13. Ever
Chapter 13
Ever
T aking a deep breath, I push open the door to the bookstore five minutes before my shift. Ledger glances up at the sound of the bell, arms loaded up with a stack of books, and his shoulders slump as he breathes a sigh of relief. A sliver of guilt worms its way past my defenses. I’m sure he was worried I was going to be a no call no show after the way I left right after lunch the other day, not even finishing my full first day of work and bailing yesterday. But he still hoped I’d show up today, and a stupid part of me lights up at that.
I never received a reply to my resignation email at my old job, and not a single text from any of my coworkers. I doubt they’ve even noticed that I quit, let alone care. But one day working here, and Ledger was getting nervous I wasn’t going to show up, and it’s not like he was relying on me to work the register or anything actually important.
Squashing down a myriad of emotions I’m not ready to confront, I wave back at Kai as he calls out a greeting and stride right up to Ledger, keeping my voice low. “I need answers.”
He sets the stack of books on the table beside my work chair, gaze slowly roving over me head to toe, not even subtle in his perusal. I don’t know if he’s checking me out or scanning for injuries, but I hate myself a little for the fluttering in my stomach under the heavy weight of his complete focus. “Then I’m your man. What would you like to know?”
Where do I even begin, is probably a better question. How am I supposed to know what to ask if I don’t know what I don’t know?
“Why here? I’ve never run into any ghosts before this place.”
Ledger sucks in a deep breath, watching me like he’s worried he’s about to send me running for the hills. “Mercy Ridge is a sanctuary city for supernaturals, but we prefer the term mystics, or mysts. We’re able to use our abilities freely here without worrying about humans finding out and trying to hunt us down out of fear, or capture us to experiment on. Or to hide out from more powerful mysts they aren’t able to deal with on their own.”
“Wait. What do you mean we ?” My heart skips a beat before thundering in double time. Tentatively, I reach out and touch his arm, but those muscles don’t give an inch. “You’re not a ghost.”
The corner of his lip twitches. “Afraid not.”
“So that means,” I trail off, both desperate for and dreading his answer. Realization sinks in before he even opens his mouth. “Oh, shit. You meant supernatural as in shifters, witches, and vampires, not flickering lights and possessions. Didn’t you?”
Watching me warily, he nods. “That’s right, sunshine.”
“So that means you’re a,” I trail off, swallowing hard. What the hell have I gotten myself into?
“Wolf shifter.”
“Prove it.”
His gaze flicks down to my lips and back just as quickly. “I absolutely can show you now if you’d like. I’ll need to strip though, so it might be best to wait until after work.”
Heat creeps up my neck, but I offer a terse nod. “Alright. Tonight, prove it. But if this is all some sick joke, I’m not the person to pull it on. I’ll pack my stuff and be gone before the sun sets and won’t look back. I like this place, but I’m too old to deal with bullies or play these kinds of games, and won’t put up with that shit.”
Jaw tightening, he dips his head in acknowledgment. “Noted, but I’d like to put it on record that I’d never toy with someone’s emotions like that. Pranks aren’t my thing.”
“Good. Then I guess I’ll see you tonight.”
“It’s a date,” he purrs. Reaching past me, he grabs a cup of coffee off the table beside my work chair and puts it in my hand, curling my fingers around it. “And I’ll do you one better because I know it’ll be the only thing on your mind.” He gestures to the books at my work station, none of them ones I left out yesterday. “These are all written by mystics and fairly close to the truth, only minor details tweaked to keep the secret. You can start reading up and make a list of questions to bring with you, and I’ll answer them all. Even if it takes all night.”
This is insane. Shifters are great in theory , especially for spicy books, but in the real world? How the hell does that even work? Matter cannot be created or destroyed, and a beast of a man like Ledger has at least a hundred pounds on a wolf unless that thing is the size of a damn horse.
The math ain’t mathing.
