Page 9 of Claws for Celebration (Hollow Oak Mates #3)

LUCIEN

T he emergency Council meeting had been called for two o'clock, which meant leaving Moira at the bookstore with a weak excuse about inventory deliveries that couldn't wait.

Lucien hated lying to her, especially when her brown eyes showed such clear disappointment at his sudden departure, but some conversations required privacy that only the Council Glade could provide.

"The Codex is fully active now," Elder Varric announced without preamble as the five Council members gathered around the ancient stone table. "My scrying shows it's responding to her touch with increasing intensity, revealing passages that have remained hidden for centuries."

"How bad?" Maeve asked, settling onto her usual boulder with feline grace. The lioness shifter looked more alert than usual, her short black hair still damp from what had probably been a patrol shift.

"Complex," Varric replied, spreading a collection of runestones across the weathered stone surface. "The Codex isn't just awakening her bloodline magic. It's teaching her, preparing her for something specific. The question is whether that preparation serves our interests or threatens them."

Lucien studied the rune patterns, noting how several stones had turned dark red since their last meeting. "What kind of preparation?"

"Blood magic rituals. Ancestral binding spells.

The advanced techniques that made the Shadowheart line so powerful before they disappeared from our community.

" Varric's pale eyes reflected worry that he rarely allowed others to see.

"If Moira masters those abilities without proper guidance, she could destabilize the magical balance we've maintained for generations. "

"And if she masters them with proper guidance?" Miriam asked from her position near the edge of the clearing. The inn keeper had arrived last, her sensible shoes showing signs of a hurried walk through the forest.

"Then we have a guardian witch more powerful than any we've seen since her grandmother's time," Elder Bram said with his usual pessimism. "Assuming she chooses to use those abilities in our defense rather than pursuing her own agenda."

"She's not pursuing any agenda," Lucien said more sharply than he'd intended. "She's a scholar trying to understand her family history. Every action she's taken has been driven by curiosity and genuine care for preserving historical knowledge."

"Your objectivity regarding Miss Marsh has been noted," Bram replied dryly. "Though I question whether romantic attachment qualifies you to assess potential magical threats."

Lucien's panther stirred with territorial aggression, wanting to defend his mate from even the suggestion of threat. He forced his voice to remain level. "My assessment is based on direct observation of her character and behavior, not romantic attachment."

"Both can be true," Varric said diplomatically. "The mate bond provides insight into her emotional state and motivations that could prove valuable for our decision-making process."

"Speaking of which," Maeve interjected, "how much does she suspect about our supernatural nature? After this morning's conversation with Twyla, she has to be questioning whether Hollow Oak is as normal as it appears."

Lucien winced at the reminder of Twyla's oversharing. The fae-blooded café owner meant well, but her enthusiasm for reuniting lost bloodlines sometimes outweighed her discretion.

"She knows something isn't ordinary about the town," he admitted. "But she's still trying to rationalize the supernatural elements within academic frameworks. Folklore, traditional knowledge, cultural preservation. She's not ready to accept that magic is literally real."

"Even though she's experiencing it directly?" Miriam asked with surprise.

"Especially because she's experiencing it directly. Her entire worldview is built on rational analysis and empirical evidence. Accepting magic means accepting that what she knew about reality is incomplete."

"Hence the careful introduction process," Varric said. "Which brings us to our current challenge. The Codex is accelerating her awakening beyond what we anticipated. We need someone monitoring her magical development more closely."

"I'll increase my surveillance," Lucien volunteered immediately, ignoring the knowing looks exchanged by other Council members. "I'm already spending significant time at the bookstore, and she's grown comfortable with my presence."

"Comfortable enough to share her supernatural experiences?" Bram asked skeptically.

"She's starting to trust me with her concerns and questions," Lucien said carefully. "This morning she asked directly about Hollow Oak's unusual atmosphere and whether I'd experienced anything impossible. She's looking for someone she can confide in safely."

"Good," Varric said. "That trust will be crucial if her magical development takes a dangerous turn. Can you arrange to be present during her evening research sessions?"

"Already doing that. I've been staying late for inventory work, which puts me in position to help if she encounters something overwhelming."

"Like what?" Maeve asked.

"Yesterday the Codex showed her a section on magical lineage that made her hands shake so badly she couldn't hold her camera steady.

Three days ago, she accidentally triggered a protective ward on one of the genealogy volumes and spent ten minutes trying to convince herself it was a trick of the light. "

"Protective wards are responding to her?" Miriam leaned forward with interest. "That suggests her power is stronger than we initially estimated."

"Or that it's developing faster than expected," Bram added grimly. "Accelerated magical awakening often leads to loss of control."

"Which is why close monitoring is essential," Varric concluded. "Lucien, I want daily reports on her magical encounters and emotional state. Any signs of instability or fear need immediate attention."

"Understood." Lucien found himself looking forward to the increased contact, though he tried to keep that anticipation out of his voice. "What about the broader supernatural community? Should other residents be warned about potential magical disturbances?"

"Discrete warnings only," Varric decided. "Too much attention could overwhelm her further. But business owners should be prepared for minor magical incidents. Flickering lights, temperature fluctuations, books rearranging themselves. The usual signs of awakening power."

"What if she asks direct questions about our supernatural nature?" Lucien asked. "She's intelligent enough to notice patterns, especially if magical incidents increase."

"Answer honestly within the bounds of what she's ready to hear," Varric said. "Don't lie to her, but don't volunteer information she hasn't specifically requested. Let her discoveries guide the conversation."

"And if she discovers something that frightens her enough to consider leaving town?"

The question hung in the air for a moment, weighted with implications none of them wanted to address directly.

"Then you help her understand that running from her heritage won't make it disappear," Varric said finally. "The Shadowheart bloodline carries responsibilities as well as power. She'll need to accept both eventually."

"Responsibilities like what?" Lucien asked.

"Like serving as Hollow Oak's guardian witch," Miriam said softly. "Her great-grandmother held that position before the family's exodus. The magical defenses we rely on were originally designed to be maintained by Shadowheart blood magic."

"You're asking her to give up her entire life and stay in Hollow Oak permanently?"

"We're asking her to consider where her talents and heritage can do the most good," Varric corrected. "The final choice will always be hers to make."

As the Council meeting dispersed and members began making their way back to town, Lucien found his thoughts turning to the woman waiting at his bookstore.

Moira had no idea that her simple research assignment was actually a homecoming orchestrated by forces beyond her understanding.

She didn't know that her growing magical abilities came with expectations and responsibilities that could reshape her entire future.

Most importantly, she didn't know that falling in love with her had become as natural as breathing for a panther shifter who'd never expected to find his mate among dusty genealogy books and afternoon tea conversations.

But as he walked back toward town, following the scent of her lavender soap and determined intelligence that his panther could track from miles away, Lucien realized that protecting Moira from overwhelming revelations was becoming increasingly difficult.

Not because the Council was pressuring him to share supernatural secrets, but because his own heart was demanding honesty about feelings that went far deeper than professional concern or territorial claiming.

Soon, he would have to choose between his duty to protect her emotional wellbeing and his need to share the growing affection that made every moment away from her feel like missing pieces of his soul.

The panther in him already knew which choice he would make. The question was whether Moira would be ready to hear it.