Page 61 of Wolves & Watercolors
That’s as good a place as any. “She’s a green witch.”
Ember nods. “Hazel told me her concerns when we visited the baby.”
“She made the houseplants in Heath’s cabin go crazy and I had to cut her out with a chef’s knife,” I say, smiling at the memory. It was terrifying, but it ended with her in my arms, the truth laid out between us.
“That sounds nuts,” Onyx says. “So she knows, it’s for sure?”
“Yeah. She’s been practicing her magic in the garden. She did about four months’ worth of growth on the berry bushes in about five minutes.”
“Really?” Ember cocks her head. “How strange. I’ve never heard of this type of thing.”
“Sable and Heath said there was some witch magic in his family line. I’d never heard of it either.”
“And she’s doing well with it?” she asks.
I nod. “She figured out how to stop it when she wants, and how to trigger it. It’s not perfect yet, but it’s amazing progress.”
“So why do you look like she burned your garden down?” My brother furrows his eyebrows, giving me an inscrutable look that reminds me of our father.
This is hard to admit. I swallow, my jaw ticking.
“You like her, don’t you?” Ember asks softly.
Exhaling, I nod. My throat is thick and it’s hard to form any words. “We were hanging out and she kissed me.” I can feel my face flushing.
“Oh man, my baby brother got his first girlfriend!” Onyx teases, followed by a yelp of pain when Ember pinches him for being a jerk. “I don’t see the problem. You like her, she likes you, this is great.”
Ember glares at him. “She doesn’t live here, not to mention she’s not a shifter.”
“So convince her to stay. Make her fall in love with you, make her your mate, she’ll be happy, you’ll be happy.” Ember pinches him again. “Hey, don’t do that.”
“You deserve it. Stop being an idiot.”
“I’m going to make you regret that later,” he purrs, quiet enough I can pretend to not hear him. Ember rolls her eyes, but I don’t miss the way her hand caresses his ribs. Ugh. I’ve seen enough of these two touching each other to last a lifetime.
“Look, she has a whole life in L.A.: a job she likes, galleries that display her paintings, friends, roommates, an apartment. I can’t ask her to walk away from all of that when I can’t offer her anything except myself.”
“That’s worth more than a shitty job and tiny shared apartment,” Ember says. “But you’re right. She has a life there, and if she decides to move, it needs to be because she wants to, not solely because of you.”
A sense of defeat hits me, and I drop my head back onto my hand.
“All you can do is make your feelings clear, and make sure knows her options. If Hazel and Slate don’t want a human joining their pack, we can make room for you guys here.” Onyx presses a kiss to Ember’s temple while she speaks.
“I appreciate that.”
“I’m really sorry, man,” my brother says. “It hurts to be in love and have them leave.” His arms tighten around Ember, no doubt remembering their time apart.
“I’m in love with her,” I argue. “We just kissed a few times.”
“Sure.” Onyx says, allowing the conversation to move on. “So, a plant witch. That’s crazy. What sorts of stuff has she been able to do?”
The pressure falls away and I launch into stories of the house plants knocking off window sills, vines grabbing my ankles, honeysuckle shielding her. My brother and sister-in-law laugh, but in between, their expressions grow more concerned. It must be obvious how I feel about her now, and we all know she’s leaving. Maybe afterward, I’ll come stay here for a while until the memory of her fades and the worst of the heartbreak is over.
Sometime after midnight, Ember and Onyx say goodnight and go to their room. I stretch out on the sofa and doze. When morning light breaks through the windows, I leave the borrowed clothes on top of the clothes washer and shift into my wolf form.
The morning run is invigorating. After hours of ruminating on the subject, it’s clear that the pain is unavoidable, even if I avoid her from now on. I can’t do that. I’ll make the most of the time we have together and then deal with the consequences later.
Aurora
