2.

S TASSI

“If I don’t get out of this house, I’m going to escalate from low to moderate mental health problems and run screaming straight into psychosis,” I complained as I slowly lowered myself down to sit on the couch next to Aunt Vivienne.

“If you don’t stop rearranging my thread box, I’m going to push you off a roof.”

“Why do you insist on having all the colors jumbled like that? I just don’t understand it.” Vivienne closed her eyes and bit her lip, most likely to hold in a litany of curse words and possibly even a few spells, and I heard Maribel laughing from her chair across the room. “There has to be something I can do around here.”

“Read a book.”

“I couldn’t find one that interested me.”

“Take up a hobby.”

“I tried needlepoint but . . .” My voice trailed off when Vivienne let out a low growl. “I need to actually leave the house.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Stassi. You’re still unwell and can’t defend yourself against even the simplest of spells.”

“I can,” I argued. My left hand suddenly rose and slapped my forehead before it dropped back to my lap. I glared at Maribel and then Vivienne before I threatened, “Whichever one of you did that is going to pay.”

Vivienne and Maribel were laughing too hard to confess, not that they would have anyway. The one person in the house who wasn’t amused by the trickery came around the corner with a scowl directed at me.

“What have I told you about messing with my books, Anastacia?”

“She used your full name,” Maribel whispered in glee.

“Your books?” I asked innocently.

“They’re out of order.”

“No, they’re in order,” I argued without thinking. “As I was trying to find something interesting to read, I saw that they were out of order, so I organized them.”

“You do realize that you’re speaking to a librarian, right?” Clarisse asked.

“Yes, but they were all willy-nilly on the shelves and . . .”

“They were organized by genre, Stassi.”

“Oh. But they look really nice now, don’t you think?”

“Physical exercise might be good for your recovery,” Maribel suggested.

“Unless you’re willing to wake the dead and have them chase me, I’m not going to run.”

“I mean get up and move around . . . somewhere that you can’t get into so much trouble. You’re not in any shape to run anywhere from anyone.”

“I’m an adult. Adults don’t get in trouble.”

“Go for a walk before I carry you to the top of the nearest mountain and sling you into Utah!”

I could tell by the tone of Clarisse’s voice that she’d reached the end of her fuse and was seconds away from turning me into a frog or something equally disturbing, so I slowly stood and shuffled toward the front door. The pain in my chest was almost bearable, but my legs still felt like they were made of lead, and the tingling in my feet seemed to be getting worse. It took all the energy I had to turn the knob on the front door. By the time I made it to the top step of the porch, I was winded.

However, the bright sunshine and puffy clouds above me lifted my spirits and spurred me to keep going. Well, the sound of my aunts yelling in the house behind me helped too.

I knew I was getting on their nerves, but I didn’t seem to be able to stop myself. It wasn’t like me to be quite so particular about things unless I was upset about something, and I really had no reason to be upset right now. Yes, I was in constant pain but it was getting better, and yes, I’d left my home on a whim but I could go back anytime I wanted. But neither of those things gave me an excuse for the way I’d been behaving for the last few days.

Poor Ivan had been by to check on me at least ten times in the past week. Although I didn’t remember much about the first few days of my convalescence, I did recall hearing his accented voice nearby. Other friends from Mereu had come to see me, too, and I’d had some great visits catching up with Lovey, Genji, and Minka - women that I’d become friends with over the years during my time in Mereu.

The one person that hadn’t dropped by was Aksel. Even though I didn’t really expect him to, that didn’t make it hurt any less. He, of all people, knew how what I’d done for Ivan had hurt me, and yet he hadn’t even come by once to check on me in the seven days since he’d left me with my aunts.

My relationship with Aksel had always been fraught with emotion - most of it anger, but after all these years, I’d like to think we’d developed a sort of friendship. I’d had way too much time to analyze that during my recovery and had come to the realization that I wanted to see him again - and not just to banter with him, but to actually get to know him, which was a surprising turn of events because I could barely tolerate the man. For some reason, Aksel and I had rubbed each other the wrong way since the instant we met, and that hadn’t changed even after being forced to be in each other’s company for long stretches at a time. Unless we were naked, Aksel and I couldn’t find any common ground, and even then, it wasn’t a good idea for us to speak at all - just feel and enjoy before we went our separate ways again.

Over the years, I found that I really enjoyed going toe to toe with him and even looked forward to it, but in the last week, I’d seen him in an entirely new light.

I wandered down the street and was pulled from my musings by a familiar voice calling my name. I looked up and realized I had gone much further than I thought I’d be able to when I left the house. If I didn’t sit down soon, I might just fall down instead.

