It’s not easy being green and kept from your tree. Aster is a dryad on a mission to reclaim her own.

Aster was cut off from her tree in a weird turn of events that had her planting her tree in sacred soil and waking a forest god with the power of her oak. Her life was in a static spiral from there.

She joined the human world, started a business, and enjoyed spending her time with trees that grew at her slightest request. Life was good until the fiancée of the fey king contacted her and asked her to join the queen’s court.

Aster thought about joining the fey, and she agreed to do it, on one condition. She wanted to visit her tree.

A flurry of arrangements brings her to the Crossroads, and she confronts the being who had possession of her tree and asks him to let her visit. He says yes on one condition. She has to visit as his mate or the barrier will remain.

She has to think about this.

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Tangled Heart

Copyright © 2019 Zenina Masters

ISBN: 978-1-4874-2689-7

Cover art by Angela Waters

All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

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Tangled Heart

Enchanted Crossroads, Book 2

By

Zenina Masters

Chapter One

Aster parked the truck, and she hopped out of the cab, walking around to the back, unlatching the lock and shoving the door upward.

She climbed into the back and smiled as she heard the approaching forklift.

The landscaper walked up. “Do you have my twenty-foot trees?”

“I do.”

She waved at the contents of the truck. He climbed up and slowly looked at the trees she was offering. “I don’t know where you find these.”

“I grow them from cuttings when I can, from seed when I can’t.”

She grabbed the strapping from the side of the truck and looped it around the first root ball. When the tines of the forklift were even with the edge of the truck, she looped the straps around them and hauled the tree into the embrace of the steel struts. When the tree was fixed, she waved for the driver to back out straight. The tree was at a fifteen-degree angle, and when it finally cleared the truck, she gave the double thumb’s up. The driver lowered his tines and drove his giant spear through the site with precision and care.

Aster looked at the landscaper. “You might want to be there to choose the placement. I just supply the trees; you have to pick the spot.”

He nodded and scrambled out of the truck, sprinting across the site.

Aster Winding of Aster’s Tree Nursery was happy to have these trees off her lot. They would thrive, but she needed the space. She may just have used some of her skills to coax a little more height out of the trees.

She spent the next two hours unloading the trees and sipping tea out of her thermos.

When she finished unloading, she grabbed the landscaper and got him to sign the receipt for the twenty trees. It had taken her a decade to get used to selling plants, but now, she was good at making sure she got paid.

She closed up the truck, locked it down, and got back on the road to the nursery. She had two orders to coax into bloom for the morning, but then, she was free to go out to the movies.

If she were lucky, there would be room for dinner before the show.

The bride of the fey king had invited her for an evening of light entertainment. She was willing to listen to what was said as long as there were snacks on offer.

Aster sat back with a destroyed nacho platter in front of her. “So, mistress, what do you want of me?”

The young shifter smiled, the guard beside her groaned and covered her eyes. “I wish you to join the queen’s court.”

“Why? You are not queen yet.”

“Fair enough, but that is by my choice.”

Aster looked at the woman, and she began to see the power that was kept under wraps. “Why me?”

“You are the only one of your branch of the fey who interacts and blends in with humans, as one of them.”

“Most of my kind can’t be bothered. They live with their trees and defend them against hikers.” Aster shrugged. “My tree is fine on its own, and our connection has been severed for centuries.”

The bride frowned. “Severed?”

Aster looked at the fey on the bride’s left. “You didn’t tell her.”

Sebreel sipped at her soda and shrugged. “She said she wanted a dryad, and you are the only one who actually walks in the world.”

Aster sighed. “I came here with the first wave of immigration, and I headed as far west as I could, looking for the perfect place to plant the sapling that I carried with me. I planted it, but I planted it in the soil saved for one of the local gods. He accepted my offering of a healthy and strong tree and locked it away from me. My link to my tree was gone.” She grimaced. “It was a bit of a shock.”

The bride whispered, “When was this?”

Aster squinted. “Four hundred years ago. I went to the court, but there was no place for me, so I set about wandering the new world. I learned to walk and look like a human, and this century, I came out of the woods and set up my business.”

The bride nodded. “I am upset for your loss, but if you are interested, I would like to offer you a place in the fey court.”

“Do you have authorization to do so?”

“I do. King Larion is aware of my plans for the court. I wish for a more representational population. The high elves are wise, graceful, and powerful, but they are only five percent of the fey population. You, as a dryad who has actually walked in the world, have a unique perspective.” The bride smiled. “I want to have that perspective represented.”

“Why me, why now? I have been out in the world for years, and your guards have been garnering a reputation for their peculiar skills and genetic mixes.”

“Now, I am closing in on setting a date with Larion. I want my court set before I sit my ass in that throne.”

Aster blinked.

The bride gave her a slow smile. “If I can get you in contact with the god who has possession of your tree, will you join the queen’s court?”

Aster paused. “If you can get me in contact with the one who holds my tree, I will join you.”

The bride clapped her hands. “Excellent. Now, let’s go see the movie.”

Their little group of strangers got up, and by the time they had all sobbed through the romantic comedy together, the friendship had begun to bloom.

Two months later, Aster was working on the last order of the season, and her phone rang. “Hello?”

“Aster, this is Sebreel. Eilonwy has a line on the god that you are looking for. His current incarnation has surfaced.”

A curl of hope ran through her. “Can I talk to him?”

“That is going to be a little awkward. You can’t talk to him. He has gone to the Crossroads.”

“What?” Her voice was less of a question and more of a shriek.

“The god is in one of the shifters from his area, and that shifter has proceeded to the Crossroads to look for a mate.”

“Since when do gods go to the Crossroads?”

“It happens more than one would think. A lot of the natural fey are classed as forest spirits and therefore local gods. In this case, it is an actual spirit that inhabits animals and has ended up in a shifter.”

Aster exhaled. “Right. How do I get to the Crossroads?”

“You want to go?”

“I want to talk to him, and if he’s there, that is the place I need to be.”

“Do you know how it works?”

“How what works?”

Sebreel sighed. “The Crossroads. You go, and by entering, you sign up to look for a mate.”

Aster paused. “I can look for a mate.”

“Just like that?”

“I have been without permanent companionship for several centuries. I can see the appeal of having a mate.”

Sebreel chuckled. “Well, if you are willing to stay at the Crossroads until you find a mate, Eilonwy can send you a transporter tomorrow morning.”

Aster finished her order and nodded to her assistant. “Why not now?”

“Now?”

“Yes. Why not right now? If he is there, I do not wish to miss him. Do you know who he is?”

“He’s an elk shifter. Eilonwy didn’t give me a name.”

“Find one if you can, have a transporter come and get me as soon as possible. Thank you.” Aster remembered the polite ending to her demand. Trees had different manners. They stated the truth at all times. There was no point in twisting and hiding it. Manners were ways to smooth the edges of truth.

“Fine. I will come and deliver you to the Crossroads, but it is going to be a rough ride. I am not that good at it.”

“I am strong, I will survive the transport.”

“Fine. It’s on your head.”

The threat was the last thing she heard before the call was over. Aster went to get her bag ready. She knew about the Crossroads, but she couldn’t transport herself. It was going to be agonizing, but she would do it anyway. Anything for her tree.

Sebreel opened the portal, and Aster walked through. Her assistant, Robert, would close up for the season if she wasn’t back in a week. He was as trustworthy as any half-elf could be.

Chapter Two

Aster fell to her knees as she stepped into the safety of the Crossroads. That had been one rough ride.

The guardians of the Crossroad came toward her with another woman walking behind. Aster looked at the other woman and smiled. “Dira, it has been a while.”

“It has, indeed, Aster. I remembered the name when I saw it on the roster, and I came down here to wait for you, old friend.”

Aster got to her feet. “I am not so very old.”

“You are not very young either, my dear twig.” Dira smiled.

“This is Teal, this is Tony. They are the guardians of the Crossroads.”

Aster smiled. “I am pleased to meet you.”

“This is Aster of the Silent Wood, also known as Aster Without-Tree.”

Aster wrinkled her nose. “Dryads are not good at naming things.”

Teal blinked. “Right. Um, well, we have your contract here, and I have the glyph ready for your wrist.”

Aster signed her mark on the contract that stipulated she would remain until she found a mate. The glyph was a bit of ink and magic that stuck to her skin.

Aster went back for her bag and picked it up. “So, where shall I stay?”

Dira linked arms with her. “Come with me, friend. We have much to catch up on.”

Aster nodded. “Please. Show me what you have done with the place.”

Centuries earlier, the great dragon, Dira, had come to the Silent Wood with her sister’s children and raised them for a few decades in the forest and meadows where no humans were willing to set foot. They had moved on, but their family had enjoyed the security that her wood had offered.

Aster had been just a little dryad then, a young sapling and a human form in her early adolescence.

“So, why did you want to cross the sea?” Dira’s question was direct.

They were pacing slowly on the pounded gravel path.

“The wood was no longer silent. Humans moved in after the lord had too many children to fit in his built homes. They came through my wood, and I was too young and too alone to defend more than a few hundred acres. The humans moved in, so I dug up my tree and moved out.”

“How did you come over?”

“The silver dragon flew me over, out of pity. He had helped his mate to raise a family when my mother was in the Silent Wood a thousand years before my time.”

Dira nodded. “Trimor. He was a good sort.”

“Is he dead?”

“After his mate passed, he simply faded.”

They walked slowly through the bustling center of the Crossroads.

Aster sighed. “That is the problem with being so long-lived. After a while, there is nothing more to live for.”

