Page 112 of Ensnared by the Pack: The Complete Series (Destined Realms #3)
AUDREY
Nova stayed and chatted with me while Eloise made me an omelet and the younger cook, Kira, poured me a glass of sweet, pink juice and cut my apple into pieces. We talked about the pack, the things I could see and do in town — once my doctor-appointed rest was complete — and where I should get Bishop and Knox to take me.
I learned the pack was almost completely self-sufficient and its primary exports were hunters and the healing elixirs, both of which were in short supply. They didn’t mass produce anything, and I didn’t know if that was because they didn’t want to, didn’t know they could, or couldn’t.
Time ran out before I could ask Nova about medical equipment and she hurried off to her meeting, leaving me with Eloise and Kira who were happy to talk about their kitchen and how they prepared food.
They were so warm and friendly and excited about their work that I didn’t realize it was lunchtime until Deacon walked in, startling me.
“You’re still here,” he exclaimed to Eloise and Kira as I tried to subtly shy away from him. “Shouldn’t you be on break or shopping?”
“We were telling Audrey about our kitchen,” Kira replied with a brilliant smile as if no one had asked her about her work before.
Deacon’s gaze slid to mine, and I plastered on my most submissive expression and found a spot on the wall beside his head that I could look at. I didn’t want to risk my gut instinct being wrong about him. Better to err on the side of caution.
“I didn’t realize it was lunchtime,” I said. “Excuse me. I don’t want to disturb you.” And I really didn’t want to still be there when Finn and Velora showed up.
“You’re so quiet, I doubt you’d disturb a mouse,” Deacon replied.
I glanced at Eloise and Kira, who were frowning.
“Thank you,” I told them.
“You better come back tomorrow,” Eloise said. “I was just about to give you a tour of the herb garden and show you my favorite recipe.” Her worry bloomed into a warm, inviting smile, the kind of smile a mother might give her child, something I’d seen but never experienced before.
“I will,” I assured her and rushed out the back door into brilliant hot sunshine, buzzing insects, chirping birds, and fragrant air. For a moment, I’d felt free and safe and comfortable. Eloise’s and Kira’s excitement over cooking was contagious and I wanted more of that feeling.
Hoping I’d receive the same welcome with Whil, I followed the path through the herb garden, past the Residence’s private sacred grove to Whil’s greenhouse-English cottage-library.
Trees and bushes and all manner of flowers crowded around the strange building. It didn’t seem to matter that it was summer, tulips and irises bloomed beside daisies and daylilies and fall chrysanthemums and dahlias.
Much to my surprise, Whil, the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen with her long golden hair, delicately pointed ears, and perpetual soft golden fae glow, was outside picking berries from a bush near the back.
I walked toward her, my pace getting slower and slower, my nerves making my heart race.
She wasn’t pack so she might not feel the same way about me as other shifters.
Please, let that be true.
“Audrey!” Whil’s face brightened the moment she saw me, flooding me with relief. “You’ve got to try these. They’re the closest I can get to a berry I loved in Fairy and this is the only bush in the area.”
The bush wasn’t very big, standing as high as my waist and only a few feet wider than me. It was heavy with small, bright pink berries but they were still only enough to make three, maybe four pies, and likely wouldn’t even fill her medium-sized bucket.
“If you love them so much, why wouldn’t you grow more?” I asked as Whil lifted the basket, offering me her precious fruit.
“A merchant brought the plant to Stonehaven from a much warmer land about two hundred years ago, and trust me, I’ve tried to make it grow bigger, tried to grow cuttings, tried everything I could think of.”
I popped the berry in my mouth, letting the juice coat my tongue before swallowing it. It tasted like strawberries and cream, and I couldn’t hold back a soft moan. “It’s so good.”
“I told you,” she said with a grin. “I think the only reason it’s alive is because it’s here and I unconsciously make things grow in a fifty-foot radius around my cottage despite the weather.”
“Does it make berries all the time?”
Whil sighed. “Only twice a year so I make sure I pick them before any of them go bad. Come! I have the perfect tea for these.”
She led me back to the entrance to her greenhouse library and its inside garden, just as vibrant as the flowering garden outside. The strange combination still astounded me with the bookshelves crammed with books and scrolls and jars, making secret nooks and standing among a cacophony of colorful flowers, even though the ceiling and walls were glass like an ordinary greenhouse.
As she led me farther across the uneven flagstone floor and past the strange steps that went nowhere in the middle of a small gurgling pool, the glass turned into a mix of glass windows and stone walls and the ceiling became a normal ceiling. More bookshelves lined the walls, creating more secret little nooks partially hidden by foliage and begging to be explored.
Whil took me to the back to the mismatched seating area consisting of two simple wooden chairs, a stool, a chair with thick cushions, and an old-fashioned couch with only one arm. Piles of books littered the area, and I couldn’t tell if she’d moved anything from when I’d first visited her greenhouse a month ago.
She set the basket of berries on the table between the various seats and hurried around a corner into the cottage part of her house, the dimmer light making her golden glow more obvious.
I sat on the old-fashioned couch stunned. I’d planned to approach her cautiously and find out how she felt about me. Instead, she’d welcomed me like a long-lost friend and now I was sitting in her home awaiting tea so I could eat her precious berries.
Had Cyrus not talked to her?
It was possible, which meant the next time I visited, I might not be so welcome. But then again, maybe not. Maybe Whil liked me like Eloise and Kira did.
“Here we are,” Whil announced as she reentered carrying a silver tray with two tall glasses and a pitcher filled with a pale green liquid.
