Page 31 of Power Shift
“Fine,” I huffed. “You overprotective oaf.”
A smile touched Neit’s full lips before he tilted his head and raised a hand. Some would think it a friendly acknowledgment, but it was impossible to miss the threat of bloodshed in the air.
Neit disappeared in a swirl of golden magic, leaving behind nothing but a kiss of power in the air.
Simone burst through the door holding a small bag. She thrust it at Caelan right as a burst of magic popped and the Lord stood before me bare-chested and …
Holy shit.
I launched my gaze to the ceiling and turned away much to Caelan’s wicked amusement.
“Cat got your tongue, Evie?” he said in a delicious drawl.
“For the love of the gods, please put some pants on.”
“Mm. And if I don’t?”
Simone snorted. “If you don’t, there’s bound to be a riot. You’ve attracted an audience.”
Caelan swore under his breath. The sound of rustling fabric reached me and moments later, Simone told me the coast was clear.
I turned to see a crowd of gawking passersby holding their hands cupped to the window, all trying to get a gander at the Shifter Lord’s backside. An audible groan of disappointmentwent up as Caelan tied the drawstring on the joggers Simone had brought from the vehicle, his normal clothing in a pile on my floor.
“It must be hard being so popular,” I mused.
Caelan wiggled his eyebrows. “I never shift in public.”
“They’re less concerned by the shifting, Lord. Don’t be surprised if your bare ass goes viral,” said Simone.
Caelan’s eyes flickered with annoyance. “That’s why I have you and a team of lawyers.”
Simone’s look of ill-concealed annoyance made me press my lips together to keep from laughing. “Or you could maybe not get naked in public.”
Caelan studied her for a long moment. “You didn’t see him.”
“Who?” Simone’s eyes narrowed. “All I saw was a flash of light and your goodies on display.” She shook her head. “If the Lord continues to patronize your business, maybe we can pay for window tinting?”
“Nope. The bay window brings all the tourists to my yard. Our seasonal displays drive as many customers here as our online ads do. The Shifter Lord is going to have to learn to control himself better.”
Caelan blinked. “There was a god on the other side of the street.”
Simone’s eyebrows went up. “A what?”
“A god.” He scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “And Evie seems far less disturbed by the sight than she should be.”
Caelan’s power rumbled through the shop like an unleashed storm. “Care to share why that is?”
The way he was staring at me sent a chill down my spine. His look was reminiscent of a fox stalking a rabbit, and I didn’t like it. There was only one fox in this messed up arrangement and it was me.
“No idea why he popped in, but I try not to get too disturbed by a god’s presence considering who my mother is.” I didn’t want or need his protection. Allowing it meant giving away a piece of myself and letting Caelan get one step closer to unearthing secrets that needed to stay buried if I was to stay alive.
Simone stared. “Wait.” She looked between me and Caelan. “My Lord is keeping secrets. Pray tell, who is your mother?”
“Cliona,” Caelan growled. “A fact I discovered by accident.”
Simone nodded slowly. “Right. Of course it is. How silly of me to assume anything about you two isnormal.”
“Why was he so interested in you?” Caelan demanded.
