by Sammie Joyce
“I-I’m going to wait outside,” I told her softly. “Call out if you need me.”
She didn’t respond and I made my way out through the garage door, watching up the dead-end street for signs of my reinforcements. I couldn’t force Margot-Celine to talk to me. That would only make matters worse. But she might talk to Kea and Lowell.
After a few minutes, I saw the ambling of two huge shapes coming toward me in the blinding snow, the figures on their backs slumped low to bury their faces in the depth of the fur.
Well before they reached me, Kea and Lowell dismounted the backs of Davis and Emmett and rushed toward me.
“What the hell happened?” Kea demanded, looking at me like I’d done something.
“Her ex-husband came back and tried to kill her,” I retorted sharply. “I don’t think she wants anyone here but I can’t leave her alone.”
“We’ll stay with her,” Kea and Lowell chorused in unison.
“Go back to the compound with Davis,” Lowell added. “I’ll call you and let you know her status.”
I didn’t want to leave. I wanted to run back and take Margot-Celine in my arms and tell her that everything was going to be okay, but I knew the best thing for her was to walk away.
“Trust me, Flint,” Kea assured me. “She’s in good hands.”
I looked toward my son and the polar bear, who nodded encouragingly, and I knew there was nothing left to do but walk away.
All the effort I’d put in, all the trust I’d built in Margot-Celine, gone in a flash. I wondered if I would ever get it back.
The women disappeared into the house and I ran a few steps, spanning my wings to morph into my eagle form. I didn’t want to walk with Davis and Emmett. I wanted to be alone.
21
Margot-Celine
I should have expected them but I was startled when Kea and Lowell entered my drafty house. Even though Flint had done a good job of getting the fire going, the blowing wind from the blizzard outside was proving stronger than the heat inside. If not for Pascal piled on top of me, I probably would have frozen.
The way I was shaking, I may as well have been suffering from hypothermia and Kea instantly recognized the signs of my panic attack when she entered.
“Oh damn,” she muttered, looking at Lowell. “She’s having an anxiety attack.”
“I-I’m fine,” I sputtered but the women sprang into action, bundling me up, laying me out to make me comfortable, and getting me some water. Despite my protests, I had to admit that I was feeling better in a few minutes.
“I’m so sorry you went through that tonight,” Kea told her gently. “Do you want to talk about it?”
I wasn’t sure I did but as I opened my mouth to refuse, I wondered why I was always fighting. I’d been lonely for so many years, wishing I’d had friends, yearning for companionship, and yet when it was staring me in the face, I shut it down. It was no way to live.
Sighing, I sat up against the cushions of the sofa and nodded.
“My ex-husband Rene was very abusive,” I began.
“How long were you married?” Lowell asked.
“Eleven years. It started off great, but slowly, he started to call me names. I would brush it off, saying he was just teasing or…”
I swallowed, the memory of how I’d ignored the warning signs so clear now. Hindsight had perfect vision, though, didn’t it?
“The first time he hit me, I had a black eye for two weeks. He broke a blood vessel in my eye.”
“Jesus,” the women muttered in unison.
“He bought me a pearl necklace and a dozen sweetheart roses and promised never to do it again.”
“Until the next time,” Kea filled in.
“You know the story,” I muttered. “Same old stupid story.”
“It’s not stupid,” Lowell said defensively. “It’s a story that affects billions of women worldwide. You’re lucky you got out before he killed you.”
“Luck had nothing to do with it,” I said flatly, ashamed that I was admitting it. “The laws had changed and they filed charges against him, even though I didn’t press them. He was convicted and ordered to spend five years in prison for domestic battery.”
“How long ago was that?” Kea demanded and I could see her doing the mental math.
“Three years ago. He escaped prison, apparently, but I didn’t know anything about it.”
“That bastard,” Lowell hissed. “I hope they lock him up and throw away the key.”
“This will definitely add some years to his sentence,” Kea said confidently. “Coupled with the escape. Yeah, you’re not going to need to worry about him for a long time.”
“She isn’t going to need to worry about him at all with Flint around,” Lowell said quietly and I balked.
“Or are you not keeping Flint around?” Kea asked observantly, noting the look on my face.
“I don’t know,” I breathed. “I-I’m so confused.”
I stopped to take a deep breath.
“I want to believe in Flint but it’s so hard for me to trust any man.”
To my surprise, my confession wasn’t met with scorn. They both nodded in agreement.
“I can only imagine,” Lowell conceded. “With all you’ve been through.”
Her solidarity gave me a little more confidence to go on.
“He’s so good to me,” I mumbled, knowing that my argument was waffling. “I mean, I could really love him but can I ever fully trust him…?”
Kea and Lowell gave each other a knowing look.
“We get it,” Kea told me. “You don’t know what he’s capable of. We’ve both experienced the same kind of uncertainty. Maybe not on your level but we understand.”
I blinked in amazement.
“And?” I asked.
“And all I can say is that Flint will give you all the time and space you need,” Lowell said, shrugging. “He won’t rush you and I would bet my life that he won’t hurt you, but if he did, he’d have some very pissed-off shifters to contend with.”