Dira laughed. “That is why you have children. They are a reason to live for a while, and for some, they become a touch of immortality.”

“Dryads do not have children. Not the way other species do.”

“I know. There is a special seed that drops when you are ready to let your tree fade. That seed becomes the next generation. It is a lot more fun to have sex.”

Aster snorted. “I have sex. I just don’t have it for reproduction.”

“Well, as a relatively recently mated woman, I have to recommend it. So, why are you here?”

Aster smiled. “I will ask you a question to answer that one. Have you seen a god walking around?”

Dira blinked several times before nodding. “I believe that there is one hiking around here. Why are you looking for him?”

“He has my tree on his sacred lands.”

The dragon said the most succinct thing she had ever said to Aster. “Oh. Shit.”

Aster nodded. “Indeed.”

They continued the walk to Dira’s bed and breakfast in silence.

After she was checked in, changed for flirtation, and sitting across from Dira in the sitting room eating cookies, Dira asked, “How did it happen?”

“I was tired. So tired. I had hiked from the inner waterway to the central plains looking for a safe place to be.”

“Another silent wood.”

“Indeed. I found a place that was silent, young, and very alive. I planted my tree in the soil and smiled as I felt the roots expand to take on the new soil. I was just waiting to shimmer inside it when it disappeared. I looked around, and I could still see it, but no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t touch it.”

“Shit.”

“Precisely. I looked for the source of my pain, and there was a huge beast with moss draping his antlers looking at me. He radiated power and slowly walked back into the forest.”

“A wood god.”

“Yes. Normally there should have been some humans to trigger worship which would have summoned him, but there he was in the middle of nowhere.”

“And you brought him a sacred tree.”

Aster wrinkled her nose. “Yes. I am guessing that he was there from past worship, but I woke him up.”

“And lost your tree in the process.”

“Yes, but it is still strong and healthy, or I would not be here.”

Dira nodded. “So, he has been able to defend it.”

“Yes, which are points in his favour. So, I will simply explain myself and hope that he can withdraw his influence.”

“You are hoping that he gives you the piece of land?”

“I would settle for visitation with my tree.” She sighed and ate another cookie. “I long for just one day without my physical self.”

“Right, you need that to physically recharge.”

“Technically no, it just feels so good to slip into a fresh body when you are well-rested, and the old one composts into the soil.”

“That is called life and death for most species.”

Aster shrugged. “So, do you have a name for the guy you think is a god?”

“Huron. He is an elk who came here because his brother just found a mate here. He is strong, sturdy, and his rack is truly impressive.”

Aster grinned. “I am shocked you aren’t describing his haunches.”

“I would have to compose a sonnet to them.”

“Speaking of haunches. Where is your mate?”

“He is in the human world, working with our children and his family’s company.”

“Children?”

“Yes, our daughters are modelling for the clothing company. My face was out there a little too long. Folks expected me to age and were catching on that I wasn’t.”

Aster smiled. “I think I have seen some of those ads. I don’t much care what I wear as long as it is washable, but I thought I saw your face on online ads and billboards.”

“It was me. It was fun to get out and see the world again. I like to pop out and see how the world has changed, now and then.”

“I have enjoyed how far they have come. The smartphones are remarkably handy. I can do all of my transactions on it and even get folks to sign for deliveries.”

Dira looked surprised. “You are in the human world?”

“I am. I own a small plant nursery, and we specialize in hard-to-grow trees.” Aster gave her a small smile. “They all grow for me.”

“Of course, they do. How long have you been in the human world?”

“Ten years with my company, but I have always been walking among them since I lost my tree.” Aster sighed. “Hundreds of years.”

“You have human seeming now.”

“I do. It seemed that the green skin and leaves for garb made folks a little wary. I have set up about fifteen green woman myths in the new world, just because I was careless.”

Dira snorted. “That is funny.”

“I know. You would think that I could take a bath or relieve myself without someone screaming and throwing a stick at me. I think I probably opened up the shop just because of digital photography.”

“Too many selfies?”

“Too fast to take photos. My other self is still starring on a number of creature videos.”

Dira laughed. “You got sloppy.”

“They were everywhere, so I picked up some gold and bought a property, starting to grow things in a space where they were not allowed to set foot. It was rather freeing.”

Her friend chuckled. “Now you understand the concept of territory.”

“I am from a people who live in one spot their entire lives. I understand it. I now know that I can defend it.”

Dira nodded. “So, what are you going to do to the god?”

“I am going to ask him for my tree.”

“If he says no?”

Aster smiled. “I suppose I will just have to find a way to buy the property. It might be sacred land, but it is still land, and if I own it, I have rights to visit it.”

“You have thought this through.”

“Only in the last few days. I hadn’t thought much about it until the bride made her offer.” She shrugged. “That set off a lot of plotting and scheming.”

Dira nodded with a wry smile. “And here you are. So, the bride sent you? She is making tremendous strides.”

“Apparently. She is going into her union with a plan, which is surprising considering her age.” Aster grabbed another cookie.

“Speaking of age, you are going after those cookies like a toddler.”

“I like cookies. I have never gotten the hang of cooking in the human way, so I eat the tasty stuff when it presents itself.”

Dira snorted. “Smart. Well, you can eat the cookies or muffins that we keep around here whenever you wish.”

“Hooray! Well, I suppose that I should go and see if I can spot my target. Do you have any hints for finding him?”

“He isn’t a fan of being confined, so he will look irritated or anxious.” Dira chuckled. “If he is anything like my husband, he might snort a bit. Stamping is also not out of the question.”

“Right. I don’t want a mate; I just want to ask him to release my tree.”

“Well, you are going to have to find a mate to leave. You are a rarity, and they are not letting you out now that you have signed a contract.”

Aster growled. “They are going to hold me to that?”

“They are. While looking for your god, keep your eyes out for a possible mate.”

Aster got to her feet. “So, shall I go tanned? Or green?” She shifted her skin to the chlorophyll-filled colour that she spent most of her life in.

“Tanned. Let them wonder what you are.” The dragon grinned.

Aster returned to her outdoor tan. Her olive skin in human form darkened easily when she worked outside, and she always worked outside.

She asked her friend, “How do I look?”

“Cute, flirty, definitely not like an ancient dryad.”

Aster gave her two thumbs up and turned to swish her silky skirt with every step.

She left the building and headed for the bar, keeping her eyes out for any flare of familiar power. If the forest god was inhabiting the shifter, it might be hard to spot. She was going to have to elicit a response, and she wasn’t quite sure where to start.

Stepping into the bar seemed like the obvious point to begin.

Chapter Three

Drinking alcohol curled her leaves, so she ordered something heavy on fruit and sugar and took a seat in one of the booths.

Aster sighed. Her timing may have been off. It seemed like everyone who was at the bar already had a mate in mind. She appeared to have arrived first thing in the morning.

She finished her fruit juice and brought the glass back to the bartender.

The pixie smiled and said, “Come back in four hours. The place will be jumping by then.”

“Thank you. I had no idea what time it was when I arrived.”

“It is currently around eleven in the morning. If you want to eat, the café is around the corner.”

“I am good. I filled up on cookies. I am just going for a walk. I will be back later.”

The pixie smiled. “I will see you then.”

The walk would have been more comfortable if she was either wearing a lot more clothing or had been perfectly naked. Aster headed for the woods that she could see from the pathways of the Crossroads, and she headed for the trees. She knew that none of them were very old, but she loved to just sit and whisper the gossip with them. If she was lucky, one might have seen the forest god.

Aster walked through the meadow and straight into the thick of the forest. This was where she felt most at home.

Since no one would see her, she let her glamour slip and wore her skin and hair in its natural green. Aster climbed one of the taller trees and whispered her question. “Has the forest seen the forest god?”

The whisper ran through the leaves and came back to her in just over an hour. Trees were not fast.

We have seen one this morning, the horned one walks on the ground near the brook. He is moving back to the pathways of the walkers now.

Aster stood up and hopped from branch to branch until she was on the ground. There was one main pathway, and he would have to cross it to return to the Crossroads. She stepped down the path, further into the woods, and she waited.

The soft footfalls were a deliberate tread. She stepped out and faced the forest god, hands on her hips. “Pardon me, sir, but you are in possession of my tree. I would like it back.”

The huge elk raised his head, his horns woven with moss. He shook his head slowly. She heard his words in her mind. What is in my lands is mine.

She scowled. “No, the ancient oak that is in your lands is mine. When I planted it, the ground became sacred.”

The elk tilted his head. And I woke with that power protecting the world around me.

Aster waved that away. “Fine, great. I want to visit my tree.”

You do not talk like the tree folk.

She huffed. “Cut off from my tree, I have become something else.”

I cannot give you what you seek. You cannot touch your tree on sacred lands without binding yourself to me.

She stalked up to him, her head under his chin. She shrieked, “What?”

That is the price. You must be bound to me, to the land, to walk upon it again. It is your choice, now out of my way, little sprout.

He simply walked over her, forcing her to duck as he ambled past.

Her hands were clenched into fists, and she wished to be violent. Instead, she walked deep into the woods, and she created an archway, a sacred and quiet space. She had done this for weddings, for meditative gardens, and now, she was doing it because she missed her tree.

Noon turned to afternoon, and the light faded. She worked on finding natural plants and asking them to change their properties. When she was finally finished, she was exhausted, her rage had dissipated, and she was ready to go and eat.