“You look a little unsteady, sweetheart. Come and sit with me for a bit,” Sin Westland, the wife of our town leader, called to me from her front porch.

I decided to join her because I knew for sure that I couldn’t get back home before I collapsed. I walked through the open gate and slowly climbed the porch steps. Once I was seated on the other end of the swing, I let out a long sigh.

“You look better than you did the first day you were home.”

“I do?”

“You were sleeping on the couch, so I didn’t bother you. Instead, I entertained Clarisse with stories about my absolutely insane children and how they’re trying to make me lose my mind.”

“Isn’t life easier now that they’re older?”

“Sosie thinks that the warning lights on her dashboard are achievements she’s unlocked in her vehicle.”

“She what?”

“Yeah! She called the other day and said she unlocked a new one. When she sent a picture of it to Blaze, I watched his head explode.”

“That must have made quite a mess,” I said through my laughter.

“Yeah, she unlocked the teapot last week and let us know she had gotten another one that looked like a neat maze.”

“The what?”

“The teapot was the oil pressure warning symbol, and the maze was the check engine light.”

I burst out laughing again, and Sin gave me a brittle smile, so I asked, “Are you gonna kill her?”

“Only if Blaze doesn’t get to her first.”

“I think it’s time for me to embark on that roller coaster ride again,” I said, admitting out loud what I’d been thinking about for quite some time.

“Are you ready to adopt more children?”

“Most definitely. All of my kids have forged their own paths in the world, and we get together as often as we can, but I know there are others out there that need a place to call home. I’m ready to settle down again for a while.”

“You’re the perfect foster or adoptive parent, whatever the case may be.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Well, you’re a witch, a shifter, and a vampire. You cover all the bases, so it’s easy for you, regardless of what kind of child you might encounter.”

“That’s true. I wonder if Blair has a line on any children who might need a good home.”

“You know she does. You should let her know you’re available when she gets back.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize she was gone. Is it her time to change?” I asked.

Generally, immortals moved around every twenty years or so to prevent the mortals around them from noticing that they didn’t age. Most of the time, they came back as a distant relation or even a grandchild of their former self to help explain the resemblance. However, a few years ago, my friend Lovey, a witch here in Mereu, perfected a spell that puts an aging glamor on whoever uses it to help them pass for longer than normal so they wouldn’t need to uproot their lives as often.

Most supernaturals had their favorite places they frequented, but there were plenty of others like me who enjoyed discovering new places with each change. I’d been all over the world in my time as an immortal and had had some homes I thoroughly enjoyed over the years, but now, I chose to own homes where my grown children resided and my place in Mereu, a town where I always felt welcome. When I needed to take off and reinvent myself, I usually chose to be near one of my kids, which gave me quality time with them and their family while I could still have visits from the others.

“Oh, she’s not making a change this time. The young ones she shares with Aksel are all celebrating birthdays this month, and they went to the nest in Texas for their celebration before four of them accompany them back here for their change.”

I gasped in shock. “Blair and Aksel have children together?”

Sin laughed for a second as she shook her head. “My villainous and degenerate father was banished from any connection to the immortal and supernatural world because he created four new vampires without permission. They were very young at the time and needed more guidance than most to find their way, so Blair and Aksel took them under their wing and basically raised them.”

“I vaguely recall hearing about that.”

“It’s only been sixty-ish years. I can’t imagine why you can’t remember the details,” Sin said sarcastically.

Sin Westland, previously Sin Tempest, was one of the few mortals who knew everything there was to know about Mereu, Springblood, and other sanctuaries around the country and even the globe. She was well aware of the different kinds of supernaturals who made their home here because she was married to Blaze Westland, a descendant of the original mortals who helped found the town and form the truce agreement between the different factions for their own health and safety.

Sin’s family had a tenuous connection to Springblood and Mereu because of their bloodline. Drasil Tempest, Aksel’s sire, was one of the originals who helped start Mereu but was later stripped of his immortality and powers because of infractions against the agreement he’d been part of creating. When he became a mortal man, he became set on wreaking havoc on their world by marrying multiple times and fathering numerous children whom he abused horribly before he was finally killed.

The beings that he’d created had a much easier life than Drasil’s children had, apparently, since Aksel had a hand in “raising” the vampires Drasil had been punished for turning. I couldn’t imagine him going half-ass on any task and thought his dedication would make him a great father.

“Since you’re considering adoption, I guess you’ll be staying in Mereu for a while?”

“I believe I will. I’ll need to go home and gather some of my things, but it’s time I purchased a new home here.”

“There are some that have just hit the market. They’ve built several in the southernmost part of the valley. That neighborhood would be perfect for you since it’s right next to the forest for you to roam.”

