Page 4 of BeWolfed

For the next hour, we worked in focused silence, reorganizing books and fixing display cases. My wolf noticed things—how she didn't flinch when our hands brushed, reaching for the same text. How her scent shifted subtly when I moved closer, a sweetening that suggested awareness beyond professional courtesy.

More interesting was her magic—unpredictable, powerful in bursts then hesitant. Nothing like the steady control witches typically cultivated. When she murmured protection spells to strengthen the wards, power sparked around her fingers likelightning seeking ground, illuminating her face with violet light. Beautiful and dangerous.

"There." She stepped back, surveying our work. "That should hold for now."

The autumn evening had fully settled outside. I shrugged off my jacket, catching her slight shiver as the store's heating struggled against the mountain chill. "Here. It's cold out."

Her laugh surprised me—warm and genuine despite the circumstances. "I know the Silver Flask is wild, but there's no way they're letting you in without a shirt no matter how cute you are." She pushed the jacket back at me, though a slight redness crossed her cheeks.

My wolf huffed in pleasure.She thought we were cute. I mentally shook myself. Not the time.

"Besides, I have magic," she said, whispering a few words that made the air around her warm. The spell wobbled slightly before settling, and I caught a flash of frustration in her eyes, quickly masked. Interesting—the witch had control issues with her magic. "Lead the way, Mr. Private Investigator. Let's see what you know about my aunt's disappearance."

My wolf wanted to move closer, to guard against the darkness gathering outside. I held that instinct in check, maintaining distance as we headed for the door. This wasn't about attraction or protection. This was about finding Rose and stopping whatever corruption was spreading through the supernatural community.

But watching Elowen secure the final wards, power crackling around her like contained lightning, I had a feeling things were about to get complicated. She wasn't what I'd expected when I came to investigate tonight. Something told me she was going to challenge every boundary I'd carefully maintained since going lone wolf.

For now, though, we had a mystery to solve. I gestured toward the Silver Flask's glowing windows down the street. "After you." Professional. Distant. Safe.

My wolf disagreed, but I ignored it. One step at a time.

***

The Silver Flask hummed with subdued energy, the usual raucous supernatural crowd muted by recent tensions. The carved protection spells along the doorframe recognized us both, flaring briefly as we entered. Inside, species segregation was immediately obvious—witches clustered near the hearth, werewolves claiming the bar, fae keeping to shadowed corners. Nothing like the integrated crowd I'd seen when first arriving in Midnight Creek.

"Wow," Elowen murmured. "It's worse than I thought."

The bartender nodded to me, then did a double-take at Elowen. "Rose's niece," he said, surprise evident. "Haven't seen you since—"

"Since I was home for the equinox," she finished, her tone casual though I caught the tension beneath it. "Has my aunt been in recently?"

The bartender's expression closed immediately. "Haven't seen Rose in weeks." His eyes darted to the pack members at the end of the bar. "Your usual booth is open, Kane."

I guided Elowen toward a corner booth with ancient runes carved into its wooden frame. The moment we sat down, the ambient noise dimmed—one of the Flask's unique features, private booths that actually stayed private.

"You have a usual booth." Elowen raised an eyebrow, settling across from me. The low lighting caught in her dark hair, highlighting auburn undertones. "How long have you been in Midnight Creek?"

"Six months." I signaled for drinks. "Moved here tracking the blood magic cases."

"And you just happened to move in next door to my aunt's shop?" Her skepticism was palpable.

I shrugged. "Best vantage point to watch the town's magical hub."

"Convenient." She leaned forward, and I caught a stronger whiff of that sweet scent that made my wolf stir. "So what exactly do you know about my aunt's disappearance that you're not telling me?"

Directness. I could respect that. "Rose was investigating the same blood magic corruption I've been tracking."

Elowen's eyes narrowed. "And you know this how?"

"We... compared notes." Which was putting it mildly. Rose had practically strong-armed me into sharing my research once she realized we were investigating the same pattern. "Your aunt is formidable."

The ghost of a smile touched her lips. "You have no idea." She twisted her glass, studying the liquid as if it held answers. "What exactly is this blood magic doing? And why target witches?"

Before I could answer, a shadow fell across our table. Lola set down two drinks with practiced ease, arching an eyebrow at me before turning her sharp gaze on Elowen. "Didn’t expect to see you sharing a booth, Kane. New business partner?"

Elowen glanced between us, curiosity sparking. "Something like that. And you are?"

"Lola," I answered before she could. "She works with me—keeps an ear to the ground for anything useful."

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