She returned to her human skin and walked back toward the Crossroads. The wildness was rioting in the Crossroads. Men and women were mixing and mingling in the streets, some on the street. This was peculiar.

Aster went to the bed and breakfast to change clothing, and Dira grabbed her arm. “Aster, how are you feeling?”

“Irritated but fine. Why?”

“The forest lord has let loose a wave of lust that is causing folks to make inappropriate decisions. They are screwing the closest thing to them.”

“So? Isn’t that what this place is about?”

Dira hissed, and her grip tightened. “No, it is about finding mates. Proper, true mates. I want you to go out there and fix it.”

Aster blinked. “How?”

“You met with him this afternoon.”

“I yelled at an elk this afternoon.”

“Right. Well, that elk is dumping psychological hormones throughout the Crossroads.”

Aster groaned. “I don’t even know what he looks like.”

“He will be the only one not making out with someone.”

“Can I change?”

Dira closed her eyes, and a silky green gown was made out of Aster’s grubby skirt and top. “It should get the point across.”

“I wouldn’t even wear this to sleep in.”

“I know, but it is sexy as hell. Now shoo. Go and un-horny that elk.”

Aster grimaced and stalked out in bare feet and a green gown, her hair fluttered as she moved around the men and women who were grappling and sighing. Gods were a pain in the ass.

She stalked into the bar, and the bartender was barely visible. She was hiding under the bar in a haze of pixie dust. Someone had groped her wings, and there was nothing like agonizing pain to break a romantic mood.

Aster looked around and found two likely candidates. One was a man with a vacant expression, sitting in a booth. The other was a gloomy figure on the far side of the dance floor, leaning against the wall with dark shadows in his expression.

When she saw the high heel under the table, she understood the reason for the seated man’s expression. That left only the gloomy, handsome shadow in the corner.

She looked at the lightly bearded face, the dark brows, and the closely cropped hair. Aster stepped around the folk on the floor, and she walked up to him and smiled.

He turned his head. “I am not interested.”

The echo of the hard slap that she delivered caused everyone in the room to freeze in place.

“This is not about you. This is about all of the folk around you who are going to be paralyzed with shame because you were pumping out lust hormones. They came here for a chance at their mate, and now, they are hitting the floor with the closest person.”

His head slowly turned back to her, and he frowned. “You aren’t affected.”

She snorted. “No. Now, stay here while I clean up your mess, and we are going to have a chat.”

She walked to the bar, the folks around her were beginning to pull away in confusion. The bartender, like many others, kept mint behind the bar, so Aster hopped onto the bar, took the pot of mint, and she whispered to it softly.

Take the dust of the pixie and fly, cleanse the night, and give a fresh dawn to all.

The mint struggled, and its vines reached toward the cloud of pixie dust. It took the dust, and the leaves flew apart, each piece shattering into multiple pieces and resting on the foreheads of those who were slowly standing.

Everyone began to slowly move toward the exit as the leaves turned black and dropped away.

Aster leaned down and spoke to the bartender. “They are all going to their residences for the night. Things should remain quiet.”

“What did you do?”

“Mint is excellent for cleaning the air. I used some of your pixie dust to make the leaves fly. The leaves will attach and remove the residue of the artificially induced lust and give them little to no memory of it in the morning.”

“What caused it?”

“I am dealing with that next.” Aster looked toward the corner, and he was still standing there. She looked to the pixie. “You might want to leave the bar to us for this evening, or I can take him out of here.”

“Please. There may be new arrivals, and this is the first place they come after they have settled in.”

Aster nodded. “I did the same this afternoon. Understood. Sorry about the footprints on the bar.”

“Not a problem. Thank you for clearing them out.”

“Is there a back door?”

“There is.”

“Good. See you tomorrow.”

She hopped down from the counter and walked upstream to grab the elk by the ear and haul him out into the fresh air behind the bar. She lifted her head and whispered to the woods. He stumbled after her as she hauled him through the forest.

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere with enough trees to negate your rut-inducing chemistry.”

“Why are you pulling my ear?”

She snorted. “I needed a handle.”

“I promise to walk with you.”

She let him go, and he rubbed his ear as he walked next to her. She linked arms with him and led him deep into the woods.

“You are the woman who spoke to me earlier.”

She snorted. “I am.”

“Why aren’t you green?”

“Why aren’t you ten feet tall with horns? I am old enough to blend in with humans. You were raised by a shifter family, and therefore, you look like a human except when you don’t.”

“I wasn’t.”

“What?”

“I wasn’t raised by a shifter family. I was found by a park ranger, and I grew up to be like him.”

“Oh. That is... different.”

“He is a good parent and an elk shifter. I took after him.” He chuckled. “He taught me a lot, and when he told me I should be seeking a mate, I decided that his words were wise. Here I am.”

“How did he adopt you?”

“It wasn’t necessary.”

She sighed. “So, you don’t have a legal identity.”

“Not that I have checked, no.”

“Right. You need to fix that. There are programs to have the fey absorbed into modern society. I believe with some coaching and the right sponsor, you could step forward and claim your territory as an ancestral fey.”

“I am not fey.”

She snorted. “I know that. You are far older than most of the pointy-eared morons prancing around.”

“Not that much older.”

“You were already there when I planted my tree. If you hadn’t been, it wouldn’t have happened that way.”

She hauled him into the clearing that the forest had told her about.

She faced him and glared at him. “Now, why were you giving off a lust aura?”

He looked down and to the left. “Uh, I don’t know. I just saw your other form and returned to my human form, and that is what happened.”

She sighed and touched his face, making him look at her. “What do you want? Why are you here?”

“I am here to find a mate. I don’t know what to look for beyond that.”

“And yet, you turned me away when you thought I was a standard shifter.”

His dark brown eyes were full of confusion. “I don’t know why I did that.”

She stroked his cheek, feeling the beard under her fingers. “I will be here for a while; I have to find a mate as well. You can speak to me instead of getting frustrated like you were.”

He nodded. “Thank you.”

She sighed and removed her hand from his cheek, extending it to him. “My name is Aster.”

“I am Huron.”

“Glad to meet you. Do you know when you are putting out the lust pheromone?”

He frowned. “No.”

She nodded and knelt, touching some of the sleeping creepers and making a coronet. “Here. Bend down.”

She slipped the crown onto his head. “Wear it at all times and don’t take it off until you want to seduce a partner. It will filter your influence.”

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why are you helping me?”

She paused. “I am not. You are fine. I am helping everyone around you. It is hard to be around nature gods. They send out waves and ripples that they don’t even see.”

He blinked. “I didn’t know that is what I was.”

“I talked to your other side. He knows. You two should talk.”

He nodded and looked around. “Why did you bring me out here?”

“You needed to calm down, and for that, you needed a forest.”

“How did you know?”

“I am old, and I was born to an ancient tree. She taught me what I needed to know, and I have many friends, including nature gods, who have completed my education.”

He nodded, and the leaves in the coronet flapped.

She frowned. “That won’t do. Bend down.”

He did, and she touched the crown, and it thickened and turned into more of a masculine headband. “That is better.”

“How did you do that?”

“I asked the plant to give me a vine, I asked the vine to take a shape.”

He smiled. “You are good at this.”

“Thank you. I have practiced. Now, where are you staying?”

“At the Open Heart.”

“Good. So am I. Let’s go. Today has taken a weird turn.”

She linked arms with him and found the path in a few minutes.

He asked her softly, “Would you be my mate?”

“I will think about it.”

“That is fair. Will you have breakfast with me?”

Aster nodded. “I can do that. The bed and breakfast or the café?”

“The café. They have a very nice selection of foods.”

“Very well. I will meet you in the lobby at dawn.”

He smiled and inclined his head. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome.”

They walked together for ten minutes until the Open Heart came into view. Dira was on the porch with a pot of tea. “You two look cozy.”

Aster smiled. “I am holding onto him for warmth. Please, switch me back to my normal clothing.”

“But you look so cute.”

“I am frosting my leaves here.”

Huron wrapped his arm over her shoulder, and she felt the heat that his body was blazing out. “Here, take what you need.”

She looked up at him, and she wanted to sigh again. He was attractive, rugged, and part of him was functionally immortal.

She just wasn’t sure that he was for her.

Chapter Four

When Aster walked down to the lobby the following morning at dawn, Huron was waiting for her.

“You look lovely this morning.”

She gave him a dark look. “I see you have invited him to breakfast.” She referred to his inner inhabitant.

Huron’s face darkened. “He has more experience with females than I do.”

He extended his hand to her. Aster slid her fingers along his and curled them around his. He smiled.

The dawn outside was just creeping over the horizon as they walked to the café and took their seats.

Huron asked her, “How did you make your way in the human world?”

Aster waited until she got her coffee, and then, she added milk and sugar before sipping. “Money. I asked the forests for old mines where I walked. I located gemstones and precious metals, I contacted friends in the fey, and they assisted me in exchanging the items for funds and a human identity. From there, I had a friend help me with a business plan, and I opened a plant nursery.”

Huron smiled. “You stayed with what you knew.”

“I stayed with what I could make successful. I became a legal fey citizen and opened my business.” She chuckled. “The plants are the same. They are excited to be worshiped where they are planted.”

He looked at her in surprise. “Worshiped?”

“A purchased tree is worshiped and attended for its first five years. That gives them enough energy to keep them growing into fine, strong beings.”

He chuckled.

She wrapped her fingers around the mug and took a deep breath. “How is my tree?”

Huron looked at her, and he inclined his head. “She is fine. She does not speak, but her trunk is thick, her bark is rough, and she reaches high into the heavens.”

