by Megan Morgan
Deacon stepped up to the Wolvite. Kendrick had about a foot on him, but he didn’t dwarf Deacon like he did regular people. Lorena pictured Deacon in the woods again, struggling with the Wolvite, bestial and fierce. The image made her tingle.
He was her beast. Her wild man. Her mate.
“I, uh…” Deacon scratched the back of his neck. “I offer you my word. Won’t nary of us take shots at you, except the ones that still wanna come at us, I reckon. We’ll give you whatever you need, food or medicine or whatever. I can teach you how to shoot, too, and use a knife. Though you did pretty good already. Coulda been better form though, I guess.”
Lorena grinned.
“It is the first time a Wolvite has killed another Wolvite with a human tool.” Kendrick seemed fine with that. “He violated our laws and showed his cowardice, so I had every right to take measures that were needed.” He looked at Lorena. “Thank you, for helping me.”
She shrugged. “I was just trying to stay alive. He was dumb enough not to check me for weapons.”
“Our ignorance and carelessness must end as well.” Kendrick looked back at Deacon and bowed to him, which only brought him to Deacon’s height. “I accept your word.”
Deacon bowed too, awkwardly. “All right, then.”
Lorena clutched the bottle. “We have to go. I’ll call ahead on the way.”
Kendrick returned to the woods. Everyone went back to the porch, seemingly rattled and amazed by the whole exchange. Deacon ran inside to grab his keys and Lorena waited for him in the truck. He hurried out and climbed in.
“I can’t believe this exists.” She held the bottle in front of her.
Deacon started the truck. “I reckon were about to learn lots of things we didn’t know before.” He reached over and touched her hand. She looked at him.
“It’s a new age.” His face was gentle and fond. “And it’s because of you. Because you didn’t turn your back. You believed you could make this happen, in spite of what everyone told you.”
“It was one hell of a risk.”
“Yeah, it was.” He withdrew, then twisted around and looked over his shoulder as he backed out. “We almost died, couple times over.”
He backed onto the dirt road and put the truck in gear. He didn’t start driving though, but looked at her again.
She raised an eyebrow. “Are you angry at me?”
He leaned over and gripped the back of her neck, and pulled her to him. “No, I love you more than ever.” He kissed her, then drew back, still holding her, and looked into her eyes. “You’re the most badass woman I ever met. You got more guts than me, and a good moral conscience to back it up. I’m a little bit proud to call you mine.”
“Just a little bit?”
He kissed her again, then let go and sat up behind the wheel. “A lot proud. I couldn’t do with no meek and mild woman. My Daddy always said find a woman who makes you a better man, and damned if you don’t. Damned if you haven’t, in just the past few days.”
She clutched the bottle. “Let’s make the world even better. Let’s get to Lexington and save our good doctor.” She swallowed and looked forward. “This is for you, Mom.”
Deacon started the truck down the road. “I might just have to make you mine forever, you know. Can’t risk nobody else scooping you up. Like that Wolvite. He seems to have taken a shine to you.”
She laughed. “I think he’s a little too much for me. But it’s good to have a friend, you know?”
“I reckon it is.”
Epilogue
Lorena and Stacy sat on a blanket, books spread around them. Lorena had dug some of her books from the agency out of the closet. The machine-produced hard covers were a stark contrast to Stacy’s well-worn, handwritten tomes, which were mingled with them currently.
“Just don’t tell my Mom I’m looking at these,” Stacy said. “She’s as funny as Hazel about mixing science and magic. They play Bingo together at the rec hall every weekend, if that tells you anything.”
The boys were hard at work on the house. The repairs were almost finished and Lorena was secretly relieved, not just because the damage was fixable. She loved Deacon’s parents, but staying with them had started to wear on her. She now knew how to make every kind of pie one could imagine thanks to Ellie, Deacon’s mother, and she could probably be a contestant on Jeopardy, she’d watched so many episodes with Ray.
“I read the section on witches in here.” Stacy held up a textbook. “I guess scientists don’t draw such hard lines between our powers like we do.”
