She touched my heart, the place where my bond with Rowan lay. “Remember who you are when you speak to him. He's angry and hurt and lashing out. Things have not been easy for him, either. Especially now. Remember he is less powerful than you, daughter.”
Her eyes took on a hard edge. “And if he tries to make you feel less, you make him remember too.”
I nodded. “Part of me wants to pretend none of this ever happened.”
“If he never happened, you would not be here, standing on land that vibrates with your power. You would not have that male over there struggling not to look at you, to touch you every time he can.”
She took my face in her hands. “You would have missed out on so many beautiful things had your path not led you here, to him. To us.”
“I know.” I exhaled and pressed a hand to my knotted stomach. “Everything is so good right now. I'm so afraid I'll lose this.”
Mom pressed a kiss to my forehead. “You are mated both by shifter magic and ours, tied to Rowan and our court forevermore. Rowan will make mistakes. So will you. Immortality has a way of smoothing even the roughest edges, my darling. Take heart. Your father and I will always be here to guide you.”
Tears shimmered in my eyes. “Thanks, Mom,” I choked out.
Mom stepped away. “I'm only sorry I was not there to help you through the worst times in your life. I can only try to make up for what I missed by being here now.”
I brought her in for a tight hug. “It's enough. I promise.”
She ran a hand down my hair and gave me a gentle squeeze. “Go on,” she encouraged. “The sooner you do this, the sooner you and Rowan can get back here and practice giving me grandbabies.”
I gasped. Mom let out an evil laugh and disappeared in a shimmer of magic.
Mom wanted grandbabies? My feet were rooted to the floor for a moment. The thought of having Rowan's children both elated and terrified me. I glanced at Rowan, who stood there with a curious look on his face.
Our children would be stunning. Rowan would make an incredible father.
“Evie?” Dad called.
I blinked and shook off the shock. “Um. Coming.”
Rowan wrapped his arm around my waist. “Everything alright?”
I nodded. “Mom said something weird. We'll talk about it when we get back.”
His eyes narrowed, but he didn't push. Rowan never pushed, something I'd be forever grateful for. He simply waited until I processed my thoughts and was ready to tell him what was bothering me.
I intertwined our fingers and reached for Moira, who then reached for Garrett.
“Don't let go,” Dad warned.
In an instant, we stood in downtown Joy Springs.
Chapter
Nine
Seconds after Dad dropped us off, Moira swore under her breath. “What the hell happened?”
Garrett took a step forward, his face a dark thundercloud.
Rowan's expression tightened, his hazel eyes ringed with color. I tightened my grip on his hand and slowly looked at my surroundings.
Joy Springs, a once flourishing town not too far from Texas wine country, had become a ghost town. Seventy percent of the businesses no longer existed, their cheery facades faded and vacant. No tourists milled the sidewalks or sat on the benches eating gelato.
“Sirena is gone,” Moira said.
Things were more than bad if the siren had bailed. Last time I saw her, Sirena was worried about the direction things were going, but she planned to stay as long as she could. Sirens weren't popular and many paranormals didn't trust them. Finding a spot where they were not only tolerated but could also open a business was rare.