Aster exhaled in relief. “That is good to know. I have missed her.”

“Why have you not returned for a visitation?”

The server came up, and she smiled. “What can I get for you?”

“Eggs and bacon, over easy, white toast, and fruit salad.”

Huron was surprised. “You eat meat?”

“Over three hundred years away from my tree, I eat a lot of things that she wouldn’t approve of.”

He smiled and ordered steak and eggs with toast, and a fruit salad.

“You eat meat as well?”

“My adopter had it as part of his diet, so he introduced me, and I understand the process now. A human body requires a caloric intake that can only be achieved in large bursts of consumption instead of constant grazing if one is to live as a human in the wild.”

Aster smiled. “You still live out in the woods?”

“My adopter has a cabin near my territory. I have evening meals with him, and I give him information on the plants and animals in the territory. I also assist him in finding lost campers and hikers.”

“Would you like to walk in the human world?”

He sighed and shook his head. “Perhaps the edges of it. There is too much metal and artificial stone for me.”

She chuckled. “It is not for everyone. I live outside of an inhabited area. The fringes are far more comfortable.”

“I would agree. There has been a town that sprouted about fifty miles from your tree. They are constantly providing folk who get lost while hunting.” He quirked his lips.

“Oh, you like to play with them.”

“I do. Once I realized that I could not die from a gunshot, it was rather fun to taunt them.”

“You did not always know what you were?”

“No. I was convinced that I was my father’s child, even though I remembered our first meeting.”

Aster nodded. “I remember my mother, but she began to fade as I grew.”

“Was that difficult?”

“The Silent Wood was drawing in on itself. The humans were coming. There was nothing left for me if I wanted to grow, so I dug up my tree and came to the new continent.”

“Where you planted your tree in my territory.”

She made a face and leaned back as the food arrived. “Yes. That was not one of my brighter moves.”

He grinned, and together, they went to work on breakfast.

A few minutes in, he asked, “What would you eat if you were with your tree?”

“If I was just green and wandering around? Leaves. Berries. I would be fed by my tree.”

“Ah. When I am in my four-footed form, I am fed by the land around me.”

“Yes, rather like that. The world and light that feeds the tree feeds me.” She gestured to her plate. “I have had to make lifestyle changes.”

He sighed. “Become my mate, and you will have access to your tree again.”

She blinked. “Well, that is kind of sudden.”

“I am blackmailing you for your tree. It is not ideal, but I can’t see another means by which we can both get what we want.”

Aster forked up a strawberry. “Blackmail? I believe the word you are looking for is a hostage situation.”

He waved that off. “Whatever. I can’t give it to you unless you are part of me, and that can’t happen unless you agree to be my mate.”

“I will think about it, but I think we should spend more time together as ourselves.”

His eyes brightened. “Really? Your form is magnificent.”

She blushed. “And you are tall with a very wide rack. Well done there.”

He chuckled. “It is awkward to compliment me.”

“Why don’t we ask Dira where we could go for a walk without interfering with anyone else? I believe she would know.”

He nodded. “That sounds great.”

She chuckled. “Fine, now eat your fruit salad. This is going to be a long day.”

“Yes, mistress.”

Aster sighed and ate the rest of her fruit salad while she tried to figure out her next move. He was handsome in this form, but he seemed young, though he had to be in his thirties.

“How old is your body?”

Huron smiled. “Twenty-seven according to my father.”

She winced. “Okay, so I am going to have to reduce the age of my aspect.”

“Why? You are stunning.”

“The society is going to be fascinated by you, by us. The Crossroads is going to be a trial run for passing you off as an ancient fey.”

“You have a plan?” There was recognition in his gaze that he knew what she was working on.

“I have a plan. Today will be the primary test.”

“Does it begin now?”

“It begins after we get the location from Dira of where we can be private.”

He grinned and paid for their meals. “You are doing all the scheming. It is the least I can do.”

She nodded. “Okay. Shall we go?”

He nodded.

They got up, and when they were out of the café, she linked arms with him, and they walked back to bed and breakfast.

Dira was sitting with the guests and platters of food, and carafes of coffee and tea were flying around the room toward the other guests.

“Excuse me, Dira. May I have a moment?”

Dira excused herself from her conversation and came around to Aster. “What can I do for you?”

“We need a place where we can be ourselves and let the power flow. Confining ourselves isn’t the best way to find a dialogue.”

Dira smiled. “I understand. Give me a few minutes, and I will arrange something.”

Aster led Huron into the sitting room, and they sat and waited.

Dira joined them in the promised few minutes with a scroll. “If you are in your full power forms, you should be able to get to the end of this path in three hours.”

Aster grinned. “I haven’t done that for a very long time.”

Huron blinked. “The full power form?”

Aster sighed. “Let the god wear you.”

“Ah. That I can do.”

They unrolled the map and looked at the path. It seemed straightforward but long.

Aster looked at him. “Do you want to go for a walk?”

He shrugged. “I do.”

She got up and held the map. “Right, well, I am going to need to be appropriately attired. So, stripping on the front porch, it is.”

Dira grinned. “I will put your clothing in your rooms.”

Huron trailed after Aster as she walked to the front porch, and he stood by with his eyes wide as she stripped to the skin and turned her skin a rich and vibrant green.

Aster stretched and let the leaves that lurked under her skin come out and wrap around her. She wore her origin in ancient colours, and then, she turned to Huron, and she whispered in the language of leaves. “Your turn.”

Huron pulled his shirt off over his head, unbuckled his belt, kicked off his shoes, and peeled off his socks with his jeans.

Aster blinked slightly at the lean ridges of muscle under the taut skin. There was a surprising lack of body hair, but that was the side effect of choosing a form by eye.

He straightened and smiled. “I had better not do this on the porch. He hasn’t been fully out for quite some time.”

She inclined her head and waved for him to step down. He cleared the building and stood on the grass before there was a thick shimmer, and the waves of power were coming off him.

Dira whistled low. “Haven’t seen one of those in a while.”

Aster murmured, “A naked elk? Do they wear pants here or something?”

“Funny. Your language skills have slipped.”

Aster chuckled and continued in the language of leaves, “I wear the language of this form. Huron can understand me.”

She picked up the map and looked at the crowd that was forming on the deck and on the street beyond. “We will leave now.”

Aster approached him, and she looked up and up. She took the map in her teeth, and she climbed up and settled on the hump of his back. She sat side-saddle. There was no way she was wrapping her thighs around a hairy god.

She settled down and looked through the twelve-foot horn span. She whispered to him. “Shall we go?”

He lifted and dropped the mossy head and took his first steps. The thud of power was amusing to Aster, and Dira was behind them doing damage control on the rampant greenery that was blooming and twisting behind them.

Every footprint had a rare species blooming in it. Dira might notice it or might not, but it was going to happen.

Aster felt like a wilderness Lady Godiva, but since she was covered with her hair and the leaves she had grown, she felt fairly comfortable with what she looked like.

They paced past the watchers, and she kept her gaze forward, toward the path that they needed to follow.

It is good to see you again, mistress.

She paused and thought about her answer. It is nice to see you as well. You have grown.

Huron has made me markedly stronger, as have the years between our last meeting and now.

We did not truly meet. I was pushed away. You have my tree.

She is in my lands, yes. She gives me power.

I know. I felt it the moment I sent her roots into the soil. I need to see her.

Become my mate, and you will have access to your tree any time you wish.

She smacked the ridge on his back. Why are you holding that above me?

It is the only way. I have set up heavy protections around to keep the humans out. There is no way for you to enter without becoming part of me.

Shit.

I do regret your pain, but you are correct. It is not the ideal situation.

She watched the map and their heading, adjusting their course with a tap on his shoulder. Ideal situation? No, it definitely was not. It was a good thing she had hours to think it over, hours with her skin fully exposed to the light of the Crossroad’s sun.

Chapter Five

Their walk had taken them past the path to the Isthmus and past the path to the Aerie. The kingdom was off in a different direction.

When she realized where Dira had sent them, she laughed. “We are going to the edge of the Crossroads.”

Why would she send us here?

Aster insisted on talking out loud. “Because if we are out here and we mate, the resulting magic will be of benefit to the Crossroads itself. We are paying for our keep.”

Ah. That makes sense. Will we mate? Huron is very interested in the answer.

“We might. Do you see that cabin? Aim for that.”

There was a slightly more brisk movement to his steps.

The cabin was sitting on the horizon, in a blank field with the basest of meadow grasses. There were no trees, there was nothing. Not yet. Dira was very clever.

Aster slid from Huron’s back, and she stretched. A glance back at the way they had come showed the distinct pathway that had been left by the marks of his hooves. Wildflowers were bright and made a clear path back to the Crossroads.

She wriggled her toes in the grass. It felt good to just be herself again. It had been a very long time.

The giant elk next to her shimmered, and Huron was standing next to her. He smiled. “You look lovely in that shade of green.”

She smiled. “Thank you. Your human-seeming is very pleasing as well.”

He blushed. “Thank you.”

“I believe Dira has left us a meal then we can discuss what our plans for the future are.”

She opened the cabin door, and a meal was set for two on the table. Both servings were vegetarian by the smell. “She has decided to err on the side of caution. The food has no meat.”

He sighed. “It still smells good.”

She stepped aside, and he followed her in, waiting until she was seated before he took his own chair.

“Do you get cold like that?” Huron asked it after they had been eating for a few minutes.

“No. I am impervious to cold. I just don’t move as quickly.”

