The Wolf and the Snow Angel
By Jessica Maynard
Part One
A fresh coat of snow covered the forest floor, sparkling where rays of sun snuck through the tree branches. Neve loved the forest in the early hours of the morning. It was peaceful, the sounds of birds chirping and her boots crunching through the snow the only interruptions in the silence. The auburn haired nature lover had walked this wooded area her entire life without incident. Well, up until a week ago that is. As her feet made the journey, knowing every fallen tree and burrow by heart, Neve thought back on the intriguing encounters in recent days.
She didn’t react the way she thought she would when faced with a wild wolf. There was something different about this animal, the way his head bowed and his steel grey eyes looked up almost pleading for help. Neve had inched closer, her heart beating faster with every step. Once she was close enough to touch him she sunk down on her knees, the cold snow seeping through her jeans, and reached her hand out to touch his soft black fur. The majestic wolf didn’t pull away. In fact, he seemed to lean into her touch.
Illness or injury wasn’t out of the question and she worried for the wolf who, despite being an animal which traveled in packs, appeared to ride alone. The next day Neve came at the same time and place and the beautiful black wolf was there to greet her. She brought a blanket, food and water but her gut told her that wasn’t enough. There was more to be done for this lone wolf and before she could stop herself, she began to speak.
“Has anyone ever told you how stunning you are?”
The wolf’s ears perked up at the sound of her voice. Neve took that as a sign to continue.
“Why are you all alone?”
She hesitated, feeling silly talking to an animal who could not talk back, but figured the wolf couldn’t repeat her confessions so what was the harm.
“I’m alone too. Even when I’m not. My friends and cousins are getting married and having babies and I’m living the spinster life here in my parents cabin,” she sighed, “I’m torn between keeping patience as a virtue or taking fate into my own hands.”
The wolf inched closer to her, crawling on its belly to remain in a lying position. Neve held her breath, afraid to scare him away. He stared at her, steel eyes meeting hazel, reassuring her it was okay. She felt compelled to say more.
“Of course, if a man knew I talked to wolves in the woods he would probably run as fast as he could.”
A beeping sound came from her pocket as her phone alarm went off. Neve thought it would startle the animal but he only cocked his head as if investigating the sound.
“That would be my cue to head back. Time for work.”
She owned a vegan bake shop downtown and it was everything she hoped it would be. She worked her dream job every single day but today the force she felt drawing her to the forest, to this wolf, made it difficult to go.
She began to walk away, stopped, then called over her shoulder, “I will be back tomorrow. I promise.”
That encounter had occurred almost a week ago and Neve never missed a day in the woods with the wolf. She brought him food and told him about her days at the bake shop, Vegan Sweets. She couldn’t help but think her visits helped cheer up the wolf and began to wonder if he was well but acted otherwise to get her affection.
As she neared the group of pine trees where the wolf took cover, what she saw caused her to stop dead in her tracks.
A man. In ripped and muddy clothes. Her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest. She took a step back and froze when she broke a twig in half with her foot.
Where was the wolf? Was the man alive? Did the wolf attack him? There was no way the sweet and gentle wolf she visited with for days could have done it. Could he? He was an animal with animal instincts. If he needed to protect himself, who knows what he was capable of.
The man stirred.
Neve let out a sigh of relief. She reached for her phone in her back pocket to call for help. Darn. She left it back at the house. It’s not like she would have service out in the middle of the woods anyway. Neve started to slowly approach the man to avoid startling him but soon realized it was fruitless given her presence was announced with every snow crunching, twig snapping step. The man heard her approach and pushed himself up to lean on his left elbow.
“It’s okay. I’m here to help,” she reassured as she closed the gap between them.
Neve stepped around and knelt down to face him.
“Where’s the wolf? Did he do this to…”
Their eyes met. Steel eyes. She knew those eyes. His lips curved into a mischievous wolf-like grin.
“...YOU!”
Impossible. This can’t be real. He can’t be real. Neve tried to stand up but in her urgency slipped and fell back into the snow. The man chuckled.
