A Roar for Magic (Mystic Hollow #2)

Chapter 6

SIX

R ook’s tiger, traitor that it was, rather liked that timeline.

The drive to Spellbound Lights took exactly seven minutes. Rook knew because he counted each one, trying to convince himself this wasn’t completely irrational behavior. He had legitimate business reasons to visit. The spa project did need magical security consulting…okay, it didn’t, but nobody needed to know that. The fact that his tiger practically vibrated with anticipation at seeing Clover again was entirely coincidental.

Right. Keep telling yourself that.

The shop’s windows glowed with warm light, enchanted candles creating an inviting display that changed colors as he watched. Through the glass, he could see Lane leaning against the counter, saying something that made Halle giggle and Clover roll her eyes.

His tiger growled. Without conscious thought, Rook found himself pushing through the door with more force than strictly necessary.

The bell’s chime carried a distinctly amused note as if the shop itself knew exactly why he’d returned so soon. Clover looked up, and for a moment their eyes locked. The same jolt of recognition passed between them—that bone-deep certainty his tiger had been shouting about since their first meeting.

Then Lane’s drawling voice broke the moment. “Hey, Uncle. Fancy meeting you here.”

“Lane.” Rook managed to keep most of the growl out of his voice. Mostly. “Don’t you have pride duties to attend to?”

“Already handled.” Lane’s grin suggested he knew exactly what he was doing. “Just stopped by to discuss a custom order with Miss Weaver. She has quite a talent for... personal scents.”

Clover’s eyes narrowed slightly at the undercurrent of tension between them. “I was just explaining to your nephew that I don’t do custom love potions or attraction enchantments. It’s against shop policy.”

“Not even for family?” Lane turned those puppy-dog eyes on her—an expression that had gotten him out of trouble since he was a cub.

“Not that we’re family, but especially not for family.” But Clover’s lips twitched, betraying her amusement. “Now, unless you’re actually interested in legitimate business...”

“Can’t blame a tiger for trying.” Lane straightened, stretching in a way that emphasized his athletic build. Rook’s tiger snarled internally. “I’ll catch you later, Clover. Maybe we can discuss other magical possibilities over coffee sometime?”

A low growl escaped before Rook could stop it. The sound made Halle’s eyes go wide with what looked like delight while Clover’s magic sparked in response—a reaction she quickly tried to hide.

“Out,” Rook ordered, letting just enough alpha authority seep into his voice to make it clear this wasn’t a suggestion.

Lane’s grin widened. “Sure thing, Alpha. By the way, Clover, has anyone ever told you how gorgeous you look when?—”

“ Out. ”

“I’m going, I’m going.” Lane paused at the door. “But seriously, if you ever want to grab that coffee...”

The bell chimed cheerfully as Lane dodged the small stress ball Rook grabbed off the counter and threw at his head. His nephew’s laughter echoed down the street, leaving behind a charged silence in the shop.

“Well!” Halle said, looking around. “I suddenly remember urgent inventory duties. In the back room. Far away from any alpha tiger tension. Coming, Poe?”

The crow familiar ruffled his feathers from his perch near the ceiling. “And miss the show? Not a chance.”

“Traitor,” Clover muttered, but Halle was already disappearing into the storage room, humming what sounded suspiciously like a romance movie theme song.

Alone with Clover, Rook suddenly found himself struggling to remember his carefully planned business excuse. Her scent filled his nose—lavender and lightning with an undertone of something uniquely her—making his tiger purr contentedly.

“So,” Clover broke the charged silence, moving to reorganize an already perfect display of meditation candles. “I assume you’re not actually here for more calming candles? Since your grandmother ordered enough this morning to sedate half the pride.”

“Actually, I wanted to discuss a business proposition.” His tiger perked up at how official that sounded. See? Totally professional. “The spa project?—”

“The one your nephew mentioned between terrible pickup lines?” A smile tugged at her lips. “Or do you have multiple spa projects in development?”