“I mean it, Ledger.” Looking him dead in the eye, I show him how serious I am while practically pleading with him to admit he took the joke too far and apologize before it goes any further. “Don’t lie to me. Trust is hard for me, and I’d respect you more for admitting you fucked up than trying to cover up a lie to save face.”
His heated gaze stays locked on mine as he closes the distance between us and gently strokes his knuckles down my cheek. “Trust me, Ever. I have much better ideas of how to play with you than mind games.” He taps the top of the stack of books. “I can personally guarantee chapter twenty-seven is true.”
With a wink, he walks away and leaves me alone with my thoughts spinning wildly out of control, but one sticks out louder than the rest.
What if he’s actually telling the truth?
I’m torn between blushing, and demanding Ledger meet me in the bathroom so I can see for myself if that hint of his about chapter twenty-seven means what I think it does. Knotting is for smutty books, not real life. Otherwise, I’ve been really missing out on what the world has to offer. Up until now, it’s just been disappointment and stress.
If the monsters lurking in the shadows come with knots and tentacles, do I reeeeeeeally want to run from them? It’s just foreplay at that point.
This is what I’ve always secretly wanted, right? To wake up one day and my life turn into something more ? Sure, I didn’t stumble through a portal to some fantasy world, but those usually don’t have indoor plumbing or electricity anyway. I don’t want to die of dysentery and wash clothes by hand; that sounds awful. But getting knotted by a wolf shifter in an air conditioned house or riding a dragon? I could totally get behind that reality.
It just sucks that in books they only want humans for breeding, and we don’t get cool powers too. Maybe one of these books has something about being bitten and turned?
I scribble down the question as Ledger interrupts to ask if I can mind the register while he makes an emergency supply run for the café.
“Sure, I can hold down the fort for a while.”
A small furrow appears between his brows. “If anyone gives you trouble, shout for Kai. He’ll handle it, and you call me while he does.”
I’m not sure why the comment annoys me so much. You’d think it’d be a good thing that a boss cared about his employees’ safety, yet the internalized misogyny rubs me the wrong way. Which is stupid, because it’s not like I’m secretly some badass that could disarm anyone that shows up to rob the place or harass me, especially if what he’s saying is true and this city is crawling with supernatural creatures that have abilities I don’t stand a chance against. Yet, him automatically deciding the other man in the store is responsible for protecting me is giving me an eye twitch, wanting to prove to him how capable I am simply out of spite. Feelings are extremely annoying sometimes.
I have no interest in fighting a vampire unless he’s an enemy prince that’ll pin me against the wall and choke me a little.
Way too in my head, I bring my notebook with me to the counter and fill it with every question that even briefly crosses my mind. After a couple of hours simmering on it, I’ve processed enough to realize that I’m not actually upset about the possibility that everything I know is a lie. Honestly, I hope it’s true, because my life up until now has pretty much sucked ass. I’m just frustrated that apparently every person in this damn city knew that the supernatural existed except for me.
Being tech savvy was the only thing that set me apart from other foster kids. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that getting that selling point in my file of being a socially awkward smart kid saved me from getting put in a group home once I hit my teens. If no one wanted to adopt me as a cute kid, there wasn’t a chance in hell it was going to happen when I was a few years from aging out of the system. So I leaned into it. Let it define me. And while it helped score me a few decent homes to get by over the years, it left me with an utter obsession to solve any problem thrown my way to prove myself.
I can’t live in a place that leaves me feeling like the stupidest person in the room. I just can’t.
A cramp slices through my hand, but I keep my furious grip on my pencil as I fill page after page with questions until I’m feeling more settled and in control of the situation. It won’t matter if I’m the only human in a supernatural city if I know what to expect. What creatures do I need to fear, and which ones are potential allies? Bargaining chips. Weaknesses. How to protect myself and my home against creatures with abilities I can only dream of and have no hope of matching? Do I have any rights in their society, or am I considered cattle, a blood slave, or broodmare? Knowing the answers to these questions will paint me a solid picture of what I’m dealing with, and what my next steps will be.
