Page 59 of A Wolf in the Garden

Livingston says work is underway to change all signs around the vineyard to bilingual signage in order to help promote the revitalisation of te reo Maori. “It makes sense to get in line with all the other businesses already using bilingual signage. To me it’s an important way to show my respect of the indigenous people of New Zealand.”

Livingston plans on submitting the vineyard’s grounds into next year’s round of gardening awards. “What we’re creating here — and by we, I mean the whole team — is something for people of all ages and species to enjoy, and I think we’re at the forefront of saying ‘Hey, we can integrate all kinds of people here in this post-Unravelling world.’”

Walking around the vineyard with Livingston, where I am introduced to a multi-species building crew, and Harding (who, I discover, also has “a touch of non-human blood”), I can wholeheartedly say I believe in this vision, too.

Thirteen

VAN

“Do you think it’s a good deal, then?” I lean back against the countertop in Cam’s kitchen, and take another swig of my beer. He’s invited us over for an early dinner, and I’m using it as an opportunity to pick his brains about a few different properties currently on the market. There’s one investment opportunity here in Auckland that I’m particularly interested in, and I’m eager to snap the commercial property up before someone else realises how good the returns are on it.

He nods, his dark brows rising to emphasise the point.

“Oh, aye, it’s a good deal. I’m tempted to go in with you, if you’re looking for another investor?”

“At what split?”

The curve of his smile is just the same as it was pre-Unravelling, despite the fact that he now has tusks that curl upwards from his lower jaw, one on each side of his mouth, the sharp points reaching the top edge of his upper lip. “You know I don’t have anywhere near your fortune, lad. Twenty percent? I can put in that much, with the ROI on that one.”

“Twenty percent sounds good to me.” I’m happy to have him tag along on my investments; I owe a great deal of my success to his advice, and I still approach him when I’m unsure about a property market I’m entering into, like today.

I don’t know how Cam met my parents, all I know is that he’s been around since before I was born, and his advice regarding property investments has been instrumental in growing my parents’ wealth. Yes, my father is the CEO of a very successful company, but there’s a lot more to their personal fortune — and much of it is under my mother’s name. The number that gets published in the media is an underestimate, and by quite a few hundred million dollars.

“Alright,” Cam nods again. “Do you want me to contact the agent, then? I’ve dealt with him before.”

“If you wouldn’t mind.”

“It’s nae bother. Cheers to another smart find; you’re getting good at this, lad.”

I raise my bottle in the air. “Cheers.”

“Ellie still out in the garden?”

“Yeah, look.” I nod towards the window, hearing her approach outside, and a moment later she walks into view, barefoot in the grass with a bunch of flowers in her hand. She spots us watching, and gives a shy wave that makes my chest ache at how sweet she is.

“I should have known she was fae,” Cameron muses, taking another swig of his beer. “Look at her, she’s a garden fairy if ever I saw one.”

“I know.”

“You’re going to take good care of her, aye lad? No fucking it up, this time.” He levels a serious look in my direction, and I’m reminded that for all that he’s my friend, he’s also taken on a pseudo father-figure role when it comes to Ellie. I look at him — properly look at him — because I’ve known him for years, and it seems as if he’s barely aged. Only his hair, now more grey than brown, gives away that he’s older than forty. Then again, like wolves, orcs age slightly differently to humans, often living to over a hundred and twenty, and remaining youthful until their last ten years, before rapidly declining. It’s only because I spent so much of my life in what was essentially a human body, surrounded by other ‘humans’ in this realm, that I still judge age by human standards.

“I’m never letting her go. She’s the love of my life.”

“Good.” He smiles, one huge green hand patting my shoulder. “It’s good to see you so happy, Evander. The both of you. I don’t know if you’re aware of just how much you two glow when you’re in each other’s company.”

I think about the way she captures my attention so fully every time we’re in the same room. The way she steals the breath from my lungs, makes my heart feel as if it will burst, makes my cock hard in an instant. This past month has been the best month in my entire life, despite some of the worries going on in the background.

“I think I have some idea,” I reply.

* * *

I’m making dinner — a simple linguine carbonara — when I hear the front door unlock. “Hey!” I call out. “I’m in the kitchen!”

“Kia ora! E pehea ana koe?”

I pause what I’m doing, setting the wooden spoon down on the counter as Ellie’s footsteps echo through the house, rapidly doing my best to translate in my head.Kia orais ‘hello’, that’s easy — I’ve known that one since I was a kid.Koeis ‘you’…pehea…

Ellie steps into the kitchen, her face lighting up as she sees me. She carries a bouquet of fresh flowers from her garden in one hand, and what looks like a newspaper in the other. “Ask me that question again,” I request as she places them on the counter.

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