“Just the one for now. This is the first of what will be a chain.” Rook moved closer, drawn by the way her magic sparked in response to his presence. “We’re incorporating traditional healing methods with modern techniques. But some of our formulas are... sensitive to magical interference. I want to create new ones.”

“Ah.” Clover turned to face him, those remarkable green eyes studying him thoughtfully. “And this has nothing to do with the corrupted scent I detected on your nephew earlier? The one that carried traces of sabotage magic? Who’s he been around lately?”

His tiger growled at the reminder of Hudson’s schemes. Maybe he needed to have some of his family under observation. Anyone who continuously used evil magic couldn’t be trusted. “I’m not sure. Is it noticeable?”

“Hard to miss.” She gestured to a shelf where several protection crystals had shifted from clear to cloudy. “My wards react to dark magic. Even residual traces.”

“That’s actually perfect.” His tiger preened at their mate’s magical prowess. “I was thinking we can discuss working together.”

“Were you?” Her eyebrow arched skeptically. “Because your aura suggests you had other motivations for charging in here like a possessive alpha.”

Heat crept up his neck. “I didn’t?—”

“You growled at your nephew. Twice.”

“He was being inappropriate.”

“He was flirting. Badly.” Amusement danced in her eyes. “Are you saying the big bad alpha tiger can’t handle a little competition?”

His tiger surged forward, wanting to show her exactly how they handled competition for their mate. Rook forced it back, but something must have shown in his eyes because Clover’s breath caught.

“The picnic,” he said abruptly before his tiger could do something stupid like mark her right there in the shop. “This weekend. I heard about it being a witch-shifter event. Would you consider attending with me?”

Surprise flickered across her face. “I was under the impression you hated community events.”

“I’m making an exception.”

“Why?”

Because my tiger will tear the shop apart if I don’t get to spend more time with you. Because you smell like home and magic and everything I never knew I needed. Because the thought of Lane or anyone else courting you makes me want to shift and roar my claim to all of Mystic Hollow.

“Professional networking,” he said instead. “I really want to work with you.”

“Over potato salad and shifter politics?” But her lips curved in that shy smile that made his tiger want to purr. “That’s an interesting strategy, Mr. Katz.”

“Rook,” he corrected automatically. “And is that a yes?”

Before she could answer, the shop door chimed. A customer entered, immediately drawn to the seasonal display. Clover started to move away, but Rook caught her hand. Energy crackled between them at the contact.

“Clover.” His voice dropped lower, rougher. “Is it a yes?”

She studied him for a long moment, something unreadable flickering in her eyes. Finally, she squeezed his hand once before pulling away.

“Yes,” she said softly. “But only because I’m curious about your security needs and working with you on a new scent. This isn’t a date.”

His tiger practically radiated smugness. Sure, it’s not , the beast purred. Keep telling yourself that, little witch.

“Of course not,” Rook agreed, fighting to keep his own satisfaction from showing. “Purely professional.”

“Right.” Poe’s sarcastic voice drifted down from above. “And I’m a peacock in disguise.”

“Don’t you have somewhere to fly to?” Clover glared at her familiar.

“Nope. This is much more entertaining.”

Rook should have left then. He had meetings scheduled, pride matters to handle, and a corporate saboteur to investigate. Instead, he found himself browsing the shop’s new arrivals, stealing glances at Clover as she helped customers. His tiger basked in her presence, more content than it had been in years.

When he finally forced himself to leave an hour later, he had several unnecessary candles, a dinner date disguised as a business meeting, and absolutely no regrets.

Well, maybe one regret—he probably shouldn’t have growled at that male customer who’d asked for Clover’s “personal recommendation” on romantic scents.

But in his defense, the guy had been standing way too close.

And really, what else was an alpha tiger supposed to do when someone eyed their mate?

Not our mate yet , he reminded his tiger sternly.

Soon .