When they finished, he collected their dishes and put them on the sideboard, returning to his chair. “What did you mean, the future?”

“I mean, what are your hopes for your territory? I have been living among humans, and I now know how to keep them from my lands.”

“Keeping them away would be good. The hunters... stopping the hunters would be ideal. I cannot be everywhere at once, and sometimes, I do not arrive in time to save my charges.”

“Ah, I have a few ideas to stop that. We will require a few investors, but the effect on the land will be minimal.”

“What kind of effect?”

She wrinkled her nose. “In recent years, there has been a motion to provide green burials for the humans. They wish to return to the earth as they did in the past. So, if we gain a few investors with high enough status, we can purchase the land from the government, use it as a green burial site, and book burials for humans, shifters, and fey for the foreseeable future. That will render the land inviolate, so we only need to gain it from the government, and I can help with that.”

“How?”

“I am a registered dryad. I simply need to take a picture of me with my tree. My kind is dying out, so we are being given the land where our trees are rooted.”

He gave her a narrow-eyed look. “Have you already registered?”

“I have, but I need to prove it is my tree by stepping into it in front of witnesses.”

“Ah. I see.”

She nodded and wrinkled her nose. “Right. So making the land safe is just a matter of me getting there.”

Huron nodded. “Will you be my mate?”

“Why do you just keep asking me like that?”

“It has been on his mind—my mind—as long as I can remember. I know you, your green limbs, and the spark in your eyes. Your tree spoke highly of you but agreed that I needed her more at the time.”

“She said that?”

“She did. You were young, strong, and your bond had not made separation impossible. She wanted me to tell you, but I could not yet speak. I had no languages.”

“Ah. So, you really did just rise.”

“There had once been people there, and I was awake for them, but I slept when they left me. When you arrived, I woke again.”

She smiled. “I felt it. I felt you.” She got to her feet. “I would like to go for a walk outside.”

“Why? There is nothing to see.”

“Say that again once I am outside.”

He caught on and bolted to his feet. He was upright all over.

She grinned and led him into the afternoon sun. Taking him as mate? She wondered about it and shrugged. He had her tree, and she seemed to have his heart. She wished she could have spoken to his shifter guardian, but he was as far away as the sun was overhead.

When he stepped up next to her, she took his hand. “So, I know that I can offer you an attachment and understanding of the human world, but what can you offer to me?”

She turned until she was facing him, and she brushed her fingers over his neck, moving down to his shoulders and across his chest.

He frowned. “I can offer you your tree. He will offer you life unending.”

She chuckled and leaned forward to kiss his chest. “There is no such thing as life unending, only a long life. Trees die, gods fade, even the fey surrender to time.”

“He will keep you with him through all the millennia.” Huron’s voice was slightly high.

“Will he? What of the children?”

He wrapped his hands around her biceps. “Children? Gods do not have children.”

She chuckled. “Dryads can. The shifter he chose as a vessel can. So, with a mate, there will be children.”

A glance down showed the eager pearl of fluid at the head of Huron’s cock.

“He is in favour of it. There are many lands that need protection.”

She nodded and nipped his skin. “What about the dryads that I will plant and raise. Will he give safety to them?”

Huron was surprised. “Of course. Anything that grows from the great oak will be welcomed.”

Aster looked up into Huron’s sincere eyes. “As fun as our first time standing up would be, I don’t think your legs are up for it. Lie down.”

He dropped like he was shot. Aster laughed. She shed all of the leaves she was using for moderate modesty, and she knelt to straddle him. His arms rose, and he cupped her hips, his fingers flexing against her skin before stroking around in a deliberately slow exploration.

Aster smiled. “You have enough patience to take your time?”

Huron shook his head. “I do not, but there is a bonus to being bonded to a god.”

She chuckled. “Fine, explore as you will, but when you would like to be inside me, let me know.”

He slid one hand against her sex and slowly moved his digits in a thoughtful exploration. His other hand stroked up her hip and moved to cup one breast, and then, he twisted his arm to cup the other.

Aster ran her hands over the ridges and muscles of his abdomen, she stroked his nipples and bent forward to take one between her lips. His inhalation was sharp, so she moved to the other.

He slid a finger inside her and twirled it lightly around. Huron closed his eyes. “You are so soft and warm.”

She chuckled. “It is all a ploy to lure men’s cocks inside. Once they know how good it feels, they seek it out relatively constantly.”

He eased a second finger into her with incredible care.

Aster reached down and caressed his cock, moving her fingers up and down gently before she wrapped her hand around him, and she pumped slowly.

He began to shake violently. “I think I need to be inside you now.”

She smiled. She eased his fingers out of her and settled on him. Aster pressed the weeping head of his cock against her, and she slowly sank onto him.

She braced her hands on his abdomen and began to rock on him before she lifted and lowered her hips in a slow rhythm.

Huron’s expression was contorted. His eyes were shut, and his hands were fists next to her knees as she rose and fell.

Aster whispered, “What are you focused on?”

“Not ending this. I want it to end, but I want it to go on forever.”

She paused in her movements, and he groaned. She leaned forward as far as she could and whispered, “We can do this more than once, you know.”

His eyes opened in surprise. “Right away?”

“That is up to you. For me? Yes. I can enjoy this for hours, in multiple rounds.”

He blinked. “I can touch you?”

“Of course.”

His hands gripped her hips, and after a few false starts, he found the beat that he was looking for. She was still leaning forward on him, so her clit was getting direct pressure.

She whimpered and held back until his fingers dug in and he began to shake. His utterance of surprise preceded the pulse of power that started at the end of his cock and used her to exit into the world.

Aster gasped as the power ran through her in hot pulses, and her orgasm milked every last twitch out of his cock.

Musk was heavy in the air. Aster chuckled. “And that is why I didn’t want the first time in the cabin. We would have blown the doors off.”

Huron was grappling for his senses. She remained motionless on him and looked around. The crescent of the new forest had begun.

Trees, saplings, and bushes were springing up in a thick border around all parts of their meadow, with the exception of their original pathway.

Huron’s hands slowly stroked her hips.

She looked down and smiled. “So, how was it?”

“I was glad you were able to join me.” His eyes were earnest and shining.

“Well, I was nearly there, but the forest god cheated. So, we were both winners.” She stroked his cheek.

He grinned. “So, you said we could do it again?”

She chuckled. “Yes, yes, we can.”

She moved her hips, and he was aroused again, still deep inside her. If she wasn’t mistaken, the last event had been his first. She rode him slowly. “So, what would you like to do?”

He blinked. “I can choose?”

“Of course. Whether a lover or a mate, you have the right to request anything you like of your partner. They don’t have to say yes, but you can ask.”

He paused. “I have seen animals in the wild...”

Aster grinned. “We can do that.”

Chapter Six

The meadow grasses were sweet where she crushed them under her hands. She held tight as Huron plunged and retreated.

The sharp slap of their bodies was the only sound in the world. She breathed faster as the swing of his balls struck her sex and gave her the stimulation that she needed.

She was almost to the edge when he groaned and collapsed; she bore his weight and sighed. There was no pleasurable interference this time. It seemed the forest god needed more time between rounds.

Huron had an arm around her waist, and he lifted his head from her shoulder. “You were not with me that time.”

She chuckled. “I was right until the end.”

He grunted. “What can I do?”

He seemed to want to learn, so she took his hand and guided it to her clit. Her sex was slick, but she instructed him on how she liked to be stroked, and as he followed her instructions, she gasped and shivered, her orgasm bright and tight within her. Where the first release had been a heavy throbbing, this was a giggling shiver. No two releases were ever exactly alike.

He kept going, and she squeaked, pulling his hand away. She whispered, “Sensitive.”

He nodded and chuckled. “I promised myself I would learn. It seems to be going well.”

“I am going to collapse now. Just a warning.”

She dropped to the grass, and he followed her, still inside her.

He slid out of her and rolled to his side, pulling her with him. “I think I prefer it when I can see your face.”

She smiled and turned to look at him over her shoulder. “I prefer it to. Do not get me wrong, there are all kinds of sensations that can be had from me having my back to you, but I like watching your expression. It helps me gauge what is going on.”

He reached around and cupped her breast. “I would have to agree that being able to see is part of the delight.”

She smiled and looked toward the reddening sun. “Do you regret not finding a nice camper to seduce?”

Huron’s voice became somber. “No, this body was selected for you and you only.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the child was with family, wandered off and fell into a stream. I was able to breathe life back into him, but I would have let the water keep him if it wasn’t for you.”

She blinked and looked at Huron, and she got the image in her mind. The toddler was only fifty feet from his family when he fell into the fast-moving stream. The entire situation was remarkably silent. The child was swept away in the high waters of spring. The forest god stepped into the water and scooped the child into the air on his horns. He stepped out of the stream, put the child down, and by now, the family was rushing toward them. They stopped when they saw the giant elk, and two of them transformed into normal elk and bowed.

The forest god moved into the child and coughed out the water. The small form sat up, and one of the elks came forward, wearing a ranger uniform. A quick discussion and the family understood that Huron must now remain in the forest.

Aster blinked. “Oh. So, you have a family.”

Huron’s mouth tensed. “Yes, but this body was chosen for you.”

“Because a giant elk can not be a proper mate.”

He nodded. “You are not physically equipped for it.”

“I don’t even think a regular elk female could cope with that.”

He blushed slightly.

She twisted against him and removed his green crown. “I believe that it is no longer necessary. What is necessary is a stream or a fountain.” She chuckled. “I am sticky.”