She set the tray beside the basket, filled both glasses, and sat on the floor opposite me surrounded by uneven stacks of books.
“You’ve had quite a journey,” she said. “I’m sorry the spell didn’t work and you had to seal your bond with Knox. And I’m sorry Cyrus was an idiot and lost his temper.”
So she did know what had happened. But did she know what he’d actually said or how he really felt about me?
She must have seen something in my expression because hers softened and she pushed the basket of berries closer to me.
“Cyrus comes from a long line of protectors and sometimes they can mistake overbearing for protecting.” She took a long sip of her cold tea and studied me. “It doesn’t excuse what he did. He owes you an enormous apology. I just hope knowing this helps you see that it wasn’t your fault.”
I nodded and took my own sip of tea to avoid saying anything, surprised at the sweet minty taste of the beverage. Nova had said something similar and while I could see overprotectiveness being Cyrus’s reason for yelling at me, it was safer to assume I’d displeased him and try not to do it again in the future.
“I’m sure you have questions about the tether and the blocking magic I used to prevent whoever is on the other end from influencing you,” she said changing the conversation.
A shudder swept through me. I’d been so worried about Cyrus, I’d forgotten that Sterling could make me dream horrible things and manipulate me.
“Bishop said the block wasn’t permanent.” That was the biggest thing I was worried about. How sturdy was the block? Would it fade away or just vanished leaving me susceptible to Sterling’s manipulations?
“Correct, it isn’t permanent,” Whil replied, her expression turning grim. “I’m not sure how long the block will last so I’d like to check it regularly so we can get an idea of the tether’s strength. Thankfully the tether isn’t a true bond so there are other ways to break it besides going back to the death god’s temple.”
“There are?” I leaned toward her, a small flicker of hope bursting to life inside me.
I could finally be free of Sterling.
“I found some possible options while I was looking for a way to break your mating bond.”
Except Bishop hadn’t mentioned anything about breaking the tether yesterday, which meant Whil hadn’t told him or he’d decided not to tell me. Either option indicated that these ways to break the tether were long shots, just like breaking the mating bond.
“Would you let me take a closer look at the tether? I was in a hurry when I blocked it and I doubted Knox would have let me stick around after you were safe. I’m actually surprised about the number of people he let help you.” Whil chuckled softly. “The power of a sealed mating bond, I guess.”
“I guess so,” I replied, the sudden mention of Knox making my chest ache. He hadn’t even been gone a full day and I already missed the feel of his emotions whispering through our bond.
“So…” Whil popped two more berries into her mouth. “Can I look at that tether?”
“Please.” If it finally got Sterling out of my life for good, I’d do just about anything.
Whil sat on the old-fashioned couch beside me and placed her palms against my temples. Warmth radiated from her skin and into my head, and a gold light filled my vision.
“Take a breath,” she ordered, making me realize I’d been holding it. “This won’t hurt. It’ll probably make you drowsy. Just relax.”
I drew in a deep breath and slowly let it out, sinking into the warmth and golden glow of her magic. A soft haze muddled my thoughts and I knew I was completely helpless against Whil or anyone else who entered the greenhouse library.
But I also knew in my soul that I was safe with her. It was as if her magic connected me to her, and just like I knew I was safe with Knox and he was my mate, I could tell Whil didn’t have ill intentions toward me. In fact, she saw me as a kind of kindred spirit. We were both outsiders to the pack in our own way, separated from our homes, and didn’t fit easily into the pack’s hierarchy. The realization let me fall deeper into her golden warmth.
A moment later, the warmth withdrew and I opened my eyes. Except I wasn’t sitting on the old-fashioned couch anymore, I was lying on it and Whil sat on the floor near one of her bookcases with a large tome open on her lap.
“Good,” she said. “You’re awake just in time for dinner.”
My pulse lurched and I jerked upright.
Dinner? I slept all afternoon?
And hell, dinner! I didn’t want to have dinner in the dining room again. Bishop had promised I wouldn’t have to, but I didn’t know where he was, and if he hadn’t talked to Cyrus, I’d get in trouble for not showing up.
I tried to suck in a calming breath. I really really didn’t want to go, but it would be safest to dress, present myself, and suffer through another meal. Now that I knew I had Bishop, Whil, and possibly Nova on my side, I had a better chance of keeping my expression pleasant when interrogated by the others.
“Bishop said to meet him in the summer garden,” Whil said, sending a blast of relief flooding through me before it jerked to panic.
Bishop wanted to see me again in the summer garden. We’d had sex there the last time and I really hoped it meant we’d have sex again, but I wasn’t ready. I was in a shirt and pants again, not a pretty dress and?—
I ran a hand over my hair.
Yep, half of it had fallen out of my braid while I’d slept.
I had to look like a complete mess.
“When do I need to meet him?” Maybe I could run back to my room to freshen up.
“He said whenever it got close to dinner time or you woke up.”
“So now?” I squeaked. I didn’t know why I was suddenly so nervous. It wasn’t like we hadn’t had sex before and while I’d been wearing the exact same outfit. “I could have slept through the night.”
I quickly rebraided my hair. I had to get ahold of myself. I was making too much of his invitation. He might not want sex. He might just want to eat a meal with me.
“Calm down,” Whil chuckled. “I’m pretty sure he’s already madly in love with you.”
“What? He’s not— I— You can tell?” Could everyone? I knew he hadn’t made an attempt to hide his intentions, but?—
But nothing. He wasn’t hiding and neither should I.
I thanked Whil for the tea and berries and, with my heart racing in anticipation, I rushed to the herb garden near the kitchen so I could find my way to the summer garden.