In a moment’s notice, I was standing in front of Jane with my arm outstretched. “Where did you come from?”
“Seems to me that you are losing your touch, Landon. I’ve been standing right here since you arrived.” Her eyes twinkled and I could not tell whether she was speaking the truth or trying to trick me.
“How is that possible?” Jane scoffed. “I would have noticed.”
“We often do not see what is right in front of our own eyes,” she said. “It is one of our many flaws as living beings.”
I stopped her before she could fall into one of her chants about mother nature. She was a lovely woman but she had a habit of running her mouth and I could barely stand it. “Jane wants to know how we’ve been spending our time together.”
Cynthia leaned her head backwards and laughed into the clouds above. “Does she believe that our old romance was rekindled?”
“I’m right here, you know. I can hear everything you’re saying.”
“So you can,” Cynthia answered with a nod.
“And, as a matter of fact, yes, I want to know what you’re doing with my mating partner.”
She waved her staff in an arcing motion before stepping forward and disappearing through a blanket of vines.
“I’m sorry but she’s kind of weird…” Jane whispered as she followed the shaman.
“Right,” I agreed, even though I knew that saying as much might get me into some serious trouble. Cynthia had a way of hearing just about everything.
Inside, the giant elm tree was hollowed out, revealing a comfortable-looking home decorated with a plethora of folk art. The place felt like an over-cluttered flea market. I had tried to convince Cynthia to get rid of some of her junk but as far as she was concerned, all of her stuff was impossibly valuable. She couldn’t bear to part with it.
“This way,” she directed before starting up a set of spiral steps. They kept going higher, and higher, and higher.
Finally, we came upon a door. It was a deep chestnut brown and carved with intricate symbols. “This is what has occupied your mate’s time,” said Cynthia. “He has been helping me complete this particular wing of the treehouse. I think you will find that it is most agreeable.”
Jane furrowed her brows together, unsure of what to make of the woman’s words.
“Go on, open it,” she prompted. “There isn’t anything on the other side that will kill you. I can promise you that.”
“You know, for some reason, I’m not quite sure that I believe you.”
I placed my hand on the small of her back and nudged her forward, to signal that everything was okay and that she really didn’t have anything worth worrying about. “Go on, it’s okay,” I said, when it became clear that my gesture alone was not enough to convince her. “I think you will like what’s on the other side.”
Still, Jane hesitated. She had her arm draped over her stomach in a protective stance. I smiled to myself, knowing that she would have done anything to protect the unborn pup.
The doorknob turned without a sound and the door slowly swung back revealing the project I had been working on.
“So, do you like it?” I asked while standing right beside her, wanting to gauge her reaction.
“Is this…” she trailed off and stepped forward, taking in all the sights and sounds. She ran her fingers along the painted walls and the mobile hanging from an overhead tree branch. With eyes wide, she stopped at the wooden crib and leaned forward so much that I feared she would fall inside. “… a nursery?”
“It is,” I confirmed. “We couldn’t have the baby at the bunker. It wouldn’t have been fair to you or the baby. Cynthia was kind enough to spare this extra space and even helped to decorate it.”
The shaman smiled. “And if you allow it, I would love to help bring the baby into this world. Giving birth is no easy task. It frightens any woman, no matter how strong. Let me ease some of that burden.”
“She is very skilled,” I commented. “She even helped a lioness deliver a litter of cubs.”
“Are you comparing me to a lioness, because I find that very insulting, with me being a wolf and all.”
I chuckled. “You can be as fierce as one sometimes.”
“Speaking of fierceness…” Cynthia wandered off to a dresser and opened the top drawer. From my vantage point, it appeared empty. Slowly, she ran her hand along the top and retrieved something. “Landon has told me that you are practicing your skills as a weapon wielder.”
“I am,” she confirmed. “The boys tell me that I’m getting better and better every day.”