Chapter Twelve – Magnus

“How did you sleep?” Fara asked Magnus the next morning as he came downstairs. His head was fuzzy from a restless night. Their trip into the mountains appeared to have upset his equilibrium. Magnus anticipated feeling worse before things got better. He teetered on a precipice and even Ruby could not pull him back to safety. He had to push through the barrier in his mind and embrace his memories, good or bad.

“Great,” he lied, not wanting to discuss it until he’d drunk a cup or two of Fara’s black coffee.

Fara saw straight through him and like a dog with a bone, was not about to let go. “Any more memories, or did the ghosts from the past keep you awake?”

She poured a cup of strong black coffee and set it down in front of him. Her wake-me-up juice, she called it, and it earned its name. The dark, bitter liquid hit his brain within seconds, firing up his nerve endings until he buzzed like a bee. However, it robbed him further of his usual inner peace and his nerves jangled as Fara set a plate of eggs and bacon down in front of him.

“Thanks.” He picked up a fork and began to eat, taking a few minutes to compose his thoughts. Fara deserved an answer even if it would not be satisfactory. “No more memories. But yes, the ghosts did haunt me. I kept being back on the river bank. No matter how I tried, I could not look up and see their faces.” He sighed and shoveled more food into his mouth. “This is good, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” She looked up, her wolf hearing so much better than his human ears. “Sol’s here.” She left Magnus and strode to the front door, her footsteps echoing on the wooden porch then growing fainter as she walked down the steps and across the front yard. “Hi there.” Her upbeat greeting drifted in through the open doors.

“Morning, Fara,” Sol’s deep voice greeted her before a silent pause and Magnus imagined them hugging. “You still got your guest.”

“I do. Come inside, there’s eggs and bacon. And I’m sure I can find you something, Custard.” A dog barked happily and then footsteps sounded on the porch. “This is Magnus. Magnus, this is Sol.”

Hi, Sol.” Magnus waved at the young man in the doorway, then his eyes dropped to the yellow Lab by his side. “Hi there, fella.”

“So, he knows what a dog is,” Sol remarked.

“Course he does. A dog is a dog no matter when you were awake last,” Fara said easily as she heaped eggs and bacon on a plate and set it down on the table. “Eat.” She took another plate and scraped more food onto it before setting it down in front of Custard. “Good dog. Then you can go out in the yard and play with your momma.”

Happy that everyone was fed, Fara sat down at the head of the table and drank another cup of coffee. She watched the two men eat, looking like a mother hen. It struck Magnus as sad she’d never met her mate or had children of her own. The same fate might have befallen Ruby if he hadn’t been asleep in that cave and she hadn’t flown by and woken him. Maybe fate did have a hand in all this. He was exactly where he was supposed to be.

Neither man spoke as they ate. The food was good, and the weather was fine. This was a good day, and hope sprung up in his heart. The simple pleasures of life were there for him to enjoy, no matter who he was.

“What are you planning to do with him?” Sol asked once he’d cleared his plate.

Magnus gave a lopsided smile as Fara winked at him and then grew serious. “I thought I might sell him at the market.”

Sol’s expression darkened. “Are you making fun of me?”

“When have I ever done that?” Fara asked in all seriousness. “But I guess I should keep him since he is not all there.”

“Like me?” Sol asked.

“No, Sol, not like you. People were cruel when they said you were not all there in the head. Magnus is different, he’s not all there in his body. His other side is missing,” Fara explained slowly.

“You can’t shift? Like Kurt couldn’t shift? Before we knew him.” Sol sounded serious as he studied Magnus, pity in his eyes. “I don’t know what I’d do without my wolf.”

“Me, neither,” Fara agreed. “But what can you do when you can’t shift?” She looked thoughtful for a moment. “There has to be an answer, I’m sure of it. All this talk of ancient spells doesn’t sound good. But we can crack this mystery wide open and get you back to full health.”

Fara made it sound like an affliction, or a disease they could find a cure for. She might be on to something. Disease spread rapidly and struck people down in their beds, taking whole families. Was it possible he’d contracted a shifter disease? If so, could he pass it on?

“You think I’m sick?” Magnus asked Fara.

She studied him for a moment. “You look healthier than most people I know. If you have a sickness, it’s not with your body, but your brain.” Fara tapped her skull. “I don’t know, Magnus. I really don’t. But that woman of yours will find the answers. She has that look about her.”

