Page 74 of Of Magic and Murder

— gus

All of my new purchases have been tucked away in a closet that is already full to bursting with all of Riordan’s perfectly tailored clothing, and he’s just finished giving me a tour of the cabin.

I’ll be honest. The cabin isn’t what I expected when I first heard wolf territory.

I’m a witch. After what happened with the feral, I kept my distance from wolf shifters. I knew better than to think that Riordan lived in a nest of rotted furs, old bones, and debris, but cabin… I don’t know. I guess I imagined something rougher. Animal skins on the furniture. Maybe antlers mounted on walls, a sign of wild prey that had been hunted and caught. Lots of wood, and definitely the color brown.

Instead, his house looks exactly like him. It’s very neat. Super elegant. All of his furniture is fashioned with a dark wood that gleams like it’s been recently polished. It smells like a mix of lemon and pine, and it’s almost as immaculate as Roxy’s upstairs level. The kitchen seems suspiciously unused, which makes sense when he says that he goes to the pack’s communal space to eat when he’s at home (and I’ve tried so many different Moonburrow restaurants since he started our dinner ‘dates’ that were actually really dates), and there’s a television in the living room that takes up nearly one whole wall.

Currently, we’re standing in his bedroom—our bedroom, I suppose—while I take in the reality of our situation. I suck in a breath, shudder it out, and realize something.

This is it.

This is my life now.

It doesn’t seem real. I can’t fight this feeling that it’s all a dream, that I’m going to wake up and be on a plane to Salem, hiding from my fear of flying by imagining a gorgeous wolf who loves me so much, he’s willing to spend forever with a wayward witch who might be able to break curses, but that’s about all she can do. I almost can’t believe this is happening to me because I’ve never been this happy.

My whole life, I’ve either been the screw-up or the one told they have a job to do. I never thought I’d have my very own happy-ever-after, and now that I do… I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop.

It’s going to happen. And it’s not like everything is coming up roses. As Riordan reminded me, there’s still a murderer on the loose. Riordan grabbed a can of salt, pouring out as much was in it on his doorstep, but it wasn’t enough. Add the fact that we left the wormwood behind at Honey’s bakery, and I’m sure Olivia will be bugging me again soon. I can just imagine what sort of comment she’ll have when she realizes that I mated Riordan after I spent so long pretending that he was just the chief deputy helping me investigate her murder, and while I don’t really give a shit what she’ll say, she’s just another reminder that mating Riordan didn’t really change much about what’s expected of both of us.

Riordan blew off work today. He won’t be able to do that tomorrow, and I’m just waiting for Max to confront his brother. I’m sure he’ll understand that we’re taking the day to soak in our new bond, but after that? Just like I have a job to do, so does my mate.

That why I’m now standing in front of the bed, my head filled with everything I’m worried about.

Riordan stalks over to me, taking one of my hands in his.

My head tilts back as I stare up at him in bewilderment.

He squeezes the fingers. “Talk to me, Pen. What’s going on in that pretty head of yours?”

How to even begin? Once we made it back to the bedroom, I expected Riordan to give in to the attraction humming down the bond between us. It doesn’t help that he’s still shirtless and has been since he shredded his own shirt off of him to make a point. I’m sure it pleases him to have me basically drooling over his stunningly gorgeous chest, but instead of pulling the ‘mate’ card and leading me to the bed, he prowled around the space, letting me think until the room was nearly thick with my sudden nerves.

Not because of him. Nope. Once you see how a male is devoted to giving you pleasure and talking you through taking his cock and his bite, how can you be afraid of him? I stopped shortly after I started spending time with Riordan, and now I barely understand how I was ever nervous around him. Oh, no. That was straight-up want existing between us, but now that I have him, I’m only worried about one thing.

Losing him.

“I’m afraid.”

A shadow falls over his face. “Penelope…”

I clutch his arm. “Not you. Goddess, Riordan, it’s not you. But I’m scared… what if whoever is doing this kills again?”

His canines punch out while his eyes blaze, his wolf peeking through. “I won’t let them hurt you.”

He doesn’t understand. “What if they hurt you?”

If the topic of conversation wasn’t so serious, I might’ve laughed a little at the shocked look on his face. Instead, I just say, “What?”

“You’re worried about me?”

Um. Why wouldn’t I be? “Of course I am.”

He gestures at his undeniably ripped chest. “Me? The Beta of the Moonshadow Pack? Chief Deputy Lobo? You’ve met my wolf, haven’t you? I’m a big beast of a predator. And you’re worried about me?”

I shrug. “That’s what you do when you love someone, Riordan. You worry about them.” I pause, and then I admit, “I was worried that something might’ve happened to you after you left Moonburrow and I barely knew you then. Now you’re my mate. I’m terrified someone is going to hurt you.”

He swallows roughly. “All I’ve ever wanted was for you to look at me and not be scared. I finally managed to get you to agree to be my mate, and you’re still frightened. My sweet witch…” A soft sigh and, almost hesitantly, his free hand settles on my waist. “As long as I have you to come home to, nothing can ever hurt me.”