If I’m not in danger, I’d like to stay, if only so I can have a taste of how much more the world has to offer, as pathetic as that sounds.
The bell chimes above the door, and I set my notebook aside to watch the customer with interest. If Ledger isn’t fucking with me, then everyone in this town is either something ‘other,’ or knows about it. Either way works for me, but it wouldn’t hurt to have someone to commiserate with. Or fact check what Ledger says… if I stick around after tonight, that is.
The guy’s completely focused on something in his hands, tinkering with it and not looking up as he approaches the counter. “Hey Ledger, sorry to bother you, but the damn thing is stuck and I need you to rip this piece off real quick.”
Auburn hair a tangled mess and silver rimmed glasses frame a face frowning in concentration. A faded band t-shirt clings to his lithe frame, jeans sporting a few grease stains where he clearly wiped his hands on his thighs. One shoe’s untied, and honestly, it’s a miracle he doesn’t trip on his way over with those purple bags he’s sporting under his eyes.
“Ledger’s on a supply run, but I could give it a whirl if you’d like.”
His head jerks up at the sound of my voice, fumbling the device, and I dive forward to save it a split-second before it crashes onto the counter. The base of the cube is about the size of my palm, the sides constructed in a steampunk style of exposed gears and bronze embellishments. On top though, a metal circle that’s supposed to lie flush against the surface is jammed a few centimeters from closing, the faint whir of groaning gears stealing my attention.
“What is it?”
Adjusting his glasses, he averts his gaze and stammers, “Oh, um, it’s not that interesting, really. Just something I’ve been working on.”
I whip out my phone, using the flashlight to peek inside. “It looks like a modified version of a seismograph.” Grabbing a paperclip, I bend it and slide it inside of the jammed circle, getting a feel of the internal mechanism.
His face lights up, bright green eyes sparking with excitement. “Yes! So many security systems rely on cameras, which only catch the intruder after you’ve been robbed or murdered, and alarm sensors only trip when a door or window is opened. That might scare off some, but for the smart criminals, they’ll already have researched police response times and be in and out before being caught. I’m trying to develop an earlier alert system that doesn’t also alert the intruder, giving the homeowner the advantage. I’m just having trouble calibrating the sensitivity and something came loose, jammed it.”
From the corner of my eye, I watch a red flush spread from his cheeks to the tips of his ears. “Sorry, I didn't mean to ramble on about it, I know this stuff is boring and you were just being polite by asking. I’m working on dialing it back, I promise.”
If I hadn’t already assumed this was Ledger’s infamous roommate, that apology would have sealed the deal. I wonder if he’s human too, or one of the supernaturals -mystics- that came here for protection. I could see it after Ledger’s story of him getting dropped off on his doorstep; there’s just something about the guy that makes you want to wrap him up in a blanket and shield him from all the assholes in the world. It’d be rude to come straight out and ask though, right? Or worse, Ledger is fucking with me and I’ll make a complete idiot of myself in front of a cute guy.
“Are you kidding me? This is badass.” I feel the obstruction, carefully shifting it so it doesn’t wedge itself tighter or knock anything else out of alignment. “And I’m the same way when it comes to talking about my projects. Anyone that doesn’t understand what it means to be excited and passionate enough about something you could talk about it for hours, I feel bad for. Their lives must be incredibly dull.”
There’s a small snick as the mechanism is freed, falling shut as I remove the paperclip. Satisfied, I set it on the counter. “There you go, all fixed.”
Mouth parted, he simply stares at me, not making a move to take it back. “Thanks. So, you’re an inventor too, then?”
“Not to the same degree as you, I’m afraid. This is genius.” I check it over once more before reluctantly sliding it his way before I’m tempted to take it apart to see how it works. Resting my arms on the counter, I lean closer. “Promise it’ll be our secret?”
