Page 7 of Power Shift
Moira blinked. “Oh.” She leaned against the register desk and studied me. “Are you sure that’s what you want him to do?”
“I can’t disagree with anything you said earlier.”
“I sense a ‘but’ coming.”
“But Caelan is famous for sailing through whatever personal boundary I’ve put up. I want peace, Moira. And he brings me stress.”
Her lips turned down. A beat of silence, then a thoughtful nod. “Okay. That’s both true and fair. Caelan has brought a ton of chaos to your life since he walked in here.” She reached over and touched my hand. “But don’t count the Shifter Lord out yet. It’s fair to ask him to patronize another business, but it doesn’t mean you have to cut him out of your life completely. I know you like the guy.”
“Ugh.”
Moira laughed. “You do.”
“When he’s not being a controlling dick, sure.” The words were harsh but true. Caelan was used to being in control, and he made things difficult when he didn’t get his way. But when he was relaxed and calm, he was sexy and charming and…
Moira snorted. “You do,” she repeated. “No use lying to a born liar.”
“It doesn’t matter. We’ve had this conversation a dozen times. I can’t pursue anything with Caelan or anyone of prominence.” My lips twisted. “Maybe no one at all.”
Her eyes softened. “Evie. That’s not true.”
“How can I trust anyone not to give me away? I’d risk my own life and all of yours if I trusted the wrong person.”
Moira nodded. “I get it. I really do. But you took a chance on me. On Ash and Tess. And we’re worth it, aren’t we?”
My heart softened. Trusting them hadn’t been easy, but it was the best thing I’d ever done. We’d built a life here. A good one. “You know you are.”
“Good.” She refilled my mug. “There are other people out there worthy of your trust. Don’t forget that.”
I sipped my coffee. “Why are you being so sage? You’re a regular vampire Gandhi today.”
Moira grinned. “My best friend hasn’t been up to the task lately, so I thought I’d step into her shoes for a bit while she gets her groove back.” With a light shoulder nudge, Moira tipped her mug at me and winked.
I waved her away. “Can you call the courier and have her pick these up at six?”
She gave me a searching look. “Are you sure?”
“Yep. I have a few more things to do to these, but I’ll be done by then. You all can head out early this evening if you want.”
“I want!” Ash shouted.
Tess followed.
Moira slid behind the counter. “I’ll head out right when the shop closes, so you don’t get interrupted too much.”
“No hot dates on the schedule?” I slid in a fiery orange bloom next to the Moulin Rouge sunflower. Next to it, a few deep orange dahlias.
“Nah. No one has tickled my fancy for quite a while.”
I gave her a sly glance. “Not even Soren?”
Moira’s eyes tightened, the gesture there and gone in less than a heartbeat.
My hands stilled. “Moira? Everything okay?”
She flicked a hand. “Totally fine. Soren left for his territory a long time ago. We barely spent any time together, and after seeing the chaos Caelan caused, I’m not sure I want to entangle myself with a Lord.”
Moira was lying. “Oh. Not even for a brief tete-a-tete?”