“Like Natalie?” Sol asked. “She don’t take no nonsense from anyone. Hey, if you were a wolf, she could command you to shift.”

Fara cackled. “She might be the town alpha, but she can’t make anyone do anything. Not really make them. But I sure would not go up against her.”

“I’ll remember that,” Magnus said as he finished his food. “That was good.”

Custard barked in agreement, then finished his food and disappeared out the door. A couple of minutes later, excited barking told them he’d found his mom in the backyard.

“Those dogs,” Fara said indulgently. “Old Yella likes to see her big baby.” She could be talking about herself. Sol was her big baby, even if she was not his mother. The devotion the two of them shared was evident when Fara got up to wash the dishes and Sol automatically cleared the table. “Thanks, son.”

“You need anything, Fara? I’m going to the store later.” Sol dried the dishes and stacked them neatly.

“Just your company.” Fara put the dishes away, looking around the kitchen with satisfaction. “All shipshape.”

“Is there anything you want help with around the farm?” Magnus asked as he got up and stretched. He was feeling better, no longer haunted by his dreams.

Fara switched her attention to Magnus. “I can take care of things today. I have enough firewood chopped for two winters. And Colin said he’d come over and mow my grass. He likes to feel useful. You spend some time with that lady of yours.”

“I have a couple of hours to kill if there’s anything you want me to do. Ruby’s coming over later to take me back to Bear Creek. She has some chores to catch up on first,” Magnus told them. “Then we’re going to the library and to the museum.”

“I love the museum,” Sol said. “They have bones and stuff in there. And pictures of what it was like here hundreds and thousands of years ago.” He brightened up. “I like the library, too. They have funny books there.”

Fara smiled indulgently. “Sol only learned to read and write a couple of years ago. He had learning difficulties. But thanks to his meds and a lot of hard work, he’s as bright as a spark.”

“I work over at the Peterson farm. I like the cows, and I learned to ride a horse,” Sol said proudly. “I also learned to drive. Want me to drive you to Bear Creek? You could help Ruby finish her chores. Fara likes it when people help her finish her chores lickety-split.”

“I’d like that. If Fara’s sure she doesn’t need me,” Magnus replied, hoping Sol hadn’t been taught to drive by Fara.

“No. I’d be glad to get you all out from under my feet. You two boys go on over to Bear Creek. I have a day of yard work ahead of me.”

“Are you sure you do not need me to stay here and help?” Magnus asked quickly. “I owe you more than a few hours’ work for all the food and lodgings.”

“Magnus, I ain’t never needed a man, and that ain’t gonna change now. You go on with Sol. I’m used to running this place alone, and honestly, I’d appreciate some alone time.” She ushered them out of the door.

“Oh,” Sol looked disappointed. “Does that mean you don’t want to come over for supper tonight? I’m cooking.”

“I’d love to,” Fara replied quickly. “I’ll have had enough of my own company by then.”

“Do you want to come too?” Sol asked Magnus.

“Thanks, Sol, but I’m not sure what I’m doing later.” In truth, Magnus wasn’t ready to meet any more people and he also hoped to spend the whole day with Ruby. They needed some alone time, too.

Fara read his mind. “Listen, the house is yours while I’m out. Bring that sparky mate of yours over if you want. Help yourself to anything you need. There’s cold beer in the fridge if you want it, too.”

“Thanks, Fara.” Magnus got up from the table and went to retrieve his shoes from the front porch as Sol and Fara spoke quietly together. He didn’t eavesdrop, but he could tell Sol’s voice held some concern which he was certain was directed at Magnus.

But a few minutes later, they met Magnus on the front porch where he was tying up his borrowed shoes and pulling on his borrowed plaid shirt. He looked up at Sol, who was eying the clothes with curiosity, and Magnus suddenly realized where they had been borrowed from. Some time he was going to have to liquidate some of his assets and get enough money to buy a new wardrobe and pay Fara for all the food he ate.

“I’ll see you boys later,” Fara said as they walked over to Sol’s truck.

“See you later.” Sol waved at her, and then opened the driver’s door and got in his truck. Magnus slid into the passenger seat next to him. “Custard. Here boy!” A yellow streak of fur came racing toward the truck and jumped in, climbing over Sol to sit between them.

“See you later, Fara,” Magnus called. Yella had joined Fara, the dog sitting next to her mistress, pressing her body against her leg as Fara tickled her ears affectionately.

