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  "You're not cursed, Faith, even if you are a charmer. I love you and I know Abel loved you, too. And remember, he knew you before you became a charmer. Don't curse yourself out of some strange commitment to him. Abel wouldn't have wanted that."

  Erich kissed her forehead then stood and walked back up the pier. Faith felt her words get stuck and die in her throat as she watched him leave. Feeling numb, she turned around and faced the ocean again and pulled the urn back onto her lap, ready to continue in her misery.

  Before, Abel was loving and kind, then he let his coyote spirit chase after his dreams of power and control. She stayed. Before, Erich was an Alpha on the most powerful Shifter Council, then he left it so he could be with her. She turned him away. Why was she always stuck on before?

  Thinking about Abel's last words to her, she knew Erich was right. Why was she torturing herself? She was a good person. She didn't do anything bad, even Abel said he wasn't there for her. She spent her life clinging to the past, and it was time now to look forward and live in the present.

  "I'm sorry, Abel, but it’s time now for both of us to be free."

  Standing, she twisted the lid of the urn off and looked inside. All that was left of the man she loved were ashes and her memories. She would always love Abel, but she couldn't feel guilty anymore when the man she loved before was much different than who he became after. Faith was ready for her after now, too.

  As she tilted the urn, she felt relief flood her. Her shoulders felt lighter, even her muscles relaxed. Slowly, she spilled the ashes over the edge of the pier, towards the lapping waves below. While most of his ashes dropped towards the water and floated, some got caught in the breeze.

  "Death makes angels of us all, Abel. Fly away and be free," she said.

  ***

  Faith spent the rest of the day driving to the places she knew Erich went to in hopes of finding him, but as she searched for him, she began to lose hope. She set out to get rid of him and had to accept she did a very good job of it.

  Driving home, she pulled into the parking lot of her new apartment. She couldn't go back to the tiny house in the woods or the large home she and Abel last lived in. Each place had too many memories.

  Her new apartment was ironically in Galloway, the city she was named after. It was her first place by herself and while she loved the freedom, she missed having someone to share things with. She walked up between the three-story buildings that housed the condos and climbed the outside stairs to the second floor. Putting the key in her door, she realized it was unlocked.

  Did she forget to lock the door? That wasn't like her, but she hadn't been herself lately so anything was possible. Stay calm, Faith. Breathe. She told herself over and over as she opened the door to the dark apartment. Reaching along the wall for the light switch, her heart pounded in her ears when she heard movement.

  "Faith? I was beginning to worry about you," Erich said from inside the darkened room.

  Flicking on the switch, the sparsely furnished room came to life with Erich waking up on her sofa, his legs propped up on the arm, making it look even smaller than it was.

  "What are you doing here?" she asked.

  "Did you really think I was going to give up that easily? I'm a bear, remember? We're stubborn," he said as he sat up, grinning. "I thought maybe you needed some more time alone with Abel. I hoped he would do the right thing and tell you what a catch I am."

  She laughed then sat beside him and put her hand on his. "You were there for me during some of my darkest times. You were my friend and I wanted you to be so much more, but there was Abel. And I felt so lost and confused and…I just don't think I really believed I deserved you. I didn't deserve Abel, and look at what he became. I didn't want that for you, too."

  "I'll make you a deal. If I ever start to turn into a coyote, you can leave me. But up until then, you have to stay with me forever," he said, smiling. "From the first moment I caught your scent, I knew you were the one for me." Erich slid closer to her and leaned her against the arm of the sofa as his arm cradled her. "I love you, Faith. I don't care how much time you need, I know you've been through a lot lately, just know that no matter what, I'm here and I'm waiting for you. Whatever you want."

  "You don't need to wait, Erich. I've been fighting it, resisting it, but I can't deny it any longer. I love you, too. Abel will always be a part of me, but it’s time I started to live my life again. He was gone long before his death, and I'm done grieving. I want to be with you. And I want our life together to start now."

  She leaned up and kissed his lips, feeling the electricity and warmth she felt the first time they touched. His tongue pushed past her lips, and she sighed as she threw her arms around him and pressed her body against his.

  "Come with me, I want to take you somewhere," he said.

  "Now?"

  "Trust me."

  Growling softly, he picked her up and carried her outside, down the steps and towards the wooded area behind the building.

  "Where are we going?"

  "Somewhere I won't have to worry about your neighbors hearing anything," he said his eyes glowing.

  She knew better than to keep asking questions once she saw his eyes glow and figured she'd find out soon enough. He entered the woods and quickly shifted into a grizzly bear, then turned and looked at her. Hopping on, she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as he snaked his way through the trees.

  In a matter of minutes, a modern looking log cabin with a wrap-around deck came into view. It was built higher than the forest floor and had a winding staircase that led up to the deck. The soft yellow glow of lights lit the house, and in the driveway sat Erich's pickup truck.

  "Is this where you live?" she asked.

  The bear grunted and she laughed, forgetting he was unable to answer. He stopped by the entrance to the stairs and she slid off the bear's back and climbed up the steps to the deck.

