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Olivia smiled. “You will see some embarrassing things about my life as well as behavior you won’t approve of, but I think it’s only fair. I’ve been basically spying on you for months. You should know me, all of me, especially because I’m a rose blood. It’s pushing us to do something I’m not sure we should do.”
Zane wasn’t certain why he felt as he did, but he wanted to know about Olivia’s life. In particular, why Regan had said ‘my poor child’. What had she meant by it though he suspected she was referring to Olivia’s isolated life.
Finally, Zane nodded. “I want to know.”
He thought there would be more preamble, at the very least an explanation of the process because he’d never done something like this before. Instead, Regan put her hand on his forehead and like watching a series of quick moving snapshots, Olivia’s life rolled out before him. He saw her memories from the time she was a toddler until the moment Regan had touched his head.
He weaved on his feet, trying to process what he’d just witnessed.
But what unfolded was the reason why Regan had said what she’d said.
Zane hadn’t realized until this moment how much his life was centered on being a part of one group or another, even as the ruler of an entire realm.
But Olivia’s human life had been just as she’d said, very isolated. He saw her often as a child with her hands covered in her fur, weeping at night, rubbing her fur against her cheeks.
All during her growing up years, she’d been denied a critical enjoyment of pack connection. Her human mother couldn’t have known what this deprivation had meant for Olivia and in turn, Olivia would never have been able to discern the nature of her suffering as a child.
“You missed your pack.”
“What?” Olivia turned toward him, her eyes questioning. “I don’t understand.”
“As a child, you would comfort yourself with your fur, this way.” He stroked his cheek as an example.
Her brow grew pinched. “You’re right. Usually at night, especially if I couldn’t sleep.”
“When young shifters need pack involvement, that’s what they do.”
~
Olivia let go of Zane’s hand and turned away from both Regan and Zane. She put a hand to her stomach, trying to hold back what she knew each of them had tapped into. She’d always thought those unexpressed feeling were about her isolation, her general loneliness.
It
had never occurred to her that what she’d experienced was a longing for a shifter pack.
Zane drew near and surrounded her with his arms from behind, holding her close. You’re beautiful, Olivia, inside and out. I’m sorry for your childhood, and that you weren’t able to enjoy the ongoing comfort a shifter community provides for its young.
I’m overwhelmed, she responded. I always thought it was some defect of mine.
I know. I sensed as much as well.
Olivia appreciated Zane’s arms around her. She worked hard to make the mental adjustment. Instead of being a defective kid, she’d been a normal shifter child.
Regan added, “And it’s a wonderful thing you’re a Zephyr shifter. More than any other species, shifters need to know they can make an important contribution to their community.
“Also…” Regan turned to her right and waved to a brick path that descended down a gentle slope into the forest. “At the end of the path, with the black lanterns on the brick pillars, is a cottage I’d like you to use whenever you need to. It’s yours for the next twelve-months. You may use it together or if either of you should need some alone time, the cottage will always be available to both of you. My apprentices will keep the place stocked with food and fresh linens.”
“Your offer is very generous,” Zane said, releasing Olivia.
The Ruby Fae gestured toward her home, waving them forward. “Because of the knowing I can tell you right now, Mastyr Zane, I will help in any way I can. The review of Olivia’s memories has shown me the spell Margetta created around the Invictus camp, keeping it invisible to all other Realm-folk. And, Mistress Olivia, I am in awe you were able to see through the spell.”
Regan opened the front door, leading them both through a long, arched hall. The floors were very formal, made of an alternating pattern of black and white marble squares. Arched insets in the walls housed beautiful landscape paintings.
Zane stopped in his tracks. “Mistress Regan, these were done by my wife.”
Olivia turned to look at Regan. “But … I thought … ”
Regan’s voice was suddenly in her head. I prevented the memories of his wife from reaching him. Now is not the time to reveal the truth, but the time will soon come. Then you must tell him. But don’t be afraid. All will be well, even though the knowledge will be hard to receive.