“Take care, boys!” She waved as they drove off down the dirt track. Sol rolled down the window and gave her one last wave before he turned onto the road heading to town.

“Thanks for the ride, Sol,” Magnus said. It was important to him to make friends with Sol since he was such an important part of Fara’s life.

“No problem. Friends are always there for each other,” he said with a smile.

“Custard is a good dog.” Magnus stroked the big yellow lab who sat in the seat between them.

“He’s my best friend. Fara gave him to me, so I didn’t get lonely. Especially since my brother and sister found their mates. I always wanted a puppy when I was growing up.”

Magnus threaded his fingers through the dog’s fur and stroked him. Did he like dogs? Had he had a dog when he was a boy? So many questions.

“You’re lucky. And so is Custard.” Magnus stroked the dog as he looked out of the window at the scenery passing by. He hadn’t been further than Wolf Valley and was excited to see more of the mountains. He was also excited at the prospect of seeing Ruby. As long as they didn’t pass each other by on the road. She’d said she had chores to do, but what if she finished early and came to see him? Wait, he didn’t even know where she lived. “Do you know where we’re going?”

“Bear Creek,” Sol said evenly as he turned the truck carefully around a corner. He was a careful driver, and his mechanical beast did not make the same grinding noises as Fara’s.

“But where in Bear Creek?” Magnus asked.

Sol looked at him as he turned onto a road signposted to Bear Creek. “You don’t have an address?”

“No. I only met Ruby yesterday. She didn’t give me her address.” Disappointment rested on his shoulders, making him sag forward. He hadn’t realized how much he wanted to see Ruby again until the chance was taken from him.

“Is she your mate?” Sol asked.

“Yes. At least she says she’s my mate. I’m a little hazy on all that.” Magnus smiled apologetically. “That part of my memory is missing, too.”

“Can you feel her? Like when you’re around her, can you sense her there?” Sol kept driving toward the town of Bear Creek as they talked. Magnus figured if nothing else they could stop and ask someone if they knew where Ruby lived. Unless it was a common name.

Then a sense of her presence hit him in the stomach. “Turn right!”

Sol turned the steering wheel fast and they swerved onto a mountain road that climbed steadily upward. “Is this the way?” Sol asked excitedly.

“I think it is.” Magnus caught on to Sol’s excitement. “I just had this feeling in my stomach.”

Sol laughed, and Custard barked as he picked up on the mood of the two men. “You can feel her.” He slapped the steering wheel with his palm.

Magnus grinned widely, a shiver of anticipation threading through his body. “I think so.” He leaned forward, eager to see around each turn in the road.

Then Sol slammed on the brakes, nearly sending him into the solid dashboard. Magnus put his hands out to save himself, grateful for the harness around his waist and shoulder as he lifted his head to see why Sol had stopped.

A car sat in the road before them. Before Sol or Magnus had recovered, a woman emerged out of the car and slammed the door closed. “You drive like a maniac.”

Sol looked sheepishly at Magnus. “Are we in trouble?”

Magnus got out and approached the woman. She was elderly, not as old as Fara, and her skin was less wrinkled, less weather-worn. As he approached her, he inhaled and the faint taste of metal on his tongue reminded him of Ruby. “Are you Ruby’s mom?”

The woman took a step back and then leaned forward, sniffing the air around him. “Magnus Dumas?”

He cracked a smile. “Yes.” His eyes danced with amusement. “This is the right way.”

“You sensed her?” Sol called from the truck, not daring to get out.

The woman’s eyes narrowed. “You really are Ruby’s mate?”

“I believe I am.” He said it with conviction, as if until this moment he had been unsure. “Sol offered to bring me over to Bear Creek, but then we realized we had no idea where Ruby lived.” His words came gushing out in a torrent. “Then I sensed her...”

“And you told this goon to drive up here like a madman?” she asked, her annoyance slipping and relief flooded her face before she covered it over with a stern mask.

“We were excited to see if I was right. I needed proof that I am her true mate,” Magnus offered as way of an explanation.

“I see. And now you’ve proved it.” She pressed her lips together, considering for a moment. “Well, just follow your nose.” She turned on her heel and walked back to the car. “You need to pull over, so I can get past. And drive slowly, there are children around here.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Sol said, relieved to have avoided a worse telling off.

Magnus got back in the truck and exchanged a grin with Sol. “Move over for her to pass and then we’ll keep going. But slowly.”

