Werner sighed, a sound of exasperation with no hint of fear. “Remember, you’re making me do this, shifter.”
He raised his hands, the red glowing even brighter, and Cece’s magic flared to life. Her only thought to protect Briggs, she muttered an incantation, and green light shot from her hands to hit Werner squarely in the chest. It did nothing more than knock him back a step, and he blinked at her before a soft smile crossed his face.
“Your magic is not very strong, Nietita, but that is okay. I will help you be the witch you were meant to be.”
She stared at him, at the love she could practically see radiating from his face, and something in her chest twisted tight.
When Briggs started forward, she said, “Briggs, no.”
He glanced at her over his shoulder, his eyes a dark brown and his face more bear than human now. His voice so thick and garbled, she could barely understand him, he said, “My mate, he tried to kill you.”
Holding his gaze, she echoed his words from the other night to him. “Honey, I want you to stop.”
He hesitated, and she could almost see his bear retreating and a tiny bit of human Briggs - her Briggs - return. “My mate…”
“He won’t hurt me. Please trust me.” She paused. “Trust your mate.”
CHAPTER 26
“Your father liked his coffee sweet as well.” Werner smiled at Cece, his hand gripping his coffee cup tight enough to make his knuckles white, the only indication he might be as nervous as she felt.
To her relief, her plea for Briggs to trust her had worked, and he’d stopped the shift. He growled every time Werner got too close to her or stared at her for too long, but Cece could live with a little growling.
She’d quickly bought her supplies, taken the potions list from Charissa, and hustled Briggs and her grandfather out of Charissa’s store and into a nearby coffee shop.
Now, she took a sip of her coffee and when Briggs growled again, murmured, “No growling, honey.”
It should have felt weird to use a pet name with a man she wasn’t dating, but it didn’t. Not in the least. And she didn’t know how to feel about that.
Hey, Cece? Maybe now isn’t the time to explore your feelings for Briggs.
“I’m so glad to meet you, Cecelia,” Werner said. “I’m sorry for scaring you in the potions shop. It wasn’t my intention.”
Briggs scoffed loudly, his coffee sitting untouched in front of him. “You’ve been trying to kill her for weeks, and you’re apologizing for this?”
“Briggs,” Cece said.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Werner said.
“Bullshit. Cece’s aunt told us what you did to your own son,” Briggs said.
“I didn’t do anything to my son,” Werner said.
“Other than killing him.”
Werner’s hands glowed bright red, and in a low voice, dripping with anger, he said, “Watch your tongue, shifter. My patience grows thin.”
Briggs growled again, a low, continuous sound that made the couple sitting at the table beside theirs give him an uneasy look before standing and leaving the coffee shop.
“Enough,” Cece said. “Both of you stop it right now. I’m not being sued for damages by a coffee shop when you destroy it because neither of you can control your emotions.”
“You shouldn’t even be talking to him, Cece,” Briggs said. “He’s trying to kill you.”
“I am not,” Werner snapped. “I don’t know why you have that ridiculous idea in your head, but I certainly would never hurt my granddaughter.”
“Like I said…bullshit,” Briggs spat.
“Briggs, stop,” Cece said.
