Chapter 20 Faye #2
“I’m sure he has no intention of hurting you, but being friends with a Reaper is complicated.
I had a very close… friendship with a werewolf in my time, so I speak from experience.
Given the hours he has been keeping – and let me say I’m not judging.
A woman has her needs, and Peter is a very attractive man – but given that the dead are forbidden from falling in love with the living, I just want you to be careful.
If anything should happen, my door is open to you and I’ll help deal with the fallout with the coven,” Mrs Crawford said, resting a hand on her forearm reassuringly.
It took a moment for Faye to realise what she was saying, and all her strength to pick her jaw up off the floor. Oh my gods, she’s worried that Peter is going to get me pregnant?! Is that even possible?
Vampires could get humans and magical folk pregnant, and they were technically living dead.
But a Grim Reaper? Surely not? Faye shook the thought from her head, praying that Peter was really gone and hadn’t heard Mrs Crawford’s warning.
They weren’t even sleeping together – sleeping, yes, but they hadn’t crossed that line.
Faye was nowhere near emotionally ready to have sex, and Peter respected that.
She suddenly wished Mrs Crawford’s flower shop wasn’t so close to Stoker’s.
Still, there was no point in trying to lie.
“Yes, Peter has been staying with me – after everything that happened with Ian it’s nice to have company, but I assure you that you’ve nothing to worry about.
I’m aware that there’s a law between the living and the dead; the coven has nothing to worry about.
” Maybe Mrs Crawford thought the coven would be implicated if they broke the rules.
Faye wasn’t even sure what would happen; would the heavens smite them?
All she knew for sure was that Peter would be removed from Foxford.
Mrs Crawford let out a sigh of relief. “You’re a smart woman, and I’m sorry to bring up such an awkward topic, but I thought I would let you know my door is open to you. Sometimes our laws don’t understand that we can’t help where our hearts land.”
Faye wasn’t sure if it was permission or a caution. Either way, she wanted to know more about what happened between Mrs Crawford and the werewolf, because clearly it had left its mark.
“I appreciate that, and if I should need your help, I won’t hesitate to ask.”
“Good.” Mrs Crawford seemed to shake the vulnerability off like droplets of rain. She opened the door, but not without adding, “Stop by the flower shop. I noticed some of the flowers on your balcony are starting to wilt, and I’ve just the soil to revive them.”
“I’ll definitely come by, thank you,” Faye said, much happier to talk about soil than her non-relationship. She waited until Mrs Crawford left.
“Peter?” she whispered nervously, hoping he hadn’t heard the coven member’s concerns about their sex life.
“Who knew Mrs Crawford got frisky with a werewolf? How scandalous!” Peter gasped, appearing on the counter opposite Faye by the till – the one place she hadn’t checked. He must have moved when Mrs Crawford came in.
Faye winced. “I can’t believe you heard all that, but I’m glad you find it so amusing.”
“What? That she thinks we’ve been living in sin together?” He grinned, hopping off the counter.
“You’re really enjoying this. I should’ve told her you were here and let you have the awkward conversation.”
“No, thank you, that’s all you. I’d rather let Benedict push me in the lake again than have that conversation.”
“I’d rather push you in that lake than have had it!” Faye whispered back, afraid that Fauna would hear them. She really didn’t need another person involved in this discussion.
“Clearly she doesn’t know much about Reapers, or she wouldn’t have had anything to worry about,” Peter mused.
“Nothing to worry about?” she asked, confused.
It wasn’t like she knew anything about reaper anatomy.
“You can’t? I didn’t think… I just thought we weren’t ready…
” She flushed, wanting the ground to swallow her up.
Peter’s amused grin as she struggled through her words made her want to slap him. “Can you stop looking at me like that!”
“Is this you asking me for a demonstration? I’m more than happy to satisfy those needs Crawford mentioned,” he teased, closing the gap between them.
“That’s not what I meant!” She wished Fauna would reappear and save her from her embarrassment, but she could hear faint talking from the other room, so she must be on the phone.
“Sorry, I’ll take this seriously. You don’t need to worry because I can’t get you pregnant.
Reapers aren’t reanimated living tissue like vampires or other living dead magical folk.
We’re just souls that can change into whatever form we need to carry out our collections,” Peter explained, suddenly unable to meet her gaze.
“You’re cute when you’re bashful,” she said, noting his red ears. “I wasn’t worried.”
“But she was.”
“That’s because she saw you leaving the café at all hours. Of course that’s what she was going to think. Maybe you shouldn’t stay over so much.”
Peter’s eyes snapped to hers, his brows furrowed.
“Or I just teleport in and out, but if you want me to stay at the Manor for a while…”
“No,” she said quickly. “I like our evenings together.”
He kissed her, preventing her from overthinking about Mrs Crawford’s warning.
“I’m sorry for not being more careful,” he said earnestly, and she leaned into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her. “Though I wish we didn’t have to be careful. I wish we weren’t breaking the law and that we could…”
“Just be,” Faye sighed. Although she understood Mrs Crawford’s concern, she wished it hadn’t brought some of her worries to the surface again. She wanted to stay in her bubble with Peter for as long as she could.
The warmth of his body faded, and she caught herself before she fell forward as Fauna appeared.
“I’m so sorry for the wait. I got a call. Hope you weren’t too bored out here.”
“I’m fine – Mrs Crawford came in with your delivery.”
“Wonderful! I was in desperate need of dried poppies and hibiscus,” she said, clapping her hands excitedly.
“As for your order, I found exactly what we need for Benedict. Mandarin orange with a heart of nutmeg, combined with his preferred sandalwood and a base of rich leather, will make the perfect gift.”
“Sounds perfect. I can’t thank you enough for your help, and I found a scent for Gwendoline that was on the shelf you recommended.” Faye handed over the purple bottle, and Fauna read off the ingredients.
“Excellent choice. I’ll mix you up a fresh scent while you choose the bottles for both,” Fauna said, taking the fragrances they’d discussed into the brewing room. She left the curtain open, so Peter had to stay hidden.
Faye selected a simple, flat-bottomed oval bottle in deep navy-blue glass, fading to clear near the base, for Gwendoline. For Benedict, a square bottle in clear glass to display the rich colour of the cologne. They chatted casually as Fauna brewed the fragrances, lovely scents filling the shop.
“I’ll include a sample of the scent I suggested for you, just in case you change your mind,” she said slyly, wrapping up the order.
“How about we head back to yours and give Mrs Crawford something to worry about?” Peter chuckled, reappearing with his arm around Faye’s shoulder as she walked down the street.
“How about you bring these gifts to the Manor?” she suggested, handing him the gift bag.
“Are you sure you don’t want to give them yourself?” he asked, obviously hesitating to head home so soon after his anniversary, even if he no longer looked like his younger self.
“I wrote a card earlier and put it in the bag,” she said, not wanting to make a big fuss. Besides, she knew how much Gwendoline wanted to see Peter.
“Fine, I’ll go, but I’ll make sure to walk past the flower shop later on my way to yours,” he teased, clearly enjoying Mrs Crawford’s suspicion and concern.
She knew he was only joking, but her stomach still fluttered.
She’d been enjoying their time together, and she didn’t want town gossip to pull them apart.
“You’re impossible!” she groaned as he wrapped his arms around her, worried they might be seen in a tight embrace. But as a group of university students almost bumped into them passing by, Peter had obviously made both of them invisible.
“And you love it.” He winked before vanishing again, leaving her outside the café.
“Yes,” she muttered to herself, “that’s the problem.”