“Just spit it out.”
“Fine.” There was no reason to hold off any longer. “If I don’t meet my mate by my twenty-fifth birthday, the shapeshifter line in my family dies out.”
“Uh…” She stared at me.
“Yeah, I told you it would sound crazy.”
“It does. The term mate is crazy when you’re talking about humans. Animals, well, that’s another story.”
“I’m not human.” I set down my coffee harder than anticipated, spilling some coffee onto the wood table.
“Oh.” She got up to get a paper towel. “I suppose humans can’t shift like that.”
I grabbed the paper towel. I wasn’t going to let her clean up my mess. “But you’re a human.”
“What do I have to do with it?” She watched me clean as if she were uncomfortable sitting back.
“You did hear Ty.” I set the wet paper towel aside. “So technically this is discussing a human mating.”
“Wait.” She fell back into her chair. “You aren’t saying.” She started to laugh. “Good one.”
“I don’t know for sure either. I mean I kind of do, but I’ve been avoiding finding out.”
“Finding out?” She leaned forward on her elbows.
“Yes.” Even talking about it had my heart rate accelerated. I already knew the truth. The problem was I wasn’t sure if I was ready to accept it, and I knew for sure she wasn’t.
“And how would you do that?” She leaned her chin on her clasped hands.
“I’d kiss you.”
She laughed even harder. “Wow. Good one.”
“I’m not lying.” Technically I wasn’t. I was nearly positive, but it couldn’t hurt to get more of a for sure sign.
“If you wanted to kiss me you could have just said it… or wait, this is just a way to make me feel stupid.”
“No. Definitely not. And I don’t know if I’m ready to find out. If we are being perfectly honest.” I felt like being honest. I had no desire to lie or hide anything from her.
“I’m not your mate. You just said I’m human.” She seemed relieved to be saying it. I couldn’t blame her, but I was about to burst her bubble.
“Yes. I always assumed my mate would be human.” I watched her like a hawk, noticing the way her eyes widened.
She sighed. “This is something else.”
It was time to spill on everything. “And you are in danger because Ty, and plenty of others, would rather my line die out.”
“And why is that?” She straightened. “Shifter disputes?”
“More than that.” Being a true shapeshifter had its perks, but dealing with other shifters wasn’t one of them.
“Care to explain?” She sipped her coffee. She seemed more relaxed now that we weren’t specifically talking about the possibility of her being my mate.
“I can shift into any animal I’ve seen.”
“So you’ve explained.” She waved me on with her hand.
“Right. So no other shifters can do that.” Generally, I resented my unique identity, but explaining it to Mattie made me proud.
“Yes, you are a true shifter. Delpha told me.”
“Well, the others don’t like it.”
“Why not?” She held her coffee in both hands.
“How can I explain this?” I needed to choose my words carefully. “Ok, if there was something super special about you that defined who you were, would you want someone else to be able to do it?”
“But there are more than one of each shifter, right?” She furrowed her brow. She looked adorable when she was focusing on something. Who was I kidding? She always looked cute—well, way more than cute.
“Yes, but it is what makes them what they are. The bears are the bears. The wolves the wolves. You know? I’m not one of them, yet I can pass for any of them. That causes problems.”
“But you aren’t the only one who can, right?” She set down her coffee. “You aren’t the only true shapeshifter.”
“Not in the world. There are a few others.”
“A few?” Her eyes widened. “As in a few?”
“What else would I mean?”
“I didn’t know if you were being literal or not.” She turned her coffee cup around and around on the table.
“I was.” No reason to hide that from her now that she knew everything else.
“And you aren’t worried about losing your line?”
“I gave up a long time ago.” And I couldn’t help but wonder how much easier life would be once it was all over. That was one thing I couldn’t admit.
“Why?”
“Because finding a mate somewhere in the whole world is a tough thing.”
“If it’s so hard, then how can I possibly be your, uh, mate?” The word mate seemed to get stuck on her tongue, and she struggled to get it out. I didn’t blame her.
“You’re here.”
“Huh?”
I looked straight into her eyes. “Why do you think you’re in this town?”
Eleven
Mattie
I stared at Pierce for half-an-hour. At least it felt that long. In reality it may have only been a few minutes. “You’re telling me I got this job because I’m your mate?” I repeated his words over and over in my head as if saying them enough would make them easier to understand.
“For some reason my mom thought you were.”
“And why would she think that?” I picked up my non-cream cheesed bagel and took a bite.
“A book. Technically a codex, but really that’s just a type of book. So a book.”
“A book or a codex. Whatever you want to call it, that’s what gave her the idea?” I turned my bagel around in my hand, not sure if I had enough of an appetite to eat it even though I was hungry. I was full of contradictory feelings. “Right.”
“My life is a little crazy.”
“A little?” I laughed.
He shrugged. “Ok, a lot.”
“I’m not your mate.”
“I’m starting to think you are.”
“And why is that? I mean you haven’t even kissed me.” Hadn’t he just said something about that? I believed all the random stuff he was saying even though it was crazy. Somehow it didn’t feel crazy, and that fact almost scared me more. Was my lack of logical thinking his fault too?
