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With that he turns and walks out of my office, closing the door behind him. I sit for a while staring at the door lost in my thoughts. I never would have thought that accepting my mate would change so much about my life. Sure I knew it would change things, but I never dreamed that I would feel this light as I shed all the past from me.

Chapter 24

Selene

Friday, July 25th – The View From Here

I’m really excited about today’s hike. Caelon and Chase, a mountain lion shifter, have both agreed to come with me as I explore the higher parts of the mountains. Lou recommended I try out this trail that nobody really knows about, and I’m not even sure how she knows about it. This last week she has been assigning challenges for me to help stretch my eye and ability to story tell with only a single image. It’s been the most fun I’ve had with photography since finding Shadow in my valley.

This week's task has been capturing connections in unexpected places. Which is why I’m dragging myself out of bed super early on a Friday morning and bringing along Chase andCal. She swears we will find an old abandoned fire pit on a lookout with views that could “make the soul believe in magic”. Whatever that means, I’m down to find it.

I’m hoping for the perfect shot and for Cal to make a new friend, which is why I asked Chase to come along. Honestly, after everything I’ve learned since my birthday, I’ve really felt this urge to find a friend for Cal, someone who will understand him, push him, and support him. I didn’t realize just how alone Cal was until our bond snapped into place.

Chase is such a loving, friendly, caring individual with a super chill personality to match that I personally feel will be a great match to Cal. I know Chase can be a bit much sometimes but I think once Cal is used to it, he will get along with him beautifully.

“Do you think that Nat Geo will pay my loved ones if I die not even ten minutes into this hike?” Chase huffed, dramatically adjusting the pack on his shoulders like it weighed five tons and he can’t continue to hold the weight.

He sure is bitching quite a bit today. I don’t even bother looking back as a smile spreads across my face. “You’re not dying, you’re winded. There’s a difference. You know for someone who loves hiking, you sure are acting like this is your first time.”

“I’m dying because someone decided at six am that we needed to find a connection in unexpected places and she didn’t even have the decency to take me to breakfast first. Someone failed to mention that it would be a brisk, uphill, mountain climb with a risk of mountain lions.”

My eyes roll. “You are the mountain lion risk,” I mutter as I snap a photo of the sun spilling through the canopy along the path. Rays of light perfectly spotlighting the trail. Lou wants me to improve my light work. She said she would settle for more texture or emotion in this set of photos. I’d settle for not pushing the whining lion off the cliff.

Cal chuckled behind me, quiet, low, with a hint of fondness. “He volunteered to come.”

Chase scoffs in mock offense. “I did no such thing. I was bribed, I tell you! She took advantage of my love for coffee and muffins.”

“I said coffee and muffins if you behaved,” I toss over my shoulder.

“I’m still waiting on that, sunshine,” he clips back.

I turn around, grinning from ear to ear as I catch the smug mock outrage in his upturned nose as he even adds in an exaggerated stomp of his feet. “You’ll get them when you stop whining and start posing. Lou wants emotion. I think this exasperated idiot best friend energy you are giving might just be the winner,” I say as I hold my camera up snapping photos of him.

Seeing my camera up and trained on him, he pops his hip and throws his head back in a dramatic model pose.

“Be sure to get my good side, can’t have horrible photos floating around of me.” He continues to pose like he is going for the next supermodel of America.

Cal leans in close to me. “He really is an orange cat like you said he is. At least you can count on him for lighting up any adventure.”

I can’t help but smile behind the camera as I continue to snap photos. I love that he has a hint of fondness already in his tone. If everything keeps going the way I hope, by the end of the trip, Chase will have won over Cal.

Just to razz Chase further I say, “Sweetie, this lighting isn’t doing you any favors. Maybe we should move on, don’t want you to ruin my photos or anything.”

Chase clutches his chest. “You wound me Sunshine. Here I thought you were the quiet, sweet one.”

“Good. If you could bleed dramatically over here in the better lighting, that would be great.”

Cal laughs as he walks over to lean against the tree, watching as Chase continues with his antics and I snap more photos.

“Tell my story, sunshine. Let the people know I perished helping you find your art.” He throws his arm over his face as he leans against a moss-covered rock. His backpack lays in the dirt like a discarded lover. Honestly, I regret all the times I’ve hiked and not brought him along.

“Lou is going to die when she sees these.” I chuckle as I flick through a few of the photos on the tiny LED screen on the back of my camera. “You look like you belong in a tortured renaissance man’s play. Just add those puffy sleeves and tights and the image is there.”

Chase’s head pops up from the rock. “Oh, am I giving broody and misunderstood?”

“More like dramatic and under-caffeinated,” Cal says dryly, pushing off the tree.

Chase gasps as his hand covers his mouth. “Eu tu, Caelon?”