Caelan inhaled and closed his eyes. “I’ll be there in a minute. Wait for me outside.”
The door closed.
“This isn’t over, Evie.” The Shifter Lord straightened and adjusted his shirt, then ran a hand through his dark hair.
“It never started,” I said, my voice hoarse with desire.
One side of his mouth quirked up. “I’m going to find out what you are.”
Fear made my throat click. “You’ll be sorely disappointed to know I’m merely a Floromancer.”
“We both know that is a lie, flower girl.”
He still stood far too close. Caelan leaned in, his breath warm against my mouth. “Stay away from my healer, Evie. You are far too dangerous for his heart.”
Without another word, Caelen leaped over the desk and headed outside, the bell jingling against the oppressive silence of the room.
Rowan, Moira, and Tess came back out a minute later, silent and with their heads down. The Lord carried a large box. Moira took it from him and carefully wrapped and packed his plants up.
When it was finished, Rowan picked up the box and gave me a sympathetic look before walking to the door where he stopped and turned toward me.
“Evie, for what it’s worth, and you may not want to hear this right now…” He trailed off for a moment. “Caelan is a good man. Quick to anger, slow to love, slow to trust, and even slower to commit. He sees something in you he wants, and if you don’t want it too, I suggest you run. Go now, go far, and never seek him out again.” He shook his head. “Caelan always gets what he wants, and I’m afraid he has his eyes on you.” The Lord pushed the door open. “He’s right, you know.”
“Oh?” My heartbeat sounded like an ocean in my ears.
“There is something off about you. We all sense it.” He gave me a sad smile. “But he’s also right about you not wanting someone nice. You’re a deadly thing wrapped in an innocent package. Take care you don’t endanger everyone around you when that package finally unwraps and exposes your secrets.” He stepped outside and let the door close behind him.
No one said anything for a long time.
“Fuck,” I whispered when I could catch my breath again.
Chapter
Thirty-Three
Someone or something was watching me. I couldn’t see anything, but the hair on the back of my neck stood straight, and I sensed eyes on me all the way home. Once I was in my driveway, I sat in my vehicle for a few minutes waiting for whatever or whoever it was to show themselves.
But when there was nothing, I slid out of the car, keys in hand, and hurried to my door. Once I was inside, I slumped against the door and let out a shaky breath. Regrets had been playing inside my head for hours after the Shifter Lords, including Caelan, had left the shop.
I should have played ball with Caelan at the very beginning. Kept my head down, performed my duty as a florist, and gray rocked it all the way to easy town. Except I really hated bullies, and I felt like that’s what Caelan was when I first met him.
And now look at me. Jumping at imaginary shadows and under investigation by the Council. Way to go, Evie.
I poured myself an obscene amount of wine, kicked my shoes off, and curled onto the couch. Ever since that moment with Halvar, my magic had felt off. Not my Floromancy. That only went wonky when I wasn’t siphoning properly. The Chimera magic I kept shoved down had been coming in small flares, and Iwas having trouble keeping my human form. The others noticed it, and Moira finally forced me out the door, telling me not to come back in until I had eight full hours of sleep.
She was probably right. Restless nights and stressful days often contributed to magical fluctuations, and Hazel had warned me to do my best to keep my emotions steady. Speaking of her, I dug through my pocket for my cell phone and scrolled through my contacts until I found her.
She answered on the second ring. “Evie?”
“Hi Hazel.” It was good to hear her smoky, accented voice.
“What’s wrong?”
I laughed. “Nothing is wrong. It’s been a while since we talked, and I wanted to catch up.”
“You never wanna catch up.” The doubt in her voice was clear.
“I promise. Everything is fine. We’ve had some interesting developments, but my tattoo is still stable.”