Page 6 of What Haunts the Heart
3
Oakley
After dropping a few well-placed hints that we were going off to elope—mostly to piss off Father—Claire and I left Everwood in our dust.
With the windows rolled down and the cool autumn breeze dancing through our hair, it was freeing. Like all of the tension we'd been holding onto so tightly just unraveled, thread by thread, and disappeared into the wind.
In fact, the closer we got to Vale Valley, the calmer I felt. Maybe Claire was right. Maybe this was the right choice. We both needed a chance to get away and clear our heads.
Claire squirmed in her seat. She gave the safety belt a tug and pressed her thighs together beneath her pleated skirt. I glanced sidelong at her. The road was wide open, not another car in sight. She caught my eye and forced a small smile, but there was no denying the uneasy look on her face.
I reached over and took her hand. "Everything okay? Having second thoughts?"
She bit down on her lip, but shook her head. "No, I…” A soft laugh escaped. "I guess I'm a little nervous. I won't know anyone and… It's silly."
"It's not silly," I assured her.
“I’m afraid I won’t fit in.”
"You will, trust me. Kinsley and Chester will love you. Chester's got this way of making just about anyone feel at home, not to mention the kids. They're gonna take one look at you and decide you're their new best friend.” I grinned.
Especially Fallon.
The little imp of a bobcat shifter was getting feistier and feistier with each visit. He was growing like a weed and eating them out of house and home. Not that any of them went hungry. My brother made sure of that.
Kinsley had taken one look at Chester and his son and fell in love. I had to admit, I envied what they had. The love they shared. How happy they were. In my entire life, I'd never once seen Kinsley smile the way he did when he gazed at his mate. It was beautiful.
Yeah, but you won't get that, will you?The thought soured my gut.
As if realizing my inner-turmoil, Claire squeezed my fingers. "I don't want to be that third wheel, I guess. I know you're eager to see Eden and honestly, I can't blame you. If I had someone special waiting for me to return…” She sighed wistfully and gazed out the passenger side window. Her blond hair was tied back in a dainty french braid, but the wind caught wisps of it and tugged them free.
It was my turn to squeeze her hand. "It's bittersweet, knowing that this is the last time I'll ever get to be with him. It's a hard pill to swallow." A pill I'd already swallowed once already.
The last time I'd visited Vale Valley, I'd told Eden there wouldn't be a “next time” to look forward too. I just didn't expect it to hurt as much as it did.
Now I was going back. The urgency to see him had me twisted in knots. I didn't know what it was about the peacock shifter that drew me in, but I was like a moth to the flame. It wasn't just his good looks or his saucy smiles, or the not-so-secret kisses we shared.
Eden was one of the most passionate lovers I'd ever had, true, but there'd always been something…more. Something I couldn't put a finger on. He was a craving I couldn't resist, a thirst I just couldn't quench. He was as brilliant as the sun and as secretive as the moon. He was just…
Eden.
Claire grinned. "Yep. There it is, that look in your eye. Face it, Oak. You're smitten."
I sighed. "I know." That was the hardest part. Iwassmitten with Eden Elric and now that I'd had a taste, I had no idea how I would survive the next sixty-or-so years of my life without it.
It wasn’t much longer before we rolled up the gravel drive of the farmhouse Kinsley and Chester called home. It was a drafty old two-story that needed some TLC, and my brother was the man for the job.
Last spring, they’d resided the house with some handsome slate gray vinyl siding, and Kinsley had put new windows and doors in too. They’d even opted to repaint the barn to match. They did a great job. It looked amazing.
I breathed in the faint smell of hay and manure and smiled. How that scent could make me feel right at home, I had no idea. I killed the engine and turned to Claire, who was nibbling on her thumbnail. I gently swatted her hand away.
“It’ll be fine,” I promised her. “Come meet my family.”
The minute we walked through the door, we were attacked by a monster. Fallon jumped out from behind the sofa with a loud, "Rawr!" He curled his fingers into claws and stomped his feet, which were encased in too-big, fuzzy blue monster slippers. His mask was lopsided. It flopped around when he shook his head from side to side. I wasn't sure if it was supposed to be a werewolf or what, but it was pretty ugly, with tufts of black fur sticking up all over the place.
Claire hid a giggle behind her hand as I swooped down to pick the little boy up. Fallon squealed with delight. He threw his skinny arms around my neck in a hug so fierce, it brought tears to my eyes. God, it seemed like every time I visited, he got taller and taller.
"Uncle Oaky! You’re gonna come to our Halloween party, yeah? What're you gonna dress up as?" He wiggled around, flailing his legs so hard his monster feet fell off. "Oh crap! My feet!"