“You’re cute when you are frazzled.”
“You’re a wolf!”
“Was. I was a wolf. And you, my Snow Angel, broke the spell.”
The man pushed himself up to a sitting position, causing Neve to frantically haul her body backwards with her feet.
“I’m not going to hurt you. I can barely move. If anything, I’m at your mercy.”
Neve looked him over and saw the truth in his words. He was in bad shape, similar to his wolf form. Why was it she found it easy to help when he was in what should have been the more threatening wolf form but found this human form intimidating? Maybe because he wasn’t supposed to be human. Or was he? She had so many questions and she wasn’t going to get any answers by sitting on the cold ground.
Neve took a deep breath, stood up and brushed her hands off on the bottom of her scarf. She stepped forward and offered her hand to him.
“Let us start over. I’m Neve McKenna.”
The man hesitated before clasping his hand in hers.
“I’m Sam Mahigan,” he half spoke, half grunted as he used the support of her hand to pull himself up.
Sam was taller than her but didn’t show his full height as he was leaning his weight on his left leg and bending his right. He tilted his head down to look into her eyes.
“Let me make it very clear that I do not want to start over. I will never forget what you have done for me, Neve McKenna.”
The way her name sounded coming out of his mouth gave her chills. And now she knew why his human form was more dangerous than the wolf. The next question she needed to ask herself was, should she fight it or allow herself to fall?
Sam shifted his stance and winced. Neve snapped out of her daze and reached forward to help him.
“I can manage,” he insisted.
“You should probably go to the hospital.”
A panicked look crossed his face.
“Afraid of doctors?” she asked.
“Not quite.”
“Well I can’t just leave you here. Why don’t you come back to my place and get cleaned up.”
The panic washed away to reveal a look of relief.
“That sounds nice. Thank you,” he said.
Neve pulled his arm around her shoulder to support him on their way back to the house. They walked in silence, their focus on staying upright and escaping the frigid forest air. They paused momentarily at the end of the tree line and stared down at the property she took over from her parents. It was a simple, one-story house but to her it was perfect. To her, it was home.
“Welcome to McKenna Cottage.”
They walked towards the house, the winter wind carrying them towards the warmth and adventures that awaited them within.
Part Two
There is a naked man in my shower.
The thought distracted Neve from the task at hand for the third time since they arrived at the house. If she knew this would be the outcome, she would have used the Disney princess tactic of talking to animals years ago. She gazed out the kitchen window as she stirred the homemade hot chocolate. It was a simple recipe she came up with when she didn’t have the instant version on hand and found it worked well with almond or coconut milk when she wanted to serve it at Vegan Sweets.
“What year is it?”
Neve dropped the spoon and spun around to face the subject of her rampant thoughts.
Sam smirked, “Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I realized in the shower I didn't know what year it is.”
Oh great. She was thinking about him in the shower as he thought about practical things. Go figure. He looked quite handsome, even in his borrowed clothes. Thankfully her older brother had left unwanted items in the closet of his childhood bedroom, now the guest room, and Neve was able to scrounge up some sweatpants and a t-shirt. Loungewear never looked so fine.
Sam looked at her expectantly.
“It's 2018. January 2018.”
Sam was quiet for a moment as that information sank in.
“I've been away three years. What have I missed?”
“You mean other than the typical depressing news and everyone's rapidly increasing addiction to their phones?”
Sam laughed. “Maybe I was better off in the woods.”
Neve opened her mouth to speak but Sam stopped her.
“I know you have questions and so do I. I'll answer yours if you answer mine.”
“Deal,” she said as she filled a mug and handed it to Sam, the warmth of the delicious steaming dessert keeping the winter chill at bay.
Sam took a sip of the hot chocolate and grinned.
“If you keep feeding me this magical concoction, I will spill all my secrets.”
Neve cocked her eyebrows up in surprise.
“Follow me.”
She led him to the living room. Wood floors, soft area rugs and cozy couches in front of a stone fireplace all made this her favorite room of the house. They clinked their mugs together, careful not to spill the delectable contents.
