Page 7 of Fetch Me A Mate (Shifter Mates of Hollow Oak #1)

DIANA

D iana spent the late afternoon learning the inn's personality.

The seventh stair creaked like an old woman sharing gossip, while the third step from the top sang a different note entirely.

The window in the corner guest room rattled at the slightest breeze, and the radiator in the parlor had a tendency to clank three times before settling into its rhythm.

She was testing the firmness of the newly repaired floorboard when voices drifted up from the lobby. Female laughter, bright and musical, followed by a deeper male voice that carried the easy confidence of someone comfortable in his own skin.

Diana descended the stairs, avoiding the gossip step out of habit now, and found two people in the lobby.

The woman had copper-auburn hair that caught the light like fire, her green eyes warm as she arranged trailing ivy in a mason jar on the reception desk.

The man beside her was tall and lean, with sun-streaked brown hair and hazel eyes that seemed to catalog every detail of the room.

"You must be Diana," the woman said, turning with a smile that felt like sunshine. "I'm Freya Bloom. This is Kieran."

"From the apothecary," Diana said, remembering Miriam's mention of the herbal shop. "The ivy is beautiful."

"For prosperity," Freya said, adjusting the trailing stems. "New beginnings deserve a little encouragement from the green world."

Kieran set down a heavy terracotta planter near the fireplace, his movements economical and sure. "Where do you want this one?"

"Wherever feels right," Diana said. "I'm still learning what the space wants."

"Smart approach." Kieran straightened, wiping his hands on his jeans. "Old buildings have opinions about where things belong."

Freya pulled herb bundles from a canvas bag, their scents mingling in the air. Lavender, rosemary, something that might have been sage. "These are for clearing the space and protection. You can burn them or just let them dry naturally."

"Thank you." Diana accepted the bundle, touched by the thoughtfulness. "Both of you. This is incredibly kind."

"Town takes care of its own, let us know if there’s anything we can help you with," Kieran said simply.

"Speaking of which." Diana hesitated, then decided directness was better than dancing around the subject. "I had a visit from Gerald Finch the other day. He made some comments about my unfamiliarity with shifter customs."

Freya and Kieran exchanged a look.

"Finch is a bureaucrat," Kieran said, his tone carefully neutral. "He likes to make people feel small. What exactly did he say?"

"That I should educate myself about shifter culture so I don't accidentally cause offense." Diana tucked a curl behind her ear. "I'm assuming there are things I should know beyond basic politeness?"

Freya settled into one of the lobby chairs, her expression thoughtful. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything, I suppose. Pack dynamics, territory issues, whatever might come up in day-to-day interactions." Diana sat across from her. "I don't want to stumble into some cultural minefield because I was too ignorant to ask and I have no idea where to begin looking."

Kieran leaned against the mantelpiece, his arms crossed. "Most of it's common sense. Don't challenge someone's authority in public unless you're prepared for the consequences. Don't get between mates. Don't touch without permission, especially if tensions are high."

"Mates?"

Another look passed between Freya and Kieran, this one longer.

"Shifters bond differently than humans," Freya said carefully. "When they find their person, it's... intense. Permanent. Not something to take lightly."

"Like marriage?"

"Deeper than marriage," Kieran said. "More primal. When a shifter finds their mate, everything else becomes secondary to protecting and providing for them."

Diana nodded, filing the information away. "What about pack politics? Finch mentioned those like they were complicated."

"Because they are." Kieran's mouth tightened slightly. "Every pack has its own hierarchy, its own rules. Some are more flexible than others. Some hold grudges longer than they should."

"Is that why people seem wary of Rowan?"

Freya's eyebrows rose, and Kieran's expression sharpened with interest.

"You've noticed that, have you?" Kieran said.

"Hard not to."

"Rowan's got history," Kieran said after a moment. "He was part of a pack outside Hollow Oak. Things went bad. He left."

"What kind of bad?"

"The kind that makes people question whether you'll stick around when things get difficult again." Kieran's voice was matter-of-fact, but Diana caught an undertone of something sharper. "Pack loyalty is everything to most shifters. When someone breaks that bond, it leaves scars."

Diana thought about the careful distance Rowan maintained, the way he seemed to hold himself apart even when they were working side by side.

"But he came back," she said.

"Yeah, he did." Kieran studied her face. "Question is whether he's back to stay or just passing through again."

