Page 37 of The Witch's Shifter
Aurora looks over her shoulder at me. The expression on her face is a mix of emotions I can’t quite read.
“This is Faolan,” she says. “Faolan, this is Alden’s sister, Lydia, and her husband, James.”
“Nice to meet you,” James says, stepping forward to shake my hand. I acquiesce, putting my hand in his, but he flinches when I squeeze too hard.
I’m still not used to humans and how breakable they are. That’ll take more adjusting to if I’m to stay here with Aurora.
I have to stay with her, my mind screams at me.She’s my mate. There’s nowhere else for me to be.
“He’s the reason Alden and Rowan had to come help me,” Aurora continues.
Lydia arches a dark brow and looks me over again. “Help you with what?”
“It’s a bit of a long story.” Aurora glances at me with a question in her eyes, as if to ask if it’s okay to share said story with these humans. But I don’t mind. I’ve never hidden who I am, and I don’t intend to now.
So I give her a subtle shrug, and a smile spreads across her face.
She looks back to Lydia and James, who still haven’t taken their eyes off me. “Do you have time for tea?”
Chapter 20
Aurora
THE SUN HAS JUST STARTED sinking behind the trees, casting the cottage into a mix of golden light and purple shadow. I’m seated in the parlor, knitting another tiny pair of socks for the baby, and Faolan is asleep on the couch, breath steady and deep. Harrison is lying in front of the fire, green eyes narrowed at Faolan’s prone form.
“Are you okay?” I ask him, keeping my voice down so as not to wake Faolan. I know he has impeccable hearing, but so does Harrison, so he hears even my quiet whisper.
Standing from his spot before the flames, Harrison arches his back into a big stretch and then walks toward me, and I place my knitting into a basket beside the chair so that he can jump into my lap.
“I don’t like him,” he says as I stroke the silky hair behind his ear.
“I know, and I’m sorry for all the changes we’ve gone through this year.”
I think back to our first day in this cottage, to sleeping on the kitchen floor before the fire, Harrison tucked under my arm. He put so much faith in me, and it hurts me to think I may have disappointed him in some way, what with all these men crammed into Brookside with us. And now, to have a shapeshifting wolf on our couch? It makes me sigh softly.
“Have I let you down?” I whisper.
Harrison blinks up at me, his long white tail swishing across my knees. “No. Why would you think that?”
“Well...” I glance at Faolan, his inky hair draped across his shoulders, then back at Harrison. “I know you’ve never been a fan of people, and I keep bringing them in, inviting them to stay. I just... I don’t want you to feel like you’re being pushed out. This isourhome, yours and mine, and I hope I haven’t made you feel unwelcome here.”
Harrison sits quietly for a moment, then sighs. “It’s true, I’ve never felt particularly comfortable around humans. Most of them don’t feel trustworthy. But the ones you’ve brought around... They’re good people. I can see in Alden’s eyes how much he cares for you, and Rowan is clueless but kind—though he does still try to pet me too much.”
I let out a little giggle, then quickly stifle it when Faolan shifts on the couch. But a moment later, his deep breathing returns, his eyes still gently closed. I’m glad he’s sleeping again. The rest will help speed up his recovery.
“I’ve come to enjoy them,” Harrison continues, “even if I didn’t at first. I should be the one apologizing for making things difficult on you. I don’t want you to shy away from connecting with people just because I don’t like them.” He flicks his gaze toward Faolan. “That would be such a shame.”
A wave of joy washes over me, and I pull Harrison gently into my arms. He settles his chin into the crook of my neck, his purring a lulling rumble in my ear.
“Thank you,” I whisper. “I love you so much. You’re my best friend.”
He cuddles closer, tickling my nose with his hair. “And you’re mine.”
We sit like that for a few minutes, listening to the crackle of the fire. Then Harrison’s ears perk up, and he pulls away.
“Is someone here?” I ask. Rowan isn’t home yet, but he should be walking through the door at any moment.
“It sounds like...” Harrison cants his head. “Two sets of footsteps.”
