Page 59 of Destined Paranormals: Volume One

“I can help with breakfast,” Thomas said. Seconds later, there were several types of foods on the table, and Mason looked up at me with wide eyes.

“What do you say?”

“How did he do that?”

I chuckled. “The same way I could have just as quickly fixed your porridge but didn’t. Magic.” I gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze. “Now, what do you say?”

“Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome, young Mason.” Thomas looked up at me. “Would she like some eggs?”

“They’re one of her favorites,” I told him. I could easily use magic to make her eggs, but I didn’t have any and didn’t wish to take from someone else. I couldn’t simply magick eggs out of nothing. I could bring them here, but then whoever the chickens belonged to, they would be short eggs. I desperately needed to do the shopping.

The eggs suddenly appeared on Maelie’s tray, and she immediately grabbed for them before I could check the temperature. I gasped, worried she would hurt herself, but she shoved the eggs in her mouth and chewed with a grin on her face.

“They’re not hot,” Thomas said. “Quite cool, to be honest. But she’s young, and even I know that young children don’t seem to mind having cold food.”

He wasn’t wrong. They often took so long to actually eat that by the time they were finished, everything was ice cold.

“What can I do for the two of you? I have to get Mason and Maelie to the childcare center not long from now before I go to work.”

Thomas looked thoughtful before tilting his head. “Until we entered the realm this morning, we were unaware of what had happened to your parents. I am sorry for your loss.”

I shrugged before using magic to make myself a cup of hot tea. It looked as if I wouldn’t be getting breakfast before I needed to leave, but I could at least have some tea.

“It might be cold of me to say, but I don’t miss them.” I shook my head while staring blankly at the table, where Mason was shoveling in some sort of flat bread that was covered in brown liquid. “We don’t know exactly what happened to Ma, but she struggled with her pregnancy with Mae. She didn’t survive the birth, and Father only a week longer. I’ve had Mason and Mae since.”

“I’m really sorry,” Canyon said.

“Thanks, I guess. If they’d been better parents, they might be missed, but we’ve survived. Everyone stepped up, and now here we are.”

“Yes,” Thomas said. He stared at me for a moment, causing me to squirm a little. “Are you happy here? Do you still wish to go to the human realm?”

My eyes widened. “I’m content,” I said quietly. “I no longer have the ability to up and leave. I have…” I looked toward Mason and Mae. “Yeah, I have others who depend on me.”

Thomas and Canyon shared a look. “There is a paranormal council in Montana,” Thomas said. “They have a store, and although it does have a manager already, he would much rather go back to teaching at the local college. There is an assistant manager for the store, but they could use another.”

Why was he telling me this? “And? How does this relate to me?”

“Your mate is in Montana, and his situation is much like yours, so don’t think for a moment he wouldn’t be accepting of the little ones being part of the package.”

My mate? I felt my mug slip from my fingers but never heard it crash. I had a mate? And he was in Montana? Could this possibly be happening?

Chapter 2

Oscar

Raising teenagers wasn’t for the faint of heart. I didn’t regret going back for my younger brother or sister, but they were more than a handful. Teenage girls were something else entirely. I could relate to Joseph, but Hailey? Nope. We’d been able to work through the whole shifting thing, but now came the mood swings, apparently. I kept telling myself that it would get better, but I was frustrated, and it was getting to the point that I didn’t like my sister much anymore.

“You’re not being fair, Oscar. All of the others are going. Why can’t I?”

I sighed and counted to ten. I made it to five before she started again.

“Are you even listening to me?”

I was. But I was choosing to ignore her. We’d been over this more than a dozen times now.

“You know you’re not the boss of me, right? I don’t have to listen to you. You’re only my brother.”