“To secrets,” Neve said.
“To secrets,” Sam repeated.
They both took a sip and settled onto the over stuffed plush couch. Sam stared at the fire for a moment and then turned to Neve.
“Ladies first.”
She took another sip of her sugar courage and turned to meet his gaze.
“What happened to you?”
Sam rubbed his forehead, as if to conjure up memories he had buried deep within. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.
“I can't believe I'm about to say this out loud.”
Neve reached her hand out to cover his. “You can trust me.”
Sam grabbed her hand in his. “My animal instincts sensed it but for some reason it is harder for my human self to grasp.”
Neve chuckled. “I'll admit, I was more afraid of your human form than your wolf form. Don't worry, what happens at McKenna Cottage stays at McKenna Cottage.”
“Okay, here goes nothing,” Sam began, “On the night of my bachelor party, a witch turned me into a wolf.”
A fresh coat of snow covered the forest floor, sparkling where rays of sun snuck through the tree branches. Neve loved the forest in the early hours of the morning. It was peaceful, the sounds of birds chirping and her boots crunching through the snow the only interruptions in the silence. The auburn haired nature lover had walked this wooded area her entire life without incident. Well, up until a week ago that is. As her feet made the journey, knowing every fallen tree and burrow by heart, Neve thought back on the intriguing encounters in recent days.
She didn’t react the way she thought she would when faced with a wild wolf. There was something different about this animal, the way his head bowed and his steel grey eyes looked up almost pleading for help. Neve had inched closer, her heart beating faster with every step. Once she was close enough to touch him she sunk down on her knees, the cold snow seeping through her jeans, and reached her hand out to touch his soft black fur. The majestic wolf didn’t pull away. In fact, he seemed to lean into her touch.
Illness or injury wasn’t out of the question and she worried for the wolf who, despite being an animal which traveled in packs, appeared to ride alone. The next day Neve came at the same time and place and the beautiful black wolf was there to greet her. She brought a blanket, food and water but her gut told her that wasn’t enough. There was more to be done for this lone wolf and before she could stop herself, she began to speak.
“Has anyone ever told you how stunning you are?”
The wolf’s ears perked up at the sound of her voice. Neve took that as a sign to continue.
“Why are you all alone?”
She hesitated, feeling silly talking to an animal who could not talk back, but figured the wolf couldn’t repeat her confessions so what was the harm.
“I’m alone too. Even when I’m not. My friends and cousins are getting married and having babies and I’m living the spinster life here in my parents cabin,” she sighed, “I’m torn between keeping patience as a virtue or taking fate into my own hands.”
The wolf inched closer to her, crawling on its belly to remain in a lying position. Neve held her breath, afraid to scare him away. He stared at her, steel eyes meeting hazel, reassuring her it was okay. She felt compelled to say more.
“Of course, if a man knew I talked to wolves in the woods he would probably run as fast as he could.”
A beeping sound came from her pocket as her phone alarm went off. Neve thought it would startle the animal but he only cocked his head as if investigating the sound.
“That would be my cue to head back. Time for work.”
She owned a vegan bake shop downtown and it was everything she hoped it would be. She worked her dream job every single day but today the force she felt drawing her to the forest, to this wolf, made it difficult to go.
She began to walk away, stopped, then called over her shoulder, “I will be back tomorrow. I promise.”
That encounter had occurred almost a week ago and Neve never missed a day in the woods with the wolf. She brought him food and told him about her days at the bake shop, Vegan Sweets. She couldn’t help but think her visits helped cheer up the wolf and began to wonder if he was well but acted otherwise to get her affection.
As she neared the group of pine trees where the wolf took cover, what she saw caused her to stop dead in her tracks.
A man. In ripped and muddy clothes. Her heart felt like it was beating out of her chest. She took a step back and froze when she broke a twig in half with her foot.