  As Faith admired the view from the deck, Erich came up behind her and slipped his arms around her. Warmth spread through her as she felt his naked body against the soft fabric of her clothing.

  "During the day, you can see the ocean from here," he said. "It’s very peaceful and quiet."

  He moved her hair back and his lips brushed against her neck, sending shivers through her body. She bit her lip as she fought back giggles.

  "What's wrong?" he asked as he turned her to face him.

  "Nothing, I just...it’s been a long time since I was with anyone."

  He grinned and lifted her chin up with his finger. "Then I'll take it slow."

  As he stepped back from her, she finally let herself admire his muscular body. Moving closer to him, she traced her fingers along his powerful chest, over the abs she made a mental note to count another time, then along those muscles along his hips she always wondered what they were called.

  Taking her hands, he moved them off him as he bent down to kiss her. His lips felt strong and demanding, unlike any other time he kissed her before, and her body responded. As he slipped her blouse up and off her, his mouth kissed the top of her cleavage as he undid her bra.

  Her nipples stiffened as his fingers brushed over them before he took one into his mouth and she cried out softly. The slightest touch from him sent waves of pleasure through her body. She craved him and had to have him immediately.

  "I changed my mind," she gasped. "Slow is bad."

  As he lifted her skirt, his hands roughly moved up her thighs and over the curve of her hips until he reached her panties, which he quickly pulled down. She stepped out of them and kicked it away. He picked her up, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as she felt his large manhood press against her sex.

  His eyes glowed, and she knew that he wanted her as badly as she wanted him. As he entered her, she trembled and her breathing came faster. Her body pulsed with the warmth and electricity he always caused.

  Her climax came without warning, sending waves through her body as he thrust further inside her. She cried out and clu
tched at him as her body rocked with his, then buried her face against his chest as she gasped for air.

  "Are you okay?" he asked.

  "Yes," she said and laughed, out of breath and still feeling him inside of her. "I've just never felt anything like that before. I'm sorry I came so fast."

  "It’s okay, that just means you're going to come again," he said, grinning as he began to slowly move his hips again.

  "Oh yes!"

  Epilogue

  One Month Later

  "Faith," Erich yelled up the staircase of the house he and Faith lived together in, "we're going to be late!"

  Faith rushed into the large walk-in closet and pulled a purple print dress off the hanger and stepped into it. She then ran to the mirror and clipped some of her hair back with a delicate floral barrette before running down the stairs.

  "I'm coming, I'm coming! I'm sorry, I lost track of time and I just wanted to look–"

  "Perfect," Erich said, interrupting her. "You always look perfect. Perfectly beautiful."

  Faith beamed at Erich. He was so attentive and complimentary that she found herself dressing up for him and wearing different clothes than her usual black skirts. Not that it mattered. No matter what she wore, he had a way of looking at her like she was the only woman in the world.

  There were still times she thought about Abel and she missed him, but she knew that was natural. He was a large part of her life and she grew up with him, but it was time to let go of the past and live in the present.

  "Let's go," she said, "we're going to be late!"

  "Hold on. Just let me look at my gorgeous girl a little bit longer."

  He grabbed her hand and quickly pulled her against him, letting her fall into his arms. She giggled as she looked up into his brown eyes and smiled.

  "You make me so happy," she said. "I can't remember being this happy before."

  "You sure you don't want to just stay home and lay in bed all day?" he asked with a wink.

  "No!" she said laughing. "I promised Eliza we'd be there early. My sister is having her engagement party. I wouldn't miss this for the world."

  Erich leaned down and kissed Faith's lips, smiling before biting her bottom lip. "Okay, if you insist. Let's get going before I lock you in that bedroom for a few hours."

  As they walked out to his truck, Erich pulled Faith close again. "You know, this could be an engagement party for two couples."

  "Not now, Erich. I'm not going to steal my sister's thunder. As it is, you have no idea how hard it’s been not telling her or Hannah."

  Faith looked at the large diamond on her finger and smiled before taking it off and slipping it into her bag with a sigh. She wanted to wear it, but today was Eliza and Knox's day. Having a real family meant more to her than anything, and she knew keeping her engagement secret for another day was the least she could do. Eliza had been waiting for this a long time and Faith was thrilled to be a part of it, not only with the man she loved but with a family who loved her, too.

  The End

  Needing the Alpha

  The Crane Curse, Part 3

  by

  Liliana Rhodes

  Chapter One

  "It's all my fault," Pinky muttered under her breath as she pulled her dark brown hair back into a ponytail.

  The Smythe house didn't look the same anymore. Normally filled with sunlight and laughter, the old colonial was now dark and quiet.

  Pinky's mother sat on the corner of the couch in the same robe she had been wearing for weeks. Her face was ashen, and even her normally vibrant hair looked dull and unkempt. Underneath the robe, her legs were pulled up to her chest as she stared at nothing.

  Her brother and sister snuck up from behind and tugged on her favorite grey sweatshirt, which was less roomy than it used to be. She got it years ago during a family vacation to Cape May. Whenever she felt down or insecure, she put the sweatshirt on. Unfortunately, it seemed like it was all she wore lately.

