Epilogue
“So, what happens now?” Cruz growled.
Dawn pursed her lips, looking at the men and women gathered in the meeting house at Koa Point that evening. A sea breeze drifted in and out of the open structure much like little Keiki wound around Dawn’s legs. Crickets chirped all around, and tiny sparks snapped upward from the tiki torches that lit the paths converging on the meeting house.
Hours earlier, Dawn had experienced the high of her life. She’d been glowing from the mating bite all afternoon. Then she’d slept the soundest sleep of her life, and her body still tingled. In fact, she’d been sleeping well ever since coming to Koa Point. Which probably had more to do with the reassuring grip of Hunter’s arms around her than the modest comforts of the cottage he lived in. The house was a pretty, green structure with white trim, built in classic plantation style. A place that felt so much like home, she would have been happy to move right in. She even had a corner picked out for her antique Victrola. They had agreed to a week at her place and a week at his, for starters, but she could already tell where they’d end up. And, heck, who could blame her? Koa Point Estate was amazing, and the gates seemed to hold the troubles of the world at bay.
At some point in the blissful haze of the afternoon, Boone had come along to call them to the meeting, and anxiety tinged the edges of her world again.
“What are you doing?” she’d asked when Hunter rubbed his shoulder against the doorframe on the way out of the cottage.
His eyes dropped in chagrin. “It’s kind of a bear thing,” he shrugged, trying to downplay what she sensed was significant. “We like to mark our turf.”
She’d laughed, but when he kept his shoulder pressed against hers in the meeting house, a happy little shiver went through her. A shiver that said, I’m his, and he’s mine.
And boy did she need him now. Night had fallen, the meeting had begun, and Cruz’s grim words silenced the room.
So, what happens now?
Dawn forced herself not to fidget as she looked around.
The shifters of Koa Point were all there — in human form, thank goodness. Although she’d learned her lesson about good and bad shifters, a little bit of anxiety remained when she faced the others. Boone and Nina, who could both shift into wolf form. Cruz, the tiger she owed her life to. Kai, Tessa, and Silas, who were all dragon shifters. Dragons, for goodness’ sake!
You’ll be a shifter soon, too, Hunter had explained to her.
Strangely, the thought didn’t terrify her. In fact, she was curious what it would be like. Still, living among so many shifters would take a lot of getting used to.
Having Hunter there helped, as did Keiki. The kitten skipped over to Cruz’s legs and purred loudly. When Cruz — lean, hard-faced Cruz, who carried the same kind of wounded warrior vibe Hunter once had — smiled slightly and scooped the kitten up against his chest, Dawn’s jaw nearly dropped. He held Keiki protectively, staring into the distance, stroking her fur. The man was more like Hunter than she’d guessed. A protector, not an instigator. A man who would lay down his life for a noble cause.
But Hunter had shed that sad veneer he’d always carried with him. He practically glowed, as did she. Cruz, on the other hand…
“Good question,” Kai said. “What happens now?”
All eyes swung to Silas, the leader of the Koa Point shifters. He scraped a hand through his dark hair and looked at Dawn.
What? What did he want?
Hunter cleared his throat and nudged her, and she remembered. The amethyst. The Spirit Stone. She drew the ring slowly out of her pocket and laid it on the table.
“The Earthstone,” Silas murmured.
Everyone leaned closer. Then Tessa pulled a necklace over her head and placed it on the table beside the ring. Dawn’s mouth cracked open at the sight of the emerald strung on the silver chain.
“The Lifestone,” Hunter said in a hushed voice.
“Look,” Tessa whispered as both gems started to glow.
Silas nodded wearily and signaled to Nina, who placed a huge ruby beside the other gems. The Firestone started to glow, until all three were blazing like embers in a freshly stoked fire.
“The Firestone.”
Dawn stared at the trio of precious stones. If only Lily were here — she’d have a comment to break the tension in the room, for sure. But Dawn could only stand and gape.
They have special powers, Hunter had said. Powers most humans aren’t aware of.
She swallowed the lump in her throat, remembering the jolt of energy the amethyst had sent through her body when she’d first slipped the ring on her finger.
“Do they each control an element?” she ventured.
