horrible things to Hope.
She was also Jamie Howard’s mate, something that had shocked everyone since Jamie’s first mate, Marie, had been killed by a rogue who was after Tabby. Ryan and Cyn had rescued Hope, and now the female Wolf was being counseled by Sarah Anderson, the Pride’s Omega and an empath who could both feel and influence the emotions of others.
“But then Hope and Jamie become two, right? That’s why I dismissed that idea as possible.”
“Nope, because Marie still is, and will always be, Jamie’s mate. And Hope’s, most likely.” Heather put Marie and Hope next to Jamie. Hope, as a Wolf, would have been the glue between the three had Marie lived. Pumas didn’t get second mates, but Wolves did, though it rarely happened.
There was silence on Julian’s end, but when he spoke again he sounded shocked as hell. “But that would mean Marie was meant to die that day. That it wasn’t a missed shot.”
“And that you were meant to save Jamie.” Heather shook her head. “It’s complex, but it fits.”
“But that isn’t the only theory that fits, Heather.”
True, but she had to consider all the possibilities or they’d never figure this out. “No, but it should get added to the list of theories.”
“But why would the spirits be so interested in the mating of a Wolf to a pair of Pumas?” She could practically hear Julian shaking his head, his tone was so dismissive. “Nope. I think it’s something else, something that hasn’t happened yet.”
Perhaps Julian knew more than he was letting on. He had a tendency to be cryptic at the worst possible moments. “Then what do you think it means?”
“I think we need to figure out who the Fox and Bear are. If we can do that, we’ll know the answer to the rest of the riddle.” His tone was convincing.
“Do you believe Fox and Bear are the two that becomes one?” She noted that, but she wasn’t so sure. She was still convinced that the key to the whole thing lay with Jamie, Hope and Marie.
“It’s possible.” She could hear the disbelief in Julian’s voice.
“Then how do they become three?” She threw that at him, thinking there was no way he would have a comeback for her.
“Huh. I’m not sure. Another white shifter, maybe?”
“So you still think Fox and Bear are white? That would make you and Chloe the Fox and Bear, and you’ve both said you aren’t.”
“Ah, but there are more white Bears in Canada, remember? One of them could be the Bear the prophecy spoke of.”
That was true, but something still didn’t seem right. “You don’t really believe that. Otherwise there would be more white Foxes around.”
He sighed. “No, I don’t. Whoever they are, they’d be here, where the prophecy was spoken. But every Kermode had the same damn dream. Bear really wanted us to know about this for some reason.”
“The Senate would be a good reason.” Heather stared at the paper, her mind wandering once more to Barney. “It has to have something to do with that.” She wrote down “Senate” and circled it. Twice.
“White shifters and the Senate. We’ve been over this so many times I’m getting sick of it.” Julian sighed. “All right. How about you concentrate on the first half of the riddle. Maybe you can come up with something that will help Barney. I’ll see if any of my Kermode cousins can sense anything more than Bear knows the way, yadda yadda blah blah blah.”
“I can do that.” She wouldn’t, but she could . The whole riddle needed to be solved as one, not in pieces. Fox holds the key might mean that it was a Fox who was supposed to figure it out, so maybe that Fox was Heather herself.
“All right. Call me if you think of anything, and take care of yourself. Don’t make me come over there and sit on you.”
Heather laughed. “That would go over so well with Cyn, wouldn’t it?”
“I’ll do it in a heartbeat if I think you’re getting worse, you hear me?” Julian’s tone was serious. “I
She was also Jamie Howard’s mate, something that had shocked everyone since Jamie’s first mate, Marie, had been killed by a rogue who was after Tabby. Ryan and Cyn had rescued Hope, and now the female Wolf was being counseled by Sarah Anderson, the Pride’s Omega and an empath who could both feel and influence the emotions of others.
“But then Hope and Jamie become two, right? That’s why I dismissed that idea as possible.”
“Nope, because Marie still is, and will always be, Jamie’s mate. And Hope’s, most likely.” Heather put Marie and Hope next to Jamie. Hope, as a Wolf, would have been the glue between the three had Marie lived. Pumas didn’t get second mates, but Wolves did, though it rarely happened.
There was silence on Julian’s end, but when he spoke again he sounded shocked as hell. “But that would mean Marie was meant to die that day. That it wasn’t a missed shot.”
“And that you were meant to save Jamie.” Heather shook her head. “It’s complex, but it fits.”
“But that isn’t the only theory that fits, Heather.”
True, but she had to consider all the possibilities or they’d never figure this out. “No, but it should get added to the list of theories.”
“But why would the spirits be so interested in the mating of a Wolf to a pair of Pumas?” She could practically hear Julian shaking his head, his tone was so dismissive. “Nope. I think it’s something else, something that hasn’t happened yet.”
Perhaps Julian knew more than he was letting on. He had a tendency to be cryptic at the worst possible moments. “Then what do you think it means?”
“I think we need to figure out who the Fox and Bear are. If we can do that, we’ll know the answer to the rest of the riddle.” His tone was convincing.
“Do you believe Fox and Bear are the two that becomes one?” She noted that, but she wasn’t so sure. She was still convinced that the key to the whole thing lay with Jamie, Hope and Marie.
“It’s possible.” She could hear the disbelief in Julian’s voice.
“Then how do they become three?” She threw that at him, thinking there was no way he would have a comeback for her.
“Huh. I’m not sure. Another white shifter, maybe?”
“So you still think Fox and Bear are white? That would make you and Chloe the Fox and Bear, and you’ve both said you aren’t.”
“Ah, but there are more white Bears in Canada, remember? One of them could be the Bear the prophecy spoke of.”
That was true, but something still didn’t seem right. “You don’t really believe that. Otherwise there would be more white Foxes around.”
He sighed. “No, I don’t. Whoever they are, they’d be here, where the prophecy was spoken. But every Kermode had the same damn dream. Bear really wanted us to know about this for some reason.”
“The Senate would be a good reason.” Heather stared at the paper, her mind wandering once more to Barney. “It has to have something to do with that.” She wrote down “Senate” and circled it. Twice.
“White shifters and the Senate. We’ve been over this so many times I’m getting sick of it.” Julian sighed. “All right. How about you concentrate on the first half of the riddle. Maybe you can come up with something that will help Barney. I’ll see if any of my Kermode cousins can sense anything more than Bear knows the way, yadda yadda blah blah blah.”
“I can do that.” She wouldn’t, but she could . The whole riddle needed to be solved as one, not in pieces. Fox holds the key might mean that it was a Fox who was supposed to figure it out, so maybe that Fox was Heather herself.
“All right. Call me if you think of anything, and take care of yourself. Don’t make me come over there and sit on you.”
Heather laughed. “That would go over so well with Cyn, wouldn’t it?”
“I’ll do it in a heartbeat if I think you’re getting worse, you hear me?” Julian’s tone was serious. “I
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