Page 36 of His to Hunt

“That’s… I mean, I guess it’s okay to eat there,” I say.

“What’s wrong?” he asks.

“Frank always says every restaurant is competition. He makes a big deal out of it if someone he knows eats at one… well, unless it’s date night. He said those are exceptions.” As I say it out loud, I realize how stupid it sounds. “Forget it. I’ve heard this place is great.”

“Yeah, Frank doesn’t get to decide where you eat anymore,” he snarls, shaking his head. He is definitely displeased with my employer/landlord.

He parks the car and I wait for him to open my door. If I weren’t wearing dirty jeans and a shirt that has been washed so many times the pattern is gone, I might feel like a fancy lady on a lunch date. I’m really under-dressed for this one, though.

“I’m going to look out of place in there,” I grimace, glancing at the door.

“You’re never out of place when you’re by my side because it’s where you belong,” he grumbles, helping me down to the ground.

I’m self-conscious, but I don’t think anyone notices the girl in dirty clothes beside the mountain of a man with his arm around me. Saul is already seated, and his size tells me he’s likely the only other wolf shifter in this restaurant. He’s even taller and broader than Victor, but he’s older.

“You must be the girl who stole a member of my pack,” Saul growls, then he smiles. “Nice to meet you, I’m Saul.”

“I’m Taryn,” I say, introducing myself and taking my seat when Victor pulls out my chair. “And yeah, I guess I’m the one who has been causing trouble.”

“I’ve caught Saul up to speed,” Victor says as he sits down.

“That doesn’t mean I have any answers,” Saul says. “I asked Ingrid to meet us here. She’s going to have a look at your mate.”

“Ingrid?” I ask, a little concerned.

“A shaman,” Saul clarifies, like I should know what that is. He seems to notice my confusion. “Shamans are like witches and druids, but use a different kind of magic.”

“Oh, okay. Why does she need to… have a look at me?” I ask apprehensively, putting my arms across my chest a little defensively.

“Because of the curse that was put on your family,” Victor explains. “It’s important that we know who did it and why.”

“That was a long time ago. I’m sure they’re not still around. My grandmother said we were cursed long ago by some witch. I never actually believed it.”

“Even if they’re not around, we need to know more,” Saul says. “I thought we were breaking a weak curse, not one as strong as what Victor described. Strong magic attracts attention, even if it’s a curse being broken.”

“What kind of attention?” I ask.

“Witch Hunters, mostly,” Victor growls. “There’s not many of them around anymore, but they can sense magic. I’m more worried about it being strong enough to attract the attention of something much worse, though.”

“Like what?” my eyes widen.

“Let’s hope we never have to find out,” Saul replies. “Magic is very dangerous. Most of the spellbooks and grimoires have been confiscated and burned by now, but sometimes one will surface.”

“Like the one I used?” I glance at Victor’s backpack.

“That one survived as long as it did because of the cipher,” Saul says. “It took a long time for someone to figure out enough of it to actually cast a spell.”

“Yay for modern technology,” I sigh.

“MmmHmm,” Victor growls. “Without it, I would have never found you.”

“There’s Ingrid,” Saul interjects, pointing toward the door.

I turn my head and see a woman with blonde hair and blue eyes. She’s wearing jeans and a blouse. Not much different from what I’m wearing, just newer and cleaner. She waves and smiles when she spots Saul, then makes her way over to our table.

“Thanks for coming,” Saul says, looking around. “Where did that waitress go? She told me to flag her down when everyone got here.”

It feels kind of weird to be on this side of the waitressing gig. I really did take Frank’s competition rants too seriously. But I also couldn’t afford to eat out. Frank would usually give me a discount if I ate something from the kitchen, but the money went further if I invested it in sandwiches.