Page 108 of Power Shift
I gasped and slapped her arm. “Moira!” Heat burned my cheeks.
Her wicked laugh made me grin. “It’s about damn time. We called the Keep multiple times. All Simone would say is ‘she’s busy. Send hard liquor. And maybe a marching band. I can’t take it anymore.’ We figured you and Caelan were occupied, so we left it alone.” She grimaced. “You should probably send Simone a basket of whiskey and chocolates, though. The poor woman is traumatized.”
Ash came up to the desk, grinning from ear to ear. “You’re the talk of the town, Evie,” he whispered before dropping a kiss on my cheek. “Business has never been better.”
I blanched. “They’re all here because of…”
“You two horny kids lit the skies of Joy Springs up like the fourth of July,” Moira said gleefully. “Anyone with a lick of blood felt the power you stirred up that night.”
“What about…” My voice trailed off.
“Your secret is safe,” Ash whispered. “But there are a few hundred wolves who know what you are, so you can’t expect it to stay that way. Caelan already had one defector. There are bound to be more uncomfortable with someone of your bloodline in charge.”
I snorted. “I’m not in charge.”
Moira and Ash both rolled their eyes. “You told the wolves to run like they were errant puppies and every single one of them did.” Her face softened. “You and Caelan are bonded in a way greater than blood now, Evie. It’s too late to take it back.”
I didn’t want to take it back. Every time I thought about what we’d done in those woods, my veins boiled with desire. I wasn’t quite myself that night, but I’d seen Caelan there, staring at me, heaving with power, his eyes drinking me up, and my reservations fell away.
I’d seen him.
I wanted him.
I took him.
And Caelan had gleefully gone along with it, claiming me in a way that a week later still got me hot and bothered under the collar.
All I wanted was to return to the Keep and slide back under the covers with him, but real life didn’t work like that. We both had responsibilities, his greater than mine right now, though I suspected that would end soon.
Cernunnos hadn’t shown back up. Maybe he was giving me time to adjust. Maybe he knew I needed this time to take a piece of myself back.
Maybe he was waiting for the right time to bitch at me for swallowing the world seed.
Hell, I don’t know. Whatever it was, I knew it was waiting right around the corner to pounce when I least expected.
If I could take Caelan by the hand and lead us both into a peaceful life with no people to care for and no responsibilities, I would. But life didn’t work like that, and we’d be at each other’s throat without some outlet.
Tess handled customers with ease, and I counted no less than ten people who came in and bought something.
When the rush finally died down, all three of my friends gathered around the register and stared.
“You look different,” Tess said, tilting her head to study me. “On the inside.”
I bet I did. “I feel different on the inside,” I agreed.
Moira leaned forward, resting her chin on her hands. “So…how was it?”
Ash snickered.
Tess blinked owlishly. “You didn’t hear all the screaming in the woods that night?”
Three pairs of eyes turned to her.
“Um. What? You heard us?” I asked, horror unfurling in my stomach.
“There is no barrier a banshee can’t pierce,” she said with a shrug. “People slated to die do all kinds of tricky things to escape their fate.”
“Awesome,” I said and sighed. “Sorry about that.”
