Cade followed her gaze, then pulled her closer against his side. "No," he said quietly. "It's just beginning."
And as they watched the sun rise over Mistwhisper Falls, Lyra felt the truth of those words settle into her bones. The crisis had passed, but their story—their real story—was just getting started.
But whatever came next, they’d handle whatever followed, side by side. Bonded, committed, and stronger than either of them had ever imagined possible.
The future, whatever it held, looked bright indeed.
15
CADE
One month after the storm, Lyra woke to the sound of coffee brewing and the scent of something that smelled suspiciously like Junie's famous blueberry pancakes wafting up from the inn's kitchen.
She stretched languorously in the four-poster bed, her body humming with the contentment that came from a full night's sleep uninterrupted by magical crises or supernatural emergencies. The bond with Cade was a warm, steady presence in her chest, and through their connection, she could feel his quiet satisfaction as he puttered around the kitchen below.
The Mist & Mirth Inn had been fully booked for the past three weeks.
What had started as curiosity about the reopened founder inn had evolved into genuine enthusiasm for what Lyra and Cade had created together. The inn felt alive again—not just magically, but with the kind of warmth that came from being a place where people genuinely wanted to spend time. Every room had been lovingly restored, the common areas buzzed with conversation and laughter, and the garden had beentransformed from overgrown wilderness into something that belonged in a fairy tale.
Lyra had found her place in Mistwhisper Falls' supernatural community, no longer the uncertain outsider but a respected member who contributed as much as she received. She'd started teaching basic magical control to younger witches, her hard-won understanding of chaos magic proving invaluable for others struggling with unstable power. The town council meetings were still bureaucratic nightmares, but now she was consulted rather than lectured, her opinions sought rather than dismissed.
And Cade... Lyra smiled as she felt him through their bond, his wolf content in ways that suggested he'd finally found the balance between duty and happiness that had eluded him for years. He'd moved into the inn two weeks ago, officially claiming the residential wing as their shared space. His pack had adapted to the change with surprising ease, many of them seeming relieved that their alpha had finally found someone to share the burden of constant vigilance.
"Morning, Sunshine," Cade called from downstairs, his voice carrying the warm affection that never failed to make her heart skip. "Breakfast is ready when you are."
"Give me five minutes," Lyra called back, already reaching for the clothes she'd laid out the night before. The inn had guests checking out this morning, and new arrivals expected by afternoon. The rhythm of hospitality had become as natural to her as breathing.
She was brushing her teeth when the first sign of trouble appeared.
Through the bathroom window, she could see Hush Falls in the distance, visible through the gap in the trees that Cade had carefully maintained for exactly this purpose. During the day, the waterfall looked perfectly normal—crystal-clear watertumbling over ancient stone into the natural pool below. But Lyra had learned to check it every morning, just to be sure.
The water wasn't glowing blue anymore. It was glowing red.
"Cade," she called, her voice sharp enough to carry the urgency. "We have a problem."
She heard his footsteps on the stairs before she'd finished pulling on her sweater, and when he appeared in the doorway, his expression was already shifting into the focused alertness that meant alpha business.
"The falls?" he asked.
"Red instead of blue. When did that start?"
"Three days ago," Cade said grimly. "I was hoping it was temporary, but it's been getting brighter each night."
"Three days? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Because I was hoping it would resolve itself, and because you've been so happy here. I didn't want to worry you unless I had to."
Lyra stared at him, feeling a spike of frustration through their bond. "Cade, we're partners. That means you don't get to protect me from information I need to make decisions."
"You're right," he said immediately, and she could feel his wolf's chagrin at the mild rebuke. "I'm still learning how to balance keeping you safe with treating you like an equal partner."
"Well, learn faster," Lyra said, though her tone had softened. "Because if the seal is changing, I need to know about it immediately."
They made their way downstairs together, where Junie was indeed in the kitchen, along with what appeared to be half the inn's current guests. The communal breakfast had been Lyra's idea—a way to build community among the supernatural travelers who stayed at the inn—but this morning's gathering felt different. There was an undercurrent of tensionthat suggested news was spreading through the supernatural grapevine.
"Morning, you two," Junie said, though her usual cheerful demeanor seemed strained. "I hope you're hungry, because we've got plenty to go around."
"What's the occasion?" Lyra asked, accepting a cup of coffee that tasted like comfort and subtle warnings.