Where was the wolf? Was the man alive? Did the wolf attack him? There was no way the sweet and gentle wolf she visited with for days could have done it. Could he? He was an animal with animal instincts. If he needed to protect himself, who knows what he was capable of.
The man stirred.
Neve let out a sigh of relief. She reached for her phone in her back pocket to call for help. Darn. She left it back at the house. It’s not like she would have service out in the middle of the woods anyway. Neve started to slowly approach the man to avoid startling him but soon realized it was fruitless given her presence was announced with every snow crunching, twig snapping step. The man heard her approach and pushed himself up to lean on his left elbow.
“It’s okay. I’m here to help,” she reassured as she closed the gap between them.
Neve stepped around and knelt down to face him.
“Where’s the wolf? Did he do this to…”
Their eyes met. Steel eyes. She knew those eyes. His lips curved into a mischievous wolf-like grin.
“...YOU!”
Impossible. This can’t be real. He can’t be real. Neve tried to stand up but in her urgency slipped and fell back into the snow. The man chuckled.
“You’re cute when you are frazzled.”
“You’re a wolf!”
“Was. I was a wolf. And you, my Snow Angel, broke the spell.”
The man pushed himself up to a sitting position, causing Neve to frantically haul her body backwards with her feet.
“I’m not going to hurt you. I can barely move. If anything, I’m at your mercy.”
Neve looked him over and saw the truth in his words. He was in bad shape, similar to his wolf form. Why was it she found it easy to help when he was in what should have been the more threatening wolf form but found this human form intimidating? Maybe because he wasn’t supposed to be human. Or was he? She had so many questions and she wasn’t going to get any answers by sitting on the cold ground.
Neve took a deep breath, stood up and brushed her hands off on the bottom of her scarf. She stepped forward and offered her hand to him.
“Let us start over. I’m Neve McKenna.”
The man hesitated before clasping his hand in hers.
“I’m Sam Mahigan,” he half spoke, half grunted as he used the support of her hand to pull himself up.
Sam was taller than her but didn’t show his full height as he was leaning his weight on his left leg and bending his right. He tilted his head down to look into her eyes.
“Let me make it very clear that I do not want to start over. I will never forget what you have done for me, Neve McKenna.”
The way her name sounded coming out of his mouth gave her chills. And now she knew why his human form was more dangerous than the wolf. The next question she needed to ask herself was, should she fight it or allow herself to fall?
Sam shifted his stance and winced. Neve snapped out of her daze and reached forward to help him.
“I can manage,” he insisted.
“You should probably go to the hospital.”
A panicked look crossed his face.
“Afraid of doctors?” she asked.
“Not quite.”
“Well I can’t just leave you here. Why don’t you come back to my place and get cleaned up.”
The panic washed away to reveal a look of relief.
“That sounds nice. Thank you,” he said.
Neve pulled his arm around her shoulder to support him on their way back to the house. They walked in silence, their focus on staying upright and escaping the frigid forest air. They paused momentarily at the end of the tree line and stared down at the property she took over from her parents. It was a simple, one-story house but to her it was perfect. To her, it was home.
“Welcome to McKenna Cottage.”
They walked towards the house, the winter wind carrying them towards the warmth and adventures that awaited them within.
Part Two
There is a naked man in my shower.
The thought distracted Neve from the task at hand for the third time since they arrived at the house. If she knew this would be the outcome, she would have used the Disney princess tactic of talking to animals years ago. She gazed out the kitchen window as she stirred the homemade hot chocolate. It was a simple recipe she came up with when she didn’t have the instant version on hand and found it worked well with almond or coconut milk when she wanted to serve it at Vegan Sweets.
“What year is it?”
Neve dropped the spoon and spun around to face the subject of her rampant thoughts.
Sam smirked, “Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I realized in the shower I didn't know what year it is.”
Oh great. She was thinking about him in the shower as he thought about practical things. Go figure. He looked quite handsome, even in his borrowed clothes. Thankfully her older brother had left unwanted items in the closet of his childhood bedroom, now the guest room, and Neve was able to scrounge up some sweatpants and a t-shirt. Loungewear never looked so fine.
