Page 88 of Shift of Morals
Hazel and I texted back and forth before I left, and I mentioned the bonding ceremony in case Caelan hadn’t. She said he reached out to her, and she was working on something for him, though she was a little confused about why he had contacted her and not someone local.
I didn’t have an answer to that. Maybe it was Caelan being Caelan. Understanding his logic required a PhD.
I inhaled the last of my egg scramble, filled my to-go mug with coffee, and headed out the door, excited to put a few examples together for Caelan.
But when I got to the shop, my hackles rose. Nothing looked amiss, but there was an odd energy around the door. Silent as a ghost, I slipped out of the car, quietly clicking the door shut. Nothing to be done about the headlights when I had pulled in, but hopefully whoever might be in my shop hadn’t seen me yet.
I sent a thread of magic inside, immediately reading distress coming off all the plants. Someone was inside. Another tug ofmagic on one of the pothos close to the door to wrap around and silence the bell above allowed me to slip inside.
I alerted the six deadly plants I had scattered in various places around the shop to get ready. Whether their poison could infect Finn was unknown, but I had no qualms about trying if he got close enough for them to react.
No one was in the front, but the noise of shattering pots made my shoulders stiffen. On silent feet, I ventured to the back, picking two of those plants up to take with me to the back.
I found him in the walk-in, systematically destroying my seasonal arrangements. The cursed bouquet lay quiet on the warded table, but I knew that damned thing was the reason Finn was able to get inside without triggering my ward alarms. I planned to destroy that thing as soon as I was done here.
If Finn didn’t kill me first.
I came up behind Finn without him realizing it and watched as he gleefully shattered a three-hundred-dollar arrangement. Hate rose, a tidal wave in my blood. Silent as a wraith, I came closer, touched both of the plants I held in my arms and whispered a mental command.
Both vines lunged for Finn at the same time, poison leaking thorns appearing on the back of their leaves. As soon as they touched his skin, Finn froze, a hissing intake of breath the only sign of pain.
Without waiting, I spun on my heel and hauled ass from the fridge, putting both plants down on the stainless table, away from the cursed bouquet.
Finn walked out, casual and none the worse for the wear, though blood leaked down both biceps. Savage pleasure at the sight rang through me.
“It was far too easy to gain access to your sanctum, Evie.”
“I’m sure it had nothing to do with that leaking pile of garbage on my table.”
He smiled, and even though I knew he was cruel and without morals, I remembered a cold night in Scotland where I thought I was getting a fresh start. The memory was a visceral punch, reminding me of how hard I worked to get back on my feet and build a life for myself.
And I’d be damned if I let him take that away from me.
“You’ve always been so easy to deceive.” He tucked his hands in his pockets, blood continuing to leak from his arms. A shifter should have been able to stop the bleeding by now, and I had an overwhelming urge to high-five my plants when this was over.
“But not so easy to beat. Otherwise, you wouldn’t still be here trying to bend me to your will.”
Anger glittered in his eyes, but his response was amused. “What can I say? I’ve always had a weakness for strong-willed women.” His fingers trailed over the ward on the bouquet. “Much like Caelan’s fiancée. So strong-willed in personality, but so very weak when it comes to her desire for power.”
I froze. “What did you do?”
“Nothing Gianna didn’t allow. I’m not a monster.”
“Yes, yes, you are a monster. That’s why we’re standing here right now.”
He slammed a fist on the edge of the table. “You have no idea what a monster really is, Evie! I’ve been patient, allowing you to come to terms with what you are and what you mean to me. And you’ve betrayed me in a hundred different ways. I’ve even allowed your dalliance with the two shifters, knowing you would come to me eventually.”
Finn swayed on his feet.
Two high-fives to those plants.
“Are you okay?” I asked sweetly.
Blood dripped from the edge of his lower lip. “This is the last time I ask. Come with me, Evie. Let me teach you what you need to know.”
I snorted. “I learned all I needed from you that night in Scotland. You broke my already fraught trust in men and taught me I didn’t need to be with a man to have a happy and fulfilling life. This is the last time I tell you, Finn. My answer is no.”
Crimson magic rose in the air, Finn’s entire body highlighted in an awful glow. He lunged, but I was ready. Vines whipped from the potted plants on the shelf behind him, wrapping around his neck and waist. Finn jerked off balance and crashed to the floor, a bark of pain cracking from his lips. He was up in seconds but stumbled, his face pale and sweaty.
