Page 11 of Shifters Unifying (Shifters Destiny: Willow Creek Shifters #2)

CHAPTER TEN

emma

Willow Creek, Louisiana

Willow Creek was my home… until it wasn’t.

Everything I loved used to be inside the city limits of my small town. Until the world had grown infinitely bigger, stuffed to an excess with everything regular humans didn’t know about. Now the hidden world was quickly edging out every aspect of the real world I used to know.

The sunrise turned the billowing clouds bright red, and the sunrise promised to be glorious.

I couldn’t fathom how to reconcile my memories of Willow Creek with the new life I was building with the shifters I had to protect.

It was early yet, and the street were mostly deserted.

A Blackwood Construction truck passed by, and Jasper shared a wave with the other driver.

“Where to first?” Jasper asked.

“Can we drive by my office? I’d like to check on things there.”

“Yer wish is my command, lass.”

“Need the address?” I asked.

“Nope, but we’re stopping for coffee on the way. I imagine ye could use a cuppa.”

“Sounds good. I can’t remember the last time I had time to make myself coffee. Probably not since the last time I overnighted in Willow Creek.”

“Ye ever been to Peaches and Melons?” he asked.

I frowned. “That doesn’t sound like a coffee shop.”

He shrugged and tugged on his beard. “Aye, they are, but they serve some brunch items as well. Now their fruit options are quite popular with the construction.”

“Oh, really? I guess that makes more sense,” I murmured, studying the screen of my phone. I didn’t think I could put it off any longer, so I opened the texting app on my phone.

Me: Hey, Mom. You up?

Mom: Of course. Worry does that to a person.

Me: I know. I’m in town. Wanna grab an early lunch?

Mom: Come by. Let me cook you something better than whatever fast food trash you’ve been eating.

Me: Lol. Okay if I bring a friend?

Mom: A boyfriend?

Mom: I knew it had to be a man.

Mom: Who is he?

I groaned. Never should have texted about Jasper.

Me: MOM! Jasper is my *friend*. Nothing more. He is dating a friend of mine, so don’t ask him a million questions about what he does for a living and if he wants kids. See you soon.

Mom: I think that’s the most words I’ve gotten out of you in weeks.

Me: MOM. Promise me.

Mom: Love you.

Me: Love you, too.

Jasper turned to me as I lowered the phone. “What’s wrong?”

“My mom offered to cook us lunch.”

“Uf, aye, that’s the end of the world, innit it?”

“No, that’s not the problem.”

“Well, there’s nothing good as ye mother’s food, lass. It’s been a spell since I’ve had anything as good as a mother’s cooking.”

“Except now she thinks you’re my boyfriend.”

He laughed, loud and boisterous. “I believe that spot in your life is taken.”

“I suppose I might as well tell her about Logan, too. She’s in for a shock when I tell her about shifting anyway, maybe she won’t focus so much on the boyfriend in the middle of it all.”

He wagged his eyebrows and gave me a lecherous look. “She wants grandbaby shifters, does she?”

“How did you guess?”

“Another trait common to mother-dears.” He hit the blinker, and he turned into the parking lot of a small coffee shop with melons and peaches on the sign. The emoji imagery triggered the memory of an uproar in the church crowd of Willow Creek.

“I’ve never been here before.” I studied him through squinted eyes. “Exactly where are we?”

“Best coffee around.” He pulled to a stop at the order window.

When it slid open, a scantily clad twenty-something woman leaned out, pushing her arms together to showcase her ample cleavage. She wore her hair in two long blonde braids, and her name tag read Sunshine.

“Welcome to Peaches and Melons. Coffee with more than a smile!” she said. “I’m Sunshine. What can I get you?”

Jasper leered at me over his shoulder and then leaned toward the young woman. “Whatever you’ll give me.”

“Jasper,” I gasped. “You’re ridiculous. What would Olivia say?”

He made a face, as thought I’d said something foolish. “She’s the one that brought me here the first time! She’d probably want her usual.”

“Oh, my god.” It was all so… so… Jasper.