Sam looked at her expectantly.
“It's 2018. January 2018.”
Sam was quiet for a moment as that information sank in.
“I've been away three years. What have I missed?”
“You mean other than the typical depressing news and everyone's rapidly increasing addiction to their phones?”
Sam laughed. “Maybe I was better off in the woods.”
Neve opened her mouth to speak but Sam stopped her.
“I know you have questions and so do I. I'll answer yours if you answer mine.”
“Deal,” she said as she filled a mug and handed it to Sam, the warmth of the delicious steaming dessert keeping the winter chill at bay.
Sam took a sip of the hot chocolate and grinned.
“If you keep feeding me this magical concoction, I will spill all my secrets.”
Neve cocked her eyebrows up in surprise.
“Follow me.”
She led him to the living room. Wood floors, soft area rugs and cozy couches in front of a stone fireplace all made this her favorite room of the house. They clinked their mugs together, careful not to spill the delectable contents.
“To secrets,” Neve said.
“To secrets,” Sam repeated.
They both took a sip and settled onto the over stuffed plush couch. Sam stared at the fire for a moment and then turned to Neve.
“Ladies first.”
She took another sip of her sugar courage and turned to meet his gaze.
“What happened to you?”
Sam rubbed his forehead, as if to conjure up memories he had buried deep within. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again.
“I can't believe I'm about to say this out loud.”
Neve reached her hand out to cover his. “You can trust me.”
Sam grabbed her hand in his. “My animal instincts sensed it but for some reason it is harder for my human self to grasp.”
Neve chuckled. “I'll admit, I was more afraid of your human form than your wolf form. Don't worry, what happens at McKenna Cottage stays at McKenna Cottage.”
“Okay, here goes nothing,” Sam began, “On the night of my bachelor party, a witch turned me into a wolf.”
As the sun set behind the evergreens and the glow of the fire filled the room, the hot chocolate and secrets continued to flow. The more information that was revealed, the more their trust grew and the space between them on the couch diminished. Sam revealed the timeline of the night he went missing, all while wrapping his arm around Neve and pulling the wool blanket down from the back of the couch to cocoon them both.
They sat in silence for a moment, taking in the crackling of the firewood and the shadows the flames cast around the room.
“I remember your story. It was all over the news for months,” Neve said.
Sam didn’t respond. Neve could feel his muscles tense and she feared she upset him.
“Did you want to hear about it?”
Sam raked his free hand through his black hair and sighed.
“This is the part I have been dreading the most; the pain this has caused my family and friends. They probably think I’m dead.”
“You can call them if you want,” Neve offered.
Neve moved to retrieve her phone but Sam wrapped his arm tighter around her.
“I’m not ready,” Sam explained, “A part of me expects this form to be temporary, for me to return to wolf form and have to retreat to the woods forever. I can’t take the risk of involving my family to only disappeared again and cause them a whole new wave of pain.”
“That is very selfless of you,” Neve said with admiration in her voice.
“You won’t feel that way once you hear my next request.”
Neve moved out of his arms to look him in the eyes.
“Okay, try me.”
“When I...if I…,” Sam cleared his throat, “If I turn back into a wolf, will you still visit me?”
Neve’s heart shattered as she realized how vulnerable he must feel to ask that of her. In an impulsive move, she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him.
“I wouldn’t stop until the curse was broken for good,” she whispered into his ear.
“Thank you.”
Neve pulled back from the hug to face Sam, the temperature rising as she looked into his molten steel eyes. She wasn’t sure who started to lean in first but the close proximity to his lips caused her eyes to close and her stomach to flutter. What was it her best friend had told her? Never settle for anything less than butterflies.
And then it hit her. She pulled back and jumped off the couch as if scalded.
“Neve, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“You’re darn right you shouldn’t have. You’re engaged!” she blurted out, “I don’t know why it didn’t hit me until now. You were spelled on the night of your bachelor party. You are engaged to some poor girl who thinks you are dead.”