“Davis and Emmett?” I guessed.
“I don’t think harming people is in the shifter creed at all,” Kea added. “From what I’ve learned, they’re inherently pacifistic. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but I highly doubt Flint is that exception.”
“What if he is?” I breathed, thinking of the murder in his eyes as he pinned Rene down into the snow.
“Margot-Celine,” Kea said gently. “You can’t live your life in a bubble, worried that something might hurt you. If that’s how you want to exist, you’re not far enough away from civilization. There are risks in everything we do, but if we never learn to trust, our lives would be very lonely.”
The words resonated with me and I cocked my head to the side.
“What?” Kea asked. “You don’t believe me?”
“No, I do,” I replied slowly. “I’m just wondering how a girl so young became so wise.”
“See? I told you I’m wise,” Kea joked to Lowell, who snorted and rolled her eyes.
“Whatever you decide, Margot-Celine, you have friends in us. You kept our secrets and we will always have your back, all right?”
The sentiment filled me with gratitude and I nodded, trusting in their words.
“You should get some rest now,” Kea told me. “You’ve had a rough day.”
“Where are you going?” I asked, alarm lacing my words.
“Nowhere,” they answered simultaneously.
“We’re staying right here,” Kea assured me. It was only then that I felt my shoulders begin to sink and I nodded.
“Thank you,” I told them. “For being here.”
“Maybe not the right time,” Kea murmured, “but we’re not the ones you need to thank.”
My mouth became a frown as I realized she was right. Flint had saved my life and I hadn’t even said goodbye to him.
Whatever I decided to do with him, I at least needed to tell him how grateful I was for what he’d d
one.
I yawned abruptly, my eyes burning with exhaustion. The events had all taken their toll on my body.
“Rest,” Kea said again, rising from the chair to tuck me back onto the couch. “Tomorrow is another day.”
* * *
I was awoken by sunlight streaming on my face. The odd feel of light against my skin caused me to blink several times as I looked around. Something else was different too…
The door! Someone had fixed the door.
I sat up, knocking Pascal off me as I moved. I hadn’t noticed him lying across my legs until he tumbled to the floor.
“Je m’excuse, mon petit!” I told him, scratching his ears affectionately. He grunted and closed his eyes again, apparently not done with sleep yet. On my feet, I moved toward my bedroom where I found both Kea and Lowell fast asleep on my bed. I had to smile at them, sprawled, mouths open against the duvet. I was glad they’d stayed.
Tiptoeing into the kitchen, I started to make them breakfast, but no sooner had I started the coffee than Lowell appeared, looking wild-eyed with her hand around a baseball bat.
“Shit, you scared me, Margot-Celine,” she muttered.
“Language,” I chided her. She grimaced and then laughed.
“I’m not sure if you’re my teacher or my friend.”
“I’m both and as both, I expect you to do your best in all avenues of life,” I replied primly. Lowell groaned and sank down at the kitchen table.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Better,” I replied and I meant it. Whether it had been the discussion or the sleep or the fact that the blizzard had finally stopped, I was feeling a lot more together that day.
“Good,” Lowell smiled.
“Who fixed the door?” I asked.
“We did—Kea and me. You had an old door in your garage and we did what we could. I mean, obviously, a professional is going to need to come in and fix it, but it’s better than the plastic covering.”
“Thank you,” I told her earnestly.
“Maybe Flint can fix it,” she offered, half jokingly, but I could feel her watching me for my reaction.
“Maybe,” I agreed and her smile widened. My eyes darted out the window and I saw how tightly packed the snow was around the property.
“I have no idea how I’m going to get you guys home,” I commented, more to myself than to Lowell. Kea snorted, also entering the kitchen.
“We have self-driving, all-terrain vehicles,” she joked, tossing her iPhone onto the table as she stretched. “And they’re on their way to come get us now.”
She paused, her smile fading slightly as she looked at me.
“Unless you want us to stay.”
I shook my head and relief crossed over her face.
“No, thank you. You’ve done enough and I have an all-terrain vehicle of my own that I need to speak with.”
“Yeah?” Lowell said, giving me a knowing look.
“Yeah,” I sighed. I needed to confront Flint, no matter how he reacted. He needed to know the truth about how I felt.
22
Flint
Even though I’d been worried about her all night, I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of anger when I thought about Margot-Celine.
The rational side of me told me that she was justified in the way she felt, that she should be cautious, not only of me but of all men. It was clear the kind of beast her ex-husband had been. It stood to reason that Margot-Celine had been traumatized by her experiences with him, but I wasn’t Rene. I would never hurt her. Why couldn’t she see that?
I felt at a loss as to how to handle the situation. Fighting with her certainly wasn’t going to win me any points and the mere thought of yelling at her only made my stomach churn. Despite my quick temper, I would never purposely inflict emotional distress on anyone. Davis might beg to differ but my philosophy had always been to lay things out before they could eat you up inside. Margot-Celine seemed opposed to talking out her feelings, and if she didn’t tell me, how could I know how to react?
At eight o’clock, Davis poked his head in my cottage to tell me that he and Emmett were on their way to pick up Kea and Lowell.
