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He smirked. “My mistake. Mind if I sit?”
My heart thundering in my chest might have betrayed me if he’d still had wolf ears. I absentmindedly checked the door out of habit.
“The company is not so alluring on this side of the room, but if you insist.”
“And the name?”
“It’s uh… Marley.”
“Marley. I like it.”
Speaking my name like a song, he flipped the chair backwards and plopped down, folding his arms over the back as he tilted his head to Anna. She winked and, within seconds, sent a tankard our way. He had drunk only a little, I’d noticed. He seemed to be here for the camaraderie more than the festivities. Most of the marks I met in taverns were hopeless drunks with horrid lifetime trauma and hardly any desire to heal from it. For the first time, I was glad someone worthy, or so it seemed, might be saved from themselves. If he was smart enough to listen to the Spirits.
2
“Storm Coven, huh? I would have guessed Forest.”
I sipped my tea, staring at the man like a fool, trying not to blush from having his undivided attention. He must have smelled my coven on me like an animal.“Why?”
His eyes sparkled with mischief as he replied. “Because you’re far too pretty and not dressed for a blizzard like a Storm Coven witch would have known to expect. You should have felt it in the air long before it hit.”
“So, you think Storm Coven witches are all hags? Besides, I travel a lot. The weather doesn’t really bother me.”
Atlas laughed so hard he nearly fell out of his chair. The room silenced at the beautiful sound, though it confused me.
“Why is that funny?”
How could a man with a laugh like that be so broken?
I pushed magic forward, letting it encircle that deep, dark place in his heart to remind myself that he was. And this was a job, nothing more. I’d deliver a message coated in power tonight, and that would be the end of it. I only hoped the surging magic would let it happen on my terms.
He leaned forward, wrapping his arms around the back of the chair, showing off his muscles as he raised an eyebrow. “You were blue for the first twenty minutes today. I had to keep watching just to make sure you didn’t keel over.”
“Hardy har, Wolf.”
He jerked upright, his gaze sharpening.
“I’m right, aren’t I? ‘Animal scent’? You’re the one who used to be a wolf, and now, you’re a witch?”
“I’m still a wolf at heart, trust me.” He leaned forward, checking my empty cup before stretching.
The door creaked open again, and I couldn’t help the falter in my heartbeat as fear jolted through me. I lived on the edge of anticipation. Waiting for Levin to find me as if he lurked around every corner. Usually, the fear was worse than the man, but after several near-death experiences, it was warranted.
Atlas followed my line of sight, waving to the woman that entered before asking, “Another?”
“I think that’s plenty of tea for one evening. At this rate, I’ll be up all night.”
He wiggled his eyebrows, raising his drink. “You know, I hear that’s not always a bad thing.”
I believed he meant to unnerve me, but I simply stooped to his level. “Only heard? Never experienced? That’s a shame.”
He choked on his drink, and I met his stare, daring him to respond. That flutter in my chest was new, though. I wasn’t sure if it was from the challenge in his eyes or the way my body sizzled in response to his steamy gaze. He leaned halfway across the small table between us, and I moved in as if he’d lured me on silent command.
Thick fingers traced my jawline, but he did not speak a word. He stared so hard, the rest of the room seemed to melt away. Atlas could have demanded the world in that moment, and I might have given it to him. Catered to my baser needs. But ultimately, this was why I was here. Only lust filled that gaze, and though my heart raced, especially when his eyes dipped lower, I knew better than to get tangled up with this damaged man. His jaw dropped when I broke the spell between us and slumped back into my chair.
“I still have to find the inn.”
Clearing his throat, he said, “There are two in this territory. I’d recommend old Enger’s place. It’s in the square right across from the market. Can’t miss it if you go left down the main road.”
