Page 43 of The Buck Stops Hare

I glanced over as he showed me his phone, letting me know River and Brook were on their way. Ohio was a godless land, but it had once been River’s, and gods avoided it for his legacy that still haunted the land.

“Hopefully, whatever offering they bring me doesn’t eat or shit.” She huffed, and Cliff pursed his lips. Dani had grown comfortable and quite a bit outspoken since he’d revealed his nature.

“The alternative is something dead.” I nodded sagely. River’s lands weren’t too far off, and it was of no surprise when they were there in but a few minutes. Wherever bodies of water lay, there too River could also be. The pond nearby was an excellent spot, fueled by an underground river that suited his travel well.

“I mean, it’s alive for now,” Brook said, breaking our silence.

Cliff paled a little until Brook approached with a few freshly trimmed hawthorn branches. He delighted when Dani grinned. “Blessed and everything. Oh, I have half a dozen potions I can start now with this. Thank you.” She rose to her feet to collect the gift. “You are welcome on my land, Drowning River and Whispering Brook.”

She beamed as she dawdled inside and deposited the branches on a kitchen counter.

As crazy as River could be, I respected his thoughtfulness at times.

“Was thinking of maybe giving the house to my kids, coming down Louisiana way with my own kind.” Dani shuffled out, smiling. The years practically melted off her face as she did so. Being around our kind, her own kind and otherkin tended to reinvigorate witches, the shorter lived of the spectrum.

“I’ll ask Storm and Rayne, but I assume it’s fine. You’re a welcome addition.” A prickling sensation had my hackles on the rise, entuned to the earth as something not quite ascentalerted me to Cliff, something different about him.

River and Brook sat next to Dani, delving into a deep discussion. River had been on a mission for as long as I’d known him to have a child with his mate. With modern medicine, a pack doctor’s help and the meddling of witches I considered far closer to our mother than we were, he may well have his child. Dani certainly thought she had some answers.

That prickling protective feeling crawled over my arms again and I found myself migrating toward Cliff once more. “Something’s not right… Or maybe it is right.”

Cliff glanced over toward me and River snorted, tucking a lock of hair behind his ear. “Dear, take Cliff somewhere private. He’s close to his cycle. Dani and I can finish talking, and Brook will make us some coffee.”

“I’m caught up on my homework and I don’t have labs until next week.” Cliff pulled his phone out and checked a few things, thumb swiping about through what I thought were emails and a calendar, if I’d remembered their colors right. Then again, text messages looked similar. Maybe more emojis…

A prickle of something walked its way up my spine and Cliff glanced up from his phone, eyes dark with desire. Heat hadn’t hit him yet, but he’d been growing more comfortable with his lust, easier with his love, though he’d not said the word. “We going back to Thunder Acres or…”

“The Lowlands,” I automatically replied. I had no followers, only distant relatives of those long lost who were known to stop by infrequently. Most of the homes on my land had long fallen into disrepair, and I had a feeling that Cliff would help me develop the fallen-in structures one day.

Though I found solace in sharing Thunder Acres, my own land craved life, as it had been a place of worship, of love, and life. When Rayne came into our lives, things changed for the better. Life had grown, new worshipers born in our names.

“I’ll grab my stuff.” Cliff said his farewells and jogged off, heading toward his apartment to grab his overnight bag.

I jogged out into the yard and grabbed Jacque, unfastening my top two buttons to tuck him in as Cliff returned with his bag.

Rather than drive his SUV fifteen or so hours it’d take to drive from Ohio to Oklahoma, Cliff had started to trust me, trusting my ability to use his bond with Jacque and our own abilities to shift into our baser elements, literally dust in the wind that would carry us home. Wherever my lands lay, I could find without issue, and travel to in no time.

“Ready?” I asked as Cliff nudged me with his shoulder.

“You have no idea.” The low tones of his husky voice made me shudder.

Perfect.

Chapter Twenty

Cliff

In moments, we arrived at his Lowlands, the wooded area, sparsely vegetated with what grew plentifully in rocky soil and moderate moisture.

His home welcomed us and though I couldn’t feel the delirium of heat, I wanted to be in bed with him. The feeling didn’t last long, though, my arousal pinching off as Buck stared up at one of his massive shingle oaks. The leaves had curled and browned from base to top, dead to the core so vividly that even I could sense it. “Oh sheesh. What happened?”

I approached with my hand out, placing it over the bark as…nothing. Nothing happened. No information fed to me, nor life fed back, as if even the moss and bugs in the tree had died as well. Bits of fragile bark crumbled beneath my fingers as I drew back with a soft gasp.

“What happened here, old friend?” Buck pressed his forehead to the tree and took a deep breath, shoulders rounding. “Starved. There’s no power left here with no worshipers.”

If he shed a tear, I missed it, but it wouldn’t have been amiss in his glassine eyes.

Nothing killed the mood like death, but I pulled him in all the same with a tight hug and an urge to give him all the comfort I could spare. Maybe I wasn’t that great at it, but I couldn’t let my mate suffer. “We can plant more. I know it’s not this old guy, but new life will come.”

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