Page 31 of Wolf’s Providence (The Shadowridge Peak #3)

THIRTY

Willow

The bus rattled along the familiar highway, and I settled into my seat, watching the landscape outside morph from rugged countryside to the edges of towns and back to countryside before I was finally on the edge of Whispering Pines.

I hadn’t realized how much I would miss this place—the way the trees hugged the road, the winding streets I knew like the back of my hand. It felt comforting and strange all at once.

I pulled out my phone, hesitating for a moment before typing a message to Lily. But before I could get very far, it buzzed in my hand with an incoming call. Lily’s name lit up the screen.

“Willow!” Her voice burst through as soon as I answered, bubbling with excitement. “Are you almost here? I’m about to explode with questions!”

I couldn’t help but laugh, the sound feeling bright and freeing. “I’m on the bus, almost there,” I said, glancing out the window at the quaint houses starting to line the road. “But save your questions for when I’m not on speaker with every other passenger.”

“Fine, fine!” she said, but I could hear the eagerness laced in her tone. “But seriously, I was so worried! You leave with that guy, I don’t hear from you, and it’s like you vanished, and then you call saying you’re coming back, and sounding…different. What’s going on?”

I took a deep breath, my heart fluttering. “There’s a lot to explain,” I said, carefully choosing my words. “And I will do that when I am off the bus.”

“Ugh, fine .” I could practically hear the eye roll as she hung up.

Grinning, I enjoyed a few more moments of peace on the bus before I got overrun with questions from my best friend. I knew Lily was still at work, so I walked home, with a light backpack that had hardly anything in it, and because of that, I took my time. Savored the feel of the town as I walked at a leisurely pace.

The air wasn’t as fresh here. It was still good, but I already missed the clean, crisp air of Shadowridge Peak. There was a thin covering of snow, but nothing like on the mountain.

My mind was still struggling to accept everything he had told me. Blood magic. Bound together, not through the Will of his Goddess but a creepy old spell I expected to read about in horror books. The shaman had told me when I was on Blackridge Peak, he had said that Caleb’s blood would have bound us, but I didn’t think he meant actually bind us, where I had no sense of…what? Self ?

I’d tried to puzzle it all out on the bus journey, but some things had no easy answer.

I could go back. My pulse raced when I thought about it, and then I worried about being able to return. Eamon and I had gone a different way when we were racing to catch Caleb. It wasn’t as steep as the way Caleb approached the climb. Plus, Eamon had a route that actually liked vehicles.

You couldn’t drive very far, but I would take some help before no help any day of the week. When I asked Eamon why Caleb took me the hard way, he had a one-word answer: masochist.

And here I was, already worrying about the return when I hadn’t even decided if I was ever going back. Was it even my decision to go back if I did go back? Or was it the bond?

I mean…ugh. It was too much.

I forced myself to think of other things. I had already called and spoken to Lorna. The shop was doing great, and she was loving working there. It was such a relief not to worry about work, and maybe the fact I was taking more care of myself was helping my ME. I’d only had a few spells, and they were merely blips on the radar of my health; I hadn’t lost days, and I didn’t feel as exhausted.

Arriving home, I unlocked the door, and once inside, I took a moment to savor the quiet. The last time I had been here, I recognized it as empty. Lifeless. Now…it still looked empty and lifeless, but I wasn’t. Not anymore.

Or was I?

Tipping my head back, I looked at the ceiling, wishing I could see beyond it. “ Is it real, this bond?” I asked. “Would you answer a human, Luna?”

I took the silence to be my answer.

I’d barely had a bathroom break and started to unpack when my front door banged off the wall as it opened.

“Willow!”

“I’m here!” I yelled back, leaving my room and seeing her in the living room. I braced myself as she flung her arms around me.

“I missed you so much!”

Squeezing her, I smiled widely. “I missed you too,” I told Lily as I stepped back. “You look amazing,” I complimented her. Her brown bob was sleek and shiny as always, but her dark skin was glowing and her eyes were shining with excitement, and while I knew she would be happy to see me…I also suspected my bestie had a man in her life.

“You met a guy?” I guessed.

“I did!” She laughed loudly. “I was at a wedding and he’s amazing, but we can talk about me all day tomorrow. Tonight , I want to hear all about you .” Her eyes narrowed as she looked me over. “Are you okay?”

“Lily, I’m fine. Really. I think I’ve finally figured out a few things about myself.” Or thought I had.

“Does this have anything to do with Caleb?” she asked cautiously, sinking down onto my sofa as she watched me warily, and I could feel the weight of that question hanging in the air.

I hesitated, the mention of him stirring something deep within me. “Yeah, it does. And…everything, really. Life outside of here. It’s been different but good. It’s hard to explain. I just need a little time to process it.”

“You’ve got time,” she said quietly. “Right?”

I had about two weeks. Caleb hadn’t mentioned it, but Eamon had. Apparently, Shadowridge Peak wasn’t hospitable for climbers in winter. Was it ever hospitable to climb?

“Yeah.” I nodded, trying not to think of the ever present question in my head. “I’ve got time.”

I told her about my most recent adventure, while not actually telling her anything. However, I was able to talk about the regeneration of the cabins and Caleb’s work at an exclusive work site. I didn’t mention shifters, attacks, burning of shrines to dead people…I kept it all light and fluffy.

“Willow, are you happy?” she asked, her voice suddenly soft and serious. “Because you don’t look happy.”

I was going to cry. “I thought I was, and then I found something out, something that made me question everything.”

“Tell me?”

How do you explain blood magic?