“That’s because there aren’t any.” Lorena looked down at the potion book in her lap. “You just get better with time, and learn more. We also have a natural talent for certain abilities. But you guys tend to focus on that one ability until you think it’s all you can do.”
Stacy adjusted her sunglasses. “Don’t tell my Mom that either. Just keep pretending you’re a White Witch and it’s something special.”
Lorena looked toward the trees. A touch of fall hung on the air. When she’d first arrived in Blue Ditch it was fall, and she was eager to see that beauty again. She smiled to herself. She’d met Deacon in the fall. They’d been together almost a year now.
“Zeke said he’ll hook you guys up with a new TV and stuff.” Stacy set the book aside. “He’s just itching to fill your house with wall-to-wall electronics.”
Deacon, Jack, Zeke, Ray, and Clem were there today. Deacon had his shirt off and Lorena stared unabashed, taking in his rippling muscles and sweat-slicked skin. The bare slope of his lower back was a terrible distraction.
“I’m glad the damage wasn’t as bad as it could have been,” Stacy said. “I’m not sorry we get to watch them work, either.” Zeke had his shirt off too.
“Deacon found the silver lining.” Lorena smirked. “He got to rebuild the kitchen all fancy.”
“You know he’s gonna convince ‘em to build that deck he wants too, right?”
“Oh, I expect it.”
She wouldn’t mind a deck. Or a new kitchen. She loved to watch Deacon cook.
“You taking supplies to the woods tonight?” Stacy asked. “I got extra stuff from the garden.”
“We are.”
The agency intended to hold a “peace summit” with Kendrick in October. Until then, the agency’s presence in Blue Ditch—they had stationed a contingent there—was of a purely scientific nature, headed by Dr. Winston. They invited Wolvites to their headquarters at the farm for interview and study. Lorena wanted to beg Kendrick not to allow them to poke and prod until some sort of agreement was in place, but she was determined to stay out of it. She continued to work independently as Dr. Winston’s research assistant.
“You know, I never thought I’d see this day,” Stacy said. “The day I’d be giving my extra canned goods to Wolvites, or packing first aid kits for them.”
“I don’t think anyone could have. But this is where peace begins.”
Deacon’s family regularly took things to the woods: food, medicine, tools, supplies. Kendrick had rebuilt the camp. More solid structures were planned to protect them in the winter. Deacon and his cousins had been teaching the Wolvites how to use weapons, as well. In secret, of course. The agency wouldn’t approve of Wolvites with guns.
Lorena climbed to her feet. “You want something to drink? I’m gonna go raid their cooler.”
Stacy stretched out on the blanket. “No thanks, I’m gonna catch some rays while I still can.”
Lorena walked over to the house. Deacon stood on the patio, water bottle in hand. He dumped it over his head so it ran down his face and chest.
“Aren’t you a sexy model?” she teased.
He gave her a wet kiss. She stroked her fingers over his chest. She couldn’t wait until they were back in their own bed, in their own house, and didn’t have to be quiet.
“What ya think?” He nodded across the patio. “Put a deck out here? Make grilling a lot easier. Maybe put your flower garden around the edges?”<
br />
“Your awesome kitchen already put us over budget.”
“I can get the wood cheap at the lumberyard. I’ll seal it before winter hits. Maybe we can get a cookout in before the weather goes south.”
She shook her head. “I think the house is going to be nicer than before the fire.”
“Maybe it was a blessing.” He tossed the bottle in a big trashcan they were using. “I feel left out, being the only one in the family without a deck.”
“You poor thing.”
“Say.” Deacon dragged his fingers through his wet hair. “Before we take a load of stuff to Kendrick tonight, you wanna go for a ride?”
She raised her eyebrows. He fidgeted with his belt buckle, looking oddly nervous.
“A ride where? It’s quite a ride getting to where we drop the stuff off already.”
“Yeah, but I mean a fun ride.” He shrugged. “Just look at the scenery.”
