CHAPTER 34

The restaurant was packed. Nothing like a good breakfast with friends ––or whatever you call the teachers that work for you and don't know very well–- on a Saturday morning.

They chitchatted about a dozen different things, like the latest gossip at school, what the kids were doing, who they thought had the biggest chances of being successful, the usual banter among friends.

Darcy seemed much less... uptight? Was that the word she was looking for? Much less uptight than how she seemed to be at work. Maybe that was a good thing, being "cool" and "hip" was a crutch most times, especially with students that might need a push to get them to do the work and graduate.

"So, what about you, Audrey? Can I call you Audrey?"

Audrey laughed and patted her on the shoulder, "I'm not a monster, Darcy, I'm not going to eat you!"

"So tell us!"

"What?"

"Well, are you seeing someone?"

Audrey almost choked on her coffee. Do they know? She didn't want to hide whatever she and Enzo had going, but at the same time she didn't know whether this was an innocent question or not. Maybe they saw something.

"Darcy, come on!" Jo, said, answering before Audrey could even mutter a word, "you can't just ask her that, she's not gonna come again!"

They all laughed. Jo taught English and was a bit more tactful than their counterparts.

"We have to ease ourselves into the conversation first," Marie, the biology teacher said, "then, when she ain't looking..."

She rose her hands like a lion falling over its prey.

Audrey shook her head and kept on smirking. These women were ridiculous, in a good way.

"Nothing serious," she finally replied.

I guess that's the truth. I mean we get along well and all but we don't really know...

"Oh, nothing serious!" Darcy said, "looks like you're already having more fun than any of us!"

"No, I didn't mean that!" Audrey replied, blushed red.

"Don't worry darling," Darcy continued, "I haven't seen you so happy in months, your 'nothing serious' must be real good at..." she pressed her lips and made a swinging, semi–sexual motion.

Mary and Jo laughed, "let her be, Darce..."

"I just wish I was younger, so I could get my 'nothing serious,' too..."

"What, your boyfriend dumped you?" said Mary.

Darcy looked at her evenly. Everyone quieted down, "watch your words, Mary."

"Sorry," she replied, anxiously, "I was joking."

Darcy laughed, "just kidding, you dork."

"Darcy!" the rest of the girls yelled in unison.

"He couldn't leave this," she said wiggling her breasts, "even if he wanted to."

Everyone burst out laughing.

"Anyway," Darcy said, "you seem to be doing great, Audrey, you might wanna teach these two a lesson."

"You're the one who should teach me a lesson," Audrey replied, "but yeah, everything's super great."

They ordered dessert, conversation livelier than ever. It was great to see the teachers outside of school, without the limitations that work puts on you.

She didn't know where her relationship was going —or if it was going anywhere. Still, it'd been a while since things were so good.

She'd wait for his call, didn't want to push it.

Let's see what happens.

***

The woods were quiet.

Enzo arrived at the mountain and found none of his crewmates there. He went straight to the forest. There hadn't been an alert in years, but the White Paws never ceased guarding the territory.

His bear needed to come out. The feeling of soft, wet dirt on its paws was a welcome change to the pavement down in Rosenberg.

A growl escaped him, he raised his head and sniffed the air for the last time, making sure that everything was safe. No risk of the Shadowlands puncturing reality.

He only caught a whiff of the morning dew slowly evaporating, leaving behind the promise of life.

He was happy.

It took him a bit longer than usual to get back to the HQ, but it was fine, he needed to clear his head after yesterday.

And what better way to do it than to let the bear take control. To lose himself in its power.

He got back at the base and put his clothes on. The guys had probably come earlier and carried on with their day.

All of them had kids now. All of them had found their mates. He had witnessed how much a bear shifter could change if he found his fated mate.

The bear inside him stirred when he thought of that word.

Mate.

He went up to the Comms Tower, turned on the log computer and wrote the usual "all in control."

He looked out the main window, the trees danced in the wind, the big forest surrounded home. He had always been... content? Happy, he never needed anything or anyone else in his life to be complete.

But this was something else.

Being with Audrey made him stronger, quicker... his power over the elements much greater and much more precise.

For once in his life, he was in complete control of his bear. The forces of nature were strong and unwieldy; it took all of his strength to be able to channel them.

His bear always came out after he did so.

But when he healed her... it didn't happen. He couldn't describe why, but everything he wanted was for her to be all right. He couldn't stand watching her suffer.

The world he knew was slowly crumbling down, but in a good way. She was the strength he never knew he needed.

"Looking hella freaky there, Enzo," a thin voice said behind him.

His bear grumbled, but he recognized the voice.

It was Deeandra, Raiden's daughter. A twelve year old with an attitude he had yet to see in anyone else.

She smiled brightly, her blonde hair garbled up as if it had just exploded.

Raiden laughed behind her, walking into the Comms Tower.

"Don't startle him Dee, you don't wanna mess with the crew's philosopher."

Enzo chuckled.

"Shut up, man," he said, then turned to Dee, "what's up?"

"We're going exploring, wanna join us?"

"Thanks, Dee. I just came back and still got work to do."

"Your loss," she said.

"Where were you this morning?" Raiden said, "I thought you weren't coming."

Enzo looked at him, and before he could answer Raiden raised his hand, "wait, no, don't say anything, there's a child around."

"Daaaad!" Deedee said, carrying her words like she'd always done, "I'm not a child!"

Raiden looked at Enzo and they both shared a smirk.

"You look weird, Enzo," Dee said.

"Weird? Weird how?"

She shrugged and stepped next to her dad.

"I don't know. Different."

"He might be a bit tired, Dee," Raiden said with a wink.

"Where's everybody?" Enzo changed the subject.

"All the girls went shopping," Dee replied, interrupting her dad, "I stayed."

"She doesn't want to babysit the kids."

"Dad! I always watch over them, even though you don't pay me enough to do it."

"They don't pay me enough to babysit you right now, buddy, but I ain't complaining."

"Dad!" Dee said, punching his big arm, Raiden jumped back and took the hits, pretending to be hurt.

Enzo laughed. His old friend, the berserker, the polar bear, talking about kids and shopping and feigning defeat by the hands of a young twelve-year-old girl.

His mate changed him for the best.

Dee turned to him, his eyes turned to slits.

"Don't worry, I know," she whispered to him.

Raiden put his hand hand around her shoulder, half hugging her, "know what?"

"You look just like my dad did, back when he met mom."

Enzo felt as if a bucket of cold water fell over him.

"Really?" Raiden said with an edge in his voice, "and how exactly is that, D-Tank?"

"Kind of dumb, of course!" she replied and escaped her father's grip. Raiden ran behind her, yelling "you take it back, child!"

And just before he walked outside, he turned back to Enzo.

"You do look kind of dumb, man. Don't tell me you're in love?"

Enzo chuckled, "don't make me laugh."

"Why would I? Just asking an honest question."

Raiden jumped out of the building and chased after his daughter, whose laughter had already turned into the funny roar of a cub.

Put the thought aside. There's still much work you gotta do.

Lab work. His favorite kind of work. But not this time. Not if the experiments turned out positive.

Not if the White Paws mountain was a crossing.