AllFreeNovel
Share Us
It was still so hard to believe that our intimacy had been enough to awaken his wolf. To bring it back and take that strain away from him.
I knew that fated mate bonds were called divine and magical for a reason, but I never would’ve thought it could cause such a miracle for him.
The small chime above the door rang as it opened, and River came in wearing an excited smile.
“Welcome!” I said, returning the warm expression.
“It looks great as always in here,” she returned, glancing around. “And the world hasn’t been engulfed in fire or ice, so I’m assuming nothing detrimental has been going on in town.”
I snickered at that and rearranged a shelf of new crystal stock. “So far, so good, as far as I can tell.”
“Which means the harvest festival is coming up soon, and I wanted to know if you’d be interested in helping me set up this year,” she said, handing a flyer rough draft to me.
I took it and read the details, feeling a spark of mutual excitement within me. “Absolutely. The harvest season is my favorite time of year. Count me in.”
I loved it any time events were put on in town, and I knew how much River loved throwing them. It was a match made in heaven.
River brightened even more and handed me a few other papers with more information scrawled on them. “Perfect! This is everything you’ll need to know about it. I’ll swing by soon so we can talk decorations and more logistics.”
While I loved the idea, I couldn’t help but think about the current issues at hand. “Do you think there might be any issues with the townies and bikers? What if this isn’t the best time?”
River waved me off and smiled. “I think it’s the perfect time. We all need something to distract us, and celebrating the year’s bounty should do exactly that.”
She did have a point. After every event, the townspeople usually seemed to have better morale.
Taking her word for it, I let that excitement return to me. “I’ll do some brainstorming then.”
More than happy to hear it, River beamed at me. “It will be perfect; I just know it! I’ll see you around, okay?”
“Of course,” I returned, always glad to see her.
She began for the door but hesitated before she could leave. I heard as she paused a moment, and she looked in my direction with a quizzical expression.
“Hey, Willow. Has anything happened recently?”
I felt just as confused as she looked. “Why do you ask?”
River studied me for a moment. “You smell different.”
Aside from sleeping with Rowan, I had no idea what she was talking about. Considering the climate in town, I didn’t want to let that little detail slip. Other than that, I didn’t know what she meant.
“No, not that I can remember,” I said, as genuinely as I could muster despite the white lie.
Could shifters smell when mates had been…intimate? I wondered if that was what she meant.
River shrugged, dropping the topic just as quickly. “Must be nothing then. Strange. But have a good day, all right?”
Still confused by the question, I nodded and watched as she left, continuing down the street.
It took me a few minutes to shake it from my system, but I chalked it up to my connection with Rowan and got back to work.
Noticing a few books out of place in the back corner, I made my way over and put my attention into tidying them.
Seeing River reminded me that most of my friends had their families and husbands, and it had been a joy to watch them grow. Their kids were spitting images of them, and they were all such doting parents.
It was funny how quickly things changed, but I wouldn’t change how any of it came to be.
Even if I didn’t have any children of my own, it was a pleasure to peek into their lives and see how much older they were all becoming. Soon enough, they’d be running this town and giving all of us a run for our money.
