Loch

by Amy Star

  When her food arrived, she barely ate a bite. As much as she wanted to sink into the normalcy around her, she couldn’t. If she wasn’t thinking about her sisters, she thought about the Maiden. If she wasn’t thinking about the Maiden, her mind drifted to Trevor.

  She had to figure out what the Maiden meant when she called him lost, she needed to figure out Elise’s part in all this, and she needed to do it fast. She hated keeping something so monumental from the others.

  Her biggest fear was that if she told them the truth, she would be powerless to stop whatever revenge the other firstborns wanted to enact. She wouldn’t blame them for wanting to rip Trevor limb from limb, but that couldn’t happen.

  Trevor was a firstborn. Like it or not, his and Holly’s fates were woven together.

  “Holly?” Garret said gently.

  Holly looked up from her untouched plate, startled. “What? Sorry,” she mumbled.

  “I thought you were starving.” Garret looked at her place with growing concern. “You didn’t have breakfast today, either.”

  “Are you feeling all right, love?” Grace asked.

  “My appetite’s been really inconsistent through everything,” Holly said dismissively. “I’ll box it up. I’m sure I’ll be ravenous again the moment we leave. Funny how that works, huh?”

  “I suppose,” Grace said slowly.

  “My appetite always used to go wonky before a rowing competition,” Jess offered. “It’ll even out once your nerves settle.”

  “I hope so,” Holly replied. The question was, would her nerves ever settle? Would this ever get easier?

  “I hate to eat and run, but I have an appointment to get to,” Grace said, gathering her belongings. “Holly, I hope to see you again soon.”

  “I’m sure you will,” Holly assured her. “It was so lovely meeting you.”

  “Likewise. Garret, a word?”

  Garret’s brows shot up. He lowered the fork that was halfway to his mouth. “Sure.” He wiped his mouth on a napkin before sliding out of the booth.

  “They’re going to talk about you.” Jess giggled.

  Holly must’ve looked terrified because Jess quickly amended her statement.

  “Not in a bad way! Mom likes you. I can tell.” She smiled. “I bet she’s going to tell Garret not to mess things up.”

  “Garret couldn’t mess anything up if he tried.” Holly smiled.

  “I know.” Jess grinned. “He’s the best, isn’t he? It’s so easy to forget he’s not my biological brother. You like him, don’t you?”

  “You’re a very direct person, aren’t you?”

  “I guess.” Jess shrugged. “I just never saw the point of skittering around saying what I want to say. If you don’t want to answer, you don’t have to, but he’s my brother, and I want to know if he’s going to get his heart broken.”

  “I can’t imagine hurting him,” Holly said. “But in the end, it’s not really up to me. It’s up to the Maiden. The Maiden selects who she wants as a partner.”

  “The King,” Jess murmured.

  “Right. I’m not the Maiden. I’m her vessel.”

  “What happens if the Maiden picks someone you don’t want?” Jess asked.

  “I don’t know,” Holly answered honestly. “I’d like to think she’d take my preferences into consideration since I’m doing her bidding and all.”

  “What does she make you do?” Jess asked.

  Holly opened her mouth to speak, then reconsidered. “Not much, actually.” Holly chuckled. “She pops in every so often to give me cryptic warnings and berate me over being a worthy vessel.”

  “Seriously?” Jess laughed.

  Yes, seriously? The Maiden’s voice echoed in her mind.

  She asked. Did I lie? Holly replied.

  “I’m sure she has a whole laundry list of duties for me when she believes I’m mentally and physically strong enough to handle them.”

  I should open the earth and let it swallow you whole.

  Holly might’ve been mistaken, but she swore she heard a note of humor in the Maiden’s voice.

  The longer we do this, the less I’m sure that you really are an immortal, formless being. Reassure me. Prove to me that you aren’t just a product of my insanity. Open the earth.

  The Maiden laughed. She actually laughed.

  You’re an odd one.

  You chose me.

  So I did.