“The more time I spend with you, the more possible it seems.”
“Possible.” I repeated his word. I was at such a loss of what to say or feel.
“Even if you are… I mean, that doesn’t require you to do anything.”
“Oh?” His words stung me in a way I didn’t quite understand.
“Yeah. You can leave. If you stay around you’re going to make me miserable unless we, well, unless things work out. But you can leave.”
“And your line dies.” I knew nothing about true shapeshifters, but if there really were only a few lines, having a line die out was a big deal. Even as an outsider I understood that much.
“Yes, but that isn’t really your problem.” He stared down at the table.
“I’m glad you’re trying really hard to sell this to me.” It’s not that I wanted to mate with a guy I barely knew, but I wanted him to want me. I shouldn’t have cared of course, but I did. Maybe it was just human nature to be wanted by those we want.
“I’m trying to do the right thing.”
I brushed off the sting of what felt like rejection. “Show me that place.”
“That place?” He looked up.
“Yeah, the one you were going to show me last night but didn’t.”
“You willing to miss work?” He rubbed the thin layer of stubble on his chin. I normally liked a clean-shaven guy, but the look really worked for him. It was rugged, and considering he could change into all sorts of different animals, rugged seemed like the appropriate term.
“Your mom is in on all this, isn’t she?” She was the one who brought me to town after all.
He smiled. “Yes.”
“Then
sure. Let me get ready.” Maybe playing hooky on my second day of work was a bad idea, but Vicky hadn’t even given me any tasks yet. Besides, compared to Pierce telling me I was possibly meant to be a mate to a shapeshifter, skipping out on a job didn’t seem all that crazy. It’s amazing how quickly your perspective can change.
“Ok. I’ll wait here.”
“I’d hope so.” Did I? Ugh. I pushed some dirty thoughts from my head. Fantasizing about Pierce wasn’t going to help my problems.
I quickly brushed my teeth and washed my face. I figured the jeans I’d thrown on worked as well as anything else, and I grabbed a coat. I’d learned my lesson about going out unprepared.
He was staring out the window when I came out.
I joined him, looking out at the ocean in the distance. “I’m ready.”
He looked me up and down. “I was never a fan of jeans.”
“Never were, as in past tense?”
“Yes. You make them look good.”
“Oh, thanks.” I was sure he’d noticed me wearing them earlier, so why only bring it up now? It was almost as if he noticed more about me the more time we spent together.
He wasn’t the only one. I decided that tight fitted t-shirts looked best on Pierce. I didn’t tell him that.
“I assume this outfit works for wherever we are going.”
“Yes, It’s a good choice for this.” He looked out at the water again.
“Ok, so where are we going exactly?” By his gaze I assumed he meant the beach, but assumptions had gotten me in trouble before.
He turned back to look at me again. “It’s a surprise.”
“It’s not a surprise like the shifting or the mate talk, right?” Surprises took on new meaning when it came to Pierce, and really anything in Willow Harbor.
“No, you’ve had enough of that in the past few days.”
“But there’s more surprises?” I was afraid of the answer even though not all of his surprises had been bad.
“Maybe.” He smiled coyly.
“Yes or no?” Afraid or not I needed to know.
“That depends on whether you’re my mate.” He averted his eyes.
“Ok, can you do me a favor?” I grabbed my coffee.
“Sure.” He met my gaze again.
“No talking about mates, shifting, anything like that until I tell you to, ok?” I wasn’t usually a pushy person, but I needed a few hours of sane talk. I downed the little bit of coffee that was left. I wasn’t sure where this walk would take us, but it would be more enjoyable with caffeine in my system.
“But you believe it, right? You don’t think someone drugged you or that you’re dreaming?”
“Strangely enough, I’m starting to believe you.” I was more than starting, but I wasn’t entirely ready to put all my cards on the table.
“Better than nothing.”
“Will I be warm enough in this?” I held up my grey pea coat. I was starting to regret leaving my warmer coat back in New York.
“I’d think so…”
“I forget you’re Mr. I Never Get Cold.” I didn’t really mind, but there was some jealousy there. How much simpler would it be to never need a coat?
“Ready to go?” He gestured to the door.
“Sure. Well, I am taking this for the road.” I grabbed the uneaten half of my bagel.
He laughed. “Not a bad idea, but I promise it won’t be that long of a trip.”
“I’ve learned to be prepared here.”
“Even if you don’t know what to be prepared for?”
“Pretty much.” I took a bite of the bagel. Like the caffeine, having food in my system was a smart move.
He held the door open, and I followed, momentarily doubting the intelligence of following him anywhere. But I wasn’t afraid. That was the frightening part. There was something that nagged at me even though I’d already assured myself it didn’t matter. “Maybe skipping work is a really bad idea. I can’t afford to get fired.”
“What are you supposed to be doing today?” He stopped on the landing before the final flight of stairs.
“Nothing… she told me to take this week to get acquainted.”
“Then aren’t you are doing exactly what you are supposed to be doing?” He winked. “But we can stop by her office.” He reached the bottom floor and the led the way to Vicky’s office.
