His Oblivious Mate

Chapter 8 : Dinner at the commune

Navigating the icy road carefully, she turned onto the gravel road leading to the commune. Thanks to the men shovelling her pathway the previous day, she could leave her cabin. She had the cake tins on the floor of the passenger side. She reminded herself to ask Cass for her phone number. She wasn't even sure they would be home today, but she really wanted to thank Duncan, Owen and Bert for their thoughtfulness. The gravel road passed through the market area, and she looked around with interest. She saw the market, the clinic, and what looked like a small school, the swings swinging eerily in the wind. When she looked behind the trees, she saw houses hidden in the woods.

Passing the last building, she drove through a lane with trees on both sides. They looked like skeletons, reaching bony fingers up to the sky, without their leaves. She saw the commune and pulled up to it. Parking her trusty Jimny under a tree, she got out.

She walked up to the door and knocked. The door was beautiful. She didn't notice on her previous visit that it had carvings of wolves howling against a moon in the background. Tigers flanked the moon, and above it all an owl was in the sky. There were bears below the moon, as well as what looked like a lion. It was exquisitely carved and she appreciated the talent of the artist.

She heard footsteps on the other side of the door, and it opened, revealing a smiling Cass. "Cathy! How are you?" she squealed, pulling her into a bone crushing hug. "Damn, the girl is strong" Cathy thought, hugging her back, before pulling away. "I am doing great, thank you. I brought over cake as a token of appreciation for the men that helped me yesterday" she answered. Cass smiled like she won the lottery. "They are inside". Cathy fetched the cake tins from her car and followed Cass inside. She led her to the living room, where a fire was burning in the huge fireplace. Christmas decorations gave the room an inviting feeling. Cass took the tins from her, placing it on a table. The men was seated on a large sofa, watching a movie on a flat screen tv mounted on the wall. When they noticed her, Owen switched the tv off. Duncan jumped up, taking her hand. "Hi stranger, how are you doing?" he asked. She smiled warmly at them. "Hi guys. I am good. I just wanted to thank you properly for yesterday. I hope you guys like cake." she answered. Bert's face was almost split in two by the biggest grin she has ever seen a person grin. "I don't just like cake, I love it!" he exclaimed. Owen nodded his head in greeting, a small smile playing on his lips. "I was heading to bed. Worked night shift, but I will definitely stay up a bit for cake" he said. Cass came in with a tray with coffee and Duncan left to fetch small plates and cake forks.

They each sat with a plate of cake and a cup of coffee next to the fireplace, joking and talking through bites. The men helped themselves to more cake, and it was finished quickly between the three of them. "That was the best cake I ever had" Bert said, wiping the chocolate ganache from his upper lip and then licking his finger. "I have to agree with you. But you always say that after eating cake" Cass teased him. "But cake is so good" he defended himself, causing everyone to chuckle.

Owen excused himself first to get some sleep. Then Duncan and Bert had to leave to attend to some business. Cathy helped Cass to carry the dishes to the kitchen. "How many people live in the commune?" she asked Cass. Cass thought a bit then answered "We are twenty people living here in this house. There are one hundred and thirty more people living in their own homes in the woods.". "Wow, I never even suspected that there were that many houses hidden away" Cathy said. "We are a close knit community, everybody knows everybody" Cass said with pride in her voice. They finished cleaning up and then returned to the living room. Cass put on a romantic comedy and they were soon engrossed in the movie, laughing at the antics of the characters.

Cass invited her to stay for dinner. "That would be fantastic" she accepted. Cass led the way to the dining room, and when they entered Cathy suddenly wished she declined the offer. People were looking at her with open curiosity on their faces. She felt herself blush under all the scrutiny. She wondered if she had something on her face.

Sensing her discomfort, Duncan got up and said "please welcome our close friend Cathy. She is our neighbour and will always be welcomed here with open arms". He added in mindlink "She is human and does not know anything about shifters. She is under my protection." The shifters turned her attention back to their conversations and Cass sat down next to Duncan, pulling Cass down in the chair next to her. "Hi Cathy, pleased to meet you. I am Athena" the beautiful red headed woman

seated opposite her introduced herself. Cathy smiled at her "It is great to meet you too Athena". They chatted for a while until the food was brought in. It felt to Cathy like she was dining in a fine restaurant. The food was delicious. She chatted to Cass and Athena, and even had a discussion with Duncan about art history and the benefits of art therapy. Owen listened to the conversation, here and there adding his opinion, but mostly just listening quietly. She found herself drawn in by their warm personalities. Bert amused them with stories from his childhood and she found herself laughing till her tummy hurt.

Towards the end of dinner Cass asked "What are you doing for Christmas Cathy?". Cathy felt her mood plummet and she answered carefully "I do not celebrate Christmas". "Why not?" Bert asked, shock clear in the expression on his face. "I would prefer not to talk about it" she said quietly, looking down at her hands. "Right then, who wants hot chocolate?" Athena tried breaking the akward silence. "That would be great" Cass piped in. They got up and went back to the living room, standing close to the heat of the fire. Cathy was quiet, watching the flames dance. Owen watched her with a worried frown. Athena brought in a trolley with the hot chocolate and cookies. "Goodness, you are spoiling me rotten" Cathy said, smiling at Athena and Cass as she helped herself to a chocolate chip cookie. She listened to Cass and Athena discussing a new clothing line they saw in some magazine. "I have an idea" Cass said, "we need a girls day. Shopping, spa treatments and food, in that order". Athena agreed exitedly. "Oh yes girls, count me in" Cathy said. "When are we going?". She wasn't overly fond of shopping and being in public, but she did want to spend time with Cass and Athena. "Tomorrow is the only day you would be able to go" Owen said. "From the day after, a snow storm is predicted. The roads will be closed. And it is a three hour drive to the closest city". "Tomorrow it is then" Cass said, looking at Athena and Cathy for confirmation. They both nodded. "We will pick you up at seven, then we will have enough time to shop, be pampered within an inch of our lives, eat and be back before tomorrow evening" Cass told Cathy. "I will be ready. I meant to ask for your phone number, I almost forgot" she said. Cass took her phone and saved her phone number on it, as well as Duncan's and Athena's. "Call anytime you need us" Duncan said.

Cathy said her goodbyes and got into her car. Waving, she drove off. Owen stood in the door watching the tail lights of her car disappear down the lane, then he ran, throwing off his shirt and jersey. Feathers sprouted from the flesh on his arms and he started flapping them, taking off into flight, finishing the transformation into his owl form in flight. He flew above Cathy's car, following it untill she pulled it under the car port next to her cabin. Then he perched on the branch he claimed as his.

Cathy got ready for bed, humming a happy tune as she showered. She brushed her teeth and brushed out her long hair, then braided it. She got into bed, thinking of her new friends. She liked all of them. She set the alarm clock on her phone and then closed her eyes. It wasn't long before Owen could hear her soft snores.