Page 15 of The Right to Bear Claws
Watching her integrate so naturally into the small domestic scene, Elias felt something shift inside him. This was what he'd been protecting without fully realizing it. Not just Kaia's safety, but her chance to belong somewhere. Her opportunity to be part of something larger than her own struggles.
"Elias!" Kaia looked up as he entered, her face lighting with genuine pleasure. "Look what Miriam's teaching me. I'm terrible at it, but it's actually kind of relaxing."
"You're not terrible," Miriam corrected with maternal firmness. "You're learning. There's a difference."
"How did the research go?" Twyla asked, her fae-sharp eyes noting the careful way he moved, the protective tension in his shoulders.
"Productive," he said simply. "I brought some things that might help."
He pulled out the anchor stone first, offering it to Kaia with careful explanation of its purpose. Her fingers traced the pendant's delicate silver work with reverent attention.
"It's beautiful," she said softly. "You really didn't have to..."
"Yes, I did." The words came out weighted with all the fears he couldn't voice. "Your safety matters, Kaia. To all of us."
The look she gave him was warm and wondering, like she still couldn't quite believe that people cared about her wellbeing without expecting something in return. It made him want to spend the rest of his life proving that some kindness came without conditions.
"Help me put it on?" she asked, lifting her hair away from her neck.
Elias moved behind her chair, hyperaware of the trust implied in the gesture as he fastened the pendant's clasp. His fingers brushed the soft skin at her nape, and the contact sent warmth racing through his bear's consciousness. The anchor stone settled against her throat like it belonged there, pulsing gently with protective energy.
"How does it feel?" he asked, stepping back with reluctance.
"Warm. Safe." She touched the stone lightly moving her moon pendant to the side so it touched her skin, then turned to smile at him. "Thank you. For everything."
"Don't thank me yet," he said quietly. "We're not out of the woods."
But looking at her surrounded by the women who'd already claimed her as family, protected by magic crafted with genuine care, Elias allowed himself a moment of hope. Whatever was hunting his mate would find Hollow Oak ready for a fight.
And they wouldn't be fighting alone.
8
KAIA
The dreams started getting teeth three days after Elias gave her the anchor stone.
Kaia pressed her fingers against the pendant's warm surface as she sat in the inn's kitchen, watching Miriam prepare what had become their nightly ritual of calming tea. The past week had fallen into a comfortable routine: mornings helping around the inn, afternoons exploring Hollow Oak with various residents eager to show her their corner of the magical town, evenings spent in the common room with whatever combination of locals had decided she needed company.
It should have been peaceful. It would have been, if not for the way her dreams were evolving.
"Another rough night?" Miriam asked gently, setting a steaming mug in front of her. The tea smelled different tonight, more complex. Lavender and chamomile, but underneath something sharper, more protective.
"They're getting more specific," Kaia admitted, wrapping her hands around the ceramic warmth. "Less random fear, more... focused. Like someone's trying to show me something specific."
"What kind of something?"
Kaia hesitated, reluctant to voice the images that had been plaguing her sleep. "Halloween night. The town square, but everything's wrong. People are screaming, running from shadows that move like they're alive. And there's this voice calling my name, over and over."
Miriam's expression grew troubled. "The same voice every time?"
"Yeah. Deep, male, but... hollow. Like it's coming from somewhere far away." Kaia shivered despite the kitchen's warmth. "It knows things about me. Things I don't even remember about myself."
The older woman reached across the small table, covering Kaia's hand with her own. "You don't have to face this alone, dear. The whole town's invested in keeping you safe now."
That was certainly true. Over the past week, Kaia had been overwhelmed by the casual way Hollow Oak's residents had absorbed her into their daily lives. Twyla had started saving her a specific table at the café, claiming her fae intuition said Kaia needed to sit where she could see both entrances. The Tansley brothers had taken to stopping by the inn with small protective charms, each one crafted specifically for her needs. Even Maeve had made it a point to check in, usually with gruff advice about not letting stubbornness get in the way of accepting help.
But it was Elias who'd become her constant, steady presence through the increasingly difficult nights.
