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He abruptly shifts, turning into his beautiful, huge wolf and he lets out a single, deep, loud bark.
Petunia, my bitchy fat cat with the attitude…she looks like she’s going to piss herself. Her back arches straight up into a perfect semicircle and her hair rises like she’s been electrocuted before her ears pin back and she runs like her ass is on fire, tearing up the stairs.
Riley shifts back to human form and he collapses to his back on the floor beside me; he’s laughing his ass off.
***
“It’s well after six and everyone’s phones are going straight to voicemail. Nobody’s answering their texts,” I mutter. “I hope nothing’s wrong.”
I’m dressed up. I ironed my hair straight, which startled Riley and I could tell he also liked it. He keeps coming into the bathroom and touching it, flirting with me, trying to sweettalk me into skipping dinner.
And he looks good, too. Damn good. He’s wearing a navy button-down dress shirt, dark trousers, and glossy polished brown dress shoes. He looks and smells like a million bucks.
He shaved, too, doing it beside me at the double sink in his bathroom while I flat ironed my hair and though it was hot to watch, though his smooth face feels and looks really nice, I’m kind of partial to the beard. I told him that and he laughed, telling me that he’s generally clean shaven but that the last few weeks he’s had other things on his mind. I gave him a look of apology and he spanked my bottom once for it, admonishing me for feeling any sort of guilt.
“No more shrinking, baby. You hear me?” He rubs my bottom soothingly after the slap.
He then tells me he’s happy to forego the morning shaving ritual most of the time if it floats my boat.
And I clearly float his boat tonight. I’m wearing a short, tight, lacy dress and my highest high heels that still make me feel like I’m a miniature person in the land of the giants with Riley’s towering height, and I’m in makeup and perfume. I’m wearing dangling Celtic knot earrings and the protection necklace Aunt Mimi made for me. I started getting ready while multitasking by calling my family (who still hadn’t answered my group message) to try to wrangle up a plan to meet up for dinner. Riley said there’s a nice steak joint in Drowsy Hollow, so I thought we’d meet them all there, but nobody’s answering phones. And I’m concerned.
Maybe birthdays aren’t a big deal in shifter culture and if so, that’s a bummer. Because in my family, another trip around the sun is a big deal to us, but I really don’t like that nobody’s been in touch for hours.
“What’s going on?” I ask aloud to no one.
“We’ll head down to their apartment and wrangle ‘em?” Riley pops his head in the bathroom.
Aviva is definitely dead. And we put an extra-strong lock on the box containing that old wand. Both a physical lock and a spell. Jase and Linc took it and hid it in a little niche in the back of the cave under Arcana Falls. They confirmed that it was done. Maybe I should’ve put a protection spell on the cave, too. I sure hope everything and everyone are okay.
***
“You’re quiet,” Riley observes as we get into his truck.
“I’m just… hope they’re okay.”
“I’m sure they are, babe.”
I force a smile.
“I feel your anxiety, little witch, and it’s not necessary. Trust me. Okay?”
“Trust you? What do you mean?”
“Fuck. Gotta let you off the hook, but act surprised so your sisters don’t take turns kickin’ me in the nuts.”
I stare at him for a minute before what he just said penetrates. Wait. What? Wait. No…
“Act surprised? Are they punking me right now?”
His phone makes noise.
He glances at the screen and says in an uber-fake bad actor voice, “Oh look! I have a text. I know I shouldn’t text while driving, but I have a feeling I need to see this.” He pauses for dramatic effect, lifts his phone, and his eyes scan the screen.
“We aren’t even out of the driveway yet,” I say, unable to stop grinning at him.
“Even still. Precious cargo.” He leans forward with an exaggerated pucker.
I lean in and our lips touch.
“Mm,” he says under his breath, then looking me over, gives me the sexiest growl I’ve ever heard. In. My. Life.
His eyes move back to his screen as I fan myself. “Tell my sister you need to stop by the town hall for something… come up with an excuse.” He winks and then pulls out onto the road.
I’m flat-out laughing as we drive the short distance to the town hall.
“I thought maybe birthdays weren’t a big deal around here and my family usually makes a big deal, but I figured they forgot what with everything happening.”
