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“Who are these people?” Jori whispered to Odson.
“Bear shifter family in charge of this territory. They’re a hub for paranormals, whether they like it or not. I work for one of the Brandt boys. Good folks.”
Jori climbed the steps, shaking his head. "Bear shifters and paranormals. Right." He sighed.
Heidi Brandt, the family matriarch, welcomed them into her home. Everyone else was out working for the day. After paying their respects and explaining the situation over a pot of coffee, Heidi Brandt invited them to stay as long as they needed.
Kymri liked the older woman. She reminded her of Marli’s mother, warm and welcoming with a deep sense of caring for others. They said their good-byes over a lump in Kymri’s throat.
Heidi Brandt tugged at something in her. As much as she shut out any need for family ties, Mrs. Brandt’s maternal aura picked at the thread of need, encouraging the shroud around her to unravel a little. A need Kolina hadn’t been able to fulfill in Kymri, that Kymri was resolved wouldn’t have a place in her life. But she wasn’t her mother and as much as she buried that need, it was still there.
Her hand slid over her belly. Maybe she could make things different? She could at least try. She glanced at Jori’s tired face. She realized she wanted it all. She wanted to continue her duties as a guardian of her home, have a warm relationship with her child, and keep Jori in her life. It was the kind of life she saw when she looked at Heidi Brandt, as they passed the family photos adorning the walls of her house on their way back out to Odson’s car.
Heidi Brandt squeezed Kymri’s hand and smiled at her, “It was so lovely to meet you Kymri Steelscale; I hope to see you again.” She turned to Odson, “Come up to see us more often.”
Odson nodded, “Will do, ma’am.”
“Jori,” she said, approaching him with her hands reaching up to his face, “you look so much like your mother. When I met her, she had so much hope for you. Even before you were born, she loved you fiercely.”
Kymri’s heart ached at the naked vulnerability in his face as he struggled to control his emotions. He smiled weakly as Mrs. Brandt patted his cheek.
“You and Kymri come back to see us too. Anytime.” She spoke briefly to Marli as Kymri got into Odson’s car.
As soon as Marli joined them, they were on their way toward town and Blaine Brandt’s paranormal club, where Odson worked.
“We’re going to meet my guy at the club,” Odson said, steering the car along a narrow dirt road. “I already reached out to my contact with the dragons at a nearby camp. They’ve seen three unknown males in the area.”
“There were three that followed me, they’re probably the same males.”
“I missed you while you were gone. What happened?” Kymri asked Marli.
“The bastards spotted me while on patrol, and followed me to a hedonist beach where I lost them. I didn’t want to lead them back to the island, so I stowed away and came here, where I met up with Odson.” Marli cracked her window. “Lucky for me, he was already packed and about to leave to go looking for your man here, so I hitched a ride with him.”
Marli was still looking at Kymri when she broke into a grin.
“What?”
“Launia told me you’re carrying a youngling.”
Kymri grimaced, “Yeah, would seem so.”
“That’s so great! I can’t wait to be an aunty, I’m going to spoil that kid so much!” she laughed reaching over to hug Kymri, who couldn’t help but laugh at Marli’s delight.
“So, at this camp you mentioned, Odson, males and females live there peacefully?” Kymri asked.
“Pretty much - as peacefully as any other community, I suppose.” He navigated around a large pothole, “Not everyone tries to dominate those around them.”
Kymri watched the trees on the way.
“Yeah sure,” Marli snorted.
Kymri turned away from her window to see Jori watching her. She couldn’t read his expression. He turned back toward the windshield without a word.
Little more was said amongst the foursome during the rest of the car ride to town where Odson lived and worked.
Communities of paranormals.
He never would have dreamed they existed before his first sighting of a real dragon. He could only imagine what ‘paranormals’ meant. Did he really want to know? He’d always thought he was an open-minded guy. This was beyond that.