Sam sighed. “I wouldn’t describe Lexie as a poor girl. She is rather rich actually.”
After a dirty look from Neve, Sam changed his tone.
“Okay, okay. Not the time for joking. Honestly, it was arranged by our families. We didn’t love each other.”
“And you expect me to believe that? You were turned into a wolf in 2015, not 1815.”
“I know, I know. This whole situation is bizarre. The truth is, I was living carelessly and my parents threatened to cut me off financially if I didn’t settle down. Lexie’s mom and my mom were best friends and one thing led to another. Lexie was so wrapped up in planning her dream wedding that she didn’t seem to care who was at the end of the aisle. She was happy, our parents were happy, and everyone seemed to leave me alone for the most part. It was a great plan, until the night of the bachelor party.”
Neve sat down on the plush rug in front of the fireplace. She beckoned Sam over to join her and leaned over to add a few logs to the fire. When she was done she sat with her legs crossed facing Sam, who was sitting with his legs sprawled out in front of the hearth.
“If it wasn't a love match, why did you turn down the witch that night?”, Neve asked. At some point during their secret spilling, Sam had confided that he thought the witch spelled him because he rejected her.
“I'm not that kind of guy. If down the line Lexie and I decided to have an open marriage, sure, but not a week before our wedding day.”
“That makes sense. Do you think she waited for you all this time?”
“Doubtful. She probably found some other wealthy family to marry into. Look, I understand if this is too weird for you. I can go.”
“No,” she said without hesitation. “You have a lot to process right now. You can stay and sort things out, until you are ready to contact your family.”
“Thank you.”
“It does come at a cost though.”
“Oh? And what is that?”
Neve leaned over, put her hand behind his neck and pulled him forward.
“I'll take my kiss now.”
“Watch out Snow Angel. You just might melt.”
He closed the distance between them, the world around them fading at the touch of their lips. At that moment he was almost thankful for those torturous years in the woods. They had brought him to Neve.
Part 3
The weeks passed by with Neve going to work at her bakery while Sam stayed home, relying on Google to fill him in on his missing persons case and the time he lost banished from the human world. Once recovered he also tried to make himself useful, acting as a handy man around the house, fixing things that Neve had let go while busy running her bake shop.
Their evenings were filled with walks through the snow covered woods and more secret spilling hot chocolate, followed by moments hotter than the flames that had become the backdrop for their passionate embraces. Now that Neve had shared the recipe for the liquid aphrodisiac with Sam, they were really in trouble.
While Neve was driving home after a busy Saturday at Vegan Sweets, she thought about how she had grown accustomed to coming home to Sam's butterfly inducing smile and strong comforting arms. She both feared the day he was ready to leave the privacy of her house and yearned for it. After her co-workers asked if she had any plans for Valentine's Day, she wished she could brag about the sexy man waiting for her at home.
Neve smelled the mouth watering aroma of dinner the moment she walked through the door. Sam was standing at the stove, stirring what appeared to be a homemade stew. As she closed the distance between them, she saw a loaf of bread in the oven. Sam looked over his shoulder at her and smiled as Neve wrapped her arms around him from behind and leaned in for a kiss.
“This all smells amazing. Where did you learn to cook?”
Sam's flashed his wolfish grin, the one he seemed to save for when he wanted to make her knees give out, and said, “From watching you of course. Plus, I may have looked up a recipe or two.”
“Well however you did it, thank you. This is exactly what I needed after a long day at the shop.”
“How was your day?”
Maybe it was the fact that he was stuck home alone all day or maybe he actually cared; regardless, it was nice to have someone there to listen.
“Busy. With Valentine's Day on a Wednesday this year, some people are celebrating the weekend before or after and anywhere in between. It's going to be a hectic week.”
Sam took the bread out of the oven and set it out to cool. He dished his steaming homemade stew into two bowls, brought them over to the table and pulled out Neve's chair for her.
“So...does that mean you won't have time to celebrate Valentine's Day?”, he asked, attempting to be nonchalant but failing adorably.