He lazily reached out behind him, and he smiled. “That I can do.”

A small cascade of rock heaved up and out of the ground. Water sprouted from the top, and a channel of rocks wove itself into the edge of the forest and twisted into forming a pool.

“That is a handy skill.”

“It is how I kept water near your tree but not too close to erode the roots.”

She smiled. “That is very thoughtful.”

“She told me what she needed. It seems to be a shared trait.”

Aster laughed.

Huron was serious. “Can you really create dryads in my territory?”

“I can. Well, she can, but she can’t do it without me.”

“You were also serious about children?” He sounded hopeful.

“I was. This is the perfect time for half-breeds. Mixing different genes is ideal right now. All governments are accepting them, and the shifters are even able to pass for half-elves in certain areas. It is a good time to have magic.”

He nodded and got to his feet, walking over to the new fountain and stream, and splashing water first on his neck then his chest and finally he splashed his cock and balls, removing the residue of their coupling.

She waited until he stepped away before she got up. Rivulets of semen slowly left her and snaked down her inner thigh. The white stood out against the green of her skin.

She took handfuls of grasses and wiped the fluid off first before she cupped a handful of the icy water and applied it to her overheated skin.

He watched her. He watched every drop of water that ran down her breasts and moved around the spot where her navel should be.

“You do not have a...” He pointed at his own navel.

“No, I stepped out of my tree. No umbilicus needed. That is how dryads are born. The mother oak makes the acorns and her dryad plants it. They nurture it, and when the new dryad has gathered enough energy from the world around her, she steps out and meets her mother for the first time. She also sees her tree and begins to tend it to make it stronger.”

“You travelled with yours.”

“Yes, the humans came into my wood, my mother had already faded. I was her last act. I unearthed my tree and fed her on my energy while I travelled, looking for a place that would let her grow strong and uninterrupted.”

He smiled. “You did manage that.”

She laughed and splashed more water on her skin. “Yes, I did manage that.”

She felt much less sticky, and where his cum had hit the grass, wild roses were growing.

Aster smiled, and she walked over to the growing pond, sitting on the stone-lined edge and soaking her feet in the cool water.

Huron asked, “What happens now?”

“We spend the night together; tomorrow, we return to the Crossroads, and we complete the balance ceremony.”

He sat next to her and soaked his feet in the rising water. “What will happen then?”

She inhaled and exhaled. “You will receive half of what I am, and I will receive half of what you are. It is a good thing that I am qualified as a demi-god in some societies, or this would hurt.”

He chuckled. “He says he will hold back.”

She shook her head. “That isn’t how this works. He will have no choice. We will hold hands, the spell will be cast, and the power will begin its route through the match mage and into us again.”

He exhaled. “I hope we don’t hurt him.”

She chuckled. “I have the feeling that we are practice for someone. The timing is rather convenient.”

“Really? My guardian suggested this to me weeks ago, but I had to put protections into place for the hunting season.”

“So, there are animals and trees on alert to stop hunters?”

“And the forest rangers. There are four of them on duty to protect the clearing with the oak.”

“Good. I hate to think of her undefended.”

“Me too.”

They sat there until the orange of the sky turned red. She smiled. “If we are getting used to each other, I believe that you should use what you have learned so far to see what you can do.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean if there is any point in life where you can pursue sexual gratification, this is it.”

“I can’t pursue it while we are together in the human worlds?”

She chuckled. “You can, but they have cameras, satellites, and they will be trying to see in. Special efforts will have to be engaged in for privacy.”

He sighed. “That does seem awkward.”

“They will lose any fascination that they have with us shortly. The fey king is taking a bride, and that will focus the photo seekers to try and take pictures of them.”

Huron nodded. “He came to me and spoke with my guardian, telling us that the time for me to seek my mate was now.”

She slowly turned her head. “He what?”

“King Larion came to my woods, and he spoke to me and gave me the instructions on how to get here, and he told me that you would be arriving soon.”

Aster exhaled. “Of course. And the bride told me that you were here, so I came to get your agreement to let me speak with my tree.”

He grinned. “You have gotten my agreement.”

She laughed and elbowed him. “Funny. I am not fond of being manipulated like that.”

“It seems they had your best interests at heart or, at least, mine.”

She laughed. “They want me to take a place in the bride’s court. It would mean some commuting.”

“Once you are with your tree, she can send you to the court. She is very good at being a bridge between worlds.”

“Is she? I am perversely proud of her.” Aster chuckled.

“She is very kind and stately. My guardian says she is like an aunt or grandmother.” He smiled. “I only know she is kind and powerful.”

“Good.” The water had crept up to her calves, and she had gotten enough of the liquid through her skin.

The blue fabric of night was overtaking the sky, so she looked to Huron. “I am heading into the cabin to see if more food has shown up.”

He grinned. “I have worked up a bit of an appetite.”

“Funny that.”

He got to his feet and extended his hand to her. She placed her fingers in his, and he pulled her up and against him. She glanced up and smiled. “You are growing horns.”

“What?”

“Little ones.” She reached up and touched the small velvety protrusions.

He frowned. “I haven’t had those in this form before.”

“He is fusing to your human form. He has kept separate until this point.” She stroked his cheek. “I think this is how it happens. I have heard of other great deer who became horned men and Hern over time. I never realized that the human body was part of the evolution before.”

Huron grinned. “You can examine them at leisure, whenever you like.”

She shivered as she caught onto the gleam in his eyes and the hot bar of flesh pressed against her abdomen. “I might.”

“The offer will stand.”

She chuckled. “It is a good thing we got together now then. You are about to become very specifically conspicuous.”

“I think I will be able to conceal the horns with a glamour once they are complete.” Huron’s speech was changing. He was less the human and the forest god and more... both at the same time.

She nodded. “So, shall we adjourn to the cabin?”

He smiled and lifted her off her feet. “I believe you mentioned being able to have sex standing up?”

She took the hint and wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling herself upward, using his shoulders for her grip.

He reached between them and pressed his cock against her. There was some resistance, so she tilted her hips. He began to slide inside, and she shivered as his hands stroked up her back, supporting her.

He whispered, “Lean back.”

She leaned, and he kept her in position with the hot brand of his cock inside her, and soon, his lips were on her breast sucking strongly at the left first then the right. Her brain sent a fleeting thought that he was a fast learner, but her body told her to shut up and simply enjoy his attention to progressing in his education.

He kept one arm behind her, gripped her hips with the other, and he began to rock against her, moving slowly until she pulled herself up to face him, kissed him, and ground her hips against his.

The moon climbed above them as they wrestled for release, and when Aster let out a soft cry and shivered against him, Huron murmured, “Thank the falling leaves.” He groaned and shook inside her.

She chuckled and leaned against him as he stroked her slick back, and their hearts resumed normal beating. He took a few steps back and fell into the small pond that he had created.

The splash separated them, and she laughed and took the opportunity to rinse off the sweat and other accumulated materials. When she stepped out of the pond, she looked around at the thick forest that surrounded them. “Wow. It appears that our interaction could assist in reforestation.”

He chuckled and picked her up, holding her against him. “If we ever gain someone to take care of our forest for a few days, I am more than willing to visit a few foreign lands and share what we have learned.”

He carried her back to the cabin.

“Shared the information with whom?”

“The land itself. There are other gods under the surface who have not woken. If there was a dryad to wake them, they could walk the world.”

“Finding homes for my daughters before they are even acorns?”

He grinned. “I am getting into this future planning. It is fun.”

She sighed and opened the door for them. He carried her inside and sat at the table in front of the meal that was still steaming slightly. There was the scent of meat in the food, so Dira had gotten the memo from the café.

They had dinner, curled up on the bed together, and woke up twice in the night. Aster started it the first time, and Huron woke her again three hours later. Exhausted, they finished their night of privacy together and waited for the dawn.

Chapter Seven

Aster smiled as Huron resumed his elk form, and she clambered up to his back, yawning the entire time. She was too used to a normal schedule. This was an adaptation she would be happy to get used to.

Sleep, Aster. I won’t let you fall. The pathway back is clear.

I might doze, but I should still be awake if you need me.

Good. Are you going to put leaves on as clothing again?

She sighed and looked down at her skin. There were tiny dark bruises where his hands had marked her, but she had encouraged every bit of it, so she wrinkled her nose and put on a swimsuit-typed outfit of shingled leaves.

She looked back at the spot where the cabin had been, and she gasped. A fairy tale forest was thick and looked aged in place, not as if it had sprung up over a few very entertaining hours.

She faced forward and settled comfortably on Huron’s back and let him take them back to the Crossroads.

When he stopped moving, she looked around, and they were standing in front of the Open Heart. She blinked, and he snorted.

Dira was on the porch, and she was smiling. “So, I am guessing that you would like a balancing ceremony?”

Aster slid down. “We would. We also need you to make sure that the mage won’t explode when they do this.”

Dira nodded. “You have good timing. Trill is here today, and she can help Tomas with the balancing. She can bleed off some of the extra energy.”

Aster yawned. “I need a bit of a nap.”

Huron was naked in his human form. “I am fine. Delightfully refreshed.”

Dira laughed. “Right. Come on inside. I will make the arrangements, and you can go to your rooms.”

Huron put his arm around Aster’s waist.

Dira snorted. “Fine. Room. But let her sleep. Being awake for the balance ceremony is key to full success.”

Huron nodded, and Aster walked inside the building, yawning all the way.

* * * *

Dira knocked on Tomas’s door, and he opened it after a minute, wearing nothing but a sheet around his waist.