“Have you ever been so caught up in the moment, you thought it was perfect, and you’re ignorant of everything, and then the bubble bursts and the outside world comes in, and you start to question everything?”

“I think so?” She thought about it. “My first boyfriend was a bad boy.” She saw my look and grinned. “I know, no surprise. He was a bad , bad boy though. Dad hated him. It made me only want him more. He did crazy shit. Dangerous. I thought it was sexy. And then one night he took it too far, people got hurt. It’s not so sexy when the police come and ask you where you were the night of a robbery.”

“Oh shit.”

Lily sniffed. “So yeah, when I woke up out of my lust-filled haze, I saw he wasn’t fun, he wasn’t sexy, he was just a thug.” She gave me a thin smile. “Is that what you mean?”

No. Never. Maybe?

“Kind of. I thought I was happy. Until I learned something about Caleb, about something he did, and now I don’t know what to think.”

“Did he hurt someone?”

Depends who you asked…

“No. Not really.” I shook my head. “Not like that.”

“Did he refuse to help someone?”

“Caleb? Never.”

Lily bit her lip as she watched me. “Cheat?”

“No.” I saw her about to speak. “He did lie though.”

She frowned. “Who told you he lied?”

“He did.”

We held each other’s stare. “Is it forgivable?” She leaned forward and patted my hand.

Her question struck me like a bolt of lightning, and I took a moment to gather my thoughts. “I don’t know yet,” I replied, the truth of it filling me with relief and a sense of revelation. “But it’s complicated. There’s so much I still need to figure out.”

Lily let out a thoughtful hum. “When you get to that point, I’m here to listen. But only you can know the answer.” Lily moved in her chair. “Doc was looking for you. He’s worried. It’s been a long time since he saw you, he said.” She flicked imaginary hair from her pant leg. “There a story there?” she asked not so innocently.

Hearing Doc’s name made my heart twist. I felt a pang of guilt for how easily I had let my old life fade into the background. “No, nothing like that. He’s a good friend. I haven’t needed to see him,” I said. “But I’ll give him a call. I’ve missed his unique style of doctoring.”

There was a pause as Lily watched me. “Well, make sure you give him enough of your time. It’s not everyone who has such a committed doctor.”

That was true, but I didn’t think it mattered to Doc.

“I’m planning to stay a little longer this time,” I assured her, though a tug in my heart reminded me of the mountains and Caleb. “I just…need to see everyone and catch up.”

“Good. You better be ready for all the hugs,” she said, and I couldn’t help but smile.

I looked out the window, letting the familiar view blur as my mind drifted to Caleb. His quiet strength, his protectiveness, the way he’d become this steady presence in my life, even if he’d tried to keep his distance at first. I hadn’t planned on feeling this way, on finding someone who felt like…home.

I hadn’t planned on questioning the truth of how I felt. Were the feelings mine, or were they the result of shifter magic?

I thought about the fact I’d been drawing him, pulled to him, long before I almost died. The attraction had always been there. The need to help had always been inside me.

The need to be with him…it was mine and mine alone.

Blood magic never took me up the mountain that night. My love for Caleb had.

“You’re not staying,” Lily spoke softly, carefully watching me. “You’re leaving.”

“I just got here,” I tried to joke with her.

“I can see it in your eyes,” she told me. “You’re not even fully here right now, and I can tell you already want to leave.”

Hearing her say it made me realize it was true, but I hesitated, wondering if I should tell her, but I didn’t want to lie. “I thought I finally knew where I was supposed to be, Lil. Where I needed to be, and it’s… I don’t think it’s here anymore.”

I heard her intake of breath, and for a second, I worried she’d judge me or tell me I was rushing into something reckless. “Oh, wow,” she said, voice soft. “So it really is serious, huh? With him? You’ve already forgiven him?”

A small, tentative smile curved my lips. “I’m not sure about that.” I took a deep breath. “But it’s more than that, Lily. When I’m with him…I feel this strength I didn’t know I had. It’s not just about Caleb—it’s about who I’m becoming because of him. Because of everything I’ve learned.”

Lily was silent for a long moment. “I guess I always knew you’d find something, someone who’d pull you out of here. You were never really settled here. I think I just didn’t expect you to find it this way. Or for it to be, you know, a mountain-hiker silent type who’d sweep you off your feet.”

We both laughed, and I felt a little tension leave me. But as the laughter faded, I felt the ache again, the bond I knew tugging at me.

“Lily…I don’t know how long I’ll be here,” I admitted, letting the honesty settle between us. “I need to say goodbye to some things here, to make sure everyone’s okay with it—including you. But I think…” I wrestled with the words. The truth. “I think my heart’s already made up.”

She sighed, but there was warmth in it, even pride. “I can tell. I’ve never seen you so sure of something in all the years I’ve known you. Even with the doubts you just shared.” She made a sad face. “But, Willow, if this is what makes you happy, if he makes you happy, then that’s all I care about. Just promise you won’t disappear completely, okay? And that Caleb Foster knows how lucky he is.”

I felt a pang of emotion at her words, a little sadness mixed with a lot of gratitude. “I promise, Lily. You’ll always be a part of me. But thank you…thank you for listening. And understanding.”

“Always,” she replied, her voice strong, and I could see the worry giving way to excitement.

I laughed, my heart feeling lighter. “Can I ask about your guy now?”

As she launched into how she met her new man, I knew I was being honest with myself and that—deep down—I had always known this was just a visit.

A farewell to a life I’d loved and a place I’d always belong to but one I was ready to leave behind.

Because in my heart of hearts, I was already up that mountain where Caleb was waiting for me.