“That sounds wonderful. I’ll have to check them out. Who is doing real estate right now?”

“Blaze’s sister, Breeze, is still in charge of that,” Sin explained. “I’ll give you her card before you leave.”

“Thank you.” We rocked in silence for a few minutes before I said, “I’ve got to get a part-time job or something before I go completely insane, especially if I’m going to stay with my aunts until I find a place of my own.”

“Clarisse mentioned that you’ve been . . . a little . . .”

“More irritating than usual?”

“Well, she didn’t say that exactly, but it was sort of implied.”

I laughed at the tactful way Sin was trying to skirt around telling me how pissed Clarisse and the others were about my new personality attributes. Finally, I asked, “Can you think of a job here in town that might be good for someone who just can’t manage to stop herself from organizing and reorganizing things?”

Sin burst out laughing and asked, “Is that part of your new obsession?”

“I guess so because it didn’t seem to be a problem before.”

“You know, Ivan is like that too. When he comes over, it’s all he can do not to go through my pantry and turn all the cans the right direction. He came over for dinner once, and the next time I opened the cabinet in the guest bathroom, it was perfectly arranged.”

“Ivan does that?”

“Yes. He’s always had an undeniable need for order.”

“I need to go talk to my aunts,” I said abruptly as I stopped the swing and started to stand. It took me a little bit, but I stood and got my bearings. “If you think of any jobs that might . . .”

“They’re looking for a stock manager at Harold’s Market, that grocery store right on the edge of Springblood.”

“That might work, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to gather enough fake references in time to beat out any other applicants.”

Sin waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about that. Harold is married to Lori, the snow leopard shifter. They live with their kids over on Cheyenne. I’ll give him a call and let him know you’re interested.”

“Thank you so much, Sin! I hope that whatever is wrong with me fades a little faster if I’m up and moving around more.”

“I hope so too. I’ll let him know that you’ve got some issues, but you’re relatively young and able to work hard.”

“Relatively young? You realize that I’m almost one hundred and fifty years old, right?”

“You’re still just a baby in the grand scheme of things.”

As I slowly made my way down the stairs, I mumbled, “It certainly doesn’t feel like it right now.”

I said my goodbyes to Sin, and I felt like there was a little more pep in my step on the way back to my aunts’ house. I all but had a job, even though I really didn’t need one because I’d been very careful with my money and built up quite a nest egg over the years. I had a lead on a home, which would make not just me happy, but put my aunts over the moon. There might even be an opportunity for me to raise more kids soon.

All of that sounded wonderful, but it felt like there was still something missing. I’d never felt this type of longing before, and I didn’t understand it, but I had an idea of where it had come from. If I was right, that would also explain the changes in my personality.

When I finally made it back to my aunts, the air wasn’t quite as charged as it had been when I left, and when I walked into the living room, everyone seemed happy to see me.

“How was your walk?”

“Slow, but rewarding. How was your time away from me?”

“Fast but refreshing,” Clarisse said honestly. “You look upset, chérie. What’s wrong? Is the pain worse?”

“No, it’s not any worse, but I think I found some answers about the other problems I’m having.”

“Such as?” Maribel asked. I gave her a pointed look, and she grimaced. “I was trying to be nice.”

“I’m sure you’ve noticed I’m not quite myself.” Their age and experience helped my aunts keep their expressions steady when I knew they were screaming agreement in their heads. I continued, “Does Ivan have a problem with things being out of order?”

“Gods, yes! The man can’t stand it if things aren’t all in line or organized by . . . Oh my!” Clarisse said in shock. “You didn’t just take his pain . . . you mirrored his personality.”

“I think so. It’s not just physical pain that’s making me ache, but a longing in me that I haven’t been able to describe.”

“His yearning for his lifemate,” Maribel said sadly.

“It’s not a yearning, it’s a void, but there’s . . . It’s hard to describe. It’s like there’s a string attached that’s pulling me back to Chehalis.”

“What?”

“I feel like there’s something there that will fill the void inside me. Almost like a missing puzzle piece that will make me whole.”

“Then it must not be Ivan’s pain you’re feeling. His wife was killed in a horrible accident,” Vivienne explained sadly.

“Or was she?” Clarisse asked with an odd look on her face.

“The part that’s missing is in Washington. I know it.”

“I need to talk to Cas,” Clarisse said as she suddenly got up from the couch. “Stay here. He may need to ask you some questions.”

“About what?” I asked, but Clarisse was already gone. I looked at the other sisters and saw their shock and concern. Finally, I implored, “What am I missing here?”

“It seems like it’s something that all of us missed, Stassi.”