“My apologies for interrupting you and Trill, but I have a couple who needs a balance ceremony... today.”

He groaned and leaned against the doorway. Trill came up behind him, her charcoal skin tracing the glyphs that bound her husband. “Why does it have to be Tomas?”

“Melwiss is pregnant again, and I don’t want her exposed to this much power. The couple is a forest god and a demi-god.”

Tomas perked up. “What?”

“A forest god and a dryad who is close to four hundred years old.”

Trill blinked. “Is that the dryad that the bride is courting?”

“It is. Pointing her toward the forest god was part of her price. She wasn’t expecting to take him as mate, but someone was because this was all arranged very carefully.”

Trill nodded. “We will do it. Do we have a few hours?”

Dira inclined her head. “Three hours.”

“Good. We can complete our reunion.”

Dira smirked. “That might be a good idea.”

Tomas narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

“He is a lust god. When the energy is running through you, you will be both very interested in your mate and very interesting to any unattached females in the area. If Trill can help bleed off some of that, it might be a nice balancing.”

Tomas chuckled. “I pity you for hosting them during their joining.”

“Oh, they won’t be doing that here. They will be returning to his forest and her tree. Their first connection as mates is going to revitalize hundreds of acres. Their first sexual encounters created a thousand-acre forest at the distant edge of the Crossroads. It is an old-growth forest as well. It looks like it has always been there.”

Trill whistled softly. “Okay. So, three hours to drain the hormones. I can do that.”

She grabbed Tomas and pulled him back into the cabin. She shouted, “Show yourself out, Dira.”

Dira nodded, laughed, and closed the door. Tomas would need this practice with Huron and Aster. When it was time to link Larion and Eilonwy, he was going to have to be on his toes.

* * * *

Aster yawned and stretched. She turned, and Huron was busy putting on a tunic. She smiled. “So, it’s time?”

“Yes. I was going to wake you, but I could feel you rising.”

She sat up and looked around, finding the green silk slip on a hangar on the bathroom door. She shed her leaves and slipped the green silk over her head. She looked at herself in the mirror and sprouted a coronet of roses and daisies around her head.

“Where is the luggage?”

“Already at the Meditation Centre. They are going to perform the ceremony. We sign the contracts, and then, we are whisked back to the forest. Is that all right with you?”

She grinned. “It is.”

He looked at her forehead. “How do you do that?”

“With enough travel and enough exposure to the plants of the world, I have integrated them into my hair and different parts of my body. I can create roses anywhere.” She smiled.

His horns had grown to the size of a young buck.

She smiled. “Ready?”

“Centuries ago. Let’s go.” He offered her his arm, and they left the room, headed down the steps, and Dira fell into step with them as they made their way to the rear of the Meditation Centre.

There was a couple. A mage in formal wear and a young dark elf wearing the livery of the Queen’s Guard.

Aster smiled. Things were beginning to click together.

Dira leaned in. “She had nothing to do with it, but you two are a means of stretching our mage so that he will be able to manage the fey king and the shifter queen.”

“That makes sense. Well, he is going to get a good workout.”

It took a bit of management to get everyone situated. The elf stood in front of her mate. He was pressed to her back. Her hands were on his forearms.

Tomas smiled. “I am sorry that I can’t say I have joined those like you dozens of times.”

Huron chuckled. “I would be more worried if you did. I will release the power slowly, and if it gets to be too much, let me know.”

Tomas nodded. “Aster, you will pass your power to Huron, he will pass to me, I will pass back to you, and soon, we will form an equal circuit. Once new power stops coming, I will clear your energy out of me and Trill and close our arm of the circuit, while keeping the power moving between the two of you. When it is even, I will slow it, and it will settle into you, and consummating your union will lock it in place.”

Aster grinned. “We will save that for the forest.”

He inclined his head. “Thank you.”

He took on a formal tone. “Aster, do you take Huron for all that he is and all that he may become?”

“I do.”

“Huron, do you take Aster for all that she is and all that she will become?”

“I do.”

Tomas took a deep breath, Trill gripped his arms tighter, and he whispered, “Here we go.”

Aster began to feed her ancient energies into Huron, and he smiled, and then, Tomas’s hand clenched. Trill’s eyes went wide, and soon, Aster could feel the trickle of green energy that Huron was passing along.

The power took on a heavier course, and they all stood together while power began to build and build and build.

Tomas was sweating, and all of Aster was flowing past, so Huron provided the last of the power that he contained in his physical form, and they were all standing while the energy that could raise an island from the sea was pulsing in the circle.

The flow from Tomas increased, and the power had ceased to flow past Huron. They were filling up again.

She looked at her mate and smiled as the power built and built. The energy continued to flow through her until there was no more to be had, and then, she clung to Huron’s hand as the power was moved between them, equalizing under Tomas’s control. The mage and his mate were coated in sweat, and dark elves did not easily sweat.

She felt an itch on her forehead, and she chuckled. Of course, she would get horns as part of this trade.

Huron grinned.

The power gradually slowed, and finally, it settled.

Tomas released them, and he and his mate staggered back.

Aster stepped toward Huron. She raised her brows. “Horns?”

He chuckled. “They are lovely.”

She sighed and leaned up for a kiss. They kissed, and she grabbed his horns to hold him in place.

Dira called out. “Paperwork and then you can go home and jump him.”

Aster broke the kiss and released her handles. “Spoilsport.”

Huron was amused. She grabbed his hand and took him to the contract where they registered as land-based fey with spiritual control over their territory. Aka wood gods.

Dira hugged her, kissed her, and then said, “Now, please, get out of here before the entire place greens over. I have given a lot of thought to the arrangement here, and your excitement is messing with it.”

Aster looked around, and the forest was alive with energy, reaching for them. “Ah. Right. We can go back to Huron’s forest?”

“Right where we got him.”

She grinned, and they raced Teal and Tony to the building, held tight while a ward was put around them to keep any energy from blowing a hole in the Crossroads.

There was a surge of power, a flash, and then, the world turned green.

Huron whispered in her ear. “We are home.”

She looked around, and her senses told her where it was before she saw it. She ran to her tree and placed a shaking hand against its trunk.

“Ah, my tree. I have missed you.” Tears tracked down her cheeks, and she smiled up into the wide canopy of her English oak tree, which had very little reason to be in the Canadian forest.

Her tree whispered to her, joy, excitement, and delight. She heard her tree talking of acorns and of needing her to create the next generation, so happy to see her again.

Huron was crouched nearby, watching with a happy smile.

She grinned at him, leaned against her tree, and backed into her tree.

Chapter Eight

Huron watched the tree for hours. He could feel Aster inside it, but it was only at the sixth hour when he saw the first green hand emerge.

She stepped out and looked at her tree and laughed. There was such a bright, carefree tone to her laugh that his concern melted.

He walked up to her, and she took his hand in hers. “Thank you. She is the best present ever!”

He blinked in surprise. “I said you could touch her again as my mate.”

“I know, but I have spent so long blocked from what I wanted that to have it come true, I am so excited.” She squealed and smiled at him.

He took her hands and kissed her. “I understand completely.”

She looked into his gaze and smiled. She raised her eyebrows. “Up against my tree?”

He grinned. “Wherever you like.”

She led him the few steps to the tree, and she slid her gown down off her shoulders while hiking the silk up her body.

Huron didn’t hesitate, he lifted her up against her tree, opened the closure of his trousers, and he slid into her, pounding into her as she sighed and pulled his head to her breasts.

It wasn’t a three-way, but her tree was gaining energy from the contact, and when Huron bit down gently on her breast, she shrieked as an orgasm swept through her far too soon.

He kept thrusting, and she writhed against him while energy pooled in them again, surrounding them and wrapping them together.

He lifted his head and kissed her while she was jolted up and down on his cock, until finally, after what seemed like hours, she felt the electric pulsing again, and he groaned, holding himself against her while their bodies throbbed and the magic swirled outward.

Aster was still gasping, and she looked around at the bright green touch that swept through the forest. “Oh, next spring is going to be amazing.”

He looked up at her, and his eyes were dazed. “I am very interested in this one particular moment.”

She stroked the hair from his forehead, smiling at the growth that had happened in the last few days. He would soon have bangs. “Are you now? Not interested in our next moment?”

He blinked and smiled. “That too. Have you reconnected with your tree?”

“I have; she is planning her acorns and wanted to know how many I would tend for her.”

“What did you say?”

“I said I would tend to twenty of her daughters.”

“That is a lot of dryads.”

“Only twenty-five percent normally make it. Nature holds onto the strongest.”

Huron stroked her neck. “She chose well with you.”

She was about to reply when she heard the careful footfalls of a human in the woods. She sighed and slipped the straps of her gown back up onto her shoulders.

He removed himself from her, closed his trousers, and looked at the incoming being.

A man in an orange vest and hat came into their clearing. He paused. “Huron, is that you?”

Huron grinned. “This is my guardian. Hector Metiskow. Hector, this is my mate, Aster.”

Aster smiled and stepped forward. “I am pleased to meet you.”

He blinked. “You speak English.”

She grinned. “As do you. I am guessing you are familiar with my tree?”

His eyes widened even further. “That is your tree?”

“It is. I am very happy to be reunited with them.”

“Them?”

“My tree and the forest god. I saw him on the first day, the day I planted her here.” She took his right hand between both of hers. “I know how Huron came to be fused with him, and I am sorry that your family knew such loss.”

He blinked and swallowed. “So, you know...”