His gaze flicks to my lips and his blush deepens, Adam’s apple bobbing as he tugs on the collar of his shirt. “Yeah, of course. If you aren’t comfortable telling me that’s okay too, I get it. Inventions are pretty personal, and depending on patents, you don’t want anyone stealing your ideas, and-”
An amused chuckle slips out before I can stop it, and I rest my cheek on my fist. I like seeing him flustered. After everyone gawking at the new girl in town, it’s surprisingly refreshing that here’s Myles, living right next door to me and completely oblivious.
“Already patented, don’t worry. I’m just not ready to scream it from the rooftops until it’s officially ready to launch in beta. I’m finishing up a universal game console that’s compatible with all of the main heavy hitters in the industry. The biggest trick surprisingly was the legal mumbo jumbo, getting competing companies to see that this wouldn’t tank their own sales, but actually increase them exponentially. After all, they may sell less consoles, but more than make up for it in game sales, tapping into a market that was previously out of their reach since so many have brand loyalty or can only afford one console and stick with them despite wanting to play certain popular games exclusive to another system, but can’t afford to invest in an entire set up for one game, so pass on it.”
Sucking down a deep breath, I admit, “I’m stuck on the controller issue, though. I can’t decide between converting all the commands to one universal controller, which would piss off some people because if they played the game on an original system, the controls would be slightly different. Or making a port adapter so you can use the original controllers per system, but you’d need to swap it out for games that were originally on a different system, and have six controllers on hand, which sort of defies the point of a universal system, you know? So many die hard gamers will die on their preferred hill that I’m just not sure which way to go.”
The breath whooshes out of his lungs. “Marry me.”
Immediately, he smacks a hand over his face and starts apologizing profusely, but I can’t help but grin. He’s cute. Really cute. And I doubt the man could lie to save his soul. All the tension I’d still been holding onto since yesterday has faded away throughout our conversation, he’s that easy to talk to.
The bell above the door chimes, Ledger’s arms loaded up with bags. He glances my way as soon as he’s through the doorway, shoulders relaxing a fraction as he chuckles. “Can’t leave you alone for a second without someone swooping in, can I?”
I roll my eyes. “Myles was looking for you, actually.”
When Myles cants his head, I realize my slip up and grimace. “Shit, I’m an asshole. Ledger talks about you so much, I forgot you have know idea who I am.” I reach a hand across the counter. “I'm Ever.”
Staring at my hand like it’s going to bite him, Myles finally clasps my hand in his. He sucks in a sharp breath when his skin touches mine, fingers tightening around my hand and eyes widening. “Ever,” he repeats under his breath, almost reverently.
It’s a serious self-esteem booster.
Ledger pointedly clears his throat with an amused twist to his lips, and Myles shakes his head to clear it, clasping my hand tighter. “Myles. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ever.”
“Right back at ya.” I wink, a little thrill running through me as he audibly swallows and tries to discreetly shift his stance behind the counter. Taking mercy on the poor guy, I turn my attention to Ledger. “You've got to see what he made, it's impressive as hell.”
Ledger doesn’t even try to hide his wolfish grin, glancing between the two of us. “Of course it is. Myles is far too humble to admit it, but he’s a certified genius, especially when it comes to engineering.”
I take a second look at the cube as I start mulling over an idea out loud. “I know you meant it for home defense, but this sort of technology could also be insanely useful for special ops. Depending on how finely tuned you can have it calibrate vibrations, soldiers would be able to tell how many criminals were inside a building so they wouldn't be going in blind. Could be used when thermal imaging isn’t an option, or when clearing areas that potentially have safe rooms or hidden passageways so they aren’t blindsided.”
Myles blinks owlishly, his piercing green eyes wide. “I never considered alternative applications. That's genius.”
He glances down at himself, somehow manages to turn even redder, and blurts, “I have to go.” Snatching the device off the counter, he rushes out without a backward glance, leaving Ledger doubled over laughing, and me with the daunting realization that if I have to walk away tonight?
It’s already going to hurt.