  “Well, if you ever need any help, feel free to call me,” Jess said. “I’d like nothing more than to bash some dark shifter skulls. They’ve caused a lot of pain in this town. It’s about damn time they pay for it.”

  “Are you getting her all fired up?” Garret appeared by Holly’s side.

  “Oh, definitely.” Holly grinned up at him. “We’re forming a three-person army as we speak. Well, a two-person and one mythical being of unknown origins.”

  I’m to be in your army? How quaint.

  A wry smile passed over Holly’s lips. If I didn’t know better, I’d say we were bonding.

  I do not bond.

  Maybe you should.

  “The Maiden is weighing in on this?” Garret laughed.

  “She ought to. She started this.” Holly shrugged.

  Incorrect.

  Holly barked out a laugh.

  “What?” Jess asked with a confused smile.

  “The Maiden is listening in, and she thinks we’re ridiculous and incorrect.”

  I never said ridiculous, the Maiden said crisply.

  But you were thinking it.

  How can you know that? Humans do not possess mind-reading abilities.

  Or so you think.

  This was fun. Holly needed this.

  “Oh, does she?” Jess giggled. “Of all the things I thought would happen to me today, sort of being in a conversation with the mythical Maiden wasn’t one of them.”

  “That’s how I feel every day.” Holly laughed.

  “As much as I’d like to stick around, I have to get back to work.”

  Holly slid out of the booth so Jess could exit.

  “Don’t be a stranger,” Jess warned her brother, stretching up to give him a hug.

  “I’ll try not to be. Come over to Pearl’s place if you want.”

  “You mean Holly’s place,” Jess corrected.

  “No, it’s still Pearl’s,” Holly interjected. “It’ll always be Pearl’s, regardless of who owns it.”

  Jess’s gaze slid from Holly to her brother.

  “I really like her,” she declared. “Make sure she sticks around.”

  “That’s the plan.” Garret grinned.

  After one more round of hugs, Jess glided out of the diner.

  Once she was gone, Garret turned to Holly.

  “Ready?”

  Holly nodded and let him lead her outside.

  “If your sister doesn’t need her clothes back, I suppose I don’t have to go shopping,” Holly said. It was for the best. She didn’t have any source of income at the moment. She had enough in her savings to cover her expenses for now, but that wouldn’t last forever.

  Holly ran through potential job interview scenarios. She could work remotely, as she had done in the few weeks before her kidnapping. She had no idea what she would say when a potential employer asked in regards to her availability.

  Oh, I can work weekdays except for when I’m called away to attend to my duties as the vessel for an ancient force so morally corrupt bears don’t take over human towns. I’ll try to give you advanced notice.

  The overlap between Holly’s old life and her new one made her feel sick and dizzy. Would she ever adjust? It was hard to say, especially when she didn’t know everything. Despite all she’d seen and learned since coming to Silver Spruce, she still felt like she knew nothing. She felt like a pretender, masquerading as someone who knew how to settle the conflict between the bear clans.

  “Is there anything else in town you want to do?” Garret asked. “If not, we may as well head back to the ho
use.”

  “No,” Holly blurted, stopping dead in her tracks.

  She loved Pearl’s house but the idea of going back so soon made her chest feel tight. Her breath came in quick, ragged gasps.

  “Holly?” Garret moved closer to her.

  “I can’t,” was all she managed to get out.

  Garret’s soft gaze searched her face. He was going to ask questions. She just knew it. She couldn’t formulate a coherent thought, let alone explain why the thought of being shut up in the house again felt so unbearable.

  “Okay.” Garret nodded. “We can stay out for a few more hours. There’s a hotel at the end of the main road. It’s nothing fancy, but if you really don’t want to go back to the house tonight, we can stay there.”

  Holly looked up at him, momentarily speechless.

  “I—” she began, but she didn’t know what she wanted to say.

  Luckily, Garret stopped her. “You don’t have to explain,” he said. “I’m at your command.”

  “Because I’m the Maiden.” Holly nodded.

