by Vella Day
Equally as important was that by staying downtown, it would assure Acacia that she wouldn’t run into any of her sisters. Their vacations wouldn’t finish for another week, so all she had to do was lay low for that long. When she returned home, she’d act as if nothing exceptional had happened, and all would be well.
Was there a flaw in her plan? Hell, yes. Her sisters would eventually find out what had happened. She could never keep anything from them, but she’d worry about that later. Even if she ran into Will, she had no idea how to convince him to reconsider their mate status. She doubted another week of reflection would gain him much perspective, but she had to give it a try. And even if she could put a love spell on him—which she couldn’t—she wouldn’t do that. She wanted to earn his trust and love the old-fashioned way.
Dalia’s office/warehouse/home was only a few blocks from the park in downtown.
With a nod, she landed in the back alley of Dalia’s building to prevent anyone seeing her suddenly appear. As if it was just an ordinary day, she hiked around the side of the building to the front, wearing her very heavy backpack and her carry-on slung over her shoulder. She was dirty and tired, but it wasn’t as if she could go home and clean up.
Acacia entered the warehouse and headed straight for the glass enclosure that Dalia called her office. Before she reached it, her friend looked up and smiled. A second later, she was on her feet coming toward her.
“Acacia, this is a surprise. I thought you weren’t scheduled to be back for another week or so.” Her slightly scrunched up nose said it all. Acacia really needed a shower and soon.
“I had a little incident.”
Dalia placed a hand on her arm. “Come into my office, and let me get you something to drink. You look like you could use a hot cup of tea.”
“You are the best.” Outside the office, Acacia slipped off her heavy pack. Even though she’d ditched her ripped tent in the dumpster at the edge of the park, the pack still weighed a ton.
Dalia motioned she take a seat while her friend placed a tea bag in a Weatherspoon Clay mug and pulled on the coffee maker lever for hot water to fill it. A moment later, Dalia handed her a steaming cup of tea.
“Thanks.”
Dalia slipped a hip on the edge of her desk. “Tell me what happened.”
Dalia was aware that the Four Sisters of Fate were special in that they could do spells, but she didn’t know she and her sisters were goddesses per se.
“I met a man.”
Dalia glanced to the ceiling and smiled. “Well, it’s about damned time.” She quickly sobered. “I take it something happened?”
For the next half hour, Acacia regaled her with the series of events that resulted in her cutting short her vacation.
“Let me get this straight. This Will King guy is your mate, and yet you can’t be with him because he freaked when he found out you had some magical abilities.”
“Not freak exactly, but he appeared stunned. I couldn’t tell if he was actually angry, but he certainly wasn’t accepting.”
Dalia shook her head, walked around her desk, and sat down. “I really don’t see the problem here. Unless he’d dealt with a lot of white lighters, or goddess’ sake, a dark lighter, he wouldn’t understand about your magical talents.”
Why was explaining things always so hard? “I’m too different for him.”
Dalia waved a hand. “Nonsense. When did you say he was coming back?”
Acacia shrugged. “He said he and Lucas would be in Hearndon Province for two weeks, but I have no idea if they will cut short their trip or not.”
“If you need a place to stay until your vacation is officially over, you’re welcome to stay with me. I have plenty of room.” She smiled. “Besides, it will be fun to check out King and Deland Home Automation. I love nothing more than a good mystery. Not to mention that helping two people who belong together find each other again is exciting and quite rewarding.”
“Don’t get your hopes up.”
Dalia laughed. “Oh, sweetie, whenever I set a goal for myself, I always achieve it.” She closed her laptop. “Come on. Let’s go upstairs, and I’ll show you the shower. I bet you could use one.”
All Acacia could do was laugh at that truth.
Will was miserable. He’d agreed to stay another night in the campsite, but no matter where he looked or what he did, everything reminded him of Acacia. Even though it frustrated the hell out of him, he was determined to stay strong. After all, this was Lucas’ vacation too. They’d been working non-stop for a year and deserved a break. Add in the fact that Lucas had just been dumped by his girlfriend, and it was all the more reason to stay. Whether Will would last the full two weeks though was anyone’s guess.
He’d been taught his whole life that a shifter was given—if that was the right word—one mate in a lifetime, but he wasn’t sure if he believed it anymore. Sure, Acacia was amazing, smoking hot, kind, and everything he’d ever hoped for in a mate, but having an immortal goddess wasn’t on the list of his desired attributes.
“Are you cooking or not?” Lucas asked.
Will looked down at the frying pan that contained the rather burned onions. “Sorry.”
His best friend squatted in front of him. “You haven’t said two words all afternoon. Do you want to head back to Edendale tomorrow?”
Yes. No. “I don’t know. It’s not like I’d look her up. Even if I did, what would I say?”
“The same thing you were going to say before—that you’re sorry.”
“Do you think she’d believe me?”
Lucas grabbed a potholder, removed the frying pan from the fire, and set it on top of its lid. “Jeez, man. What’s with this morose crap? You’re bringing me down. I’d rather leave if you aren’t going to show a little more enthusiasm about being on vacation. We came out here to enjoy nature, not mope about a woman.”
