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“He invited me for a drink, but I turned him down.”
“Maybe you should change your mind,” Chief Anders suggested. “Could be an opportunity to glean some important information.”
“Will do, Chief,” I agreed before signing off.
Once the area was secure and my colleagues were aboard, I started the truck and headed back into town, doubts swirling in my mind.
As I drove back to the station, my mind raced with questions. Something wasn't adding up. The fires, the Furbanes' potential involvement, and Chief Anders' insistence that I get close to Emmett all felt connected somehow. Why was Chief Anders so interested in the Furbanes? I knew he suspected arson, but was there more to it than that?
My job was clear–investigate the Furbanes as arson suspects. Emmett had handed me the perfect way to do that, but my instincts told me that getting involved with Emmett, even to further our investigation, was dangerous to my heart, not to mention my raging hormones.
As I drove away from the smoldering remains of the fire, I couldn't shake the feeling I was heading toward something dangerous—something that might consume me entirely.
Twenty minutes later, I was sitting in my car before heading home, staring at the crumpled card Emmett had given me. With a sigh, I pulled out my phone and dialed his number.
I thought back to the way Emmett had looked at me, the intensity in his eyes. There was a depth there, a connection I couldn't quite explain. As much as I hated to admit it, it was more than physical attraction.
The sound of the ringing phone echoed the warning bells in my mind. This assignment threatened my professional life and the barriers I'd erected to protect my heart.
Chapter 3
Emmett
Ientered my parents' large log cabin, breathing in the familiar scent of cedar and pine. Voices and laughter rang out from the dining room, where my boisterous family was gathered around the long oak table.
This was the definition of home to me. I was part of a loving family that fiercely protected one another. We loved with every part of ourselves, and each of us would give our lives for the others without hesitation.
“Emmett, you're late as usual!” my mother scolded, her sharp words belying the warmth in her hazel eyes.
“Sorry, Ma. I got held up on patrol,” I said as I kissed her cheek and slipped into my seat. Platters of pot roast, buttery mashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables covered the table. My stomach rumbled appreciatively as I scooped a healthy serving of potatoes onto my plate.
Patrols had run long today as reports of strange events in the forest multiplied. Glowing lights, unknown figures spotted among the trees, and unexplained noises. It put the whole family on edge.
“We were discussing the recent disturbances around town,” my father said solemnly, his bushy silver brows furrowed. “Strange happenings in the forest and sightings of unknown figures.”
The conversation shifted to speculation about who could be behind the odd occurrences in the woods. My aunt believed some rogue witch coven was trying to expand their territory. Axel thought angry spirits whose sacred sites had been disturbed might be acting out.
“It's the strangest thing,” my aunt Amalthea interjected. Her long, braided hair was streaked with gray, and her eyes were alert and intense. “These accidents in Silverpaw Hollow keep happening, one after another. It reminds me of 1999 when those witches tried to summon Aeshma into the human realm.”
Axel nodded, his features etched with solemnity. “At first, I thought it was just dumb bad luck, but the pattern is too consistent. Something is stirring.”
Aunt Amalthea’s brow furrowed. “Mark my words, dark magic is afoot.”
Aunt Thea was Ma’s older sister and had always been attuned to mystical energies in ways the rest of us weren't. If she said witchcraft was to blame, there was a good chance she was right.
“Don’t start, Ma,” Ryder grumbled, shoveling potatoes into his mouth.
Ryder was always uncomfortable when Aunt Thea tuned into her “otherworldly abilities.” The two were close, even though Ryder now lived in Broken Arrow, Montana, since leaving the military. Aunt Thea had never married and lived with my parents. She never spoke of Ryder’s father. Even Ryder had no clue who he was, which was sometimes a bone of contention between mother and son.
Leif looked skeptical. “Could be bored teenagers messing around,” he said doubtfully through a mouthful of pot roast. Of all of us, Leif had the least magical talents. He relied on his intelligence and logic rather than any special powers.
“I don't know. The energy in the Hollow has been strange,” Axel mused. He took after Aunt Thea when it came to his strong intuitive skills. “The spirits have been restless when I've communed with them. I think Aunt Thea may be right about a dark presence.”
I'd always been more of an action-oriented type than one for pondering mystical questions. “Whatever it is, we'll handle it,” I declared confidently. “No one knows these woods better than us. We'll double the patrols and catch anyone who's causing trouble.”
As Guardians sworn to protect this territory, it was our duty to respond decisively to any threats. I wouldn't let sinister forces gain purchase in our ancestral home.
My father smiled at me approvingly, pride in his golden eyes. “Spoken like a true Guardian. I know I can count on you to take the lead on looking into this, Emmett.”