I picked up a book lying on the floor, set it on top of a bookshelf, and hurried to catch up.
Pierce waited for me outside of her partially closed door. Once I caught up, he knocked.
Vicky set down a book she was reading and smiled. “Pierce, Matilda. Good morning.”
He walked inside, and I followed. “Good morning, I—” I stopped. What was I supposed to say? I was skipping work to hang out with her son?
“Are you showing Matilda around today?” Vicky turned to Pierce.
“Yes. I figure she needs to see some of our town’s natural beauty before she makes a decision about it.”
Something wordless passed between them. “Sounds like a good plan, but don’t stay out too long. There’s a storm rolling in.”
“A storm?” I wasn’t a fan of thunderstorms, but I hadn’t seen any mention of one in the weather.
“Yes, I can feel it.” Vicky folded her hands on her desk.
“Should I bring a rain jacket instead?” It was always better to be prepared. “It’s not lined but maybe I can wear it over my coat.”
Pierce smiled. “Over your coat? I still don’t see how a New Yorker is so afraid of the cold.”
“I’m not afraid of it, but I was looking forward to a break from it.” It was one of the things on my positives list.
“Spring comes early here. You won’t have to wait too long.” Vicky smiled.
“We’ll be back before the storm starts.” Pierce put his hand on my shoulder. It was a gesture that would have normally annoyed me—I wasn’t into non-family touching me— but it felt strangely comforting this time.
“Good.” Vicky returned to her reading.
Pierce moved his hand to the small of my back and led me out of the office. He gently closed the door behind us. “That was her dismissing us. If you’re going to keep working for her, you’ll have to get used to her nonverbal gestures.”
“I guess so.” I nodded at Mr. G on our way outside. He did the same in return.
By the time we reached the bottom of the stairs, I was glad for my coat. The temperature had dropped even more.
Pierce shook his head and smiled, but he wisely didn’t make any other cracks about my aversion to cold weather.
The main street was mostly empty, but we passed a few people who all waved at Pierce and looked at me funny. I wondered if the look was because they didn’t know me, or because I was with him.
He must have read the question in my expression. “They’re trying to figure out whether you’ll be staying around at all.”
“Why? I mean why would they care about that?”
“Because very few humans stay here.”
He was hiding something. “I assume there’s a reason for this town not showing up on GPS too.”
“Of course.” He stopped in front of his truck, temporally halting my line of questioning.
“Are we driving?” We’d planned to walk it the night before.
“You are opposed to the cold, and a storm is coming in. Might as well be smart about it.” He opened the passenger door.
“I’m not opposed the cold. I’m just normal.”
“Normal?” He raised an eyebrow. “You sure about that?”
“Positive.” I swatted at his arm and then stared at my hand. Did I really just do that to a guy I’d only just met? Why was I acting so friendly with him?
If he was surprised by my action he didn’t show it. “Whatever you say.”
“So I’m really supposed to get in your truck?” I looked inside the truck; it looked perfectly normal.
“More worried about my driving than going to a secluded pl
ace with me?” He rested his hand on the door.
“Secluded?” I paused just as I was ready to climb up into the cab. “You never told me it was secluded.”
“Didn’t you assume it?”
“No.” I turned back around. “You never told me anything about it.”
“I’m not going to hurt you. We’ve been over this.” He stood right in front of me. If he moved another inch I’d be pinned against the inside of his truck. “Trust me.”
His closeness was making my head fuzzy. “I hope I don’t regret this.”
“You won’t.” He stepped back and gave me enough room to get in. “This will be fun.” He closed my door and then walked around to his side of the truck. He got in and buckled. “Ok, I’ll make this painless.”
“Painless? I thought this was a walk along the beach or something.”
He backed out of his spot. “It is.”
So was he joking? Normally I was good at picking up on those sorts of things, but I was at a loss with Pierce. I changed the subject. I would find out where we were going soon enough. There were plenty of other questions to ask. “Is Delpha really half-Oceanid?’
He stopped short as a girl ran right in front of his truck. “And the other half is sorceress.”
My mouth fell open. How was he so calm? We almost hit a teenager.
He looked over at me before he started driving again. “What?”
“Didn’t that shake you up?” I gestured to the road in front of us.
“No. I have good reflexes.”
“Good reflexes?” I shook my head. “Of course.”
“Any other questions about Delpha I can help you with?” He continued driving.
“Do Oceanids and sorceresses, uh, reproduce a lot?” I hoped my question was polite enough.
“Every combination you can imagine exists, but a lot might be stretching it.”
“Does she have the powers of both?” Although I didn’t know what a Oceanid’s powers even were.
“Yes.”
“That’s kind of cool… kind of scary.” Likely more scary than cool because that’s how things seemed to work here.
“Emphasis on scary.”
I was right. “So if she’s that scary why should I let her live with me?” I looked out the window. We’d left main street and were getting closer to the beach. The waves looked bigger today, and I immediately remembered Vicky’s warning about the storm. Hopefully Pierce knew the signs well enough to get us home before the sky opened up—not that a little water would kill me.
Shifter’s Fate: Willow Harbor - Book One Page 10
