Page 69 of Whisker me Away
"You want to stay?" The question carried more weight than it should have, considering they'd already talked about making Hollow Oak their base of operations.
"I want to build something lasting with you," she said simply. "Put down roots, invest in this community's future, maybe expand the apothecary into a proper teaching center where we can train the next generation of botanical practitioners."
The casual way she included him in her long-term planning, the automatic assumption that he belonged in her vision of the future, made warmth spread through his chest like liquid sunshine. This wasn't Freya asking him to stay. This was Freya assuming he would stay because he belonged here as much as she did.
"A teaching center sounds perfect," he said, his voice steady despite the emotions churning beneath the surface. "We could probably get council funding for educational initiatives, especially if we frame it as community defense training."
"See? You're already thinking like someone who plans to stick around for decades." Freya's smile was soft with affection. "I love watching you realize you have a home here."
Decades. The word resonated in ways Kieran wasn't prepared for, painting pictures of a future so detailed and appealing it took his breath away. He could see himself at forty, fifty, sixty, still waking up beside Freya in their shared bed, still working together to protect and nurture their community, still discovering new depths to a love that had already transformed his entire world.
"What?" Freya asked, noting something in his expression. "You've got that look like you're planning something important."
"Just thinking about the future," he said carefully. "About building something permanent."
"Good. Because I've been thinking about it too." Her hand found his across the bar, their fingers intertwining with practiced ease. "About what permanent really means when you're talking about forever. And after what the council set up, I didn’t figure it was so bad to talk about."
"Forever's a long time," he said softly.
"Not long enough," Freya replied without hesitation. "Not nearly long enough for everything I want to do with you."
Across the bar, Maeve was polishing the same glass for the third time while wearing an expression of barely contained glee that suggested she could hear every word of their conversation. But Kieran barely noticed her knowing smirks or Emmett's amused chuckling from his corner booth.
All he could focus on was the woman beside him, the mate who'd given him purpose and belonging and a future bright enough to chase away decades of lonely wandering. The woman who deserved to know that he was ready to make their temporary arrangement as permanent as humanly possible.
Maybe it was time to stop thinking about proposals and start planning one.
38
FREYA
The Sacred Grove had been one of Hollow Oak's most treasured spaces before the corruption, a place where generations of supernatural practitioners had gathered for important ceremonies and seasonal celebrations. Now, two weeks after the binding ritual, Freya knelt among the ancient oaks with her hands pressed to earth that sang with renewed life, marveling at how much stronger her magic had become since completing the mate bond.
"Feels different, doesn't it?" asked Elena Voss, a hedge witch who'd returned from evacuation the day before. "The magic here, I mean. More... vibrant than before."
"The binding spell didn't just contain the Thornweaver," Freya explained, her power flowing into the soil with unprecedented ease. "It strengthened the natural magic that protects Hollow Oak. Everything's more responsive now, more eager to grow and heal."
Around them, other nature practitioners worked to restore the grove's sacred plants, their combined efforts guided by Freya's enhanced abilities. What should have taken months of careful cultivation was happening in days, with rare healingherbs sprouting from seeds and saplings growing with visible speed.
"This is incredible," murmured James, kneeling beside a patch of moonflowers that were already showing buds despite being planted just hours ago. "I've never seen botanical magic work this efficiently."
"That's because you've never seen it enhanced by a completed mate bond," said Kieran from where he stood watching their work with quiet pride. "Freya's magic has reached a whole new level since we finished the claiming."
The casual way he spoke about their bond, with no embarrassment or awkwardness despite their audience, made warmth spread through Freya's chest. Their relationship had deepened daily since the ritual, their connection growing stronger without threatening either of their individual identities. Instead of losing herself in the bond, she'd found aspects of her personality that had been dormant before, as if Kieran's presence gave her permission to be more fully herself.
"Speaking of which," Kieran continued, approaching with an envelope in his hand, "this came for you through council channels. Looks official."
Freya accepted the letter with soil-stained fingers, noting the elegant script and formal seal that marked it as correspondence from another supernatural community. She'd been receiving similar letters for the past week, word of their success apparently spreading throughout the regional magical network.
"Another consultation request?" Elena asked with interest.
"From the Asheville Pack Council," Freya confirmed, scanning the letter's contents. "They've got some kind of blight affecting their territory's sacred sites. They're asking if we'd be willing to come assess the situation."
"That's the third request this week," Kieran observed. "News is definitely traveling about what happened here."
"What are you going to tell them?" James asked.
Freya looked around the grove where their restoration work was proceeding at impossible speed, then at Kieran whose quiet confidence in her abilities made even the most daunting challenges seem manageable. "I'm going to tell them we'll consider it. After we finish establishing the teaching center."