Acacia wasn’t just any woman. She was the woman Will was supposed to spend the rest of his life with. He stabbed a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry.” He looked upward and blew out a breath. “I’ll try to get more into our camping experience.”
Lucas smiled. He lifted the frying pan off the lid and placed it back onto the stove. “That’s better. Now make us a kick ass meal while I light the fire.”
Routine brought comfort. “Will do.”
For the next few hours, Will was able to push aside his turbulent thoughts about Acacia. It had been difficult at times, especially when Lucas would crack a joke, and Will would imagine Acacia laughing at it. Because of his harrowing near death experience, Lucas decided tonight was a good time to polish off the rest of the flask. Will suspected his suggestion was an attempt to help Will sleep.
The booze, the warm fire, and the emotional drain of the day took its toll. Will stood. “I’ll string up the bear bag if you take care of putting out the fire. Then I’m hitting the hay.”
“No problem.”
The two of them worked well together. A brief smile crossed his lips when he remembered teaching Acacia what a bear bag was for. That woman never should have attempted to camp alone when she had so few skills. Then again, if she had been in serious trouble, she could have just disappeared.
Shit. He needed to stop thinking about her.
No, listen to me, his bear said. Whether you like it or not, she is our mate. So stop being so damn stubborn and egotistical.
He didn’t need shit from his own animal. I am not egotistical. The stubborn part he couldn’t deny.
You hate the fact that your mate might be more powerful than you.
That’s not it. She just took me by surprise, that’s all.
Will couldn’t deal with this tonight. He could only hope tomorrow would bring clarity.
Once Will settled into his tent, he spread out his gear in the spot where Acacia had slept. Too bad, it reminded him of their intense lovemaking. Sheesh. He had it bad.
Chapter Ten
After a restless night, Will awoke to rain. Great. Just wh
at they didn’t need. He and Lucas had planned to rock climb today—something they could do now that Acacia wasn’t with them—but slippery rocks were not to be dealt with lightly.
Dawn might only be a hint in the sky, but he needed to get up. After donning his rain jacket, he dashed over to the kitchen area to prepare some coffee. Lucas was still sacked out, which suited him fine. Will needed the solitude.
After gathering some water and setting the pot on the stove to boil, Will inhaled the damp air and rich smell of earth, which helped him relax. The sound of the gentle rain, coupled with the eventual smell of coffee, guided Will to make a decision. He wanted to go back to Edendale to see if he could work things out with Acacia.
“You’re up early,” Lucas said as he dashed under the kitchen tarp. The interruption startled Will out of his daydream.
“Yeah.”
“Couldn’t sleep?”
That hadn’t really been the problem. It was the erotic dreams that had disturbed him more. “I’m good. I was just thinking.”
“About Acacia,” Lucas said as he poured himself a cup of java.
“Yes. I need to make things right with her.”
Lucas sat on his campstool and sipped his coffee, acting as if he was debating whether to say he wanted to stay and finish the vacation or go with him. “I totally agree. What changed your mind? Last night you hadn’t figured things out.”
“I was stunned when she told me who she really was, but that’s no excuse. I’ve never met anyone like Acacia. I know she is my mate, and I have to do everything in my power to make it right between us.”
“Sounds fantastic. So, what do you want to do now?”
“Head back to Edendale.”
Lucas held up a hand. “Works for me. We can pack as soon as we finish eating breakfast—breakfast you owe me by the way.”
For the first time in the last day, Will smiled. Just knowing he was on the road to sort things out had helped lift his crappy mood.
“You do know it’s possible that Acacia will be upset with you, considering you were a dick,” Lucas said.
Will huffed. “Way to bring me down.”
“Just saying. Women don’t like to be treated poorly.”
Lucas had crossed the line. “I didn’t treat her poorly. I just didn’t treat her well. In my defense, I had just saved a young girl’s life, putting mine in danger in the process. I was injured and exhausted from struggling to get out from under the fallen tree that was on top of me. Within seconds of reaching safety, Acacia announces she is a goddess! Cut me some slack.”
Lucas tossed back the rest of his coffee, poured in some of the clean water from the pot, and swished it around. “Denial is an ugly trait.”
He really didn’t need his friend’s shit, but he was right. “Are you saying I would have reacted the same shitty way under any circumstance?”
“Yes. I know you think she should have told you the moment we barged into her campsite, but if she had announced she was some goddess of Fate with the ability to lift logs and then disappear at will, what would you have done?”
Honesty sucked. “I wouldn’t have believed her.”
“Acacia is smart enough to know that.”
Damn. “That was why she planned to keep her secret for as long as possible. She probably thought that if I fell hard enough for her, I might be more receptive when she revealed her magical talent.”
Lucas smiled. “Took the words right out of my mouth.”
“She’ll probably say I should have told her I was a bear shifter the moment I introduced myself.”
“Bingo!” Lucas said.
“I get it. I can’t act like the offended party when I see her again.”
“Right.”
“Then I guess I better make those pancakes I promised!” Will’s big concern was if he was ready to face the challenge of a lifetime.
