Page 19 of Growl Me, Maybe

Lyra bit her lip, thoughts tumbling too fast. “Why would he send me anything?”

“Because he’s calculating. Dangerous. And from what I gather, he’s not used to hearing no.”

Lyra dropped onto the bench by the front desk, the edges of the vase glowing a little brighter as if reacting to her pulse. She chewed the inside of her cheek, voice barely above a whisper.

“Everyone in town gossips about him. I didn’t think it wasthatbad.”

“What do you know?”

“Just whispers. Petra said he’s got charm that turns to poison if you get too close. Delia said he tried to cozy up to the council years ago, then disappeared when Jace took over. He’s been circling ever since, looking for cracks in the Veil.”

She looked at Milo. “But this? Flowers? Why me?”

The cat sat beside her, tail curling. “Maybe because you’rehisweakness.”

She stilled. “You mean Jace.”

Milo said nothing, which was louder than any answer.

She let out a slow breath, heart pounding now for different reasons. “I should tell him.”

“Yes,” Milo said without hesitation.

“But… what if he thinks I’m doing it for attention?” she asked, voice tight. “He already sees me as a nuisance half the time.”

“He sees you,” Milo corrected. “Whether he wants to or not.”

Lyra shook her head. “This’ll just make things worse. He’s barely looking me in the eye as it is. If he thinks Ezra’s sniffing around…” Her voice caught. “He’ll push me away. To protect me, or the pack. Or both. He might even fire me.”

“Or,” Milo said dryly, “he’ll go alpha-feral and rip Ezra’s throat out.”

She groaned. “Exactly. And then I’ll have to explain to the council that it’s because of some damned glowing flowers.”

“So what, then?” Milo asked. “You ignore it?”

She stood, brushing off her skirt, eyes hardening. “I deal with it. Quietly. My way.”

Milo grunted. “That’s never ended in disaster before.”

She arched a brow. “You haveverylittle faith in me for someone who keeps napping on my pillow.”

“I’m your designated emotional support cryptid,” he said with a sniff. “Comes with the sass.”

She glanced at the bouquet again. Her chest still ached with the idea that maybe, for just a second, she’d thought they were from Jace.

She turned and opened the small closet beside the desk, grabbing an old stasis jar. With a muttered incantation, she stuffed the bouquet inside and sealed it shut with a rune.

“Evidence,” she said, mostly to herself. “Not a message.”

Then she tucked it under the desk, right behind the box labeled “Office Complaints – Magical Only,” and walked back toward the archives.

But her heart wasn’t light anymore.

And the next time she passed Jace in the hallway and he didn’t speak, she didn’t try to get his attention.

Because if he wouldn’t see her…

She’d have to figure out why everyone else was starting to.

---