“Oh, um, did you want to?”
Sam brought the bread to the island, facing Neve at the kitchen table as he cut it.
“Absolutely. My Snow Angel deserves a special day.”
Neve smiled from ear to ear and started spitting out ideas like a child rattling off their wish list to Santa.
“Well, there is a new movie I want to see, and my best friend manages a restaurant downtown. I'm sure she would hold some private seating for us. Oh, and maybe I could take you to my shop and whip up some dessert afterward, or we could -”
“Neve, take a breath. Slow down.”
Her cheeks turned red, slightly embarrassed by her eager rambling.
“You know we can't do any of that, right?”
“Of course we can. The movie theater will be dark, the dinner seating will be secluded and my shop will be closed for the night. It'll be fine, I promise.”
“We can't. It's not guaranteed we won't run into someone who knew me and we still don’t know that the curse is gone for good.”
“But, it's been a month!”
“Neve, I said no. Can we please drop it?”, he said in a snippy tone.
“Drop it? Why? After all the time we have spent together, after everything we have been through, maybe I am done having you as my dirty little secret. I don't want to hide you anymore.”
“You aren't the reason I'm hiding. I'm the reason I'm hiding, and that damn witch wherever she is.”
“Yet I'm the one who is punished.”
Sam’s face looked as if he was struck.
“Being with me is a punishment?”
“No, of course not. But the fact that I can’t share my happiness with the world, or at least the people closest to me, has been difficult. It almost doesn’t feel real. I met a wolf in the woods, he turned human and now he is my live-in boyfriend but only I can see him. I’m either the luckiest girl in the world or the most delusional. Which is it?”
“I don’t know what to say. I thought everything was going well. I thought you were happy.”
“I am! But it would be nice to know if our relationship will be going public anytime soon.”
“Neve, I need time.”
Neve sat staring at her bowl of stew, refusing to meet Sam’s gaze.
“Fine, then so do I. If it’s alright with you, I’m going to eat and go to bed. Alone.”
Sam and Neve had been sharing a bed since the second week after Sam’s rescue. The cold winter nights were a lot less bitter when spent cuddled under a pile of blankets. Sam left the kitchen to add a few more logs to the fire in the living room. It was going to be a long night.
Sam attempted to fall asleep on the couch but couldn’t get comfortable. He could have slept in the guest bedroom with the king size bed but it was on the opposite side of the house and he didn’t feel right being far away from Neve. Not that she wanted to be near him right now.
After another hour of counting sheep (ironic for a former wolf), Sam left the warmth of the wool blanket to add logs to the fire then headed to the kitchen for a late night snack. The baked goods Neve brought home from work were mouth watering and they were calling his name.
As he sat at the table, fork mid-way to his mouth, a bright glow shown through the windows from the yard. Neve lived on a private road. If someone was showing up in the middle of the night, it was not a good sign. He grabbed a knife and pulled the curtain back to investigate.
It couldn’t be.
He ran to the front door, skidding across the wood floor in his socks, and threw it open. No time for shoes, he jumped out into the snow and confronted the intruder.
“Stay away from me, you witch!”
The woman’s long silver hair, which had caught Sam’s attention through the window, glowed in the moonlight. Her clothes were not modern like the night they met in the bar. Tonight she appeared in a dress striped with the threads of a hundred colors, a tight corset bodice at the top leading down to a shimmering skirt that flowed as effortlessly as her hair.
“I prefer sorceress, if you please.”
“Whatever you are, whoever you are, stay away from me,” Sam growled.
“Hmm, I see not all of the wolf has left you. And honestly, a knife? That is no match for my power.”
She lifted her right hand and pushed forward with her palm out, the force of her magic sending Sam's knife flying across the yard.
“What do you want?”
“I want you to stop ruining my hard work.”
“Hard work? I'm the one who lived in the woods for three years!”
“Yes, well, I didn't expect it to take so long. My apologies.”
First she unarmed him, then she apologized. Nothing was making sense. Maybe he hit his head and this was all an illusion.
