Fae-ted to the Bear - Harmony Raines Page 0,36

back on the hood of the truck and stared at the mountain range in the distance. “But I’m not complaining.”

“Neither am I.” Caleb grabbed a hammer and set to work. “Things are going to work out.”

“They are.” Aiden sighed in contentment. “Who would have thought two orphans could be so lucky.”

Caleb recalled the photograph of his parents looking so happy with their three children. What would their lives be like if they were still alive, if they hadn’t been murdered and the family split up?

We’ll never know, his bear said. And maybe that’s for the best. We have a wonderful future ahead of us with our mate. That’s all that matters.

Yet ever since they found out their parents had been murdered, Caleb had an overwhelming need to find the person responsible and bring them to justice.

Chapter Thirteen – Elise

“Is there anything I can do to help?” Karros hovered behind her as she stared at her recipe books, looking for inspiration.

“No. I’m doomed.” She blew her hair off her face and closed the recipe book before pulling another one toward her and flipping it open.

“Why don’t I get you a glass of wine?” Karros offered.

“We don’t have any wine.” She tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling. “This is a mistake. Caleb’s going to be here anytime, and I haven’t even started cooking.”

“Just calm down. Caleb won’t mind if you feed him chips and cookies, he’s coming to see you.” Karros was trying to help, but she wasn’t in the mood to hear his words of comfort.

“He’s a bear shifter. I’m pretty sure he’s going to be disappointed if I serve him cookies and potato chips for dinner after he’s been working all day.” She gripped the edge of the counter and closed her eyes, trying to fight the tears that threatened. “And I can just imagine how Ivan will react if I don’t take him something wonderful to eat tomorrow.”

Karros turned around and stared at the front door. “I think Caleb is here.” With obvious relief, he hurried to the door and opened it, letting in a rush of warm air.

The smell of the mountains soothed her, she could smell the warm pine resin carried down from the lower slopes, but then a cooler blast of air which carried the tang of the ocean countered it. She loved this house, she loved living in Wishing Moon Bay and she also loved working in Ivan’s busy kitchen.

She didn’t want to blow this opportunity at a new life.

“Hi.” Caleb stood in the doorway, there was no sign of Karros. He’d probably taken the opportunity to go outside to get away from her. “Karros let me in.” Caleb held up a bottle of wine. “He said you might need this.”

“Karros is right, although wine won’t solve my problems.”

“He said you were struggling to come up with a recipe for Ivan.” Caleb placed the bottle down on the counter. “Glasses?”

“We don’t have any wine glasses, but there are some coffee mugs in that cupboard.” She snapped the recipe book closed as Caleb went to the cupboard.

“We could always go get takeout.”

“I said I’d cook for you. And I have to come up with a dish for Ivan.” She hugged herself as he opened the bottle of wine and poured it into two glasses. “But I don’t have a lot of the ingredients I need.”

“Do you want to go to the store?” Caleb offered. “We could pick up some food on the way back.”

“The local stores won’t have what I need. I’m trying to figure out what I can add instead.”

“Instead of what?” Caleb asked.

“The ingredients I need to pick from the wildwood. I usually go gather the ingredients when they’re in season.” She went to the kitchen window and looked out at Karros as he hunkered down and picked up a handful of dirt. Crumbling it in his palm, he let it fall back to the ground. “Perhaps I could ask Karros to make space for me to have a garden where I can grow some of the main ingredients I use. Not that it’d make any difference right now.”

“Why don’t we go there?” Caleb sipped his wine.

“Go where?” Elise asked. “The wildwood? We don’t have time.”

“We could go tomorrow. I could pick you up from work in the afternoon and we could go. From what Flora said, it’s beautiful, her favorite place in all the world.” He studied her for a moment. “Unless you don’t want to go with me. I