Chapter 3
Chapter Three
I yonna
It was just another day at Moonlit Bakery, or at least, it should have been. The aroma of cinnamon, clove, and baked pumpkins filled the air as I pulled the latest batch of pumpkin tarts from the oven. Thanksgiving was around the corner, and the orders had been non-stop. Every witch in our coven knew how busy this time of year got, but when you owned a magical bakery like mine, the chaos was a different kind of wild.
I wiped a stray smear of flour from my cheek, barely noticing the small sparks of magic that fizzled in the air as I moved. I was too focused on getting everything ready for the customers already forming a line outside. Delilah was up front, charming them with her easy smile, and handling the register like a pro. I’d join her soon, once the pies cooled down.
Just as I set the tray on the counter, a strange tingle ran up my spine, sharp and sudden. My fingers twitched, and the spoon I was using to stir the filling for the next batch shot out of the pot, slamming into the wall. I froze, heart skipping a beat. My magic had been a little off lately, but this was new. I stared at the spoon, still quivering against the wall, and my pulse picked up.
“What the hell?” I muttered, shaking out my hands. “Get it together, Iyonna.”
I tried to calm myself, focusing on the rhythm of the kitchen. I reached for the next bowl of dough, but just as my fingers brushed the edge, the door to the bakery swung open with a loud creak.
That same electric buzz shot through me again, but this time, it felt like a live wire had been yanked through my chest. The air in the room shifted, the usual hum of magic turning wild, unpredictable. My heart thudded in my chest as I glanced toward the front of the store, my eyes narrowing.
Then I saw him.
Griff.
I would have recognized that face anywhere, even after all these years. He looked… different. Rougher around the edges, older in a way that had nothing to do with age. His dark hair, once messy and unkempt, was now shorter, framing a jawline sharper than I remembered. His eyes, though—those same stormy gray eyes I remembered from school—pierced through the room like they could see every secret I had.
The air between us crackled, literally. I glanced down in shock as tiny sparks of blue magic flickered from my fingers, buzzing like angry fireflies. Shit. Not now. My magic had been acting up all week, but this? This was something else. I hadn’t seen Griff in what felt like a lifetime, and the first thing my magic did when I saw him again was throw sparks?
Great.
I quickly tucked my hands behind my back, trying to hide the magic going haywire, but I could feel it in the air. The pull between us was undeniable, like a magnet yanking at my core. I wasn’t the same girl from high school who used to pretend I didn’t notice him when he passed me in the hall. No, I was different now—stronger, more in control.
At least, I thought I was.
Griff’s eyes locked onto mine, and I felt the full force of his gaze. He hesitated for a moment, then started walking toward the counter, his movements slow, deliberate. My heart pounded faster with every step. The last time I’d seen him, he was just a cocky shifter who liked to smirk his way through life. But now… now there was something darker, more dangerous, clinging to him.
My stomach flipped as I forced a smile, my voice coming out a little more breathless than I’d intended. “Griff. Long time no see.”
He raised an eyebrow, his lips curving into that same half-smile I remembered all too well. “Iyonna. Didn’t expect to see you here.”
His voice was rough, like gravel, but underneath, I caught a note of surprise. Or maybe something else, something he wasn’t willing to say out loud.
“I own the place now,” I replied, gesturing around the bakery. “Inherited it from my mom. Been running it for the past few years.”
He nodded, his gaze sweeping over the room like he was trying to absorb everything at once. “It smells… incredible.”
It did, of course. My magic made sure of that. I infused every treat with a little extra—love, joy, comfort. Whatever my customers needed. But now, with Griff standing there, his wolfish energy making the air thick, I wasn’t sure what my magic was trying to do. Or if I could control it.
I cleared my throat, trying to focus. “What brings you back to Charcoal City? Thought you were long gone.”
Griff’s eyes flickered with something unreadable, and for a second, the casual mask slipped. “I was. Came back for… some business. Just passing through.”
I didn’t believe him. Griff had always been good at keeping people at arm’s length, but there was something different in the way he said it. Like he was lying to himself more than to me. But I didn’t push. Not yet.
“Well, if you’re hungry, you’re in luck. We’ve got the best pies in the city.” I motioned to the display case, trying to keep the conversation light. I could feel my magic still sparking at the edges of my control, and I couldn’t let him see how much his presence was affecting me.
He leaned in, his eyes scanning the pastries like he was genuinely considering his options. “Pies, huh? Got anything with meat?”
Of course. A wolf shifter would want something more substantial. I nodded. “I’ve got some meat pies in the back. Give me a sec.”
I turned to head back to the kitchen, but the moment I moved, the magic inside me surged again. This time, it wasn’t just sparks. It was like a lightning bolt shot through the room. A loud crack filled the air, and I whipped around just in time to see a few sparks fly toward the nearest light fixture. The bulb exploded, sending shards of glass raining down in the corner of the room.
“Shit!” I yelped, grabbing a towel to try and shield myself from the mess. Delilah let out a startled laugh from behind the counter, clearly used to my magic going haywire.
But Griff—he didn’t flinch. His gaze stayed locked on me, those stormy gray eyes now watching me with a mixture of curiosity and something else. Something darker, more primal.
“Trouble controlling your magic?” he asked, his voice low, but I caught the teasing edge to it.
I shot him a look, my cheeks heating with embarrassment. “It’s… complicated.”
He chuckled, and the sound sent an unexpected thrill down my spine. Damn it, why was he affecting me like this? This was Griff, the guy who used to tease me about being too serious, the same shifter who was always too cocky for his own good.
But now, standing this close to him, with my magic practically sparking out of my fingertips, I realized something had shifted between us. Maybe it was the years apart. Maybe it was the fact that we were no longer kids.
Or maybe it was just him. Griff wasn’t the same boy I’d once known. He was… more. More dangerous. More alluring.
More everything.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand. “Let me just get you that pie,” I muttered, turning on my heel and heading toward the kitchen.
But before I could take more than a few steps, I felt it again—that pull. The one that felt like it was yanking me straight back to him. I hesitated, my fingers twitching as I felt the magic rise up again, unbidden, uncontrollable.
“Hey.” Griff’s voice was softer now, and I could hear the concern threading through it. “You okay?”
I turned back to him, caught off guard by the genuine question in his eyes. He wasn’t teasing anymore. He was… worried.
“I’m fine,” I lied, the words tumbling out too quickly. “Just… the usual chaos around here.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push. Instead, he took a step closer, and I swear the air between us crackled again, like our very presence was setting off sparks.
“Iyonna,” he said, my name coming out low, like a warning. Or maybe it was something else.
Before I could answer, another spark shot from my hand, zipping through the air before hitting the metal rack next to me. The entire thing rattled before clattering to the floor, sending pots and pans flying.
“Damn it,” I hissed under my breath.
Griff took another step closer, and this time, I didn’t back away.
“You sure you’re okay?” he asked, his voice steady, but I could hear the tension underneath it.
I met his eyes, and for a second, all the years we’d spent apart fell away. All I could feel was the pull between us, the way my magic hummed in response to him. I didn’t understand it, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to.
“I’m fine,” I whispered, though it was the furthest thing from the truth.
Just then, three men entered the bakery, and the atmosphere around Griff shifted immediately. There was something dark about them, something that made Griff's instincts scream to steer clear. I couldn’t quite place it, but every inch of him was on high alert. Casting a quick glance their way, he he wanted no part of whatever they were bringing with them. Without a second thought, he turned and slipped out of the bakery, leaving the unsettling energy behind him.
Right now, I wasn’t sure of anything—except that Griff’s return to Charcoal City was about to turn my world upside down.