Page 1 of The Pumpkin Spice Romance
CINNAMON, GINGER, NUTMEG, LOVE
By Birdie Song
(Paranormal)
1
Present day
Voices seeped into Leonie Chin’s office.
She implored the colourful poster of human versus shifter teeth, resisting the urge to bust through the wall and tell everyone to just shush for five minutes. But this was a Leonie problem; lately, even the slightest sound of her husband going about his day filled her with a mix of nausea and dread.
She shivered in her hygienist scrubs, despite the woollen thermal skivvy she had on underneath. Her office had a chilly bite this morning, no doubt from Mark telling their receptionist Marla to turn down the heat, neglecting yet again that Leonie’s room took hours to warm up. She took a sharp, deep breath and pumped her arms, resolved to make the most of today despite the tugging in her chest.
A single rap at her door told her instantly that Mark was on the other side. He let himself in before she could answer.
“My eleven o’clock cancelled,” he announced. “I’m gonna get an early lunch.”
“Sure thing,” Leonie replied, forcing a smile. If her husband could tell it wasn’t real, he sure didn’t show it.
“Marla’s got that doctor’s appointment too,” he continued, and that tugging in Leonie’s chest pulled into a taut wire. “You okay to mind the desk for an hour?”
Phrased like a question, but positioned like she couldn’t say no without seeming unreasonable—the old Mark special, this time delivered with one foot out the door. Nocan I get you some foodorhow are you going after sleeping badly last night? But then, after so long, him being so thoughtful might have shocked her into a coma. Heck of a thing to realise after more than a decade with someone.
The office downlights had a fluorescent buzz, their glow turning sickly as Mark’s pearly smile radiated from the door. Out in the hallway, Marla’s unmistakeable high-heeled footsteps approached. Her floral perfume preceded her.
“Mark, you ready?” came her soft voice, and the taut wire snapped. Leonie knew there was only one response she could give her husband now.
She stood up and shouldered her handbag. “Actually, I can’t watch the desk. I’m heading out too.”
“Just a sec, Marl. Where are you going, Lee?”
“I know what’s been going on, and I can’t do this anymore,” she said. “I want a divorce.”
* * *
Twenty years ago
For one drawn-out split second, the world fell away from Hayden Moore. Up wasn’t up, down wasn’t down, and the sense that tethered him to his human form spun just out of reach. It was a strange feeling, a bit like losing your balance or going to the bathroom—not something he wanted happening in a playground full of his classmates. Then, his butt hit the ground.
A fist closed over the front of his uniform, yanking both jumper and shirt. Hayden squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the punch. But the grip abruptly gave way to sounds of a scuffle and swearing.
“Get lost or I’ll scream!”
Hayden squinted against the midday sun at a skirted silhouette standing between him and the four bullies. Its voice was familiar.
“Yeah? What’s that gonna do?” But the main bully stumbled as he got up, hand over his nose. Hayden smelled blood and sweat.
“Wanna find out?” the silhouette spat back. “Mr Hughes!”
Not Mr Hughes, that terror teacher with a selectively bad temper—a kindly old grandpa to the girls, and the willing tormentor of any boys who crossed them. He’d been known to push his old-fashioned take on discipline as far as the school rules would let him.
“C’mon, Jimmy, let’s get out of here,” one of the smaller bullies scoffed. Hayden also smelled a hint of fear as the gang retreated.
A passing cloud eased the glare. In the softening light, Hayden recognised the silhouette as Leonie Chin, the Asian girl with soft hair and clever eyes, who always picked the front row and never spoke during quiet time, but always put her hand up when teachers asked a question. An unlikely saviour against Jimmy and his mates, but one Hayden was grateful to find while his wolf was still too weak to fight.
“You don’t look hurt too bad,” she said.
