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“I don’t know about the others, didn’t pay much attention to them, because Riley?” I sighed heavily with a dramatic shoulder scrunch and drop. “Oh my goodness. I’ve never seen such a beautiful specimen of a man in my entire life. I could’ve sat and watched him talk, watched him move for a dozen years and not gotten bored.” I stretched my fingers and toes languidly.
“Hm,” she said without inflection.
I should’ve noted that hm as odd because Aunt Lyrica was very animated most of the time, it was more Aunt Mimi to hm her way through a conversation, but I was too preoccupied by all that had just happened.
I was busy pondering the possibilities that would open up if I could do what she’d just done. I was also pondering that I had confirmation of the existence of men that could shift to and from a wolf form. I had so many questions. I had so many I didn’t even know what to ask first. I was lost in thought for the short drive back.
Later, I’d reacquaint myself with everything about that encounter and Aunt Lyrica’s reaction to it – on an excruciating loop and wonder if it’d been a set-up to introduce me to the Arcana Falls wolf shifter pack and specifically, to Riley.
***
“Do I really need to study for five whole years, or could I dabble a little?” I asked again.
She gave me a shrewd look.
“A teeny dabbling?” I tried, holding my thumb and forefinger aloft an inch.
She clasped both my hands in hers. “Darling… this is an important gift you have. But it’s one you have to be extremely careful with. You need to study. You need to learn. You can’t rush into it. It’s going to take years of study. I recommend at least five, preferably seven.”
“Seven?” My face fell. “You said five. No changing it now!”
She nodded. “Five at minimum.”
“No changing it unless it’s less than five,” I amended.
“Erica, if you work very hard it could be five. There are too many things that could go wrong. An inexperienced spell-writer can wreak havoc. You must wait until you’re ready.”
“I feel like I’ve been ready my whole life. Waiting my whole life. And I’m so bad at waiting. How about a teeny one with a proven spell. One of yours!”
“I know you feel like you’ve waited forever, but waiting for some fruit to ripen before you take a bite means readiness.”
“Maybe I prefer green bananas,” I volleyed.
I really didn’t.
She pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation.
“Sorry,” I whispered.
“Girl, this is part of maturing. You have to mature to be ready for the power you wield. There is so much you and your sisters need to learn to be able to take over for me after my time is up. Things our ancestors put in motion that you have to oversee. New things that will come up. So much. It’s a great responsibility, my girl.”
“Teach me everything.” And hurry up about it is what I was thinking, and I had the feeling she knew it, too.
“You need to return home the day after tomorrow. And I’m going to give you lots of reading to do.”
“That’s not enough time. I need more time. I should move here with you so I can learn. I-”
“Should go home and let your sisters guide you. Should take the opportunity to also let Mimi guide you.”
“I could help at the shop. I could learn full-time. I could-” see more of Riley the wolf shifter…
“No, dear one. There’s a plan for you. You must follow it. I’ll be around. I’ll visit often to teach you. We all have so much to teach you.”
I sighed. “I’ll come back here and visit too. A lot,” I said.
She smiled. “You absolutely should.”
I didn’t want to read about the magic. I wanted to be the magic.
***
One Year Later
It was my third day here and finally, I saw them stroll by the magnolia tree. This time, there were six of them and they’d arrived as wolves and then transformed to men right before my eyes. And Riley was even more ruggedly handsome than I’d remembered. Though his hair was shorter, curls chopped off, he was still a dreamboat. He was laughing. He was tanned. And he was naked. And whoa. Holy broomsticks.
I only saw them for about three minutes before the six of them walked off in all their naked glory. And it was a good thing, too, because my cloaking potion was wearing off. I was about to pack up and head back to Aunt Lyrica’s, when I heard, “Look who’s here.”
Aunt Lyrica had followed me. And was cloaking herself. So I could hear her but couldn’t see her.
“And you nearly got yourself caught,” she said from somewhere to my left.
“I just wanted a peek,” I defended sheepishly.
