Page 9 of Pledge Of A Bobcat

Rachel shook her head and then shifted her attention to me. “I’ll walk you out.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning,” I said, once we were at the door.

“We’ll head to the grocery store first and pick up the salt I know she’ll want for this.”

“Thanks.”

“No problem. See you in the morning,” she said with a slight smile before heading back inside, closing the door behind her.

Laughter erupted from inside the cottage and I stood there for a moment on the stone porch, smiling.

Until the rain started soaking through my clothes.

I darted to my truck, dodging the droplets, while feeling a wave of relief wash over me. Maribel had agreed to help, which meant we were on track to putting all of this Xander and Lucius crap behind us finally. Also, I’d get a chance to see Rachel again tomorrow.

I couldn’t explain the pull my bobcat felt toward her, but it was undeniable. Who was I kidding, there was a desire to spend more time with her building inside me as well, which made me hope Maribel was right about the storm.

Climbing into my truck, I slammed the door shut and fired up the engine. Before heading out, I sent a quick group text to the others, letting them know Maribel had agreed to help and listing the things she needed me to gather. It was what we’d all been hoping for, and I wanted to share the news with them as soon as possible.

Shifting into reverse, I turned my truck around and headed for home, feeling satisfaction surge through me. The night had turned out even better than I’d hoped.

5

RACHEL

Serenity giggled as she spooned cereal into her mouth. Milk dribbled down her chin, and I reached over to wipe it away with a napkin.

“Are you excited to hang out with Aunt Maribel today?” I asked. “You’ll get to have a whole day of fun with her while I help Mr. Ellis with something.”

Serenity’s big eyes lit up. “We’re having a fancy tea party.”

“I remember.”

I carried her cereal bowl to the sink to wash it. My gaze drifted out the window, watching for Ellis’s truck to appear. He should be here any minute.

A knot formed in my stomach.

Helping him gather ingredients for a ritual to rid a possessed raven shifter of an evil spirit wasn’t exactly something I thought I’d be doing today.

The conversation I’d had with Aunt Maribel last night popped into my head. When I’d asked why she told Ellis I needed to go with him to gather what she needed, she’d given me a cryptic smile and said, “The wind knows when to guide a leaf, even when the leaf doesn’t know where it’s headed.”

I didn’t know what that meant, but when I pressed, all she’d said next was to trust the path.

“When will Mr. Ellis be here, Mommy?” Serenity asked, sliding out of her chair.

“Soon, sweetie,” I replied, glancing out the window again at the gloomy, rain-soaked woods. While the storm hadn’t been as bad as they’d predicted, we’d still gotten more rain than I cared for. Thank goodness it had let up. Although, from the looks of it, it didn’t seem like it would for long.

“Let’s go brush your teeth,” I said, drying my hands on a dishtowel.

We made our way down the hall as Aunt Maribel exited her bedroom. She wore her sky blue long-sleeved dress with a silver shawl draped over her shoulders. It was an outfit I always felt made her look like someone’s fairy godmother.

“Good morning, sweet girls,” she said while dancing her way down the hall past us.

Serenity giggled and then started dancing, too. A smile tugged at my lips. This cottage might be tiny, but these stone walls could never be thought of as cold. There was too much love and laughter between them.

I helped Serenity brush her teeth, listening for the sound of Ellis pulling up outside. The instant I heard a vehicle, my heart kickstarted inside my chest.

“He’s here,” Aunt Maribel said in a sing-song voice from down the hall.

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