“Thanks, Kiana.”

John played with the leather cord wrapped around his wrist, replaying the goodbye kiss Tala gave him before she ran off to the big house in the center of the clearing. With the shagbark dagger safely stowed in his inventory, Kiana walked quietly with him until a thought occurred to him at the start of the treeline.

“I wish there was an easier way for me to talk to you guys when I’m not here,” John complained to the kind woman. “Would Tala get in trouble if I called the main house to try to reach her?”

“Hmm,” Kiana thought audibly. “I doubt she’d get in trouble, but you haven’t met anyone at the main house yet. That wouldn’t make you too uncomfortable?” She looked at him with a soft smile and the gamer couldn’t help but chuckle a little.

“It does a bit,” he admitted, “but not really enough to stop me. I’d rather be able to talk to her more and I doubt you guys would have computers or be interested in cell phones.”

The corner of her mouth twitched into an almost smile as she responded, “Not really. They’re unfortunately too easily tracked and we can’t be too careful.” John’s heart fell, but she continued, “Though, a couple of our members do have their own phones. We’re not entirely old-fashioned. Messages can get across rather easily.”

A thought occurred to him and his step faltered. “That reminds me. When I was a wolf,” John paused, trying to think of the right way to say it. “When I was in my wolf form, I could hear Tala. In my head.”

He caught Kiana’s rosy blush, only highlighting the blue of her eyes as she cast a sideways glance at him. “And she could hear your thoughts too?”

The gamer’s brow furrowed and he nodded. ’What kind of messed up magic is all this? They’re all acting like it’s normal for that to happen.’

“I was a little worried that’d happen,” she sighed. “Normally that’s something that only occurs between bonded pairs. Mates.” Though the kind woman was a mother herself, she continued to blush and avoided looking John directly in the eye.

“Like you and Dakota?” At that moment, they crossed the barrier border and John was glad the slight jolt to his stomach wasn’t nearly as bad this time. ’Maybe I’m getting used to this. Or this bracelet helps.’

“Exactly.”

The gamer waited, expectant, but her answer was simple and short. He could only stand the silence a few yards before he had to ask. “Isn’t that like being married?”

“In our culture, yes.” Kiana turned to him, taking the young lycan’s arm and stopping their walk.

“We’re not going to **** you to conform to our culture, John. Fifty years ago, maybe, we would have. Koda probably would’ve killed you for bonding to his daughter to begin with without proper protocol.” The gamer could feel the color drain from his cold face, but she continued with a reassuring smile, “However, times have changed. Teenagers don’t exactly wait for their parents to arrange their bondings anymore. We can’t use them as political ties to keep different packs from fighting, thank Gaia for that. I’d much rather let kids find love themselves than try to accept it after they’re mated.”

A distant sadness touched her eyes and John nodded slowly, mulling it all over in his mind, brow furrowed. “I’m still sorry that I didn’t know any of this before.”

The breeze tousled her blonde hair as she laughed, pulling John back into the walk. “If you had, we would have had bigger concerns, love. Don’t worry yourself about it. I am glad you and Tala care so much for each other. If the emotions weren’t there, the bond wouldn’t have taken to begin with.”

“Huh.” That revelation paused him and the gamer went back to thinking quietly to himself as they walked, the trees thinning around them.

As they stepped out into the park with a couple other hikers they’d joined on the way, the hair on the back of John’s neck stood on end and he turned back to look into the shadows. ’Was there someone there?’

“John?” Kiana called from a few yards further into the park. “What’s wrong?”

Walking backwards towards her, the young lycan reluctantly tore his eyes away from the woods to answer her. “Got that odd feeling we’re being watched. Can’t really place it.”

The kindness left her eyes and a steely cold took its place as she looked over towards the trees. “Hopefully it’s nothing. But after finding that Cabalist in the woods the other day, who knows anymore.” She scanned the woods as John looked over at the people gathering around the bus stop. “Go on, honey. I’ll be fine.”

“No,” he half growled the word, then smiled. “No offense. I’m sure you would be fine, but Tala and Dakota wouldn’t forgive me if I left you alone when we weren’t sure.”

She snorted, delicately, breaking the tension in both of them. “I could call for Dakota,” she offered.

“Hang on,” the gamer said. “I have another idea.” Taking Kiana’s hand, he pulled her towards the group at the bus stop. ’I really hope this works’ Stepping around a few others, John approached the couple he’d seen entering the park earlier. “Hey, uh, Aoife, right?” He was suddenly glad he knew of a video game announcer with the same name so he had even an inkling of how to pronounce it. “My name’s John.”

Kace stepped between them, a head taller than John, but the gamer didn’t feel intimidated by his glare. “We do not know you.”

“I know, long story, but...” Pausing, the lycan looked back over his shoulder at the other people waiting for the bus. They were all watching them, though a few pretended not to be. He lowered his voice before continuing, hoping it was quiet enough only the four of them could hear, “The woods may be in trouble.”

The taller man’s eyes narrowed and he looked out over the trees. “Follow me,” growled Kace, grabbing Aoife’s hand and keeping himself between her and the two lycans as he led them away from the bus stop.

“John,” Kiana whispered. “Who are they?”

The gamer simply shook his head, unable to really explain his gut feeling about these two. “Just trust me.”

There were some murmurs behind the group, but nobody followed and they were alone once out of sight and hearing range at the empty playground.

The two nymphs turned to face John and Kiana, more relaxed without the crowd.