  Garret shook his head. “Because I care about you.” He tucked her under his arm and slowly urged her forward. “How about we poke around in Betty’s boutique? Just because you don’t need anything doesn’t mean you can’t look.”

  Holly allowed him to steer her in the direction of mindless window shopping. As they walked, she thought of what a good bear clan King would look like. Garret couldn’t be far off the mark.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN—Holly

  The room Garret rented at The Blackberry Inn was nicer than Holly expected it to be. Like every building in Silver Spruce, the interior was all wood. Wooden floors, wood paneling on the walls, and wooden ceilings. The wrought iron bed was painted white, which brightened up the room. White lace curtains framed the picturesque windows that looked out to the mountain range.

  Holly smiled to herself as she counted the wooden bear figurines spread throughout the room. Seven so far but she hadn’t looked in the bathroom yet.

  Someone knocked on the door.

  “Are you up for company?” Garret asked.

  “Yes,” Holly called back. “The door’s unlocked.”

  Garret stepped into the room. He had to duck to pass through the doorframe. Once inside, he looked around.

  “Your room is much nicer than mine.”

  Ever the gentlemen, Garret booked two rooms. He didn’t want Holly to feel like she was under a microscope while she tried to relax.

  “Is it? We can trade if you’d like.”

  “No way.” He grinned. “I can make anything work. I lived in the woods for, like, three months once.”

  “You did?” Holly’s eyes went wide. “Why?”

  “Making up for lost time,” he explained. “Most kids with shifter abilities have family members to teach them how to harness their power. I didn’t get that until I was sixteen.”

  “Did your mother and sister go with you?”

  “We took camping trips as a family. Dad would mind the fort while my mother, sister, and I went full bear. The three-month trip was one I took alone, though.”

  “Wow.” Holly shook her head. “I can’t imagine being out in the woods for that long. Ironically, my family members aren’t big campers. Maybe that would be different if any of us could shift.”

  “Speaking of family, have you talked to them yet?”

  Holly tried to swallow her guilt, but it wouldn’t go down. “No,” she admitted. “I sent messages to my sisters after I was MIA for a week, but I haven’t called them. They don’t know about any of this.”

  “What?” Garret shook his head. “Your father grew up here. That can’t be right.”

  “Did you know him at all?” Holly asked.

  “Not really.” Garret shrugged. “By the time I arrived, everyone had established friend groups. I do remember he was one of the only ones to attend college elsewhere. He left right after high school.”

  “Johnny told me Pearl kept our family history a secret,” Holly said. “If I call him, how can I talk to him as if none of this is happening? Or worse! What if I tell him everything and he thinks I’m insane?”

  “My biological parents thought something was seriously wrong with me until I shifted in front of them by mistake,” Garret offered. “I understand your hesitation.”

  “Pearl kept everything from him for a reason. Who am I to go against her wishes? We all know she was smarter than all of us combined.”

  “To be fair, the gift of foresight gave her an unfair advantage,” Garret pointed out. “But even without it, she was a sharp lady.”

  “Do you think there are any more letters stashed around? I could sure use her advice.” Holly frowned.

  When she had first arrived in Silver Spruce, Pearl left letters for her to read. Each letter guided her to her next step. If things hadn’t gone so awry, there might’ve been more letters to be found. Holly wasn’t sure any of them contained advice on how to deal with her family. She hated not talking to them, but she also hated the thought of lying to them. In her book, omitting information was no different from lying.

  She glanced at Garret. She was lying to him right that moment by not telling him about Trevor and Elise.

  Maybe, she should’ve gone back to the house after all…

  “We don’t have to keep talking about this,” Garret said. “I’m sure it’s doing nothing for your stress levels.”

  “You make me sound like one of those Real Housewives who is frequently hospitalized for exhaustion.” Holly chuckled. “But yeah, talking about something else would be nice.”

  “We’re here for the night. Any idea what you want to do?”

  Holly pondered for a moment, then smiled. “Actually, yes. Pass me my phone?”

  Garret did as he was asked.