Dalia had prepared an amazing dinner for them. “This was incredible. Thank you. It was just what I needed,” Acacia said. Though the fresh fish they had caught in the stream had been equally outstanding.
Her friend smiled and held up a glass of wine. “A bit of the red never hurts either.”
Acacia smiled. “No, it doesn’t.”
Dalia leaned forward. “What do you say we scope out Lucas and Will’s office location?”
“Now?”
Dalia shrugged. “Sure, why not? It’s better in the dark. Look, if you’re afraid of being spotted, I can fly us overhead. I doubt they’d have security on the roof of their building.”
“I can’t recall if they said they owned the whole building or if they rented part of it. But hey, what’s the worst thing that can happen? The alarm goes off?”
Dalia smiled. “Right. If that happens, I’ll just soar up, up, and away.”
Acacia couldn’t remember the last time she’d been on an adventure like this. While she had taken a few dragon flights in her time, her usual mode of transportation was teleporting. “Perfect.”
Together, they cleared the table. Dalia then looked her over. “Do you have a darker shirt you can put on? White will stand out.”
“Sure.”
While Dalia put the dishes in the dishwasher, Acacia changed into more stealthy attire. When she returned, Dalia said she was ready.
“I looked up their address. It’s on the edge of town,” Dalia said.
“Let’s go.” Acacia painted on a smile, despite her nerves not being steady.
Being carried in a dragon shifter’s claws was safe, she reminded herself. Besides, she really wanted to see where Will and Lucas worked—or rather what they had created. This was their life-long dream come to fruition. The two of them seemed so proud of their accomplishments. It didn’t matter if they were struggling entrepreneurs or big shots. Will was her mate, and Acacia was determined to be with him.
Dalia led her to the back alley of her building where she shifted. She then held out her claw. Acacia grabbed hold and up they went. Her friend must have a built in GPS in her body because she had no problem locating the building, though Acacia had spotted the large neon yellow letters stating the name of their company from a mile away. How had she never seen it before? Did she live in a cave?
The answer might be yes. While she enjoyed going out for a drink, she wasn’t all that interested in parties since she was put on Tarradon to help others.
Acacia thought the timing of her getting a mate rather strange. What would her sisters say if—and that was a big if—she introduced them to Will? They’d probably tell her she was wrong about him and that she let her desires and his good looks sway her. She could hear the arguments from Poppy and Magnolia right now. Both would warn her to set him free. Primrose wouldn’t say much though. She’d smile, give her a hug, and tell her to be happy.
Instead of landing on the roof, Dalia dropped down in the front parking lot. As soon as she released Acacia, security lights lit up the entire front.
“Ah, exposed much?” Acacia said. She spotted the cameras right off. Shit. “As long as we’ve been caught, I might as well walk up to the surveillance equipment and wave.”
“Go for it. I’ll wait back here,” Dalia said.
Acacia stepped up to the camera. “Hi, Will and Lucas. I just wanted to let you know I’m back in town. I hope you have a wonderful vacation.”
That sounded so lame, but she didn’t feel all that comfortable spilling her guts to an inanimate object. As long as she was here though, she glanced inside the big store windows and then motioned for Dalia to join her.
Her friend trotted over. “That’s a lot of stuff.”
It appeared to be a retail store where people could purchase their home security and home automation needs. One part was devoted to television screens and security panels, and another to lights, but the vast majority involved small electronic devices that did who knows what.
Along the back were two glassed in offices, much like the one in Dalia’s building. The only difference was that her warehouse wasn’t for
walk-ins. Acacia suspected this was where Will and Lucas would help people set up what they needed.
“This stuff looks expensive,” Acacia said.
“It sure does. So now what do you want to do? Leave a note?”
“My message is good enough. We should head on back to your place.” She placed a hand on the glass, hoping to absorb some of their vibes. It didn’t work, but Acacia was glad she’d come.
The plane ride back to Edendale seemed to take forever. By the time they landed though, it was only mid-afternoon. Will’s gut had remained in turmoil the whole time. After they located their car in the parking garage, Lucas said he wanted to check out the store before heading up to his third-floor apartment. They each had their own living spaces in their office building, and Will’s was located on the second floor. It didn’t seem to matter that no one could break into their place without alerting half of Avonbelle Province. They liked living close to work.
Getting back into their daily routine would help Will figure out how he wanted to approach the whole Acacia issue. After they were parked in front of the building, nothing appeared to have been disturbed. Good.
“Told you, everything was okay,” Will said.
“Let’s check inside anyway.”
“Do you know something I don’t?” Will asked.
“No, but I have a feeling about something. Call it human intuition.”
Shifters were better at sensing things than humans, but he’d let Lucas do his human thing. Will had other plans than worrying about the business right now. Once they unlocked the store, he headed straight for his office where he booted up his computer. Even though he’d only been away for a few days, it had been enough to disconnect from the hectic world of business. The first thing he wanted to do was check out the Four Sisters Pottery shop. To his delight, they had a rather comprehensive website, including pictures of the four sisters. While all of the women were pretty, Acacia was by far the most attractive.
