“She?” he questioned.
I lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Most plants hold both sexes. Some plants are only male or only female, and others have the ability to change their sex. I gauge mostly by their energy, and the one you’re holding possesses a strong feminine energy.”
“Does she have a name?”
I couldn’t hold back my smile. “No. I just cut her from the mother plant today. You can name her if you want. Once she gets better.” A frown marred my face. “I hope I can help her, but I can’t guarantee she’ll be okay.”
“I understand.” Caelan turned. “Want me to put her in the car?”
I clicked the unlock button. When the car beeped, Caelan opened the passenger door and set the pot inside the small tub I usually kept on the passenger side floor for occasions just like this. I freshened the potting soil at least once a week, but today I added additional nutrients and an extra shot of magic because I suspected I’d be taking at least one plant home today.
“On top of the dirt?” he questioned.
“Yes. Wiggle it down a little more so the pot won’t topple.”
Caelan did as I instructed and dusted his hands off once he’d shut the door.
I stood on the opposite side. “Did you need something?”
Caelan stayed silent for a long moment. “I’d like to start over.”
The shifter had rendered me speechless. I stared at him mutely before opening and shutting my mouth. What could one say to that? “You strongarmed me, then got pissed at being outwitted, and decided to retaliate by destroying my shop. So no, Caelan, I don’t think we can start over. Starting over would be us in a coffee shop, and I trip and accidentally spill my drink on your shirt and ruin it or saying something weird because I was nervous!” My voice was rising, and I couldn’t seem to help it. “You don’t get to start over when you single-handedly try to ruin someone’s livelihood!”
Without waiting for a response, I got into my car and slammed the door. A moment later, I was out of the parking spot, headlights reflecting on Caelan’s somber face, before I hit the gas and sped away.
The nerve of that man.
He wanted to start over? I would never forget the fear I felt when he backed me against the wall. My hand trembled against the steering wheel, and I willed myself to squash those memories down.
The human part of me suggested I simmer down, that Caelan had paid for the damage and seemed contrite for what he’d done. But that was the part of me that made my heart beat when a man walked behind me on a dark evening, or when one wouldn’t take no as an answer. In those instances, I had to remember who I was and what I was capable of. Even if I didn’t use my Chimera magic, I could still use the earth as a defense, and I could turn into a wren and escape, a talent that was decidedly inhuman. So, I had to tell that little part of me to shut it.
What Caelan deserved credit for was attempting to rectify his mistake and his sincere note. But none of us had the ability to go back in time, and that was my biggest issue. Why did some people think if they apologized or tried to make amends, it automatically erased everything that happened? It didn’t. It couldn’t.
Shaking away those thoughts, I turned into the driveway and once I parked, I reached for the plant, gently lifting it onto the passenger seat. I’d take it in the back way so I could quickly repot it into something that had more room for root growth.
With the back door opened and the tub in my hands, I stepped inside, but an odd scent on the wind made me freeze. Frowning, I set the tub on the kitchen table, then hurried back outside.
Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but the hair on the back of my neck stood up. The scent was faint but familiar. I went down the steps and paused, lifting my face to the air and taking a deep inhale.
There. I fished my cell from my pocket and turned on the flashlight. My night vision was better than most, but whatever it was seemed small, and the flashlight would help. Following the scent trail led me around the side of the house. Sweeping the light back and forth revealed nothing until I spotted something darker in the grass. It was a small, fluffy bundle that resembled a dandelion puff, but when I got closer and bent down to peer at it, I realized it looked just like a tuft of fur.
Confused, I reached for the small tuft and held it up to my nose and sniffed.
Caelan’s familiar scent, along with the unmistakable tinge of wolf wafted up. My jaw clenched as I realized the implications of what I’d found.
Sonofabitch.
The question of why I had no glass in my skin when I woke up had been answered.
I was going to murder that nosy, meddling werewolf.
Chapter
Twenty
Ash, Moira, and Tess were already at the shop when I arrived the next morning. I opened my office to see Ash sprawled on the couch, his nose in the pages of his newest fantasy obsession. Moira was at my drawing desk, a pot of tea and all the fixings scattered around her, while Tess was conversing with one of the pothos.
The banshee liked talking to my plants, and I didn’t have the heart to stop her, though I made a mental note to move the pothos closer to the window and give it an extra boost before I left for the day. Tess tended to depress the poor things.