The humor of it struck me, hard, in the chest, and my laughter bubbled up and spilled out in near hysterics. But it had the side benefit of diffusing all my pent-up concern about everybody I loved in Willow Creek. Maybe that had been Jasper’s intention all along.

“Large… iced… mocha… two extra… es… press…ssssso… shots,” I said between giggles. “P-p-pleassse.”

“Coming right up,” she said, and she slid the window closed with a peppy grin.

“Jasper,” I said.

“Don’t bother me, lass. I’m watching me show,” he growled.

Another belly laugh erupted from me.

The woman returned with our coffees and handed them through the window.

“Do you even like coffee?” I asked.

“On occasion. When it comes with peaches and melons.” He wagged his eyebrows.

“Are you having coffee today?”

“I don’t think ye want to see a fox on caffeine, lass. Not when I’m to meet yer mother.”

“Thank you,” I murmured.

“Fer what?”

“Being you, I guess.”

“Can’t be anything other than what we are, now, can we?” He shot me a wink. “Shannon first?”

“I think so. She has kids, so she’s probably already up. We can visit her and then stop in to see Riley. She still lives at home, but I’m hoping to catch her while her parents are at work.”

“Ye got it!”

I cuddled my coffee. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot.”

“Why don’t shifters use guns?”

He sighed. “Because bullets aren’t honorable. Haven’t been fer centuries.”

“It might make it easier to take out Acheron.”

“Perhaps,” he said. “But when it comes to that S.O.B., I doubt bullets would finish him off. When ye’re full in yer power, you’ll be able to stop projectiles, even bullets.”

“So, they might be useless?”

He shrugged. “That’s always the assumption, so we never train with loaded weapons.” He wiggled in his seat. “Unless ye count cocks and balls.”

“Oh, my god. Do you ever quit?”

He laughed. “That would be a no.”

Ten minutes later, I knocked on Shannon’s door, and a fully-dressed, freckle-faced kid threw the door open almost immediately—as though he’d been waiting there to leave. For the life of me, I couldn’t recall his name. Jasper waited in the car.

“No school today, kiddo?”

“Fall break,” he said. “Mom’s taking us to the zoo, and I’ve been ready for hours. She got us all up eaarrrrly. Mia’s being a grump.”

“Oh, then it’s going to be a great day!”

Shannon appeared behind him, pulling her hair into a messy bun, with two more kids tucked behind her. “Emma!” She grabbed my arm, tugged me inside, and gave me a quick side-hug. “Close the door, Zeke.”

Zeke closed the door. Then he leaned his forehead on the closed door with a dramatic groan. He must have been ready for the zoo.

“How are you?” she asked. “Want some breakfast?”

“No, no, I’ve got lunch with my mom.”

She raised an eyebrow. “You gonna tell her some things?”

“Yeah.”

“Speaking as a mother, will it be all the things?”

“That’s the plan.” I shrugged. “I hope she’s ready to hear it.”

She leaned close. “If all else fails, you can turn into her favorite animal, and prove it all,” she whispered. “I know your mom. She’ll be happy when you’re happy. So, are you happy, Emma?”

“Once we get passed a few…uh…” I paused, searching the right words. “Hurdles, I think I’ll be the happiest I’ve ever been in my life.” If a particular hurdle named Acheron didn’t kill me first.

“Then that’ll be all that matters to her,” she said. “Make sure to tell her that part.”

“And how are you? Are you okay, Shannon?”

She beamed at me. “We’ve been great. I’m enjoying my time off, and the kids have fall break. It’ll be the first time I’ve been able to take off for their whole fall break.”

“Any strangers poking around?”

“Not a one,” she said. “You know, it’s hard for me to believe all that happened… before. It feels like a dream.”

“Some days, it feels like that way to me, too.” I gave her a sheepish grin. “I’ll get out of your hair. Zeke looks like he’s afraid you’ll never be on your way.”

Shannon laughed. “He’s always the first one up. Isn’t that right, Zeke?”

He threw his head back. “Can we goooooo?”

