Falco
I’d slept in my house in the Enchanted Forest for many nights already, gotten used to the smells and sounds, or lack thereof compared to my old place in the outer-world.
I should have slept soundly knowing my home was finished and officially mine.
I hadn’t. Instead, I’d tossed and turned the entire night, thinking only that Vern would not be coming in the morning to greet me at my front door.
Yet, I hoped he would be there anyway. Especially after I’d made him dinner and practically threw myself at him.
I’d yearned for him to stay so I could tell him I wanted him to be my mate before we’d made love.
But he’d run away instead, leaving me with a carving he’d done of a flower.
It sat on my mantle, but that didn’t seem to be a good enough spot to display more of his exquisite craftsmanship.
With a sigh, I pulled on a shirt and a pair of shorts before making my way into my kitchen.
I craved a cup of coffee to take away the sharp edge of tiredness that lingered behind my eyes.
But that meant I had to start the woodstove and I didn’t want to wait for it to warm up just to boil some water.
The lack of convenience in the magical world still took some getting used to, but I learned to do without most of the time.
Something I was already used to in my own world.
After lingering on my couch for a while, hoping to catch a bit more sleep, I decided to head into the village.
Even though I didn’t expect him to be there, it was still a huge disappointment to open my door and not see Vern.
My heart ached. The beaver shifter was the being in the magical world who knew me best, and if he didn’t want to be my mate, would anyone else?
Was there something wrong with me? Would I be returned to my world unmated and unhoused? I dreaded that possibility.
Wishing to find Vern, I headed for the new group of houses being built.
They were on the other side of the village, and I couldn’t help but notice the way the other villagers looked at me as I passed.
It was like they knew something about me.
Some big secret. Did they all know why Vern had rejected me?
Quickening my steps, I hurried to the construction site. Many beaver shifters changed back and forth between their human and animal form as they needed. Yet, only one stayed in their human form wearing nothing but a trapper’s hat and a tool belt.
As I watched Vern work, cutting wood and hammering it in place, I couldn’t ignore the huge sadness that washed over me. Even in the Enchanted Forest, I wasn’t enough for the man I wanted. Watching him only made his rejection hurt worse.
I decided to head back home, and when I turned around, I smacked into a hard body. He grabbed my arms and chuckled. “Whoa, little outer-worlder. Where are you going in such a hurry?”
A quick glance at the being in human form revealed rock-hard abs, a narrow and chiseled chest, and a full and long package between his legs. A much different body type than Vern. “Um, home?”
The shifter grinned, one side of his lips reaching higher than the other. “Well, let me walk you there. I’ve been meaning to stop by, but you never seemed to be alone.”
Alone? Why alone? He could have stopped by any time Vern had been there and still been able to talk. To get to know me. Why had the beaver shifter kept him away? Was he afraid of Vern?
“Name’s Hank, by the way. I’m a raccoon shifter. Want to see me shift?”
Shaking my head, I kept walking. “I know what a raccoon looks like. We had lots of them near where I worked. They were always getting into the garbage.”
He grabbed my arm, jerking me to a stop. “I don’t eat garbage.”
I pulled out of his grasp, not even sure if he knew what I meant by garbage. Without excessive packaging, there didn’t seem to be more than compost waste in the Enchanted Forest. “I never said you did. Only that I know what raccoons look like because of the ones in my world.”
His nostrils flared. “I think I’ll wait for another outer-worlder.” As he disappeared into the woods, I felt more relief than confusion with his departure. Hank wasn’t even close to the kind of mate I wanted.
As I approached my home, I saw another man on my front porch.
He was older with thick hair on the top of his head and a long, fuzzy beard, both a combination of gray and strawberry blond.
He had a dad bod, though he wasn’t any of the fathers I’d met since I’d arrived.
And he wore a pink lace tutu around his waist. The same kind Samantha paraded around in when I babysat her and her siblings. Only his seemed a few sizes larger.
When he spotted me, he stood. “Falco! I’ve heard so much about you, and I just had to come and meet you.”
Once again, I wondered why he hadn’t come earlier. “I’ve been here for several days.”
He chuckled as he waved off my comment. “You were busy getting used to being here, but now that you’re settled, I wanted to introduce myself. I’m Victor. My other form is a porcupine. Do you know what those are?”
I nodded then waved, feeling like I should somehow greet him. “I saw one once when I was on a field trip in elementary school. All those quills.”
He rolled his shoulders back, thrusting out his chest. “Yes, and I’ll have you know I’ve never had a need to expel any of mine.”
I wasn’t sure what that meant in terms of living in the Enchanted Forest, but he seemed proud of that fact. “Good for you. Would you like to come in? I think I have some biscuits made.”
They were left over from the ones I had made for Vern, but Victor didn’t need to know. He seemed kinder than Hank, and if I was to entertain suitors in order to find a mate, I might as well start with him. Since Vern didn’t seem to want me.