"He's doing good work on the inn."

"Work's not the same as commitment." Kieran straightened, moving to help Freya arrange the remaining herbs. "Some wolves need a reason to stay, something worth fighting for."

The way he said it made Diana look at him more closely. There was knowledge in his hazel eyes, understanding that went deeper than casual observation.

"You're speaking from experience."

Kieran's mouth curved in a slight smile. "Took me a while to figure out what home looked like. Sometimes it's not a place."

He glanced at Freya as he spoke, and Diana caught the soft warmth that passed between them.

"The point is," Freya said, bringing the conversation back to practical matters, "most shifters in Hollow Oak are decent people just trying to live their lives. Treat them with respect, don't take challenges personally, and you'll be fine."

"And if someone does challenge me?"

"Stand your ground," Kieran said immediately. "Don't back down, but don't escalate either. Most confrontations are about testing boundaries, not actual aggression."

"Good to know." Diana made mental notes, grateful for their candor. "Any other cultural landmines I should watch for?"

"Don't comment on someone's scent unless you know them well," Freya said with a grin. "Shifters are sensitive about that. And if someone's eyes change color during conversation, give them space to collect themselves."

"Eyes change color?"

"Emotional response," Kieran explained. "Happens when the animal side gets stirred up. Not necessarily dangerous, just intense."

Diana thought about the way Rowan's pale blue eyes sometimes seemed to shift, taking on a silver quality when he was focused on his work. She'd attributed it to the lighting, but maybe there was more to it than that.

"You're thinking about something specific," Freya observed.

"Just processing," Diana said quickly. "This is a lot of new information."

"You'll do fine," Kieran said with quiet confidence. "You ask good questions. You listen to the answers. That puts you ahead of most humans who end up in supernatural communities."

"How do you figure?"

"Because you're not trying to make everything fit into what you already know. You're letting it be what it is." He picked up the empty canvas bag Freya had brought. "That's rarer than you might think."

Voices sounded from the porch, followed by the sound of work boots on the steps. Rowan appeared in the doorway, his flannel dusty and his dark hair mussed from the afternoon's labor. His eyes swept the lobby, taking in the new plants and the herb bundles before settling on Diana.

"How's the electrical looking?" she asked.

"Manageable. Need to run some new circuits, but the main panel's solid." His gaze flicked to Kieran and Freya. "Afternoon."

"Rowan." Kieran's greeting was neutral, polite. "Making progress?"

"Yeah."

The conversation felt loaded with undercurrents Diana couldn't read. Kieran watched Rowan with the same assessing look she'd seen others wear, while Rowan maintained his usual careful distance.

"We brought Diana some green friends," Freya said, gesturing to the plants. "Thought the place could use some life."

"Looks good." Rowan's attention returned to Diana. "I'll be here early tomorrow to finish the wiring. Should have the north wall buttoned up by noon."

"Sounds perfect."

He nodded once and headed for the door, pausing when Kieran spoke.

"Rowan? You planning to be around for Diana's community gathering?"

Rowan's shoulders tensed slightly. "Haven't decided."

"Might be good for people to see you supporting the inn's future."

Rowan turned back, his pale eyes meeting Kieran's hazel ones in what felt like a silent conversation.

"We'll see," Rowan said finally.

After he left, silence settled over the lobby. Freya gathered her empty containers while Kieran studied the space where Rowan had been standing.

"He's different with you," Kieran said to Diana.

"Different how?"

"Less guarded. He actually answers your questions instead of just grunting." Kieran's smile was knowing. "That's progress."

Diana felt warmth spread through her at the observation. She hadn't noticed the difference, but if Kieran was right, if Rowan was letting his walls down even slightly, maybe that meant something.

"The inn suits you," Freya said as they prepared to leave. "You belong here."

"I'm starting to believe that," Diana admitted.

"Good. Belief is the first step." Freya shouldered her bag. "The rest is just showing up and doing the work."

After they left, Diana walked through the lobby, breathing in the scent of herbs and trailing ivy.

The inn felt more alive somehow, blessed by the presence of friends and the promise of community.

She thought about mate bonds and pack loyalty, about wolves who needed reasons to stay and women who were still learning what home looked like.

Outside, she could hear the distant sound of Rowan's truck pulling away, and she wondered what it would take to make him believe in staying and why she wanted him to.