He was acting weird. They saw ‘the scenery’ all the time.
“I don’t know.” She looked over at Ray. “I don’t want to miss Jeopardy.”
Deacon furrowed his brow.
She snorted. “Of course I’ll go for a ride.” She whispered, “I love your Dad, but I can’t handle any more game shows.”
Deacon smiled wryly. “You sure? I know Mama was talking about teaching you to make peanut brittle.”
“I don’t think I’m a cooking witch.” She nudged him in the side. “Just don’t keep me out too late. I’ve got to get up early for work tomorrow. Dr. Winston is starting a new round of tests.”
Dr. Winston was doing fine, though he still suffered some weakness and relied on her more heavily than before. The anti-venom was clearly the agency’s impetus for peace talks with the Wolvites. Anything that benefitted them made them care.
“I won’t keep you out late.” Deacon winked. “I might keep you up late, though.”
“Okay, it’s a date.”
He wiped his hands on his jeans. “After we get done here I’ll get cleaned up.”
Something was definitely up. She wouldn’t spoil whatever surprise he had in store, though.
When the boys were done for the day, everyone went home. While Deacon showered, Lorena got prettied up for their “drive,” which meant pulling on a clean pair of jeans and a fresh t-shirt. She also called Dr. Winston to check in.
“I’ve almost perfected the vaccine,” he said. “I’m hoping we’ll get lucky and find a Wolvite who has the virus. Then we can vaccinate others and expose them. A true test.”
She had her phone on speaker, lying on the vanity while she brushed her hair. “Is that ethical?”
“We do have a cure, so it’s not that dangerous. And wouldn’t you agree it’s to their benefit to have a working vaccine?”
“I agree it’s the least we can do when they gave us the anti-venom.”
“I’m singularly grateful for that, believe me.” He sounded tired. “Cooperation can move mountains.”
“Yes.” She paused. “I’m just wary of the agency. The way they’re dragging their feet on the peace treaty.”
“I understand your anxiety, but I also see it from their side. It’s a lot of red tape. Land has to be bought from the state for them to live on. A treaty has to be beneficial to both sides, with regulations, and punishments for breaking the rules. Unfortunately, our world is much bigger than theirs, and it’s our laws they’ll have to abide by. And there’s still much to be learned, before we can even begin to address their real needs.”
She sighed. “I know. I guess I’m just impatient.” She set her brush aside. “Get some rest, you sound like you’re dragging. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Yes. Early bedtime for me tonight.”
She gazed at her reflection in the mirror and smiled. “And, Dr. Winston? I’m grateful too, that you’re still here. Very grateful.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow.” His voice was kind. “Have a good night, Lorena.”
After Deacon got out of the shower, he put on jeans and a flannel over a Henley—her favorite look on him, and he knew it—and she eyed him, hands on her hips.
“Where are you taking me, for some romantic dinner on a back road? Are we having a picnic?”
“We could, I suppose, if you want to. Slap some sandwiches together and grab some beers. I was thinking we could hit up Suzy’s for dinner, though. We haven’t been there in a while.”
“The diner? Not much of a place for a romantic dinner, especially since we usually run into Jack and Zeke.”
The last time they were at Suzy’s, he and his cousins got in a heated debate about who constructed the building the diner was housed in. Deacon and Jack put money on it and called Ray, who informed them they were both wrong and wanted the pot since neither of them had the right answer.
“They won’t be there tonight.” Deacon tied his boots. “Zeke’s going to Harlan and Jack promised to help his Mama with some stuff.”
“Well, I guess we can go to Suzy’s, then.” She tried not to sound as unenthused about the notion as she was.
In the truck, Lorena rolled down her window and let the wind blow through her hair. The sun had set but it was still light out, the sky a deepening blue. The temperature was mild and warm. Days like this were numbered.
Deacon drove them out of town. As she watched the trees rush by and breathed in the scent of the evening, she couldn’t believe she had spent so much of her life in a big city, deprived of this.
