flexes. “You’ve given me back everything I lost. I didn’t know why I was drawn to this place, but I’m here to save you or die trying. I can’t live without you, Mercy. You’re my life.”
Emotion tightens my chest. His words are beautiful and heartbreaking, and I can only answer them one way. “Take me home, Koa. If this is our last night together, I want it to be a night we’ll always remember.”
His expression is still tense, but he nods, pulling me to his side and turning us in the direction of his apartment.
* * *
Koa
Candles fill my room with soft light. My windows are closed for the first time, shutters drawn. I don’t want to see the waning moon. I don’t want a reminder of how little time we have left.
Sitting alone on my bed, I wait for Mercy to finish in the tiny bathroom off to the side. When we arrived, I expected to take her at once, spend the next eight hours making love to her. I didn’t expect her to put a hand up and tell me to wait. Wait for what?
