CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Peter and Mellie returned to his den for the night. They were having dinner with Granny Ivana. She’d called the apartment to make certain they were coming back to the den, so they had to get cleaned up and presentable for dinner with Granny, whether they liked it or not. But humoring Granny Ivana wasn’t a hardship. Mellie was pleased that the older woman was so accepting.
Mellie had feared Peter’s relatives would object to having a witch in the family. As it was, Granny Ivana couldn’t have been friendlier if she tried. Mellie finally arrived at the conclusion that Granny Ivana just wanted to see Peter happy and was willing to accept that Mellie made him feel that way.
So, they showed up for dinner right on time, ready to enjoy an evening with the woman who was fast becoming the town’s favorite grandmother. When they arrived, however, Granny Ivana was not alone. She had invited Paul to dinner, as well, and was already deep in conversation with him, from the looks of things.
“Good. You are back,” Granny Ivana greeted Mellie and Peter as they walked into his house. “Paul and I have been talking, and I’m almost certain he could be related to my grandfather.”
Peter stopped short at his grandmother’s announcement. Mellie kept going, hoping the dragon shifter wouldn’t take Peter’s reaction as some kind of insult. Luckily, Peter’s frozen astonishment didn’t last too long.
“Are you certain of this?” he asked his babushka.
“Fairly certain, yes,” she answered. “We will place calls to the Clan in the morning. There are some written records from my grandfather’s time that might be helpful, but I’m almost positive Paul may be descended from my grandfather’s sister’s line. She was also a dragon, and a beauty, though I only met her once.”
“That’s one more time than I’ve ever met any of my blood kin,” Paul said, his tone sober. Mellie took a long look at him and realized he was probably trying hard not to get his hopes up too high.
From what little she knew of Paul’s background, he’d been raised an orphan under one of the cruelest regimes in modern times. He’d been one of those traumatized Romanian orphans under the Ceausescu regime where the children were neglected, often beaten and lacked basic medical care, clothing and bathing facilities. It was a wonder he’d made it out alive and reasonably sane.
Of course, he was a dragon shifter. If anyone could survive such horrific conditions, it would probably be someone like him, with the fire and magic of a dragon living in his soul. Even if the dragon didn’t emerge until puberty, or even later, Paul would have been born with the dual nature inherent in all shifters. It’s what probably had saved him.
Still, that kind of experience early in life must have damaged him. At the very least, it had made him wary. Mellie didn’t blame him for trying to play it cool with Granny Ivana. As warm as the old woman was, someone who’d been through what Paul had suffered would be wary of anyone new offering the hand of friendship or the promise of family. Granny Ivana was offering both, which must have been a little scary for someone of Paul’s background.
Mellie felt the need to say something. She stepped forward to face Paul. This was the first time she’d seen him since the beach. She owed him her thanks at the very least.
“I want you to know that, regardless of whether or not you are related by blood to Peter and his Clan, you will always be welcome here. I have yet to thank you for what you did to make my potion a reality.” She stepped a bit closer to Paul and offered her hand. He took it somewhat hesitantly. “I could not have completed my task without you, Paul. Thank you on my behalf and on the behalf of all those you helped protect by your sacrifice.”
“It’s okay,” Paul said quietly, seeming uncomfortable with her praise. “John already thanked me. I’m just glad I was able to help, and really, you did the heavy lifting, Amelia. You are one powerful little witch,” Paul’s tone warmed as his words became more relaxed.
Now, it was Mellie’s turn to feel uncomfortable. “I just did what I had to do,” she mumbled.
Paul let go of her hand and smiled. “So did I, Strega Ricoletti. So did I.”
The fact that he called her by the formal title showed a level of respect that she hadn’t expected. Mellie bowed her head in acknowledgement, knowing she was probably blushing at the sudden praise.
Luckily, Peter appeared to have gotten over his shock and came up beside her. He held out his hand to Paul, and they shook hands like old comrades.
“I, for one, hope we can figure out exactly where you fit in the family tree,” Peter told the other man.
“You wouldn’t mind?” Paul said with painful candor, looking from Peter to Granny Ivana and back again.
“Mind? Who, in their right mind, would argue about having a freaking dragon in the family? I mean, how cool is that?” Peter’s enthusiasm was genuine. “I grew up hearing the stories from Babushka about her grandfather, but it was all very hush-hush. We weren’t allowed to talk about it outside the family. I was always so curious about him, and about those like him, but I never thought I would actually meet a dragon shifter in my lifetime. I thought they were all gone.” Peter’s voice grew tight with emotion. “But here you are. Living proof of everything Babushka taught me. I want to claim you as my kin. I want to get to know you and have you learn about your heritage. I want all the things for you that you were denied as a child in a horrible place.”
“Why do you care?” Paul asked, his gaze intense, his words brittle with emotion. Mellie held her breath.
Peter reached out and put one hand on Paul’s shoulder. “I’m older than you. When you were a boy in that place, I was already a soldier. I saw a little of what went on in Romania under the communist regime of Ceausescu. It was a scandal. It was a tragedy. And, if there had been anything I could do back then to change it, I would have done it.”
Paul seemed to crumble a bit as Peter drew him in close. They leaned together, their foreheads touching, two strong men sharing a moment of intense sorrow and joy, all mixed together. It was almost painful to watch, but it was also beautiful.
“I claim you as my kin, Paul Lebchenko,” Peter said in a strong voice that carried the weight of a vow. “Even if we can find no record of your people, I know you in my heart. My bear recognizes your spirit. You are my kin, and you will be forevermore part of my family.”
Granny Ivana came up beside the men and put one of her hands on each of their bent heads, adding her own benediction. “Blood calls to blood,” she intoned. “Zilakov or Lebchenko, bear or dragon, we are the same where it counts. We are Clan.”
Then, the old woman took them into her arms as the men turned, one on either side of her. Granny Ivana had one arm around each of them as they hugged her close. It was a touching moment, and Mellie felt the dampness of tears running down her cheeks. Happy tears for a family reunited, never to be lost again.
When Granny Ivana finally released them, all three shifters were sparking with energy. Mellie could see it in the air around them, it was so intense, but it was happy energy. Joyful magic. Happiness given form.
“I hope this means you’ll be sticking around Grizzly Cove for a while,” Mellie said to Paul.
All three looked at her. “Sorry, love, I didn’t tell you,” Peter told her. “Paul already decided to stay for a bit. He asked the town council, and we approved. He’s got a room at the hotel at the edge of town.”
Mellie realized that had probably been decided while she’d been unconscious. “Gee. Sleep a little too long, and all sorts of stuff happens,” she groused, her tone teasing. Three smiles answered her. “Well, then. I guess that’s settled. Welcome to Grizzly Cove, Paul. I think you’re going to like it here.”
*
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Below is a short excerpt from Bounty Hunter Bear, which is the first in a spinoff set of books called Grizzly Cove Crossroads. They are related to Grizzly Cove and take place partially in the Cove, but also follow the paths of several bear shifters on their individual journeys of discovery, and of course, love.