(Sur)real

The mist floated around me, and I knew I dreamed.

“Daughter, you have gained so much knowledge this life; yet, you and your sisters still know so little.”

A gentle hand brushed my forehead.

“Enjoy this lifetime filled with love. You have earned it.” Silent tears shook her words.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Dear one, I cry for the three races here. This Judgement did not end as it should have. Turmoil such as this world has never seen will result.”

“I don’t understand. We made the judgement and met the sacrifice.”

“You sacrificed the leader who would have had the strength to hold the races together. Emmitt and Jim have some of her strength. We can only hope that will be enough. But, for now, the rules have changed as will the world. Only time will tell if it’s a good change.”

Fear gripped me.

“What happens now?”

“You finish this life as best you can, try to prepare those you love, and wait for the next Judgement. Every end is a new beginning.”

OLIVIA…

I nervously smoothed my hands over my dress and stared at myself in the mirror. Even after two weeks of seeing, I still marveled at the world around me every time I opened my eyes. Fingering the soft material of the dress, I thought of all those who’d paid the price for the world’s renewed freedom and hoped that wonder would never fade. I never wanted to forget the people we’d lost, which was why I wore one of Charlene’s old dresses. I only hoped Jim would see the gesture as the tribute it was meant to be.

Since returning to the Compound, my life had undergone several drastic changes.

First, I’d been assigned to Charlene and Thomas’s two-bedroom apartment. Jim had insisted, and after witnessing the bittersweet pain in his expression as he’d looked around the rooms, I hadn’t been able to refuse. It had felt weird the first few nights, but as I’d walked the rooms and viewed the pictures showing the happy moments of their lives, the awkwardness had faded.

But the apartment wasn’t my prison like when I’d lived with Blake. Here, I could move around as I pleased. No one rebuked me or demanded my silence when I spoke. The people were friendly and welcoming. And the children? They didn’t run at me to pinch or pull my hair. They ran toward me for hugs and treats. I was truly welcomed here.

The biggest change was in the freedom to speak freely. To feel freely. I didn’t have to guard every waking thought or emotion. When I was happy, I could let myself feel happy.

A nervous flutter started in my stomach at the knock on the apartment door. Giving myself one last look in the mirror, I went to answer it.

The flutter grew into a racing pulse the moment I saw Jim standing in the hallway. He wore a suit coat with a V-neck sweater and faded jeans. As if that wasn’t enough of a mouthwatering view, he hadn’t shaved today. The dark scruff begged to be touched like I’d already done countless times. If only memorizing his features with my fingers had prepared me for his rugged good looks and devastatingly playful smile.

While I helplessly stared at him, his gaze dipped to take in what I wore.

“You steal my breath every time I see you,” he said. “And Mom would be happy to know you’re wearing that.”

He held out his hand for me, and I welcomed the feel of our fingers twining together.

“I don’t ever want to forget what she did for us. She gave me a chance I never thought I’d have.”

A shadow of pain flickered in his expression as it did whenever someone mentioned his parents. But I knew, despite that hurt, he wanted to talk about them.

“She gave us both a chance,” he said. “Are you ready to make the most of it?”

“Are you sure it’s not too soon?”

He gave my hand a gentle squeeze.

“I’ve been waiting for you my whole life. Now isn’t soon enough.”

“And there’s still no pain?” I asked, unable to let go of the worry that somehow the obligation of being an Elder would trump this new and wonderful possibility of being my Mate.

“None.” He gently tugged me into his arms.

I shivered at the sensation of being hugged by someone who truly cared about me.

“How is your back?” he asked, carefully running a hand over the area where the Others had taken their payment.

Jim’s continued concern regarding the weeks’ old injury touched me.

“It’s much better. Winifred says there’s going to be some serious scarring, though.”

“We all carry scars. Inside or out, they’re what make us who we are. I wouldn’t change a thing about you, Olivia.”

My heart melted a little more at the sentiment, and I looked up at him. I never thought I’d have a chance for a future, never mind one spent with someone I loved, and I craved the connection I knew Jim and I would have one day.

His previous question echoed in my mind. Was I ready to make the most of this unexpected future?

I’d never been more ready to embrace the first choice I was truly free to make on my own.

JIM…

As I gazed at Olivia’s perfect face, I felt real hope for our future. Not only for us but for the rest of my people. And that, more than anything, is why I thought fate, or the Taupe Lady, or whoever was responsible, allowed me to love Olivia like I did. The continued possibility of a Mating between an Elder and a human proved that the Judgement had passed and the world was forever changed because of it.

Sure, the world wasn’t perfect. There were still random murders happening that the media attributed to shifter-related hate crimes. Why else would humans be skinned alive if not to show that the killers thought they were animals?

While I mourned those deaths, I knew the hate behind them would fade with time. Acceptance wouldn’t always be a pain-filled process, despite the fact that I couldn’t remember a time when my people hadn’t suffered in some way. Stepping into the light of existence would be no different. Until then, Winifred, Grey, and I had warned our people to stay hidden and stay safe.

The sudden thoughts from a member of the pack proved how difficult of a time lay before us.

