Page 4 of Mystery in the Mountains

Abe nodded again.

His brother wasn’t exactly known for being loquacious, as sometimes, Asher felt like he was talking to himself. It got better when he found Julie. Since then, he was quiet and not a grumpy fuck.

When they came around the bend in the road, Hecate’s Hollow’s main street came into view, and Asher could feel it.

Something was off.

“Do you feel that?”

“I do.” Abe nodded, furrowing his brow.

“What is it?”

Whatever it was, it felt familiar. His instinct to protect the mountain and his home was heightened.

“I don’t know. Julie worked the morning shift at the diner. Maybe she heard something.”

Abe and Asher were protectors of the mountain. The Appalachian Mountains were one of the oldest ranges in existence, which held a deep magic. It had been their family’s job to protect it for generations. Connected to this place in a way most people weren’t, they could feel when something was different.

By the time they pulled up to Abe’s cabin on the mountain, Julie was already home.

Julie had softened not only his brother but his cabin.

As they walked in, they were greeted by a burning candle, which made the house smell fresh and clean, and soft music was playing as Julie sauntered out of the bathroom, running a comb through her wet hair.

She looked at them, wearing a warm smile. “Hello to my two favorite guys.”

The smile on his brother’s face as he walked over to her and pulled her into a hug still surprised him. He wasn’t used to a happy Abe, but he liked it. An ache inside of him twinged as he watched his brother with his mate. At one time, he had that, but it was gone, and it was hard to watch.

“Are you guys hungry?”

“Don’t worry about that,” said Abe, dropping one last kiss on her head. “You sit down and relax. I’m going to get some burgers going on the grill.”

“That sounds good. I’ll go pick some lettuce from the garden for a salad.”

“Is Bridget coming?” Asher asked.

“No, she left a few days ago. She was going to work a renaissance fair in North Carolina I believe.”

Bridget was a guest to the mountain but not a new one. She’d shown up last fall, when things got a little dicey on the mountain, just like she always did. There was a time where she lived on their mountain for a couple of years and was a close friend of their mother’s. Plus, she helped them with a pesky warlock problem last fall. She was a welcome and honored guest, even if a bit peculiar.

“I’m going to go invite Esther and Ruby,” Asher said as he made his way to the door.

“No, Ruby has piano lessons. Then they always go to the diner for dinner after that.”

Asher nodded. “Right, I forgot about that. I guess it’s just the three of us tonight.”

Before long, the three all sat to eat.

“How was the drive?” Julie asked.

“It was fine, uneventful. How about you? Did anything interesting happen at the diner? Anything out of the ordinary?”

Julie looked at him and tilted her head as she pondered. “I don’t think so. Why do you ask?”

“I don’t know . . . Just something we picked up on coming back into town. Something just felt off,” said Abe.

Julie hummed as she stabbed at her salad and looked at Asher. “Did you feel it, too?”

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