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Clawson shook his head. “Not to me.”
I frowned at his choice of words. “What do you mean, not to you?”
“Your mate came to see him.” Clawson kept his eyes on mine, waiting for a reaction. When I nodded, he continued, “Man hasn’t said a word to me since we got here. I tried every technique I know to get him to speak—zero, zilch, nada. Tori walks in, and his whole expression changes. The damnedest thing I’ve ever seen, like he was glad to see her.”
As if summoned by the mention of her name, Tori’s scent wafted past me. She couldn’t be far away. I wanted to be with her, to soothe my inner wolf, but Clawson clearly needed to talk.
“Did you believe him? Do you think he was happy to see her, or was he stringing her along to hurt her?” I gritted my teeth at the idea.
“It seemed genuine, Ridge, but then he snapped off the cuffs and shackles as if they were made of paper. He could have left at any time, but he didn’t.”
I relaxed my white-knuckled fist. It didn’t seem like Kyle was here to hurt Tori or the town. What were his motivations, then? Could he truly want to reconnect with his sister?
I was about to ask Clawson for his opinion when his eyes strayed back to the café’s front door.
“Are you trying to drum up courage to face the Magpies?” I teased.
“Have you spoken with Margo or Diana since we got back?”Clawson asked.
I hadn’t seen them at the town meeting, but I hadn’t even thought of going to the B&B to see them. Diana, especially. I winced in shame. “No. Between Zander and protecting the town, the businesses, and Tori, I haven’t had the chance.”
The look Clawson gave me heaped on the guilt.
“Nothing stopping you from going there, old friend,” I pointed out. “You’ve known them just as long as I have, if not longer. You went to school with Margo, didn’t you?”
I couldn’t decipher the expression that passed over his face, but I suspected it had something to do with Margo. Not wanting to butt into my friend’s private life but also not willing to let the opportunity slide, I said, “You’re the sheriff. Maybe you should check on her?”
If looks could kill, the hunters would have nothing on Clawson.
I quickly changed the subject to something neutral. “We need to call a shifter meeting. Let them know what’s happening. We need to be prepared for whatever the hunters might throw at us, because we both know this is far from over.”
Clawson agreed. I stood to leave, but he remained seated, his eyes once again fixed on the door of the establishment.
Growling deeply at my growing headache, I started my car. I needed to go home and hit the journals and books to see if I could find anything on shifters being stripped of their animals. Hopefully, something was noted somewhere in our history.
No matter how powerful, a witch couldn’t have come up with this all on her own. It had to have been a suicide mission, or a coercion.
Chapter46
Tori
The Magpies were in their regular booth at The Moonlight Café, watching me closely as I explained the situation.
“And I promise you I won’t be late to my shifts or miss any more. I just had a run of bad luck over the past few days.”
That was the understatement of the century, but I couldn’t explain everything that had gone down, even though I was sure they knew exactly what had happened. These two women had their noses and ears in everything, but I was okay with apologizing to them. Surely they’d give me my job back after everything that had happened.
I should’ve called them, though. That had been irresponsible of me, but to be fair, I’d had more important things on my mind. Anyone would’ve forgotten to call when the lives of the people they cared about were on the line.
The older women watched me closely, not saying anything, and I started to squirm under their gaze. I scanned the café. Thankfully, it wasn’t packed. This was the time of day when the café had a lull between the lunch and dinner rush. Some tables were occupied by customers, who chatted amongst themselves, not paying us any attention.
The peaceful small-town vibe was alive and strong here. When I’d first arrived in town, it had been a lot less daunting than after I became the mayor’s fiancée. Once Ridge had announced our engagement, I’d had all eyes on me, and a million questions asked. But today, the place was back to its easygoing nature.
It made me happy to see it. I’d been a little worried that the unrest in town caused by the deputy’s murder had caused many irreparable issues and fears, but those had calmed down. The Mayberry-like town was back to its original charm and idealism, and I was a little smitten with it all.
Margo popped out of the swinging door to the kitchen, carrying several plates as she loaded up a table with tasty-smelling goodness. Her bubbly laughter echoed throughout the place, and her personality had others smiling with her. At the same time, she regaled the customers with outlandish stories. She should have been a soap opera writer, with how much flair she put into everything she described.
Who knew a shopping trip could be so dramatic?