Elder Jim, I’m contacting you because I’ve found my Mate. She’s perfect. I need to talk to her. I don’t think I’ll be able to keep my distance.

Is she human? I sent back.

Yes.

Where are you?

Since Henry had found his Mate at my parents’ celebration of life ceremony, more and more human and werewolf pairings had popped up. Word was spreading among the unMated and Forlorn. Even though they knew they needed to lay low and stay quiet, they were heading to the cities.

“Another new potential Mate?” Olivia asked.

“Yeah, good guess,” I said.

She shook her head. “Not a guess. You always get this look in your eyes when someone else is talking to you. But when they’re talking about Mates, the look is less annoyed and more happy.”

“I only look annoyed when they’re interrupting my time with you.”

Edmonton, the man answered. Please don’t tell me to wait.

Go ahead and talk to her, but say nothing about what you are. Do you understand? You’ll endanger more than just yourself. And remember that the Claiming rule still holds. No attempting to Claim a potential human mate.

I know. I don’t want to hurt her.

You just want to make her yours, I answered, knowing exactly how the male felt.

Every time I looked at Olivia, I felt that bone-deep need to make her mine. The strength of it still threatened to bring me to my knees like it did the first time I saw her. I’d gotten a little better at hiding it since then.

I hugged Olivia close once more and acknowledged my margin of improvement was very slight.

“Do you need to address the issue before we leave?”

“Already done. Let’s—”

She stood on her tiptoes and brushed her lips against my neck. I shook with need, and my arms tightened around her.

“You might not want to do that,” I rasped.

She pulled away, and I could smell the guilt and doubt on her.

“I’m sorry, Jim. I misread the moment.”

My arms tightened around her fractionally.

“I’d like nothing more than for you to sink your teeth into me and take me for your own, but I don’t want to rush you. We have all the time in the world to keep getting to know one another.”

She reached up and gently ran her fingers over my jaw, scraping the stubble I’d been in too much of a rush to shave.

“This is part of getting to know each other, isn’t it? Touching? Kissing? I don’t mind taking our time, but I feel like we took twenty steps back from where we were.”

The scent of her nervousness spiked, and I loved that she was finally broadcasting what she felt. It showed her level of comfort here.

“I miss sleeping near you,” she admitted. “I miss having all your attention to myself.”

I groaned and set my forehead against hers.

“You’re making it difficult to be patient.”

“Then don’t be, Jim. Be the impatient and impulsive man I fell in love with.”

The words were a jolt to the system.

“You know just how to sweet talk a man. Nothing would make me happier than feeling your teeth on my skin.” I offered her my neck.

Her excitement echoed my own as she stood on her tiptoes again and bit into that sweet spot on my neck. A shiver stole through me and tested my control. I waited to feel what Olivia felt, but that connection eluded me. Her too, based on the way she pulled back and frowned at me, a small smear of blood on her lips.

“That should have worked,” she said.

A spear of worry impaled me, but I refused to let doubt grow. Instead, I leaned in and kissed her cheek then her jaw. Maybe the human and werewolf pairings weren’t the only changes that had happened since the Judgement passed.

“Will you let me try the old way?” I asked.

I could scent Olivia’s fear as she swallowed hard.

“Yes,” she breathed.

“I’ll be careful. I swear.”

My teeth scraped the skin of her neck, and she shivered. Carefully, I nipped her just enough to draw blood. A new thread sparked into being, stronger than the multitude already in my mind. The worry she felt…the love…the admiration…even that subtle hint of loneliness she did her best to hide all lay bare before me in my mind.

I picked her up and spun her around, laughing and kissing her upturned face. She grinned then shocked the hell out of me by jumping up and wrapping her legs around my waist.

“Let’s go to dinner, Jim, so we can move on to the rest of the night,” she said softly.

A thrill of need shot through me, and I kissed her hard. By the time we broke apart, we were both breathless, and someone was clearing his throat.

“I think that’s more suited for private, Jim, don’t you think?” Gregory asked. Then, he mumbled something about always being a cub under his breath as he walked away.

I grinned down at Olivia.

“I would love to take you to dinner.”

Hand in hand, we started for the main exit. As we walked, I reached out to Emmitt. Though he was still in the States at the house with Winifred, the distance didn’t keep us apart.

I think that cub Michelle’s growing needs a cousin close to the same age. What do you think?

Emmitt’s happiness reverberated through our link.

Congratulations, brother, and welcome to Mated bliss.

Not Mated yet, but I don’t think we’re going to wait long.

I’m happy for you. And, from what I’m hearing, ours won’t be the only cub born in the next year. The Compound is going to be filled with young just like Mom and Dad wanted.

We shared a pang of sorrow and love and hope. We’d lost a lot, but the future was bright with what we’d gained. Mom and Dad wouldn’t have had it any other way.

I smiled as I also realized what Claiming Olivia the old way meant for our people. The power was truly back in the werewolves’ hands. Our numbers would grow. There was no stopping how drastically the world would change in the next decade, and I couldn’t wait to see what that world would look like for our children.