I hold out my hand to her. “Hi, it’s nice to meet you.”
“So you’re the one. Huh.” She shakes my hand, but seems watchful, eying me curiously.
“Um...I guess I am.” I look at Merick wondering whether I should have agreed or acted puzzled by her declaration. “Should I go? Give you guys a chance to catch up?”
He kisses my forehead. “No baby, stay.” Feeling pleased by his endearment, especially in front of someone he’s known for so long, I can’t help my grin happily. I am sure I look like a fool.
“Okay.” I pushed up on my toes, kissing his chin before reaching up and stroking his cheek with my thumb. It’s so easy with him, to fall into this comfort zone. He makes me feel like it’s natural for us.
“Holy fucking shit,” Rowan whispers and when I turn to her she is smiling. “Come on, girlie let’s get to know each other.” Rowan yanks me away from Merick, looping her arm through mine and leading me to the high back chairs at the kitchen island. She is smiling knowingly. Merick chuckles as he follows sedately behind us, as if he knows what her plans are.
While Rowan and I drink wine and she talks to me as if I’m a part of the family, my earlier jealousy quickly fades. There are most definitely no unresolved feelings between the two of them. No untold love story, no longing for more. They were in fact, just as Merick had described, close friends, more like siblings. We talk and laugh while watching Merick cook dinner. She’s a talker that’s for sure, but I’m okay with that, she makes me feel welcome.
“How did you know to come, Ro?” Merick asks while he stands at the stove, looking back over his shoulder.
“Amelia called me when she saw you walking around town with her.” She shrugs, “I was coming home already to prepare for...you know...stuff.” Rowan looks at me when she says it and then turns back to Merick. “It was time to stop running.”
He comes around the island and pulls her into his arms, hugging her. It’s definitely a brotherly and sisterly hug, but it made me long for a big family. Something I’ve longed for since I was a small girl.
My eyes begin to burn. I excuse myself and escape to the privacy of the bathroom. With my back to the door, I wipe at the tears that spill over and run down my cheeks. I wish they would stop, but they keep coming uncontrollably.
They seem so sure I’m the one, I’m afraid that I’ll end up disappointing them somehow. Merick says I’m important, but what if I’m really not? God, my brain is so scrambled right now.
Once I get myself under control I open the door, letting out a little squeak when I find Merick standing there looking troubled. “What? Is everything okay?” I ask.
“I was coming to check on you. You’ve been crying...why?”
I gaze up at him and shake my head. “Nothing, I promise. I got a little overwhelmed, but I’m good.”
He looks me over closely. “Okay, if you say so.” Merick wraps me in his arms, leans down, and kisses me softly on the lips and then opens my mouth with his. He pulls me to him so I’m plastered against his chest.
All too soon the kiss is over, but by the look on his face it would seem it was a difficult task for him. He seems troubled too, unrestrained maybe, like he is struggling. He grabs my hand and leads me back to the kitchen. After I take my seat once again next to Rowan he kisses me one more time before going back to the stove. He certainly isn’t shy about showing affection.
When it’s time to eat Rowan and I set the table and Merick brings out the plates of food. He sets my plate down in front of me and I swear I salivate immediately. He made stuffed pork chops, roasted sweet potatoes, and peas. They both have twice the amount of food than I do…and it instantly triggers a number of questions in my mind.
”Rowan? Are you a shifter too?” I feel my cheek heat after I ask the question and I regret being so intrusive. Only she doesn’t seem to mind at all.
“I am.”
Wow, are all shifters gorgeous? “How many other shifters are in Stone Ridge?”
Merick reaches out and grabs my hand, “I’ll tell you everything you want to know, but let's wait until tomorrow. I’ve given you a lot of information already. Tonight we’ll hang out, relax, and tomorrow we’ll talk.”
I wake sometime in the night as I feel the bed shift. Merick slides in behind me, wrapping his arm around my waist. I’ve slept alone since I’ve been here and this is the first time he’s gotten into bed with me. His body heat immediately warms me and a contented sigh slips past my lips as I snuggle in close. In no time at all, I fall back asleep.
Merick
Love. In love, I am in love with Taryn. My heart beats for her, my world is surrounded by her. I breathe for her. I spend the evening holding her, imagining doing those very things for years and years to come. Visions of waking up with her in my arms, seeing her smile, hearing her laugh, a lifetime of those things could never be long enough. I’ve never been content, never felt a peace like I feel when she is near.
Taryn is my calm, she is everything I could ever dream of.
I feel her body shift against my own and I wait for her to wake. I held her all night in a warm cocoon I created for
