“You’re overwhelmed, aren’t you?” It wasn’t an accusation or an insult. There was no malice in his voice.
“Is it that obvious?” She laughed nervously.
“Yes,” he replied. “You do this thing with your mouth. You press the left corner of your mouth in tighter than your right. It’s cute.”
“What?” Holly blurted. “I do not!”
“Yes, you do!” Loch grinned. “You also get the tiniest line between your brows.”
“You’re making all this up.”
“Go look in the mirror and think about the fucked-up situation we’re in. You’ll see what I’m talking about.”
“How did you even notice something so small?”
“No offense, sweetness, but you’ve been overwhelmed since the moment I met you.”
Holly definitely felt the left corner of her mouth go tight. “That’s…not an inaccurate statement.”
The smile slowly faded from Loch’s face. He reached for her hand, lacing his fingers through hers.
“In all seriousness,” he said. “I can only imagine how much everything is weighing on you. I’m not blind to the situation. You’ve been splitting yourself between three men, trying to find the best one to fulfill your maidenly duties.”
Holly snorted at the ridiculous term.
“Adding a fourth to that mix sounds insane,” he continued. “Anyone, shifter or not, would think it’s too much. Despite that, I want you to know I’m all in. Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it.”
Holly’s breath caught in her chest. Her head spun. Loch was right. She had a hard-enough time trying to choose between Johnny, Keller, and Garret. Adding Loch into the mix…
When she tried to draw another breath, it wouldn’t come easily. “I…need to leave,” she said. “I’m so sorry. I just…I’m sorry.”
Before Loch could say anything, Holly dashed back into the house.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN—Holly
After a long, hot bath, Holly still ached all over. Bruises had started to appear on her arms and legs, where she had landed on the deck. They were oddly motivating. Figuring out how to wield a staff with accuracy seemed so much easier to accomplish than anything else she was going to face in the near future.
Four shifters. Four potential fathers of the baby she would eventually carry. How the hell was she ever going to do this?
Holly toweled off and padded across the room. She flopped belly down on her bed.
Do you need advising? The Maiden’s voice nearly startled Holly out of her skin.
No. I’d appreciate privacy right now if you don’t mind.
I don’t. However, you will need to force my presence out of your mind.
Come on. Holly let out a long groan. I’ve had a bitch of a day. I ache from head to toe. Cut me some slack.
Your enemies will strike you when you are at your weakest. They will not “cut you some slack” when you’re sore and tired. This is your lesson. Push me from your mind.
Sometimes, I think I hate you.
Holly sat up and closed her eyes. She wasn’t sure how to go about pushing a force of nature out of her mind.
Can I have a hint? she asked.
Imagine you’re closing a door or building a wall.
She could do that. She pictured the Maiden in her mind as a beam of light. Giving her any sort of human form felt…wrong. She then imagined herself standing in front of the Maiden. Slowly but surely, she built a wall between them.
Your enemy will not give you this much time.
My enemy will not be in my head the way you are.
Are you sure about that?
Holly’s eyes flew open. Well, now, I’m not. What are you not telling me?
Your lesson today is to force me out. That’s all you need to concern yourself with right now.
This is impossible! Holly’s anger sparked to life. She closed her eyes once more and returned her energy pushing the Maiden out. With anger as her fuel, she put a thick wall between them with almost no effort. The sudden weightlessness in her mind left her breathless.
“Wow,” she gasped. “I will definitely remember that trick.”
It felt good to make progress in at least one area of her life. Now that she’d overcome one hurdle, she felt anxious to overcome another. She couldn’t sit in bed for another minute. Her body thrummed with restless energy.
Night fell some hours ago. As she tiptoed through the living room, she glanced at the clock on the wall. How could it be midnight already? Time moved differently in Silver Spruce. That must be the explanation. Days flew by in minutes, but sometimes, hours stretched on for eternity.
Holly stepped onto the deck, happy to find the training staff still waiting for her. She picked it up and gave it a few practice swings. Without a moving target, there wasn’t much for her to learn other than how to jab and swing without throwing herself off balance.
Soon, she lost herself to the movements. Her mind went blissfully blank. She focused solely on the pull of her muscles and the way the moonlight cast a pale glow over everything.
“You’ll only strain your wrist if you hold the staff like that.” The voice that spoke was female and came from the woods.
Holly froze mid-motion. Her staff slipped from her hands and clattered onto the deck. “Who’s there?” she asked, too terrified to turn toward the black wood.
“A friend.”
“Prove it.”
“For one thing, I can see you. What does that tell you?”
Holly pushed through the fear that muddled her brain so that she might think clearly. “This house is under a spell,” she said. “Only certain people can see it. How do I know you can truly see the house?”
“See isn’t the exact term I’d use.” The woman laughed softly. “But I know you’re wearing gray pants and a black shirt.”
True enough, she
