Page 71 of Of Magic and Murder

She grins in delight, tapping her nails against the edge of the door. “So… where are you two sneaking off to? Hm?”

With the door slightly open, she leaves enough of a gap that Gus pushes his furry face through. His little pink nose twitches, her whiskers dancing, as his beady black eyes seem to brighten. Oh, yeah. Even Gus knows that Riordan and I have been busy.

Should I be embarrassed? If it was anyone but Riordan Lobo, maybe, but he’s my mate. I’m not embarrassed. In fact, I kind of preen as I exchange a knowing look with Honey.

Riordan is happy to claim me as his in front of his brother’s mate, too. With a content grin making him even more handsome, he slings his arm over my shoulder, tucking me into his side. “I’m taking my mate home.”

Hang on⁠—

My brow wrinkles. “Home?” I echo. I point over my head. “Until I go back to Salem, that’s my home.”

Riordan’s jaw goes tight. “Salem? Why would you go back to Salem?”

Oh.

Oh.

Shit.

All along, I’ve always understood that I would have to go back to Salem eventually. That’s where my family home is, and where the base of the national coven is. I only live there when I don’t have a job to do somewhere else, and it’s been so long since Serena’s called me with a curse needing breaking or a ghost needing talking to that I… I kind of forgot that’s what I do.

I don’t know what’s going on with Olivia. Keeping the wormwood in my room, plus the layer of salt poured outside of the bakery’s front and back doors—thank you Roxy and Honey—made it so that my ghostly visitor wasn’t able to pop in and interrupt Riordan and me last night. Still, I guess I’m technically still working her case. She swore she wouldn’t cross over until I figured out who killed her, and since we still don’t know who the murderer in Moonburrow is, Delilah must’ve informed Serena that I’m still needed in town.

But I can’t use that excuse forever. Eventually, someone else will need me, and I’ll have to go. That’s what I do. At least, that’s what I did before I agreed to mate the Beta of the Moonshadow Pack.

The same mate who is standing at my side, quiet and stoic, waiting for me to break his heart and tell him that either he has to watch me leave or he has to give up his own job, his pack, and his family.

CHAPTER 20

FOREVER

deputy gus is on the job.

watch mother? gus can do that.

— gus

Riordan slowly removes his arm from my shoulder, and I know that I need to fix this before he shuts down on me. He will, too. My mate isn’t that far removed from the male who panicked after he used his curse against me. And, okay. He was confused, and he was convinced that I was a murderess. He wasn’t thinking clearly, and I don’t blame him for that now.

Not gonna lie, though. It does sting a little as he pulls away from me.

But then, before it can hurt too much, he nods at Honey. “If you can give Max a call at the station, let him know I didn’t take off again, I’d appreciate it. I forgot to charge my phone last night and it’s dead.”

“Um. Sure. I mean, you can borrow mine⁠—”

Riordan cuts Honey off with a quick shake of his head. “That’s okay. I’m taking the day off, but I’ll talk to him later.”

Honey looks at Riordan, then me, then Riordan again. It’s easy to tell that she’s wishing she was anywhere but here. “Yeah. I… I’ll do that.”

“I appreciate it. Gus⁠—”

The opossum squeaks.

“Right. Deputy Gus,” corrects Riordan. “Stay with your mom when we go. I’ve got to talk to Pen, and then I’m heading back to pack territory. We’ll go back on the hunt for the murderer in Moonburrow tomorrow. Good?”

Gus bobs his head, the tin star on his collar moving with the motion. I watch it bounce before he turns around, disappearing back into the bakery where his flour bag throne is waiting for him. His long, pink tail whips behind him through the open door.

Taking that as her cue to go, Honey waves at me, and then all I get a glimpse of now are her twin blonde braids before the door swings shut behind her.