Page 85 of Shift of Morals
“Also, don’t worry about the cleanup here. You already got most of it up.”
“Evie.”
“I’ll call someone to handle the floor and?—”
“EVIE!”
His roar shocked me into silence. My jaw snapped shut, and I stared.
“Your dating life might not be my business, but Finn is a threat to my territory. He is now my priority. Why is he so interested in you?”
My magic hummed in my veins, the Chimera magic oddly silent. Every time I went into a healing sleep, my Floromancy power settled down, and I had a few days of reprieve from being forced to siphon off the excess. But now that I’d merged with the Chimera, I felt more settled than usual. Maybe Cernunnos was right. Maybe this was the path I needed to walk.
“He’s someone who can’t take no for an answer.” It was the best way to describe Finn.
“You’ve rebuffed his advances?”
“Multiple times. He is persistent.”
Power boomed through the room, the Shifter Lord’s magic rising. His eyes glowed burnished gold, the light reflecting off the kitchen counter like the morning sun. “I will kill him,” he snarled.
I touched Caelan’s forearm, sending a small jolt of magic through his body to break him from his rage. “Caelan. It’s not up to you to protect me.”
“It is my job to protect this place; you are included in that duty.”
“But it isn’t the only reason,” I said softly.
Caelan put his hand over mine, the heat from his palm burning against my skin. “Evie?—”
Someone knocked on the door. I jerked my hand away and bolted to my feet. “I have to answer that.”
Scurrying to the door, my heart beating a hundred miles a minute, I flung it open only to see Ben standing there. He wore jeans and a Henley shirt, his hair freshly washed. The scent of pine rose around us. A gentle aura floated around him, the Healer at home in a wild place like mine.
He held up his medical kit. “I didn’t like the way we left things. As such, I made up a lame excuse to come check on you to see how you were doing after the attack.”
Ben’s nose twitched, his eyebrows drawing together. “Do you have company?” He brushed past me and entered the house, freezing when he spotted Caelan in the kitchen.
“Poison,” I blurted. “He had poison.”
Ben turned to me. “Someone poisoned Lord Caelan?”
I nodded.
The Healer frowned and set his medical bag down. “I’d like to examine you.”
Caelan lifted his mug. “No need. Evie patched me right up.” His slow, suggestive smile made me want to punch him.
Ben’s jaw tightened. “Regardless, I am the Keep’s Healer, and you, its Lord. An exam is protocol.” His eyes swept over the living room, widening when he spotted the destruction.
Caelan raised his hands. “Fine. I submit.”
Ben nodded once and flipped open his bag. I retreated to get another cup of coffee during the exam. Once Ben was finished, he rose. “Evie, your healing ability is unparalleled.”
“I can’t claim all the credit. The earth does most of the heavy lifting.”
His gaze flicked to Caelan. “Poison doesn’t usually look so cozy in the morning.”
The Lord grinned. “Tell me, Ben. Do you always show up uninvited?”
