Chapter 2
TWO
S abine’s knees threatened to buckle. She grabbed the counter for support, fighting the absurd reaction. She’d never experienced such an instant, primal response to anyone before. Her tigress paced beneath her skin, radiating absolute certainty.
Down, kitty , she told her inner cat firmly. We are not going to jump the incredibly hot stranger. Even if his shoulders are broader than the doorway. Even if his jaw could cut glass. Even if—oh gods, is that a dimple?
“Good morning.” His voice rolled through the shop like distant thunder, deep and rich enough to send shivers down her spine. “I’m Ren Athran. I’m here about the recent magical disturbances in town.”
The shop door chimed again as Clover and Romi burst in, arms laden with boxes. They froze mid-step, identical expressions of shock spreading across their faces.
“Welcome to Katz ‘n Things.” Sabine amazed herself by keeping her voice steady despite her tigress still chanting mate, mate, mate . “I wasn’t aware of any disturbances.”
“They’ve been subtle so far.” His gaze swept the shop before settling back on her face with an intensity that made her pulse spike. Something flickered in those incredible eyes—recognition? Confusion? “But significant enough to warrant investigation. I’ll be staying in Mystic Hollow longer than anticipated.”
Was it her imagination, or did his voice catch slightly on those last words? And why did he look so familiar? The dreams flashed through her mind—golden eyes, strong hands, that sense of absolute rightness...
“Oh my gods,” Clover whispered loudly to Romi and Ylan. “That’s him. That’s Ren Athran.”
“Who?” Romi clutched Clover’s arm.
“The founder of Mystic Hollow! I saw him at the elder council meeting last month when he stripped Justus of his ability to shift at will. He’s like, ancient. And powerful. And apparently hot as sin.”
“Founder?” Ylan’s eyebrows shot up. “As in...”
“As in he created this whole town centuries ago. He’s basically magical royalty.”
Sabine’s mind spun. The gorgeous stranger who made her tigress purr was the legendary founder? She straightened her spine, determined to appear professional despite her inner feline’s demands to rub against him like a cat in heat.
“We’d be happy to help however we can, Mr. Athran.” She gestured to the shop’s extensive collection. “We have quite a few magical detection tools that might assist with your investigation. Or protective amulets, if you’re concerned about darker forces at work.”
His lips twitched slightly—definitely a dimple. “Please, call me Ren. And thank you, but I’m quite familiar with most magical artifacts.” His gaze lingered on her face. “Though I admit, I find myself... intrigued by what your shop offers.”
Was he flirting? Surely not. But the way he looked at her...
“Well, feel free to browse.” She waved vaguely at the shelves, trying to ignore how his presence seemed to fill every corner of the space. “I’m something of an expert on magical items myself. If you need any assistance...”
“I’ll know exactly who to ask.” His voice dropped lower, sending another shiver down her spine. “Miss...”
“Katz. Sabine Katz.”
He stiffened slightly, an almost imperceptible reaction she might have missed if she hadn’t been watching him so intently. “Miss Katz.” He inclined his head in a gesture that seemed almost formal. “You’ll be seeing more of me, I expect. Any sign of trouble, I’ll be here.”
The words carried a weight beyond their surface meaning. Her birthmark tingled again as their gazes locked. His eyes... they were exactly like the ones from her dreams. The same blend of brown and gold, the same intensity that seemed to see straight through to her soul.
Keep it together , she told herself firmly. Do not imagine climbing him like a tree. Do not wonder if his lips taste as good as they look. Do not—oh gods, he’s still staring at me.
“I look forward to it,” she managed, proud that her voice barely squeaked at all.
Something that might have been a smile touched his lips before he turned to leave. Sabine couldn’t help tracking the impressive width of his shoulders as he strode out, her tigress whining in protest at his departure.
The door had barely closed before chaos erupted.
“Sweet mother of magic!” Ylan practically squealed. “That was the hottest thing I’ve ever seen, and all you did was look at each other!”
“The chemistry!” Clover bounced on her toes. “I thought the air might catch fire!”
“Forget fire.” Romi fanned herself dramatically. “I’m surprised the whole shop didn’t explode. And did you see how he looked at you? Like you were a feast and he was starving.”
“He did not!” But Sabine’s cheeks flamed at the memory of that intense golden gaze.
“Oh honey, he absolutely did.” Ylan grinned. “And you weren’t much better. I thought you might spontaneously shift just to pounce on him.”
“I have more control than that!” Sabine protested, though her tigress grumbled in disagreement.
“Do you want to know more about him?” Clover’s eyes sparkled with gossip. “Because that council meeting was intense. He radiated so much power the whole room practically vibrated. And when he passed judgment on Justus, even the other elders looked terrified.”
“The founder of Mystic Hollow,” Romi mused. “Talk about moving up in the world, Sabine. Your dream guy is literally the most powerful supernatural being in town.”
“He is not my dream guy!” But even as she said it, those golden eyes flashed through her memory. “And he’s here about magical disturbances, that’s all.”
“Oh, there’s definitely some disturbance.” Clover waggled her eyebrows. “In your pants.”
“Clover!”
“What? We all saw how you looked at him. Like you wanted to?—”
“Don’t you dare finish that sentence.” Sabine grabbed a stack of invoices. “Don’t we have work to do?”
Her friends exchanged knowing looks but allowed the subject change. As they launched into their morning routine, Sabine touched her locket, still warm from Ren’s presence. Her earlier wish at the fountain whispered through her memory.
Had she somehow called him here? And why did her tigress recognize him as a mate when they’d never met before?
The questions would have to wait. But as she threw herself into the day’s tasks, she couldn’t shake the feeling that everything in her life was about to change.
“Hey, Sabine?” Ylan called from behind a shelf.
“Hmm?”
“Just so you know... I’m totally Team Ren.”
“Team Ren all the way,” Romi chimed in.
“The founder and the shop owner.” Clover sighed dreamily. “It’s like a fairy tale.”
Sabine groaned, but she couldn’t quite suppress her own smile. Maybe her friends were right. Maybe the fountain had granted her wish after all.
She just hoped she was ready for whatever came next—assuming she could keep her inner tigress from tackling the admittedly gorgeous founder of Mystic Hollow first.