Chapter 9 #2
Her living room was cozy. It was already decorated for fall. Which told him enough. She was one of those—a holiday fanatic who barfed holiday themed decor over every surface.
“Is there a problem?” She was staring at him. He blinked and pulled his gaze away from the pumpkin floral arrangement taking up half her dining table.
“Problem?”
“You’re staring at my decorations like they pissed all over your favorite tree. Wolves do that right? Mark up their favorite trees? Then get mad when another one tries to mark over it?”
He stared at her like she was crazy. “I wasn’t—”
“Let me guess. You’re one of those.”
“Those? The fuck?!”
“The holiday grinch. Someone who hates decorations.”
“I don’t—” But he cut himself off. Because while he didn’t hate them—he didn’t fucking like them either.
“So I guess you won’t want me bringing any with us to, you know, lean into the holiday spirit.”
“What holiday spirit?”
“Autumn?”
“Autumn isn’t a holiday.”
“Halloween is.”
“None of these decorations are spooky.”
“The bats—”
“You think bats are spooky?” He gaped at her.
“Oh, my God. It’s… It’s the principle of it.”
“Right. Don’t you have some packing to do? Not—the decorations.”
She made a scoffing sound and stomped away.
His gaze fell on the enclosure at the side of the room where she occupied herself. “I’ll need to pack everything up for them.”
That was when he processed exactly what he was looking at.
“God, woman, how much crap do they have?” There were toys and boxes and…was that a fucking castle?! What the hell had he gotten himself into?
It was dark by the time he turned his truck up the lane to his cabin. Two hours, mostly spent packing up the bunnies’ belongings and hustling them into a carrier. It had only taken Rebecca fifteen minutes to pack enough clothes and toiletries for herself.
He bit his tongue to keep from commenting on that little fact.
A sense of giddy unease made his gut tight. He’d never brought anyone here. Sure, he got the occasional random person who thought to knock on his door for directions or deliver a package. But no one had ever been invited into his home.
He stole glances at her when her face was turned toward the window.
She had Basil and Sage—because of course she would name her bunnies after herbs—in their carrier on her lap.
She’d cooed to them nearly the whole drive.
Which was annoying, because—and he wasn’t being jealous—he wondered if there was another reality where she’d do the same to him if he were in wolf form.
“Oh.” The word was soft and breathy as she looked up at his cabin. The porch lights were on, casting a warm glow on the surrounding area. Her look could only be described as delighted.
It made something rather annoying happen to his stomach.
He tried to take in the sight from her perspective.
An A-frame cabin with a sloped roof to ward off snow in the winter.
Large front porch. All glass windows on the front, with another set above to allow an unobstructed view from the loft and second floor.
Potted plants hanging along the porch. Two rocking chairs because one would have looked strange, even if the second had never been used.
And a padded porch swing on the opposite side.
“It’s…” Her throat bobbed. “You live here?”
“Obviously.”
“Right.” She blinked. “It’s just…like something out of a magazine.”
That made his insides go hot.
“Was it like this when you bought it?”
“What? No.” He leaned away to regard her. “I built it.”
“You—oh my, God. You…built this? Like, yourself?”
“Is that a compliment or an insult?”
A laugh burst from her chest. “A compliment. Totally a compliment. It just seems like a lot for someone to take on.”
“I have nothing but time.”
“Oh. Right.”
“Come on. Let’s get the bunnies inside and get you settled.”
He cut the ignition and climbed from the truck. They shuffled her things to the porch. Before he opened the door. He reached for her arm, then quickly pulled back. “Set their carrier down for a moment and come with me.
“Okay?” She looked skeptical but did as he asked. He led her away from the house, across the drive to where the forest trees began. He led her through a few then stopped. “See this mark here?”
It was dark, so she had to squint when he used his cell phone flashlight. “The cross thingy?”
“Yes. It’s a marker. It marks several trees around the perimeter as a distance indicator.” Her brow furrowed. “You’ll be safe here. No one who intends you harm can cross the ward of protection, which ends at the indicated markings.”
“Like a bubble of protection,” she mused. “I’m familiar with witch wards. But I thought you didn’t like—”
“I don’t. And this wasn’t cast by a witch. I’d die before I let a witch work magic on my property.” She lifted her brows so he quickly amended his words. “You’re an exception, obviously.”
“Obviously.”
“It’s an artifact. One that cost a small fortune. But is worth its weight in gold.”
“You have an artifact? Can I see?”
“Yes and no. All you need to know is that as long as you stay within the perimeter, you’ll be safe from Blackthorn and anyone he might send after you. Not that I won’t be here. But, you get my gist.”
“So that’s why you offered your place knowing he has the means to use magic against you.”
“He can’t do shit if we’re safely in the bubble of protection.”
“And when we’re not?”
“You won’t give him the opportunity to be alone with you. It’s a breach of supernatural law to perform magic in front of humans. I don’t think he would be so careless. But you shouldn’t underestimate him, regardless.”
“You’re telling me,” she muttered.
“Good. Then come.”
He led her back to the house, then braced himself as he fit the key into the lock, knowing that for the first time in decades, he was letting someone into his world.