“Dad, what happened when mom disappeared?”
The expression on Jonathan’s face when he looked at Jori twisted his gut.
It was something he clearly still didn’t want to talk about. And for a long moment, Jori feared Jonathan would shut down the conversation again.
“She was taken, again.”
16
It had been a long time since Kymri was in a car, and she remembered why she disliked them. They were confining. At least she wasn’t tall like Jori. Despite the shorter length of her legs, she still found she couldn’t get comfortable during the endless drive to Blue Creek. She’d rather be flying. Glancing at Marli, she could see she felt the same.
Odson was behind the wheel of what Jori had mumbled was a ‘classic Mustang Shelby’ before getting in the front passenger seat.
Seated behind Odson, Kymri could see Jori’s profile when he turned his head away from the window. His gaze had been focused out of the side window most of the drive. Worry gnawed at her. The pressures of discovering the reality of her world, their child, the attacks, and now there was something more. Something Jonathan Mountainside had told him when they were alone aboard the Coast Guard ship.
He was in shock. She could feel it in the way he distanced himself from everyone in the wake of that conversation. Odson kept at him with concern and had gone to find out from Jonathan what had happened. Neither of the Mountainside men were saying anymore. Jonathan told Jori he would remain in Charleston rather than return home.
As the car wound its way through the mountains, Kymri hoped Jori would tell her what was troubling him. She ached to see him so… so burdened. The others felt it too; no one talked more than was necessary. Whatever it was, was heavy.
For now, they drove.
Odson’s contact was going to meet them at Blue Creek. Apparently, he was on vacation with his companion and was willing to do this favor for Odson.
On reaching Blue Creek, they went straight up to the Wolf house.
“Who are these people?” Jori whispered to Odson.
“Wolf 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 Wolf boys. Good folks.”
Jori climbed the steps, shaking his head. Wolf shifters and paranormals. Right. He sighed.
Barbara Wolf, 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, Barbara Wolf 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.
Barbara Wolf tugged at something in her. As much as she shut out any need for family ties, Mrs. Wolf’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 Barbara Wolf, as they passed the family photos adorning the walls of her house on their way back out to Odson’s car.
Barbara Wolf 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. Wolf 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 Mason Wolf ‘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.
This is what he thought he was chasing all these years, not really thinking any of it truly was real. Myths, legends, stories.
And yet, ‘paranormals’ apparently didn’t just live in remote areas and lost islands. They were right here among everyone else.
Kymri, his island beauty. Dragon with hot pink claws. Mother of his child.
Life had taken a sudden hard left turn when he took off in his mother’s Cessna. He crashed into a whole other reality. He wondered again if maybe he had lost his mind and was dead or delirious on the beach.
The crash flashed through his mind. He’d seen a woman in the plane. He’d been moved from his seat to the back… where he’d later made love to Kymri for the first time. Was that first memory real or a dream? Had it been her? All this time?