Chapter 4
Chapter Four
Drinkable Magic
Gideon
“And then she handed me a whole stack of books and told me she wanted to return them because they were damaged. Damaged my pointy tail. They weren’t damaged.
The spine was creased. Did she think I was stupid?
It was obvious they had been read.” Az rolled his eyes.
“I run a bookstore, not a freaking lending library.”
“Mmm hmm,” I said absently as I kept scrolling through the restaurant supply catalog online.
“What are you doing over there that’s more important than listening to what I was saying?” he grumbled.
“I was listening. Some human came into your store and acted like a human, so you’re annoyed.” He hadn’t been wrong. I hadn’t been listening, but most of Az’s stories followed the same pattern, so I figured it was a pretty safe bet.
He raised one eyebrow and glared at me.
“Am I wrong?”
“No, but that isn’t the point. The point is, you’re supposed to listen to me when I’m telling you how ridiculous they are.”
“Yes, yes, humans are a blight on the planet and a huge inconvenience to your cold, hard demon heart.”
“Exactly. I should seriously start torturing them or something; they deserve it.”
I chuckled to myself because we both knew Az wasn’t about to start torturing anyone. He just didn’t have it in him. He was grumpy, sure, but at the end of the day, he had a good soul.
“Now, back to what you’re doing that’s so important?” He raised one eyebrow and waited for me to answer.
“Declan doesn’t like beer, so I’m trying to find something he can drink.”
“He seemed to like beer just fine yesterday. Boy’s a lightweight, though.”
“He did sample quite a few different vendors' wares, but you’re right. It hit him pretty hard. I swear by the time he was done, I had to practically carry him to his bed. But he was only doing that to be nice. You should’ve seen the face he made each time someone handed him another beer to try.
” I pictured his adorable scrunched-up nose and shook my head.
“Trust me, he didn’t like any of it. So I want to find something he does like. ”
He smirked at me and shook his head. “I thought you said, and I quote, I run a simple bar with no frou-frou drinks. If people don’t like it, they can go elsewhere.” He did his best to imitate my voice, but he did a horrible job of it. “You’re like a puppy on a leash with your mate.”
“I’m not a puppy, nor am I on a leash, and the rule still stands. I’m not complicating my life by adding cocktails. This isn’t for the public; it’s for him, and we don’t know he’s my mate.”
“Gideon, everyone knows it but you. The little witch is obviously your mate. Now what are you buying?”
“An espresso machine. I figured as much as he likes coffee, he’d enjoy an espresso martini.”
“He does love his coffee.”
“To the point of it being unhealthy. Hmm, I wonder if he’d be able to tell the difference if I bought decaf espresso beans.”
“I’m sure he wouldn’t know the difference.” Az wore an evil grin. One that made him look exactly like what he was… a demon.
I sighed. “He would know.”
“Yeah. He would.” Az agreed. “And not just because he’s a caffeine addict, which he is, but because he’s really coming into his powers as a kitchen witch.”
“He really is making progress,” I said, grinning proudly. “It’s like his magic had just been there waiting for him to recognize it, and once he did, it came to life.”
He’d been working with Elwood for a few weeks now, and he was working hard to make up for all the time he’d lost when he’d believed magic wasn’t real. In my opinion, his parents, specifically his father, owed him both an explanation and an apology for that.
“By the way, I think the espresso idea is good,” Az said. “Not the decaf part. The machine. Declan blends flavors when he cooks; he might actually like drinkable magic.”
“Drinkable magic?”
“You know what I mean,” he muttered. “Something that tastes like him. Coffee and cinnamon and… whatever else that boy’s made of.”
My wolf stirred at that, pleased by the thought in a way I couldn’t explain.
I tried to play it off. “I’m just trying to make him comfortable here.”
“You’re trying to make this place feel like home to him,” Az corrected. “Which is different.”
I didn’t argue. I did want Declan to feel at home here.