“That you are either his father, uncle, or grandfather. I know his older brother is already married and you are not him.”

“His father. His mother passed when he was born, and my sister was raising him, but he was always happiest in the woods. We were celebrating his birthday when he wandered away.”

Huron was standing next to them, no expression on his face.

“When we realized he was gone, we ran down the stream, and then, there was this creature with kind eyes lifting him out of the water and laying him on the bank. He was blue. There was no life in him, and then, the elk joined with him. Water flew out in a gush, and he sat up, but now, there was no joy in him, only those ancient, kind eyes.”

“But you raised him here.”

“I did. He can’t leave the forest, so we did the hardest thing we could. We reported him as missing, and the creature inside him helped. It took the memory of the creature and the resuscitation out of their minds, and we all mourned the loss of my son.”

Huron nodded. “I had to hide where they could not find me, but they stopped looking after a few months.”

“And you can’t be seen by others now.” Aster looked at him and smiled. “Well, actually, you can.”

Hector frowned. “It is hunting season. It isn’t safe for you to be here right now.”

Aster nodded. “I can understand how you would think that, but things are about to change around here.”

He blinked. “What?”

Huron smiled. “I will listen for a gunshot. If I hear one, we will confront our opponent.”

Aster chuckled. “Mr. Metiskow, we have also expanded the protected area. I will be filing to make this a protected habitat in the next week.”

“Call me Hector. How are you going to do that?”

She smiled. “I am a registered fey. I am entitled to the land surrounding my tree provided that there isn’t a home in the vicinity.”

“What do you do then?”

“I buy the house at twice market value.”

He raised his brows. “Do you have that money?”

“I can have. There is a trust for me.” The silver dragon who had transported her had made sure she knew what was needed in the human world.

Huron smiled. “You always said I should marry money, Hector.”

Hector said, “No, I said you needed someone to take care of you.”

“Yes, that too.”

She snickered. “It is fine. I have walked in the world for over three hundred years. I have a legal identity, and my tree is on record. It will take a lot of paperwork, but it will get this area put into a holding category. After that, I am working on ways to keep the surrounding areas free of encroachment.”

He looked at her with surprise. “This is prime hunting land. What would you do to change that?”

Aster looked at him and asked, “Where did you put up the fake headstone?”

“Oh. Oh.” Understanding dawned. “You want to put bodies here?”

Aster waved her hand through the air as she said, “Green burials. Wrapped in muslin, you return to the earth from which you sprang, and the earth welcomes you.”

“Do you think it can work?”

She grinned. “I set up a plant nursery in the greenest area I could find. They still were after what I could produce. They didn’t even know about this skin.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

She pulled herself into her human-seeming, and he blinked. “You are white.”

She wrinkled her nose and went green again. “I have a number of skins that I can wear. This is the one that I wear in suburbia. The first people I met looked like this.”

She pulled on her complexion with black hair and coppery skin.

He smiled. “Your eyes are still green.”

“My eyes are always green.” She settled back into her green self.

Huron walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. “I did not recognize her until she changed her skin to this.” He kissed her neck.

Hector asked quietly. “What is the deal with the horns?”

“Ah. He started to grow them after we...” she flipped her hands. “I got mine when we were balanced at the Crossroads.”

She had a thought. “Do you have a phone?”

He blinked and fished a small, flat black rectangle out of his vest.

“May I make a call? I left my phone at home.”

He smiled. “Of course. You are my daughter now, in one way or another. This is very odd.”

She grinned. “It is, but you are a shifter. You get used to odd.”

She dialed quickly and waited. “Hello, my lady. It seems that things have come to pass as you wished.”

The amused tone was unmistakable. “Well, congratulations. What can I do for you?”

“I would appreciate it if you could contact the king and get this area declared my territory. I can now pass into and out of my tree for the video if necessary.”

“It should be fine. Anything else?”

“Find out if there are any fey elders who are close to death who want to be buried under a dryad’s tree. I have daughters that I want to get started.”

“Dang. Okay. Can I call you back at this number?”

Hector nodded.

“Yes, but I also need someone to get my stuff from my home. Including my phone. And I have to gain immigrant status to Canada or, at least, landed fey status.”

“Hang on, I am writing this down.”

“I can normally transport via my tree, but I don’t want to draw on her when she wants to hatch acorns.”

“Okay, I will get on this as soon as we hang up. I should be able to call you within the next hour.”

“If you get a guy named Hector, just update him. Thank you, Eilonwy.”

“You are welcome. Now, go and be with your new husband, and congratulations again.”

They disconnected the call, and she handed it back to Hector. He held up his hands. “If you only need it for the hour, keep it.”

She nodded, and Huron’s head cocked. “What are you hearing?”

“Guns. Smelling oil. I need to go.”

She nodded. “I will be at your side as soon as I can be.”

He stripped off his formal uniform, and he left her alone with his guardian-father.

The hoof falls were silent as he moved through the woods to protect it and its inhabitants.

She looked at Hector. “So, the weirdest day this year?”

He laughed and nodded. “Is this really a dryad oak? He said it was, but the being inside my son was never very good at emotion.”

“No. He lives for the silence of the woods, the whispers of the trees, the ripple of the brooks. They are all he knew. Putting himself into a living body was a change for him. There was time. There was alteration as time passed. His communications skills had to grow.”

“You say it very well. How do you know?”

“I was born in a tree. When the tree was large enough, I stepped out of it on chubby legs and began to experience the world. There was no easing into it. I was nothing, and then, I was walking. My mother was a dryad and her tree, and they had seen a thousand years, but humans were coming for the wood. They needed the wood to survive, to feed their children, to live. My mother protected me until I could run, and I was nearly grown by then. We dug up my tree and wrapped the roots. A dragon friend of ours flew me across the ocean when he came, and then, I walked the world until I found the perfect place for my tree. I planted her, and she woke up the god beneath my feet. He instated his territory, and I was locked away from her.”

“You don’t hate him for that?”

She looked at him and shook her head. “No. I know what he is. I have met gods in my travels. I was mad, do not get me wrong, but I understood. My tree was no longer mine, and I had to find a new life.”

“Why come back now?”

She chuckled. “The woman I was speaking with? She is going to be the bride of the king of the fey. She contacted me and told me where to find Huron, though no one knew his name at the time. I took it as a sign to touch my tree once again.”

“Oh. So, you weren’t kidding when you said that you were registered fey.”

She grinned. “No, I was not. I am not a shifter, I am not precisely fey, but there is no category for me or for him. So, we will be fey as that will excuse the lifespan. Until gods and demi-gods are on the list, we are stuck with what we have.”

He chuckled. “Our family is going to love this. The thought of woods where we can run for hours and not be shot is too delightful.”

The phone rang. Aster answered and began organizing the rest of her life.

Epilogue

Aster walked out of parliament where she had just addressed the members on the importance of maintaining green spaces and that included burials.

Her phone rang, and she answered. “Hello, sweetie.”

“How did it go?”

Folks were taking photos of her as she walked. Her green skin was distinctive, and her gown fluttered as she walked. She looked damn good and was proud of what she had achieved for her and the new dryads growing in the clearing.

“It went well. We have our clearances; we are free to begin the green burials as long as we keep GPS coordinates locked in.”

“Excellent. Hector has been taking reservations for space in our new burial forest for the last few days.”

“They didn’t even know it was legal.”

“I know, but there is a certain amount of cache at not just being food for the earth but food for a dryad. There is a public belief that part of them will live on. I don’t know how they could have come by that understanding.”

She grinned. “I have no idea. It was a productive interview, though.”

She walked toward the green space next to the building, and she headed for one of the thicker trees.

“So, how long are you going to be away? I have missed you.”

“I am on my way home. I will see you in five minutes.”

She laughed at the kissy noises he made into the phone, and then, she hung up.

Crowds of people were following her with phones held up, and she grinned, pressing her hands to the bark of the tree, calling her own home and companion, and then, she stepped inside.

She felt her tree around her and stepped out, into Huron’s arms. She laughed. “Hello, darling. What have you been up to?”

“Terrorising hunters and selecting sites for the burials. It has been a busy few days.”

“Aw, are you tired?” She stroked his cheek and continued upward to grab his horn, pulling him down to her for a kiss.

“Never that tired.” He grinned. He lifted her up and carried her into the house that she had encouraged to grow from saplings and moss.

She laughed and giggled as they worked to get her skin exposed, but that was part of the fun. When they fell together onto the bed, she wrapped her arms and legs around him and welcomed him into her.

They had a wedding to attend in a few weeks and were going to be there on the queen’s side of the fey court. They may as well have as much downtime as they could before they had to get uptight in actual clothing.

There was something to be said for being in the woods with the person you loved, even if they weren’t human.

Author’s Note

More fey with weird skills. Next up will be fey with a deep resentment at being stuck as partners.

She’s a better fighter, and he’s a better shot. When they each take time off to go seek a mate, sparks fly.

Thanks for reading,

Zenina Masters

About the Author

Viola Grace (aka Zenina Masters) is a Canadian sci-fi/paranormal romance writer with ambitions to keep writing for the rest of her life. She specializes in short stories because the thrill of discovery, of all those firsts, is what keeps her writing.

An artist who enjoys a story that catches you up, whirls you around, and sets you down with a smile on your face is all she endeavours to be. She prefers to leave the drama to those who are better suited to it, she always goes for the cheap laugh.

In real life, she now is engaged in beekeeping, and her adventures can be found on the YouTube channel, Mystery Bees Apiary. Just look for the cartoon kittens.