Silas shook his head. “The names are more symbolic than literal, from what I can tell. The Earthstone represents all facets of nature, I believe. But so much of dragon lore has been lost…” He trailed off, shaking his head.
Kai motioned toward the amethyst. “It was in front of our eyes the whole time. Regina was wearing this ring. Why couldn’t we sense it earlier?”
Everyone looked at Silas, but he raised an eyebrow at Hunter and waited for the bear shifter to speak.
Hunter’s fingers tightened around hers, and she squeezed back.
“I think the amethyst was slumbering,” Hunter said. “It was only when the diamond was brought close that the amethyst was stirred to life.”
“Why the diamond? It’s not a Spirit Stone,” Nina asked.
“Gems are like jealous women,” Boone said. When Nina smacked his arm, he jabbed a finger in Silas’s direction. “His words, honey. Not mine.”
“Silas — seriously?” Tessa put her hands on her hips.
Dawn hid her grin. She liked these women. The room practically pulsed with alpha hormones, but Tessa and Nina weren’t intimidated in the least. In some ways, it was similar to the male-dominated police squad. These shifters were on a whole different level than Dawn’s colleagues, but still. She relaxed slightly. Yes, she could handle it here.
Hunter looked at her, all muscle and soft eyes, and she grinned. Yep. She could definitely handle it here.
Silas shrugged. “Dragon lore. You know how it is.”
Tessa made a face and muttered something like, “Still learning.”
“In any case,” Silas continued, “That seems to have been the catalyst.”
“But Regina didn’t make the cliff collapse,” Kai pointed out.
“I think Dawn being in touch with her aumakua must have helped direct and amplify its power,” Silas said, giving her a respectful nod.
She rolled her lips over each other, grateful for the ancestral spirits that swooped in to guide her at the most critical times.
Boone clapped his hands in a that’s-that gesture. “Well, the Earthstone is ours now.”
Hunter glared. “It’s Dawn’s.”
“Whoa. No. Wait,” she said quickly.
“You fished it out of the ocean.” Kai pointed out.
“Possibly, but as a member of the Maui Police Department… Let’s just say I’d rather not bend another rule. God knows I’ve done enough of that lately.”
Hunter looked downcast at the remark, so she squeezed his hand. “I took a vow, right? But I understand that some things have to operate outside the law — as long as we stay within the spirit of the law. Besides, it seems to me the human world is better off without something this powerful in its hands.”
Silas rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. “Sometimes I think the shifter world would be better off without it, too.”
“What would Jericho have done with the Earthstone?” Dawn asked and regretted it when Hunter’s shoulder went hard.
“I did some digging around,” Kai said. “Apparently, he’s been trying to push through this oil pipeline for years. The proposed route would slice through pristine wilderness — some of it shifter territory—”
Dawn hugged Hunter’s arm, thinking of what he’d been through as a cub.
“—so I’d say Jericho would have used it to overpower the last holdouts.”
“You did it, man.” Boone grinned at Hunter. “You stopped him.”
Hunter shook his head. “Dawn stopped him.”
“The Earthstone stopped him,” she corrected. “But it’s here now. That’s good, right?” she asked in the heavy silence that ensued. “You can keep it safe.”
Silas nodded slowly. Wearily. “We’ll do our best. But the Spirit Stones call to one another. Which means the other two…”
Every face in the room fell, and Cruz held Keiki a little tighter.
Hunter caught Dawn’s perplexed look and filled in the rest. “The other two could turn up anytime.”
“And considering what we went through to secure these…” Kai added, pulling Tessa closer.
Seconds ticked by in weighty silence.
“Hey, the Spirit Stones brought us blessings, too. Right?” Boone said, sliding his arm over Nina’s shoulders.
Dawn looked around the room. Kai and Tessa had found each other through the emerald. Boone and Nina met because of the ruby. And, as for herself… Dawn gripped Hunter’s hand tighter. The amethyst had brought her the man she’d secretly loved for years.
She looked at Cruz and Silas, the only two bachelors left in the gang. Would destiny bring them true love, too?
“So, what do we do?” she asked, eyeing the jewels.
Silas’s gaze traveled from face to face, and then he shook his head. “We watch. We wait.”
* * *
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