He was staying for now to learn magic from Elwood, and maybe a little bit for me, at least I hoped so anyway.
I still worried that since I couldn’t mark him and make him mine, he might decide to go back to the city someday, and unlike someone who was properly mated, there wouldn’t be anything keeping him here.
Not to mention the fact that his douche bag of an ex had been texting him nonstop, making it clear he wanted him back.
Declan thought there were too many financial and contractual things to resolve before he felt comfortable blocking the asshat. I didn’t agree. The sooner Declan tossed Josh from his life, the better.
A door upstairs slammed shut, and we both glanced up.
The footsteps were too light to be Perry’s, so it must be my other tenant.
Tate was a wolf from my old pack who’d gotten crossways with our old Alpha.
He’d shown up looking for a job and a place to stay.
I’d given him a job working here at the pub, and for now, anyway, he was living in one of the rooms I had available upstairs.
“Hey, boss,” he said as he rounded the stairs.
“Tate.” When he’d first shown up, he kept calling me Alpha, but I made it clear I wasn’t anyone’s Alpha. He’d given me a weird look but nodded. After that, he’d settled on boss, which I guess was at least accurate.
“I don’t work till this evening, so I’m going to go see if there’s anything interesting to do in this town.”
He rushed out the door, and I shook my head. “Oh, to be that young again.”
“Would you want to be?” Az asked.
“No way.”
We were both still laughing as the door to the pub opened, and Roy backed in pulling a dolly with a keg on it.
The dolly wheel caught the edge of the threshold with a dull thunk.
Roy stumbled forward, shoulder clipping the doorframe hard enough to rattle the hinges.
The keg tipped sideways with a metallic groan, and for one horrifying second, I thought he was going to lose it.
Roy flailed, windmilling an arm, and somehow managed to body-check the keg back upright.
He looked back over his shoulder to find both of us watching him. He gave Az a nervous smile and a small nod of the head—Az tended to have that effect on people—before turning to look at me and giving me a sheepish grin.
“Hello, Gideon. I have the keg here for you to put on tap. I wasn’t sure how many to bring, but I wanted to get you at least one so you could get it going. I can have Caesar drop off a couple more if you need them. Just let me know.”
Leon had pushed hard for me to be a judge for the festival, but I’d refused.
I might not be the alpha here in Ravenstone, but many people viewed me that way, and I didn’t want anyone to think I was playing favorites.
That could lead to all kinds of hurt feelings.
So I’d offered to put the top three brews on tap here at the pub to make him happy.
“One keg will cover around 125 pints, so this will get us started, but you should probably send another over in a day or two.”
Roy nodded. “I appreciate you doing this. I think this new ale is going to be the one that makes a name for Black Feather Brewery.”
“Getting the distribution deal sure won’t hurt,” I said.
“It’s going to change everything for us. It’s going to allow us to expand production. Shoot, by this time next year, half the state will have Black Feather Brewery products on tap.”
“I’m happy for you, Roy. I just hope nothing comes of those allegations Beckett made.”
Roy rolled his eyes and waved my words away. “It's just sour grapes. That recipe was created while he was employed at Black Feather Brewery, using my ingredients and my equipment. He knows anything developed while he worked there is property of the brewery.”
I noticed he wasn’t denying the recipe was Beckett’s, and I was about to say so when my wolf stirred. It was like he came to attention, not because of a threat, but out of excitement. I grinned and inhaled deeply.
Sure enough, Declan entered the pub from the back.
Az chuckled and muttered, “Puppy,” under his breath, but I didn’t rise to the bait.
Instead, I turned to Declan and gave him a smile.
I was concerned he might be feeling a little rough today, but to my surprise, he looked like his normal chipper self.
“You don’t look any worse for wear. I expected you to be hungover this morning,” I said.
“Oh, I was. I woke up, and my head felt like someone was using a jackhammer inside it, but Elwood gave me a special cup of tea. It was as awful as his other teas, but he said it’d help, so I choked it down, and suddenly I was right as rain again.