  Holly quickly did a search for restaurants nearby that offered delivery.

  Thirty minutes later, Holly sat cross-legged in the center of the wrought iron bed, eating chow mein from the to-go box while Garret fiddled with the TV.

  “I don’t think this thing has been used since the seventies.” He chuckled. “There’s a twenty percent chance I’m going to set myself on fire and a ten percent chance I’m going to blow the room up.”

  “Better be careful if you want that deposit back,” Holly replied.

  “Thank you. That’s very helpful.”

  Holly giggled as she took another bite. “If you don’t hurry, I’m going to eat all of the fried rice, too.”

  Garret poked his head out from behind the console. “Don’t you dare.”

  “How’s that for a motivator?”

  “Effective. Let me try one more thing.”

  Holly didn’t know what he did, but within minutes the TV was glowing. The image wasn’t clear, and the sound was crackly, but she didn’t care.

  “My hero!” she cheered over her takeout.

  Garret sauntered back over to the bed. “Where’s the fried rice? We struck a bargain.”

  “It’s still in the bag. I don’t even like fried rice. I just wanted to light a fire under your ass.”

  He arched a brow. “I never told you how much I love fried rice.”

  “Lucky guess.” She shrugged. “What are we watching?”

  The grainy image on the TV screen left much to the imagination. Holly thought she saw three people talking in an office. Or maybe it was an elephant? Hard to tell. The audio didn’t provide any context. Holly wasn’t sure it was even in English.

  Garret grabbed the remote and flipped through channels until something concrete took shape. Some kind of Spanish telenovela.

  “Oh, this looks ridiculous.” He laughed.

  “That’s the best part! We’re watching it.”

  As they ate, they argued passionately over what they each thought the plot was.

  “He’s clearly working for the mob!” Garret gestured wildly with a chopstick.

  “No, he’s the president of a small island nation!” Holly argued back.

&nbs
p; “Can’t he be both?”

  Holly’s mouth dropped open. “He’s totally both.”

  “Now, is the woman beside him his wife or his daughter?”

  Holly narrowed her eyes as if that would make the image on the screen any clearer. “That might not be a woman.”

  “This is the greatest show ever made,” Garret cackled. “We have to do this more often. I bet if I break one of Pearl’s TVs, we can recreate this exact experience.”

  “I’d like that.” Holly smiled into her takeout. When she looked up, Garret was watching her. “Thanks for this,” she said after a beat of silence. “This whole day was exactly what I needed.”

  “I’m always happy to help.”

  Holly watched Garret for a time before she spoke again. “You’re a really great guy, you know that?”

  “Nah.” Garret shook his head. “I just follow the golden rule. Treat others the way you’d want to be treated and all that. Though, it helps that I fall harder for you every day.”

  Her mouth dropped open. She knew Garret cared for her. She knew Johnny and Keller cared for her, too. She cared for them more than she knew how to express, given the strangeness of the situation. Knowing it and hearing it were two different things.

  “Too much?” Garret asked. “Sorry. I figure if I’m feeling something, I might as well be open with it. Keeping that kind of stuff hidden never does anyone any good in the long run.”

  Holly set her takeout box on the nightstand.

  “Are you all right?” Garret asked warily.

  To answer his question, Holly rose up onto her knees, took Garret’s face in her hands, and kissed him.

  He went rigid for a moment, caught off guard. Then, his hands slowly snaked around her back. He pulled her closer, deepening the kiss.

  Holly’s body felt like a livewire as she wound her arms around his neck. His big hands gripped her hips, shifting her until she was in his lap with her legs on either side of him.

  “Watch the rice,” he murmured against her mouth.

  Without breaking the kiss, Holly moved the nearly empty box of fried rice to a safe location.

  Garret slipped his hands beneath the back of her shirt.

  Holly pressed herself against him, craving more contact. Blindly, she fumbled for the buttons of his shirt. When she finally had his flannel open, she pressed her hands against his chest. Instead of feeling the bare skin like she craved, she felt another shirt.