front of their eyes. They’ll only see what their brain tells them makes sense.”
Mai nodded at the crowd outside that window. “These aren’t mortals, Jani.”
“Which is good. No need to lie to them.”
When I straightened and turned back to stare out of the window again, Mai joined me and we both watched the weres and covens tossing their packs and listening to Bane as he and his shifter friend Wyatt pointed toward the forest.
“Yes, but that means they’ll expect more from you.” She paused, taking the bottle of water from me. “I’m worried about this. I’m worried that whoever took the Elam is going to target you.”
“They won’t touch me.”
“How do you know?”
Mai didn’t fight me for the bottle when I took it. “Bane won’t let them.”
My twin’s smile was wide and hopeful, advertising the intent behind that look. She wanted me back in the Cove and I guess being around Bane gave her a little too much hope that might happen. I almost hated deflating that pretty bubble of anticipation. “Get over yourself, nosy witch. It’s not like that.”
“So you say.”
I stared at my twin, shaking my head when that wide grin didn’t falter in the least. “It’s like you forgot that we aren’t eighteen anymore.”
“I know what I see and I know what drove you away ten years ago.” She didn’t, not really, no one did, but Mai liked to think of herself as all-knowing when it came to love. More specifically, when it came to me and love. She’d been way off her game for a long damn time.
“He’s engaged, Mai, and not interested in anything with me. Besides, this is a job. The money will help with my debt and doing well will help Papa’s business save face.” She frowned, as though only just remembering that it was her husband who’d ruined things for our father. “Stop with the grimace. You’ll get wrinkles.”
“Ronan…”
“You were stupid in love with him.” She didn’t loosen the tight set of her mouth when I nudged her, seeming unwilling to let me tease her a little. I hated Mai letting that guilt get inside of her. “He was a charmer and good looking. We’ve all done stupid things when our libidos are firing on all cylinders.”
Finally, that frown eased and my sister shook her head. “What have you done because of your cylinders?”
“Stupid, stupid people, sis.”
“You aren’t the only one.” Two shifters approached the door, pulling our attention away from talk of wayward cylinders, and I smiled at the slow grin that came across Wyatt Rimmel’s mouth when he nodded to us both.
Ten years back, I’d met Wyatt one afternoon after I had ditched the last fifteen minutes of English Lit. He’d been waiting on Bane, a surprise visit, he’d claimed. “It’s his eighteenth birthday this weekend,” he’d told me as I nodded at the comfortable spot he’d taken up on the hood of my patchy, rusted, holes-in-the-bumper ‘68 Shelby.
“That right?” The shifter hadn’t moved, so I edged him off the hood and dumped my backpack onto the front seat. “This information should matter to me somehow?”
“You’re Jani,” Wyatt had said, laughing when my face went flushed and blotchy.
I slammed the car door, which rattled the front window and the shifter finally slid off my car. “How do you know?”
“Folks talk.” Eyes shifting to my tight grip on the door handle, Wyatt relaxed, seeming like he found my little bout of curiosity funny. “Especially smitten folk who try to play like no one touches them.”
“Who on earth…”
Mai nodded at the crowd outside that window. “These aren’t mortals, Jani.”
“Which is good. No need to lie to them.”
When I straightened and turned back to stare out of the window again, Mai joined me and we both watched the weres and covens tossing their packs and listening to Bane as he and his shifter friend Wyatt pointed toward the forest.
“Yes, but that means they’ll expect more from you.” She paused, taking the bottle of water from me. “I’m worried about this. I’m worried that whoever took the Elam is going to target you.”
“They won’t touch me.”
“How do you know?”
Mai didn’t fight me for the bottle when I took it. “Bane won’t let them.”
My twin’s smile was wide and hopeful, advertising the intent behind that look. She wanted me back in the Cove and I guess being around Bane gave her a little too much hope that might happen. I almost hated deflating that pretty bubble of anticipation. “Get over yourself, nosy witch. It’s not like that.”
“So you say.”
I stared at my twin, shaking my head when that wide grin didn’t falter in the least. “It’s like you forgot that we aren’t eighteen anymore.”
“I know what I see and I know what drove you away ten years ago.” She didn’t, not really, no one did, but Mai liked to think of herself as all-knowing when it came to love. More specifically, when it came to me and love. She’d been way off her game for a long damn time.
“He’s engaged, Mai, and not interested in anything with me. Besides, this is a job. The money will help with my debt and doing well will help Papa’s business save face.” She frowned, as though only just remembering that it was her husband who’d ruined things for our father. “Stop with the grimace. You’ll get wrinkles.”
“Ronan…”
“You were stupid in love with him.” She didn’t loosen the tight set of her mouth when I nudged her, seeming unwilling to let me tease her a little. I hated Mai letting that guilt get inside of her. “He was a charmer and good looking. We’ve all done stupid things when our libidos are firing on all cylinders.”
Finally, that frown eased and my sister shook her head. “What have you done because of your cylinders?”
“Stupid, stupid people, sis.”
“You aren’t the only one.” Two shifters approached the door, pulling our attention away from talk of wayward cylinders, and I smiled at the slow grin that came across Wyatt Rimmel’s mouth when he nodded to us both.
Ten years back, I’d met Wyatt one afternoon after I had ditched the last fifteen minutes of English Lit. He’d been waiting on Bane, a surprise visit, he’d claimed. “It’s his eighteenth birthday this weekend,” he’d told me as I nodded at the comfortable spot he’d taken up on the hood of my patchy, rusted, holes-in-the-bumper ‘68 Shelby.
“That right?” The shifter hadn’t moved, so I edged him off the hood and dumped my backpack onto the front seat. “This information should matter to me somehow?”
“You’re Jani,” Wyatt had said, laughing when my face went flushed and blotchy.
I slammed the car door, which rattled the front window and the shifter finally slid off my car. “How do you know?”
“Folks talk.” Eyes shifting to my tight grip on the door handle, Wyatt relaxed, seeming like he found my little bout of curiosity funny. “Especially smitten folk who try to play like no one touches them.”
“Who on earth…”
Similar Books