“Explain. You owe me that.”
“Owe you? I saved you! But I guess you wouldn't see it that way.”
“It seemed simple enough to me. You made a pass at me, I turned you down. You got pissed and cursed me. Did I miss anything?”
“Nothing at all, except the fact that I cursed you to keep you from marrying your gold digger fiance. You got drunk that night and rambled on about it for quite awhile. You non-magical folks really can't hold your liquor.”
“So this whole time you were just trying to help me?”
The sorceress gave Sam an exasperated look. “Yes! The curse led you to Neve but now your stubbornness is going to chase her away. What are you so afraid of?”
Sam redirected the attention to his bare feet in the snow and said, “Right now I'm afraid of losing my toes, thanks to you startling me in the middle of the night.”
“Oh don't be such a baby. Here.” She waved her hand and brown boots appeared on his feet.
Sam should be shocked but at this point, anything was possible.
“Now go in there and think about how you are going to stop Neve from kicking your sorry butt out in the morning.”
“For someone who claims to have saved me, you aren't very nice.”
“I'm a sorceress, not a motivational speaker. Just go in there and save your relationship. Neve means 'snow’, doesn't it? How perfect. She really is a sweet girl. Don’t mess it up.”
And with that, the sorceress disappeared.
Neve woke up to her stomach growling. She was too upset the night before to eat much of Sam's stew. After throwing her hair up into a messy bun, she headed towards the kitchen for some sustenance.
When she rounded the corner she saw Sam at the stove and two mugs on the island.
“Good morning,” he said, his voice gravelly. She saw the bags under his eyes and wondered if he slept at all last night.
“Good morning.”
She sat down at the table as he brought over two steaming cups of hot chocolate. Neve blew on hers and took a sip. There was something different about this batch.
“Peppermint?” she asked.
“Yup,” he grinned, “I found some candy canes in the pantry.”
Neve laughed. “Glad my Christmas leftovers came to good use. This is delicious,” she said with a grin, forgetting for a moment she was supposed to be mad at him.
A pause. A deep breath.
“Neve, we need to talk.”
Oh dear, this didn’t sound good. Neve feared she pushed him too hard. She should have given him more time, been more patient. She looked into his eyes, waiting for him to speak.
“I love you.”
“I -”
“No, let me finish. I love you and I’m sorry if I made you feel like I wanted to hide you away. I don’t. It is my own fears holding me back. I’m afraid of seeing my parents again, after everything I put them through. I’m afraid of the questions I can’t answer, unless I want people to think I have gone crazy. I’m afraid of losing you once we leave the safe cocoon of your home. Things are perfect now but after...who knows.”
Neve grabbed Sam’s hands from across the table.
“I do. I know. We will get through this together. I love you too, Sam.”
Sam picked Neve up out of her chair and swung her around in celebration. He set her down and brushed the hairs that came loose from her bun out of her eyes. Those hazel eyes that sparkled with admiration and that fiery auburn hair that promised many adventures to come. He couldn’t get enough. Sam leaned down to seal their promise with a kiss. The spark it created tingled all the way down to his toes. It was just like the first time. Every. single. time.
“There’s one more thing I have to do,” Sam said as he led her into the living room. He picked up the phone and sat down on the couch. Neve sat down and snuggled into the crook of his arm. Sam was the spice of her life, like the peppermint he had added to the hot chocolate, their lives mixing together to become one.
Sam’s hand shook as he dialed the familiar numbers into the phone. Neve reached up to hold the hand of the arm that was around her, rubbing her thumb back and forth in a reassuring gesture.
“It will be okay,” she promised.
One ring. Two rings. Three rings.
“Hello?” answered the voice on the other end of the phone.
“Mom? It’s me. It’s Sam.”
As Neve listened to mother and son reunite over the phone, she thought about the question she had asked herself all those weeks ago in the woods. She looked at Sam, the man she had come to know and love, and she knew the answer.
Should she fight it or allow herself to fall?
Fall.