Shannon gave me a quick hug, and I made my way back to Jasper and the SUV. Another ten minutes brought us to Riley’s family home, and Jasper pulled into the driveway. I took a deep breath with my hand on the door handle, but I didn’t climb out.

Jasper considered me. “Ye well, lass?”

“Afraid of what I’ll find,” I murmured.

“She’ll be fine. Torbin’s the best at what he does.”

I climbed out of the car, strolled up the sidewalk, and rang the doorbell, swaying back and forth while I waited, nervously.

When Riley answered her door, her eyes widened. “Emma! I didn’t expect to see you today.” Her pale skin and reddened eyes sent a chill down my spine. I didn’t know what to say. But then she stepped onto the porch and threw her arms around me. “It’s good to see you.”

“How are the headaches?” I asked as I squeezed her back. She felt thinner than I remembered, but as her boss, I wasn’t sure how often I’d actually hugged her.

“Getting better. I haven’t had one in a few days. Whatever it was seems to be fading. Want something to eat?”

“That’s great.” I stepped back and wiped an escaped tear from my cheek before she noticed it. “No, I’m having an early lunch with my mom, but I had to check on you since I’m back in Willow Creek for a few hours.”

“I’m glad you did.”

“Have there been any strangers poking around here?” I asked.

She gave me a confused look. “Other than the Viking?” She laughed. “He’s a real trip. Totally sus without being sus.”

My grin split my face. “Yes, other than Flynn.”

“No, nobody’s been around. It’s pretty much business as usual around here. You’re the one with all the excitement.”

I studied her expression, trying to figure out if she had remembered anything about my shifting and her kidnapping, or if she meant my extended leave of absence.

“Yeah, it’s been pretty exciting for me,” I said, figuring the noncommittal answer would be safe enough.

“I’ve got to get back to it. I’ll text you soon. ”

“Sounds good,” she said. “Thanks for checking on me. You really didn’t have to make a fuss over my headaches, but it’s good to see you. I’ll be glad when we’re all back to work.”

“Me, too,” I said, almost ready to admit the old normal would never happen again.

We said our goodbyes, and I returned to the vehicle.

Jasper reversed out of the driveway. “Feel better about Riley?”

“Yeah, I think so. She’s not all the way better, but I think she’s recovering. Someday, I’ll have a lot to tell her, and we’ll have a lot to talk about, but I’m not going to drag her back into our world before it’s safe.”

“Is it time for lunch?”

“It’s still early, but I can’t put it off forever,” I said. “I’d like to get back to Six-Mile. There must be some warriors already arriving, and I’m here not there.”

“Aye, and your hurry wouldn’t have anything to do with keepin’ somebody’s dick warm, would it?”

I snorted, nearly joking on the last of my coffee. “That’s not it at all.”

He chuckled, and he threw the car into park. “Want me to stay out here or come in?”

“You might as well come in. Mom’ll want to feed you.”

“Aye, and I’d like to be fed,” he quipped, shutting off the engine.

I knocked on my mother’s front door, but it wasn’t locked, and I let us into the house. “Mom? We’re here.”

“In the kitchen,” she answered. “I hope you two are in the mood for Ceviche.”

Nostalgic flashbacks flooded my mind, and my heart twisted. How many days had I come home to her cooking or baking in the kitchen? Since my father died, it was only her in this house. I didn’t think she’d ever leave it, too many memories lived here, but she had to be lonely most of the time.

“Haven’t had that in a coon’s age,” I called back, using on my dad’s favorite sayings. “Sounds great, Mom! I’ve missed you.”

My mother leaned around the corner which led into the kitchen, brandishing a wooden spoon. “Don’t you try to sweet talk me, missy. Your father could get away with that, but you will not.”

I froze in the vehement, angry-mother glare.

“You have a lot to answer for.” She pointed the utensil at me, and a piece of cilantro fell off and landed on the floor. Then she ducked back around the corner.

Beside me, Jasper’s eyebrows hit his hair line, and he let out a low whistle. “Ye know what’s scarier than the multimorph, lass?”

“What’s that?” I whispered.

“The multimorph’s Southern mother.” He cleared his throat. “And maybe her wooden spoon.”