Page 84 of Shift of Morals
After a few minutes, I rose and went to Seymour, the flytrap worse for the wear this morning. His pot was chipped, and one of his extra traps was listing to the side. I’d almost forgotten about him. “Hey,” I said, crouching down beside him. “Are you okay?”
Seymour quivered.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t get to you last night. But I can help you now. Okay?”
The flytrap quivered again. I reached for Seymour, stroking a finger over the top of his main trap, and let my magic seep into every part of him. A minute later and the other trap had perked up, and Seymour was looking much better. “I can’t do anything about the pot yet, but I’ll get you something better, okay?”
Seymour thumped his broken pot a few times.
“Good. It’s time to get you a larger one anyway.” I gave him a final stroke and rose.
Thirty minutesof almost silent cooking later, Caelan sat a large pile of French toast and bacon in front of me, then snagged my coffee mug and poured me another.
I waited for him to fix his plate before I took a bite. And when he settled beside me, and my stomach lurched, it took everything I had not to ask him a million questions in an incoherent ramble.
We ate a king’s feast, and when the last of the bacon was polished off, I realized I probably could have eaten more.
“Evie,” Caelan rumbled. “Who’s Finn?”
My hand jerked, sloshing hot coffee all over my fingers. I hissed in pain, clutching my fingers to my chest. “Shit,” I cursed.
Caelan leaned back in his chair and waited, his expression neutral.
If he was asking about Finn then…
“He’s the one who attacked you last night.” Horror rolled through my veins. While the severity of his wounds made sense now that I knew who was responsible, not all the pieces fit.
The Shifter Lord inclined his head. “He was. And he seemed quite enamored with you.”
My eyes closed. He would know if I lied to him. Few people could lie to a shifter and get away with it. Lying to a Shifter Lord was tantamount to suicide.
“Why did he attack you?” Maybe I could distract him with questions.
One of his eyebrows rose. “I traced the rogue magic to the back of your property. Finn was waiting there. Watching for you, I assume. I told him stalking you isn’t a good idea.” A faint smile. “Finn did not agree.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.
“I’m alive thanks to you. No harm, no foul, I suppose.”
I licked my lips and tried to think of what to say.
“You met him in Scotland.”
How much did he know? Shit. The walls pressed in against me, my secrets coming home to roost. I nodded. “Yes. I was on a trip with some girlfriends.”
“After your divorce.”
“As soon as the papers were signed.”
“Did you date him?” There was something in his eyes I didn’t like.
I opened my mouth to answer, then snapped it shut. “That’s an inappropriate question.”
Caelan’s lips edged up into a smile. “Did you?”
I tipped the last of my coffee into my mouth and rose. “Thank you for breakfast. I appreciate it.” After a quick rinse, I put my mug in the dishwasher. “I think your clothes are toast, so I can dispose of them if you put them in the trash. Do you need a ride home?”
“Evie.”
