Page 55 of Cursed Bonds: An Alpha's Destiny

After getting dressed, I drove to town, enjoying that I didn’t have to hide my face. Though, I did think it would be weird knowing everyone would know who and what I was. Would I be like a celebrity, a leper, or a nuisance? Hopefully none of the above.

Crestwood was basically the same as I remembered it. I’d only glimpsed snatches of it going to and from Jace’s house. Finally able to park in the downtown area, I found it all looked so similar, and that weird sense of déjà vu came over me again. Me, as a child, walking these streets with Nana to go to the store or get some pizza. It all looked exactly the same.

That shouldn’t have surprised me. Shifters lived a really long time. That meant these homes and businesses were probably still in the hands of the people who’d opened them decades ago. If they never changed hands, there would be no influx of new ideas and renovations. It was a town caught in a time bubble, but not in a dreary, dead way. It was still bright and vibrant.

The sun was up, but it was still early, which meant there weren’t really that many people outside. On a whim, I headed for the first place that caught my eye—a small bakery on the corner. The woman at the counter saw me, and her eyes widened in recognition and surprise. My magical scent—whatever that was—must have been easily noticeable now. Thankfully, she didn’t mention it, and after a moment’s hesitation, she smiled and offered her services. I ordered a chocolate croissant and a cappuccino, which I took outside to one of the three little tables and chairs set up on the sidewalk.

The warm morning air had yet to turn humid, as could be expected from a Missouri summer. The day was pleasant, and a faint breeze kept things comfortable. While eating, I tried to relax. Movement across the street caught my eye—a woman sweeping the sidewalk in front of a small nail salon. She finished sweeping, spun her sign from closed to open, and headed back inside.

When was the last time I’d had a manicure or pedicure? Months? I’d been so busy with Nana and work, I hadn’t pampered myself in ages. Screw it. Why not?

After finishing my coffee and croissant, I tossed the wax paper and cup in the trash and walked across the street to the nail salon.

“Good morning,” a bright and chipper voice called from the back of the shop.

“Hi,” I said. “I was looking to get my nails done.”

“Absolutely. You’re the first customer of the day. Come on in.”

She looked younger than me, maybe in her mid to late-twenties. pretty and slim, with long pale blonde hair held back in a French braid.

“Thanks,” I said. “My name’s Kirsten Holly. I’m staying in my grandmother’s cabin for the summer.”

“Oh, I know you,” she said, but her smile was sweet. “The witch, right? Big hubbub about you yesterday.”

My shoulders tensed, and I blushed.

She must have noticed my reaction because she rushed to add, “Sorry, that sounded bad. We just don’t get a lot of excitement around here is what I meant.” She smiled again. “I’m Lory Shelton. I own this place. Come over here and relax. I’ll take care of you.”

She led me to a large padded chair. When I sat, I groaned in pleasant surprise. It was heated and had built-in massage rollers. Had I ever felt something so amazing?

“Like it?” she asked, nodding to the chair. “I had them installed about eight months ago.”

“They’re fantastic.”

Lory rolled over a small cart packed with dozens of colors and styles of nail polish for me to choose from. I decided to go for something I’d never done before, selecting a dark purple matte nail polish for my hands and feet. Lory got my feet into a warm tub to soak while she began working on my fingers.

“I didn’t mean to make you feel weird earlier,” Lory said as she worked. “I just never thought I’d get to meet a real witch. I’m a bit starstruck, to tell you the truth.”

I laughed. “Starstruck? By me? My students would think that was hilarious.”

“It’s just that witches are such a huge part of shifter history. We all sort of thought they’d died out. It’s like being in the forest and seeing a unicorn run past, you know?”

Me? A unicorn? Interesting.

“Witches and shifters used to live together, right?” I asked.

Lory nodded. “It’s true. The alpha had a really good reason to keep the witches around. They helped increase our lifespan even more.”

“Wait, really? I thought you guys already lived a long time.”

“We do,” she admitted. “But when witches allied with shifters, there was sort of a bond with the alpha of whatever pack they were with. It wasn’t sexual or anything, not that I know of. More like a combination of magic, I guess. The alpha’s life was extended by at least several decades. Some legends say it could have been as long as an extra century.”

That was new information. I hadn’t seen that in any of the books Tinsley had given me, though there was a ton of info I hadn’t gotten to yet. Lory’s comment on alpha ages brought up another question I hadn’t really thought about until right then.

“How, uh… I don’t want to make you uncomfortable,” I stammered, already embarrassed for asking, “but how old are you?”

“Me?” she asked, putting a hand to her chest in emphasis. “I’ll be seventy-three this Christmas. I was a holiday baby.”

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