“You and Grammy seem to be getting on better,” Deacon said.
“I guess so.”
“I expect she respects you more, after what happened in the woods.” He glanced at her. “She was impressed, and she’s a hard woman to impress.”
True enough, Hazel had been much nicer to her. She’d grown a little softer around the edges, a little quieter; still, Lorena maintained distance. She hadn’t breathed a word to Hazel’s family, but she didn’t forgive her, either. Clem seemed different these days too, not quite the lap dog he used to be, not quite as wrapped up in Hazel’s non-existent charms. Lorena suspected Hazel had stopped giving him the potion, but it didn’t absolve her of her sins.
Perhaps spending her life with Clem after the things he’d done was punishment enough.
“What I did in the woods wasn’t about being a witch,” Lorena said. “It’s just who I am.”
“I know, and I love you for who you are.”
He drove them out toward the valley. They’d gone that way many times as the road led to Harlan, but he slowed and stopped at the pull off, the one where they’d entered the woods so many times, where the Wolvites had emerged to attack the town.
Lorena arched an eyebrow. “What are we doing here? We going for a hike?”
“Nah.” He shut off the engine and looked at her. “I just wanna show you something.”
“Show me what?”
He opened his door. “Come on.”
She opened her door and got out. They had little to fear but she was still wary. She had her gun under the seat, and Deacon’s gun rack was in the back window. She closed the door, but not all the way, just in case.
He led her over to where the trees opened up and provided the spectacular view out to the mountain.
“You remember this?” He wrapped an arm around her shoulders. “When I first showed it to you?”
She smiled. “Of course I remember.” She gazed out into the lush, rolling valley, cloaked in blue shadow. “It’s so beautiful.”
He slid his arm from around her and stepped back.
“You know, sometimes I think I miss Chicago,” she said. “And then I see things like this and it reminds me I’m where I belong. I feel right here. I guess that’s the witch in me. I wish I’d figured it out sooner, but at least I did. Thanks to you.” She turned around.
And screamed.
Deacon knelt in the gravel on one knee, and suddenly she understood his weirdness. He looked like a scared puppy. He held a ring between his fingers, a gold ban
d with a little diamond.
“Oh my God.” She clamped her hands over her mouth.
“I know this ain’t the most romantic spot I could do this.” He gazed up at her. “But I remember how much you liked it, and this is where you told Abernathy I was your mate.”
She lowered her hands. They were trembling. “Did I?” Her mind was a blank and rattling between her ears.
“Yes.” He nodded to the trees. “When we come up here, and you were arguing with him. You told him I was your mate. I’ll never forget that night, for a lot of bad reasons, but for that reason too. That was the start of us, I like to think, and it happened right here.”
“Oh my God.” They were the only words she could say.
He reached out and took her hand. Somehow, he managed to slide the ring over her finger though they were both shaking. It fit perfectly. Tears welled in her eyes.
“You’re the most headstrong woman I ever met.” His eyes were so clear and blue she was spellbound. “You’re smart, and you’re brave, and you believe in doing what’s right, at all costs. You’re as amazing a woman as I could ever hope to have for my own. I can’t imagine spending the rest of my life without you, even if it means we’re gonna have some ups and downs and dangerous times. I’m ready for it, if you’re by my side.” He took a deep breath. “Lorena Mills, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Tears spilled down her cheeks. “Yes,” she choked out. “Yes, I will. I couldn’t imagine spending the rest of my life without you, either.”
He sprang up and scooped her into his arms, lifting her off her feet. She half sobbed, half laughed, and threw her arms around his neck. He spun her around and she laughed harder, more tears falling.
When he placed her back on her feet, he leaned down and kissed her deeply, and she kissed him back with all her passion. She wanted him to pick her up again and throw her in the truck, and have his way with her, right then and there.
When they broke apart, she looked at the ring on her hand, a sight she never thought she’d see. It was delicate and beautiful. Perfect.
“When did you get this?” She wiped her cheeks. “How long have you been planning this?”