“How’s Margot-Celine?” I asked automatically and my son shrugged.
“Do I look like a messenger service?” he retorted. “Call and ask her yourself.”
I scowled, expecting such a flippant response from him, but Davis fully entered the living room and shut the door.
“Seriously, Dad,” he said. “Why don’t you call her yourself and see how she’s doing?”
I eyed him, realizing that he was trying to be helpful, and I stuffed back my irritation.
“Because I don’t know if she wants to hear from me,” I answered truthfully. “And I don’t want to scare her more than she already is.”
Davis looked at me with compassionate eyes, his face filled with an empathy I rarely saw in him.
“Dad,” he sighed. “You haven’t been with anyone since Mom died.”
“I know,” I replied tersely, wondering if this was going to be a lecture about me bringing another woman into my bed. Again, Davis surprised me.
“That must mean something, don’t you think?”
I stared at him blankly.
“What are you saying?”
Davis groaned loudly like he thought I was intentionally being dense.
“If this woman is worth it, shouldn’t you fight for her?”
I smiled at his naïve sense of how the world worked. What was it like to be as young and idealistic as he? I could barely remember.
“It’s not that simple, Davie,” I told him. “I wish it were.”
He was silent for a moment and then he shrugged.
“Then maybe you should let her go.”
The words stunned me but as Davis left my house, the sentiment echoed through my mind.
If she was so afraid of me, if she wasn’t sure she could trust me, shouldn’t I let her go? I couldn’t walk on eggshells, hoping that I wouldn’t send her into a tailspin if I looked at her wrong.
Nausea rocked my gut at the idea of walking away but the alternative was just as painful. This was the beginning of our relationship. It was better to end it now than to endure years of uncertainty, wasn’t it?
My cell beeped and I realized I’d missed a call. There was a voicemail and I picked it up right away when I saw it was Margot-Celine who had called.
“H-hi, Flint. I-it’s Margot. If it’s not too much trouble, I was hoping you could come by today. There’s something I need to tell you.”
My stomach dropped more at the tone of her voice. She still sounded timid, afraid. She’d only left the message a few minutes ago. If I waited an hour, Davis and Emmett would have already picked up Kea and Lowell. Then Margot-Celine and I could have a private conversation, ending our relationship without witnesses.
I’ll always be there for her, I vowed. If she needs anything, I’ll be there. If she needs a friend, I’ll be there. If she wants to go to the opera—
I stopped myself, my jaw locking.
No. I couldn’t do that. It was a slippery slope. I would just have to call it off and we would go our own separate ways. Even if it meant I never saw her again.
For the next hour, I paced around my cabin, the anxiety wreaking havoc on my stomach.
I really didn’t want to say goodbye, but it was the best thing for everyone.
* * *
I flew over to her house, circling the cabin for a few minutes before landing at her front door. I swallowed a grin at the poor job someone had done hanging the door on the outside.
I’ll have to fix that for her, I thought automatically but the beam faded as I remembered what I was there to do. As I stood, waiting to knock, the door swung inward, almost falling off its hinges.
Time froze for a second as I was, as always, captivated by her beauty. I opened my mouth to say hello but I didn’t manage to make a peep as she threw herself on me, knocking me back into the snow.
Her lips found their way to mine, pressing hard and fast against me and this time when I felt her heart racing, there was no trace of apprehension.
She was genuinely happy to see me.
“Y-you’re feeling better,” I sputtered when our lips parted and she peered down at my face with so much affection, it warmed my freezing back which lay firmly against the snow.
“I am,” she purred, bouncing back to help me up. “Thanks to you.”
All the doubts that had plagued me dissipated as I ambled to my feet, my eyes studying her face for signs of fear, but I could see nothing.
“I’m just glad you’re okay,” I told her honestly. “I wasn’t sure after last night.”
“That’s because I’m a fool and I didn’t thank you properly,” she replied. I shook my head.
“You’re not a fool, Margot. You were traumatized.”
“I would have been far worse than traumatized if it wasn’t for you,” she insisted, leading me inside the well-heated cabin by the hand. “And I didn’t even say thank you.”
“The fact that you’re intact is thanks enough,” I replied as she closed the door behind me. She cocked her head to the side.
“How did you know to come?” she asked. I shrugged.
“Are you really surprised?” I replied gently. “Even in the short time we’ve spent together, you have to know that our connection is strong—stronger than most.”
Slowly, she moved to encircle her arms around my waist, drawing me close to her again.
“Everything about us is strong,” she whispered and I knew what she was saying. She didn’t want to let this go. She wanted us to be together, to overcome whatever obstacles came our way.
“And it’s only getting stronger,” I agreed, my lips grazing hers.
23
Margot-Celine
I inhaled the scent of him, allowing it to fill my nostrils as our tongues teased one another. For a terrifying night, I had thought I’d lost him forever, but here we were, united again.
My pulse quickened when he pulled away, guiding me past Pascal’s questioning face and into the bedroom where he locked the dog out. I didn’t mind. The dog was the least of my concerns in that moment.
