Page 5 of Spirit Island

“Oh, he’s inhere. He said he searched your memories, and you had a favourablereaction to me.” Deno smiled. “The reaction was mutual.”

There werechoked sounds coming from Ulo.

“The spiritregrets that he chose Ulo the first time. You thought he was prettyat the time.”

She snorted. “Iwas a teenager. I thought that superheroes were pretty. It didn’tmean that I wanted one for life.”

He glanced overtoward Ulo. “He does have that swoopy hair and chiselled jaw.”

“And noodlespine and soul of a mirror.” Serin sighed. “I grew up, and so didmy taste in men.”

“Pain is a hardteacher.” Deno looked concerned. “Are you all right?”

She looked athis genuinely concerned face, and it was something that no male ofher acquaintance had asked her. She smiled, and tears tracked downher cheeks. “I will be.”

He walked toher and offered a hug. She held onto him and just let herselfacknowledge the pain, saying it was different from feeling it. Shehad said it a dozen times over the last few years. She finally letherself feel it.

A soft rainbroke over the island, and flowers that hadn’t bloomed in yearsslowly opened in every nook and cranny of the land.

Deno wasstroking her back slowly when she looked up at him in the rain. “Ihaven’t done that properly.” She glanced behind her. “Hey, wheredid Ulo go?”

“I chucked himdown the embankment. He’s on the beach now. Mostly in one piece.”He chuckled. “I believe he’s limping.”

Serin steppedback and wiped her eyes. “Wow, that was... overdue.”

He chuckled.“Better?”

“Better. Areyou really out here scouting?”

“I am. We are.Belle is out here as well. Technically, she is recovering, but shereally wants to do something while she recuperates from thetreatment.”

Serin chuckled.“The deadly duo.” She paused, “How is she doing? She came with usto the bonding party last night, but you can never tell withher.”

“Yeah. If weget authorization for the show down here, she’s going to be doingtraining for the betas, and I will be doing it for the alphas.”

“I don’tsuppose she has a mark on her.”

He wrinkled hisnose. “Not one that can be seen without blacklight.”

“Seriously?That’s a thing?”

Deno smiled.“You didn’t know?”

“I didn’t. Ithought I just didn’t have one. I am going to check that out.”

“I can look foryou.” He smiled.

“This is kindof sudden,” she murmured.

“Is it? Youknow what you are. You needed someone to meet you halfway. Heasked, and I agreed.”

“Why?”

“Because youdraw me like no one else. I was given an opportunity to put myselfin your path. All you have to do is run me over.”

“I will settlefor hugs.”

“Oh, I canmanage hugs.” He smiled. “Did you want to get breakfast?”

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