“Is she a dragon, too?” Sol asked, lowering his voice as if he might be overheard.

“I think she is. They have a distinct smell.” Magnus buckled up his seatbelt as Sol moved across the road and the other car slid past. He lifted his hand and waved, and the woman nodded. Looking closer, he tried to recognize her from his past, but if they had ever met, he had no memory of her. Not that she seemed to remember him either.

But there was hope. His senses were returning. He’d known where to find his mate. Perhaps he simply had to be patient and it would all come back to him.

“Still know the way?” Sol asked as they drove along the road, which snaked through trees, heading into the mountains.

“I think so. She’s closer.” Magnus tuned into his feelings, examining how his body appeared to have an inbuilt compass that guided him toward Ruby. “Take a right.”

Sol followed his directions and they drove up a narrow road. The trees grew thicker and his sense of Ruby’s presence grew stronger. She was close by. Very close by.

Then the trees thinned and the road opened out before the house came into view. She was here. Somewhere in the large timber house was his mate; the woman he was supposed to spend the rest of his life with. A warm and fuzzy sensation crept through his veins. It was one facet of his life he didn’t need to worry about anymore. He’d never be alone again and whatever he had to face, she would be there by his side.

“Are you going to get out?” Sol asked as he switched off the engine.

“What?” Magnus frowned and turned to face the young man. He grinned. Custard and Sol were both staring at him, and he realized he’d been daydreaming about Ruby for a couple of minutes. “Yeah.”

He got out of the truck and looked down at his clothes. He should be dressed in his best suit, with shoes polished until he could see his own reflection. Instead, he was about to approach his mate’s house in borrowed clothes that were a size too big for him and shoes that were worn and scuffed. Still, he was here, that had to mean something.

It did. He looked up and there she was waiting on the porch, her hand on the open door. “You came.”

“I couldn’t wait,” he admitted, rooted to the spot as he stared at her like an idiot. Ruby wore jeans and a buttoned-up shirt that emphasized her figure. He swallowed down his desire.

“You found me.” She looked pleased as she took a step forward.

“I could sense you.” He blinked, kick-starting his brain that had turned to romantic mush at the sight of her. Waving in the general direction of the truck, but not taking his eyes off her, he said, “This is Sol, he drove me.”

“Hi, Sol. Do you want to come in?” Ruby sounded bemused.

“Hi. Do you have coffee?” Sol asked, getting out of the truck with Custard at his heel. “And do you like dogs?”

“Yes, on both counts,” Ruby said easily, her eyes fixed on Magnus as he sauntered over to her, trying to look cool but feeling like a complete idiot.

“Morning.” His throat constricted as he spoke, and his mouth watered. He was grateful for Sol bringing him here but damn he wished they were alone, so he could pull Ruby into his arms and kiss her mouth, and the rest of her body.

“Morning.” Her eyes danced as she watched him. Could she read his mind or was she simply having the same kind of thoughts? His oversized pants were tight around the groin area. He knew exactly why. Those intimate parts of his memory were definitely intact. He knew how to please a woman. Then her attention switched to the dog who stood between them, his tongue hanging out as he looked for attention. “Hey there.”

Ruby stroked Custard, leaving Magnus wishing he was a dog. How he longed to feel her hands caressing his body. He really needed to get his mind out of the gutter. “We met your mom.” Yeah, Sol’s words did the trick to sober him up.

“You did?” Ruby asked quickly, looking concerned. “When, on the road?”

“She stopped, and we spoke briefly,” Magnus told her.

“She was mad because she thought we were driving too fast,” Sol filled in the details.

“You made my mom mad?” Ruby asked. “And lived to tell the story. I think you deserve coffee and maybe some cake.”

Sol’s face cracked open into a wide smile. “Yes, please.”

“Go in, you’ll find Harlan in the kitchen.” She stood out of the way and Sol and Custard walked past, heading inside the house. “As for you.” She put her finger on his chest and pushed him so his back was against the door. “Did you make a good first impression on my mom?”

He looked down at her, drowning in her eyes as she read the longing there. “I made an impression on her.” He ran his tongue along his lower lip, moistening it, ready to kiss her.

“You know she’s the most powerful dragon in Bear Creek.” Ruby tilted her head back and her eyes flicked to his lips.

“I’d still fight her for you.” His hand snaked around her waist and he pulled her close, their bodies pressed together. “I’d fight the fiercest creature in all the world for you.”