Shadow Silence by Yasmine Galenorn Page B

town after the first of the year. Do you mind that she’ll be here?”
    That was enough to wake me out of my lazy haze. “Juliana’s going to be in town?”
    Bryan had been married once, back in 1950, by order of his pack. Arranged marriages were common among shifters, especially in wolf clans. Though Bryan and Katrina weren’t a good match, they had a daughter together. Katrina had died in childbirth. Juliana lived in Boston. In her sixties, she looked mid-twenties. Shapeshifters aged far more slowly than humans. I had spoken with Juliana on the phone a couple of times, but never for any length, and I wondered if she would resent me.
    I must have looked askance, because Bryan laughed and kissed my fingers again. “It will be fine. Don’t worry yourself over it. Juliana’s glad that I found you, and she accepts my role under the Morrígan as any good Tierney daughter should. She knows what our family’s duty is, and she honors that duty. She’ll never be called to serve, given she’s a female shapeshifter, but one day she may bear a son promised to be a protector. And I would be proud if she is chosen to be one of the Sacred Mothers.”
    I had never heard that term before. “Sacred Mothers?”
    â€œAny woman who bears a child destined to be a shapeshifter guardian, a spirit shaman, or one of the lament singers is considered one of the Sacred Mothers. All spirit shamans, if they have children, are Sacred Mothers.”
    â€œThen my mother and grandmother and great-grandmother . . .”
    â€œYes, they were part of the honored ones.” He smiled gently, and then said something that I had not been expecting to hear. “When we have a child, if it is a daughter, you will join them.”
    I blinked. I had barely gotten used to being in a relationship, let alone thought of having children. But before I could say a word, he shook his head.
    â€œNo, don’t even say it. We’ll talk more about it later. We have plenty of time. So what do you want to do the rest of the day?”
    â€œI have more shopping to do, and then I’m going to stop at Penelope’s tomb on the way home. By then . . .” My phone rang and I glanced at the caller ID. Peggin. “Speak of the devil. Hold on one second.”
    As I answered, Bryan cleared our table and shrugged into his jacket.
    â€œPeggin? How did it go?”
    â€œI’m a homeowner!” She sounded so excited that I couldn’t help but smile, even though I was cringing inside.
    â€œWe’ve worked out an arrangement. Contingent on anotherinspection, I’m getting the place for fifty-five thousand. They’re anxious to unload it and with needing a new septic system and the other repairs, the owner caved at our first offer. I’ll be paying them five hundred a month, with three thousand for the option fee—that will go toward the purchase price after a year. Three hundred of the rent each month will be put toward house payments. After a year, they’ll raise that to four hundred. Of course, if I change my mind, none of that’s considered equity, not until I’ve paid ten thousand total. In a year, I might qualify for a loan to pay it off, given I’ll have put some money into the house and been there awhile.”
    I congratulated her. “So, when’s moving day?”
    â€œI was hoping you could help me on Saturday? I might as well get myself situated in there and start cleaning up the inside. My landlord has offered to let me out of this month’s rent if I find a place soon enough.” She sounded excited, so I decided to just roll with it.
    â€œOf course I can help. Hold on.” I muted the phone and motioned to Bryan. “Can you help Peggin and me this weekend? We’re moving her into the house.” I must have looked horribly grumpy because he stifled a groan.
    â€œI’ll be there. What do you think she wants as