Page 17 of Whisker me Away
"Kieran..."
"Yeah?"
She didn't know what she'd been about to say, but it didn't matter because that's when his hand brushed against hers. The contact was barely there, just the back of his knuckles grazing her fingers as they stood too close together under the street light.
But the spark of connection that shot between them was strong enough to make them both stop breathing.
Freya's magic responded to the touch with a surge of recognition.
"Oh," she whispered.
Kieran's pupils dilated, his eyes flashing with gold as whatever he'd been fighting finally won. "Freya."
The way he said her name, like a prayer and a curse and a promise all wrapped together, made her heart stutter against her ribs. This was dangerous territory, standing here in the middleof an empty street with a man whose touch made her forget every rational reason why she should walk away.
But walking away was the last thing she wanted to do.
"We should..." she started.
"Yeah," he agreed, but neither of them moved.
Somewhere in the distance, a church bell tolled midnight, marking the end of one day and the beginning of something else entirely.
Something that would change everything, if they were brave enough to let it.
10
KIERAN
Kieran forced himself to step back from Freya before he kissed her under the street lamp. The loss of contact felt like tearing away part of his skin, but he managed to keep his voice steady as he said, "You should get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be another long day."
Freya blinked like she was coming out of a trance, her eyes still dark with awareness. "Right. Yes. Sleep. Good idea."
By the time Kieran reached his place above the hardware store, his tiger was practically clawing at his insides with the need to go back. The restless energy had nowhere to go in the small space, and he found himself pacing from the kitchen to the bedroom and back again like a caged animal.
She's alone,his tiger insisted.Vulnerable. The corruption is hunting her.
She has locks on her doors,Kieran argued back.And wards around her property.
Wards that failed to protect her grandmother's roses.
That stopped him cold. The heritage roses had been the most protected plants in Hollow Oak, surrounded by generationsof defensive magic. If the corruption could get through those barriers, what chance did simple door locks have?
At 2:47 AM, Kieran gave up pretending he was going to sleep. He pulled on jeans and a t-shirt, grabbed his jacket, and headed back out into the night. His tiger settled the moment he started walking toward Freya's cottage, satisfied that they were finally doing something useful.
He told himself he was just going to do a perimeter check, make sure there were no signs of corruption near her property. But when he saw the warm glow of lamplight in her front window, his feet carried him straight to her door.
Kieran raised his hand to knock, then hesitated. What was he supposed to say? 'Hi, I couldn't sleep because my tiger is convinced you're going to die without my protection?' That would go over well.
The door opened before he could decide, revealing Freya in pajama pants and an oversized sweater, her copper hair loose around her shoulders.
"I figured you'd show up eventually," she said, stepping aside to let him in. "Your pacing was so loud I could hear it from here."
"I wasn't pacing that loud."
"Kieran, you live six blocks away." Freya's smile was tired but genuine. "I've got coffee on. Want some?"
He should have said no. Should have made some excuse about checking her perimeter and left before this became even more complicated than it already was. Instead, he found himself following her into the kitchen where the scent of fresh coffee mixed with dried herbs and the lingering magic that seemed to cling to everything she touched.
