Page 9 of Once Upon a Rec Center Wish
Wishing to find Vern, I headed for the new group of houses being built. They were on the other side of the village, and I couldn’t help but notice the way the other villagers looked at me as I passed. It was like they knew something about me. Some big secret. Did they all know why Vern had rejected me?
Quickening my steps, I hurried to the construction site. Many beaver shifters changed back and forth between their human and animal form as they needed. Yet, only one stayed in their human form wearing nothing but a trapper’s hat and a tool belt.
As I watched Vern work, cutting wood and hammering it in place, I couldn’t ignore the huge sadness that washed over me. Even in the Enchanted Forest, I wasn’t enough for the man I wanted. Watching him only made his rejection hurt worse.
I decided to head back home, and when I turned around, I smacked into a hard body. He grabbed my arms and chuckled. “Whoa, little outer-worlder. Where are you going in such a hurry?”
A quick glance at the being in human form revealed rock-hard abs, a narrow and chiseled chest, and a full and long package between his legs. A much different body type than Vern. “Um, home?”
The shifter grinned, one side of his lips reaching higher than the other. “Well, let me walk you there. I’ve been meaning to stop by, but you never seemed to be alone.”
Alone? Why alone? He could have stopped by any time Vern had been there and still been able to talk. To get to know me. Why had the beaver shifter kept him away? Was he afraid of Vern?
“Name’s Hank, by the way. I’m a raccoon shifter. Want to see me shift?”
Shaking my head, I kept walking. “I know what a raccoon looks like. We had lots of them near where I worked. They were always getting into the garbage.”
He grabbed my arm, jerking me to a stop. “I don’t eat garbage.”
I pulled out of his grasp, not even sure if he knew what I meant by garbage. Without excessive packaging, there didn’t seem to be more than compost waste in the Enchanted Forest. “I never said you did. Only that I know what raccoons look like because of the ones in my world.”
His nostrils flared. “I think I’ll wait for another outer-worlder.” As he disappeared into the woods, I felt more relief than confusion with his departure. Hank wasn’t even close to the kind of mate I wanted.
As I approached my home, I saw another man on my front porch. He was older with thick hair on the top of his head and a long, fuzzy beard, both a combination of gray and strawberry blond. He had a dad bod, though he wasn’t any of the fathers I’d met since I’d arrived. And he wore a pink lace tutu around his waist. The same kind Samantha paraded around in when I babysat her and her siblings. Only his seemed a few sizes larger.
When he spotted me, he stood. “Falco! I’ve heard so much about you, and I just had to come and meet you.”
Once again, I wondered why he hadn’t come earlier. “I’ve been here for several days.”
He chuckled as he waved off my comment. “You were busy getting used to being here, but now that you’re settled, I wanted to introduce myself. I’m Victor. My other form is a porcupine. Do you know what those are?”
I nodded then waved, feeling like I should somehow greet him. “I saw one once when I was on a field trip in elementary school. All those quills.”
He rolled his shoulders back, thrusting out his chest. “Yes, and I’ll have you know I’ve never had a need to expel any of mine.”
I wasn’t sure what that meant in terms of living in the Enchanted Forest, but he seemed proud of that fact. “Good for you. Would you like to come in? I think I have some biscuits made.”
They were left over from the ones I had made for Vern, but Victor didn’t need to know. He seemed kinder than Hank, and if I was to entertain suitors in order to find a mate, I might as well start with him. Since Vern didn’t seem to want me.
Chapter Eight
Vern
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t stop thinking about Falco. I expected the change in work sites to help me forget about him, but it only made me that much more aware of how I yearned to have him near me, how much I missed him. No amount of chastising myself for allowing feelings for him to develop made them go away. I knew he wasn’t destined to be my mate, yet I couldn’t contain my immense longing to fulfil that role for him. And after I imagined him watching me from a distance while I worked, I resolved to visit him at the end of my day. Just to ease some of the ache. I knew it wasn’t a wise decision, the same as spending the previous night with him wouldn’t have been, but I needed some kind of relief from the hard ball that had been churning in my gut all day. I would knock on his door to say hello, and when he responded, I would leave again. Seeing him and hearing his voice would be enough. It had to be since I could never expect anything more.
As usual, I waited until most of my brothers had left the site, cleaning up behind them. Instead of packing up the scraps of wood to carry beyond the meadow, I piled them off to the side and planned to take a double load the next day. With Falco’s house in the opposite direction, I doubted I would find time to do both.
On my way to visit the outer-worlder, I wondered if maybe I did have a chance with him. After all, Holden said he hadn’t expected to be mated to someone from their world. He’d taken Nelson immediately to Banir under the assumption that the first outer-worlder would become mates with the leader of the Enchanted Forest. Yet, it hadn’t worked out that way. Perhapsthere was a chance for me, though I was sure many in the community, especially my brothers, would object.
Yet, Falco had asked me to stay for dinner. He’d kissed me; the memory of his lips on my cheek still made my skin tingle. And he’d even wanted me to spend the night at his house. All that had to mean something. Plus, no one else had come to the house while I’d been working on it. If someone else had wanted Falco as their mate, they likely should have been there courting him as fast as possible before he fell for someone else. That day I’d first encountered Falco, Holden had reminded me that the outer-worlder got to choose his own mate, that no one could claim him or force him into any type of relationship. So, maybe he would choose me. If I didn’t keep running away from him.
As I approached the house, the sudden confidence I’d felt drained away, and a sense of dread replaced it. I understood why when I heard voices. Someone else was with Falco, and they talked on his front porch.
I darted off into the trees to avoid being seen. I didn’t want anyone to think I was spying on the outer-worlder, even though that was exactly what I did. Careful where I placed my steps, I crept closer to find out who sat with Falco. I didn’t need to see the person as I recognized his voice. It came like a punch to the gut. My older brother, Onyx, was courting the outer-worlder. Any chance I thought I had with Falco instantly drained away. Onyx was smarter, had a more fit human body, and had always told me that I had nothing to offer any outer-worlder. Perhaps he’d been right all along. I’d been dumb to think I even stood a chance, even if it was only for a few moments. Yet, the idea of Falco being with anyone else other than me ripped at my heart.
I stumbled back, and when I did, something dug into my foot. I immediately jumped away to find out what I’d stepped on. A wooden carving. The one I’d given to Falco the night before. He’d accepted it from me then tossed it away. Had he done thatbecause I’d rejected his request to spend the night? Or had the idea of a gift from me repulsed him? Maybe he’d seen me as nothing more than a builder tasked with finishing his house.
Because that’s all I was. That’s all I ever would be. I picked up the flower and stuck it in my tool belt. Falco didn’t want it. No outer-worlder would ever want it or any of the other carvings I made.
