A sudden clattering shattered the quiet. He paused, peering through the trees. Around the bend, a lumber-laden wagon creaked into view.
“Collin,” Clive hailed him with a wave.
Nic was behind the cart, tugging a mangled shrub free from the spokes. “Well, if it isn’t the mud-drenched schoolmaster himself.”
Collin tried to return the smile. “Doing some early spring landscaping?”
Nic tossed the shrub aside. “Something like that.” He nodded to the wagon. “We’re hauling the last of the lumber to Dragonfly’s build site.”
Collin froze. “Dragonfly’s... what?”
“House,” Nic said, flicking wet hair from his eyes with a lazy gesture. “Didn’t she mention? She’s putting up a place.”
A wild rush of heat filled Collin’s chest. “She’s building a house? Here?”
“Northwest side of the forest. Just past the grove,” Nic replied. “I handled her land paperwork myself. Very official. Stamped and everything.”
Collin gripped the sack of vegetables tighter. “Is she... is she moving back?”
“Eventually, yeah. She’s still tying things up in White Wood, but this isn’t a whim. I sent her drafts. She paid a deposit too—though I told her not to bother. Didn’t stop her.”
Collin barely heard the rest.She’s coming home.The words echoed through him like a prayer.
“She’ll be here tomorrow,” Nic added, his eyes sparkling. “We’re meeting at the site to go over details. You should swingby after—if you’re not too busy saving the village children from ignorance.”
“Where is the site?” Collin asked, trying to keep the hope from shaking his voice.
“West bank,” Nic said, brushing water off his brow. “A mile south of the sacred grove. There’s this little clearing tucked into the trees on the northwest edge.”
“That far out?”
“Mm-hmm.” Nic nodded. “I warned her it’s proper wolf country, but she waved me off. Said she’s been dreaming about that spot since she was a girl.”
Clive, who had been adjusting the wagon’s wheel, chimed in. “The borderlands aren’t that bad. My cousins live near the ridge. You just have to be used to quiet.”
“It’s not the quiet that worries me,” Nic muttered, almost to himself. “It’s the isolation. If something goes wrong out there, there’s no one close enough to help. And she’s planning to live alone. At least for now.”
Collin’s stomach turned. “Isn’t it dangerous?”
“Only if you’re careless,” Nic said. Then after a pause, “Still—there’s wildlife, and then there’s the old stories.”
“stories?”
Nic gave a lopsided shrug. “You know the ones. Flickering lights, strange sounds, trees that whisper your name if you’re out past dusk. Probably just bored shepherd talk. Still... she’s not exactly picking the safest patch of earth for her happy ending.”
“That sounds like her,” Collin murmured, mostly to himself.
“She’s determined, I’ll give her that,” Nic said. “Once her mind’s made up, good luck changing it.”
Collin looked out toward the trees, already picturing the little clearing she must have loved. Wild, remote, beautiful—just like her.
He’d visit. Every day, if she lets him.
Collin ran all the way home, the sack of vegetables slapping against his leg, rain forgotten. Aries wasn’t there, but it didn’t matter.
He threw himself into cooking—something warm, something indulgent. He pulled out spices he hadn’t touched in months and scattered herbs like they were free. He tasted every bite. For once, it wasn’t just to quiet hunger—it was joy on his tongue.
After dinner, he cleaned. Not out of duty, but because he needed to move, to do. He swept, wiped, polished, even weeded Aries’s side of the garden. The house sparkled. His heart practically glowed.
