Ren’s [POV]
My eyes opened slowly, and I moaned as a throb lit off in my temples. It took a minute, but clarity hit me, and I understood that something bad had happened.
“Oh, Lord. Why me?’ I huffed as my eyes took everything in.
I wasn’t a bad person and tried not to hurt others. Why was this happening to me? Was this hell?
You know, it doesn’t feel hot. Of course, hell could be temperate and livable. Stranger things have happened.
“Oh God, I died before I watched the new season of Stranger things!” I yelled, horror filling me because now I wouldn’t know if Hopper lived.
The inhumanity!
“Serendipity. You are crazy.” I heard my eyes blinking open fast and landing on Grammy where she was sitting on a white bench, in a white…
“Are we in the Harry Potter train station where Dumbledore had that epic and very uninformative last talk with Harry?” I gasped, rolling my eyes because, of course, I’d end up here in the afterlife.
All I needed now was to find Voldemort’s weird, creepy little fetus-looking chunk of flesh cowering under the bench, and as soon as I had the thought, I thought of my wolf.
“Useless mutt. I swear to God, if I could, I’d exorcise you right out of me.”
I am not a demon.
“No, it’s worse. You’re a sniveling coward.” I hissed, pushing to my feet to walk toward Grammy.
She smiled as I neared, and while I wanted to cry, part of me was so convinced I was probably in hell I still expected something bad to go down.
“Oh honey.” she snickered, patting my hand when I bent down to check under the bench and sighed with disappointment.
No Voldemort. Bummer.
“You’re not dead.”
“I’m not?” I gasped, thinking back to falling.
I was pretty sure I’d passed out halfway down, so I didn’t remember crashing to my death in a bone-splintering pile of exploded organs, but if I didn’t die…
“Oh, God, am I a vegetable!” I screamed, the thought terrifying me.
“No,” Grammy snickered, her eyes twinkling as she giggled and patted my hand. “Girl, you’re nuttier than Uncle Clay’s shit after he harvests his nuts.”
“Whatever. What’s going on here?” I muttered, looking around at all the white with a frown.
“Not glad to see me?”
“Oh, I’m glad. I’m just a little confused. I’m not dead”
“Well, technically, you’re not dead.” Grammy mused, sighing when I went still and blinked. “It’s choice-”
“Okay, I choose you.”
“You so ready to die?” Grammy asked, looking disappointed when I shrugged.
“It’s not as if I have a lot to go back to. And I miss you. You’re the only person who was always there for me, and I don’t see the use of going back.” I whispered, flinching when Grammy slapped me hard and tsked while I gasped and clutched my cheek. “Hey!”
“I thought I taught you better. Life is a gift!” She accused, her eyes narrowing while I rubbed my cheek and glared back.
“I miss you. Is that a bad thing? What do you want me to do, not care that you’re gone!”
“Well, yes. I’m dead, Ren. I’m in a better place, and I’m happy. You’re twenty-five.” she yelled.
“So?”
“So? You still need to live. Have children.” She said gently, patting my hand when I swallowed.
“I don’t want to have children with a man who doesn’t love me.”
“Of course he loves you!” Grammy gasped, giving me a dirty look.
“He doesn’t love me,” I muttered, pouting because it was true. “He barely tolerates me.”
Caleb Chase couldn’t even love himself, never mind me. What the heck did I have to live for?
“What about the way he shifted when he saw you go over the edge? Honey, he willingly, for the first time, allowed both animals free rein, hoping he’d go feral, lose his mind, and then jump after you. Hell, he fell for you once before.” She said, snickering when I frowned and shook my head.
“Grammy, no offense, but you’re talking crazy, and I don’t understand half of what you’re saying.” I huffed.
“You’re so clueless. Honestly, Ren, for a shifter with the Knowing, you’re plain dumb.”
“And you’re mean,” I whined, pouting because this hurt.
She was supposed to be on my side, and if I wasn’t dead, if I was in some kinda coma, at least my dream Grammy could have my back. Smack talk Caleb at least a little. Heck, I’d settle for her not being mean to me.
“Because you’re willfully blind, honey. The man is a work in progress”
“He’s a pain in my ass with all his emotional baggage and the way he blows hot and cold.” I sniffed, rolling my eyes when she snickered again.
“Of course he does. He loved someone once, and it nearly killed him. Now he’s fated again, and you expect him to accept that he could be hurt again? Be fair, Ren. Give him a chance.” She snapped.
I didn’t want to, but I had to admit that Grammy was right. Just thinking about it though…
“Oh, God. I don’t want to think about this!”
And yet, I did. What I wanted most, I admitted, was a chance to win his love. We could have children, little miniature replicas of a scowling Caleb, and maybe one of me who’d be a princess and so spoilt, she’d be rotten. And cute.
Was I willing to lose the chance at it just because I was hurt and afraid Caleb wouldn’t ever love me? The answer was a resounding no, and I turned to glare at Grammy when I figured that out.
“You’re a pain in my ass, you know that?” I grumbled, smiling reluctantly when she hugged me and giggled, her familiar scent filling me with longing.
And happiness.
“This pain in the ass is right, though. I gotta go now. I got a, erm, bingo game to get to with grampa, and I can’t miss it.” Grammy said with a wink as she rose and patted my cheek. “It’s time to go back down. Be a good girl and do what’s right. Love is nothing more than two hearts meet, sugar. It takes a lot of work, and sometimes it isn’t easy, but it’s always worth it.”
And then she was gone. Poof! Sighing when I beheld nothing but empty air, I closed my eyes and fell again. On the bright side, even if Caleb was an ass and a terrible mate? The man was sick and hot.
So there was always, always a silver lining.