  The twins were nine years old, a boy and a girl. They both had sandy brown hair and blue eyes just like their mom. She kneeled to get to their eye level and tried to stop herself from grimacing when she noticed they had lost the rosy glow from their cheeks.

  "Why don't you two go out to play?" she asked.

  "Where are the other kids? Why isn't anyone here?" they said together.

  The twins always spoke in unison when they were upset. It was something that both spooked and fascinated Pinky, but she needed to push that out of her head. The twins were right, they were alone. Since her father had disappeared, their mother had shut down the school.

  "You don't need anyone else to play with. You're lucky because you have each other. Now please go outside and play on the swings, play tag, do something," she begged.

  Shrugging, they turned towards the back door. Wearing jeans and short-sleeved t-shirts with their favorite TV characters, the twins weren't dressed for the oddly cool summer day. Pinky reached into the closet, grabbed their jackets, and tossed them towards the twins, who caught them and grumbled as they put them on.

  As she closed the screen door, the doorbell rang. Her mother didn't flinch. Pinky had no doubt her mom didn't even hear the doorbell, or the twins, or much of anything lately.

  Pinky's long legs made quick work of the distance as she cut across the house to the front door. Out of habit, she looked out a nearby window to see who was outside before reaching the door.

  The long black car parked at the curb screamed Shifter Council. They might as well spell it out on the side of the car, she thought. She hoped they had news of her dad, but she couldn't ignore the twisting in her stomach that said they didn't.

  Opening the door, she felt relief when she saw Caleb Overstreet, the wolf Alpha and her best friend Hannah's boyfriend. He had chiseled features, dark blue eyes, and dark blond hair. Normally he would be considered as strikingly handsome, but when standing next to the new grizzly Alpha, Pinky didn't think Caleb stood a chance.

  Rafael LeCroix had recently become the new bear Alpha on the Kapok Shifter Council. He was the last person Pinky wanted to see. And didn't it figure that the only time he seemed to come by was when she looked like crap? She tried focusing on what Caleb said, but it didn't matter. Her thoughts kept turning back to the beautiful man beside him.

  Beautiful might have been an odd word to describe such a hot, muscular, sexy man, but all other words paled in comparison to him. His pale blue eyes seemed even lighter against his caramel skin, and his brown hair was cut short but swept back from his forehead. Pinky thought his tanned skin looked like something she wanted over ice cream. Or maybe she just wanted to lick ice cream off of him.

  "Pinky? Pinky?"

  Caleb's voice ripped her out of her daydream. Her cheeks burned and she tried to find something to distract her. Unable to control herself, she glanced at Rafael and caught him grinning. Great, he's probably used to women falling all over him. Just add me to the list, she thought.

  "And why is he here?" she asked, using her best annoyed tone. It was her last ditch effort to save face, but she had to try. "My father's missing, the last thing I need is some nosy bear."

  "While your dad's last known location was in my territory," Caleb said with his hand up to silence Rafael, "you live in bear territory. With Erich stepping down from the Council, Rafael will be taking his place."

  "Well, then he has no reason to be here. My dad left here to go to the clearing in the woods, he's missing from wolf territory."

  Rafael stepped forward, his head lowered a little as his light blue eyes searched Pinky's. He was too beautiful, too perfect. She wished he would go away so she could focus on her dad. Whenever Rafael was around, she couldn't think about anything but how perfect he was.

  "Pinky, we found something," he said as he held his hand out to her.

  Instinctively, she placed her hand in his. His fingers closed around her hand, making it look even smaller. Warmth shot through her body, radiating from her core, and everything drifted a
way. For a moment, it was just her and Rafael.

  A shuffling sound from inside the house pulled Pinky back to reality. Her mother must have repositioned herself on the couch. It was a quick reminder that her mother could be listening in. Pinky pulled her hand away from Rafael and pushed him back, away from the door.

  "Do you have any idea what I'm dealing with here?" she said, looking at the two men. "Between the twins and my mom, you shouldn't be here. I don't want to get anyone's hopes up...or worse."

  Pinky didn't want to talk anymore. She looked down at a long crack on the cement porch and dragged the toe of her Converse along it. If only she could shrink and disappear into that tiny crack. Caleb and Rafael had bad news. They didn't need to tell her it was bad, she could tell by the sorry looks on their faces.

  "Get it over with," she whispered. "Tell me what you found."

  Rafael pulled something out of his pocket and gently took Pinky's hand. He placed the object in her palm and closed her fingers around it. It felt hard but had a silky ribbon surrounding it. She couldn't imagine what he put in her hand, but she was too afraid to look and discover something terrible.

  "Pinky, you need to look at it," Caleb said. "We don't know what it is, but we think it belonged to your father. Erich said it has his scent, plus..."

  Pinky couldn't help it, but as soon as Caleb mentioned her father, she tuned out from the rest of what he was saying. She opened her hand and a long, dark purple ribbon unraveled, spilling towards the ground. Clumsily reaching out to grab the ribbon, she dropped what was in her hand and it fell onto the cement with a soft clank.