” He gave me one of his big smiles. The kind that made my wolf wag its tail and heart do a little flip.
At least that was the case until he glanced over my shoulder and saw Roy. His smile dimmed, and his eyes narrowed. My little witch had a real issue with people who lied and cheated, and with good reason, but with no evidence, now wasn’t the time for him to voice that opinion.
I moved to stand between him and Roy and turned to look at the brewmaster. “Thanks for dropping that off, Roy. I’ll be sure and let you or Caesar know if we’re getting low before you bring in another keg.”
He took the dismissal for what it was and nodded, heading out the door.
Declan scoffed. “I can’t believe you’re going to put his beer on tap in here. Something fishy is up with that whole contest.”
“We don’t know that for sure, and all three winners were promised a spot on tap here in the pub,” I said calmly.
Declan glanced around to make sure no one was listening and said, “But we do know that for sure. Remember that growler Ivan took to Elwood? Well, sure enough, there was something wrong with it.”
“Really? What was it?”
“I don’t know. When I got up, Elwood was messing with it, mumbling something about hexes, unethical spells, and rogue witches. I’m going with him to Ivan’s brewery right away. I just stopped by to say good morning.”
“Do you need me to come with you? Sable will be in before lunch, so I have time.”
“No, Elwood and I can handle it. I don’t even know what we’re looking for, I just know whatever it is, has him pretty agitated.”
“Hmm, like grandfather like grandson,” I teased, although it was true. I’d known Elwood for years, and he’d never been able to tolerate injustice. I guess that was where Declan got it. “Okay, but if you need me, just call.”
“I will.” He went up on his tiptoes and brushed a quick kiss across my lips before heading out the back door the way he’d come in.
The bell over the door chimed again, and Benny, the local dog groomer, came in. He took his usual seat, but he looked more stressed than normal.
“Hey, Benny?” I called out. “You okay over there?”
He shook his head. “You ever notice how some days feel like they’re out to get you?”
Az blinked. “I think it's all in your head, Benny.”
Benny ignored him. “The Pomeranian I groomed this morning bit me. Twice. I’m convinced it’s secretly a chupacabra.”
Az actually snorted, which was as close as he got to laughter. “Pomeranians aren’t chupacabras, and neither are chihuahuas, no matter how much they seem to be. As many supernatural creatures as you might see here in Ravenstone, you’ll never see a chupacabra because they aren’t real.”
“I don’t know if I believe you. Seriously, have you ever seen those hairless chihuahuas? I’m pretty sure those are related to them, at the very least.”
Az and I shared a look before he cleared his throat and stood. “I guess I need to get back to my shop.”
I spent the next couple of hours getting people drinks and shopping for the perfect espresso machine. Sable entered a little while later to work the lunch and dinner shift.
“How are you doing today?” I asked.
“Good. Just another day in paradise. Alvin tells me he’s making meat pies for dinner.”
We didn’t have much of a regular menu here at the pub.
The typical burgers and fish and chips were always on offer, but other than that, we had whatever Alvin felt like cooking that day.
It might seem odd, but it worked. Word of what he was cooking would spread almost as fast as gossip, and his meat pies were a local favorite.
“His meat pies always bring in a good crowd. Do you need me to call Molly in to help tonight?” I asked.
“No, with the festival going on as well, I should be fine. Anyway, I’m going to go help Alvin get ready for the lunch rush.” She pushed through the door that led to the kitchen, and I went back to my phone.
I hadn’t heard from Declan or Elwood, but I wondered how their investigation was going.
If Ivan’s growler had been hexed, what would that mean for the contest?
A distribution deal like that was no small prize, but if the results had been tampered with, I had no idea how that could be fixed.
What if it wasn’t just Ivan’s brew that had been ruined?
What about Tessa’s? This could turn out to be a real mess.
But that was a problem for later. For now, I had an espresso machine to order.