Chapter 6
Trudging up the porch steps to the Arrowhead house, I wondered if the Mage had survived the fight. After all we had done for him, he didn’t appear to value his life as much as Salem did. I guess that was the luxury of being a true immortal who didn’t age, and that power must have gone to his head.
Assuming he still had one.
I froze when Salem opened the front door and a wolf snarled and barked at us.
“It’s only me.” He glanced at me over his shoulder. “Catcher smells the blood. Just stay close and let him sniff you. He’s not aggressive toward women.”
Once in the living room, I clutched Salem’s arm while the tan wolf with black markings circled us and sniffed our clothes. When his hazel eyes locked on mine, he whined and bumped my arm with his nose. Then his lips receded, revealing his pointy fangs.
“Don’t be afraid,” Salem assured me. “He thinks someone attacked us, so that’s his angry face.”
The one-armed man from the bookstore swaggered into the room, casually dressed in a grey shirt and sweatpants. When his eyes swung up to us, his jaw slackened. “What in the actual fuck is all over you? Is that blood?”
“Paper cut,” I quipped.
He burst out laughing. “Girl… you need your own comedy hour. I remember you from the bookstore. I’m Archer Swift.”
“Quinn.”
He inclined his head. “Let me find a spare shirt.”
I glanced down at myself—I hadn’t assessed the damage until that moment. My pretty floral blouse now looked like a prop from a horror movie. I wiped my locket clean and checked the pictures inside. To my relief, no blood had gotten on them.
Holding my sketch pad, I admired Salem’s peaceful home.
The stone fireplace on the left went from floor to ceiling.
Curious, I peered through the arched entry on the right into a recreational room.
The pool table on the left looked new, and there were games stacked on a round table in the back corner.
After the wolf sniffed me again, he wrapped his jaws around my wrist.
I froze.
He tugged.
Salem intervened. “Catcher, she’s unharmed. You can tell it’s not our blood.”
Catcher released his hold and howled before rushing to the front door and pawing frantically.
Salem set down the medical bag he’d been gripping tightly and let the wolf out. “Now that he’s got the scent of blood in his nose, he’ll guard the property all night.”
A young woman padded into the room, and I briefly admired the colorful patches sewn in her jeans.
Wavy pink hair felt just past her shoulders, and I remembered seeing her many times around town.
She had a great laugh, a fun sense of style, and I was certain she was paired up with the pack beta.
Despite her innocent face, she had a fierce stride that dared anyone to cross her path.
Her green eyes flicked between us. “Archer said someone needed a shirt, but I think that’s the understatement of the year. What happened?”
Salem put his hands on his hips. “I was called out on an emergency. Quinn assisted.”
Her attention centered on me. “I know you. I’ve seen you at the Rabbit Lounge a few times getting food to go. Don’t you sell those cool window decorations?”
“That’s me.”
“I’m Melody, but everyone calls me Mel. Follow me and we’ll hose you down.”
After setting my sketch pad and purse on an accent table, I trailed behind her. “I’m perfectly fine. A little hemoglobin never hurt anyone,” I said, fishing for a laugh. I was feeling more like myself and didn’t want to stir up attention before a meeting that I was already late to.
“Do you want to shower?” she asked.
“No. Really, I’m okay. But thanks.”
“Wash up with one of the towels. Don’t worry about getting it stained; we don’t put the fancy ones in this bathroom. It’s where we rinse off after yardwork, cleaning the chicken coop, painting… getting sprayed by a skunk.”
“Skunk?” I laughed at the thought. “I’ve never seen one around here, but I always smell them.”
In the back hall, she escorted me to the bathroom and ran to grab a shirt from their laundry room. After stripping off my shirt, I wiped myself clean with a wet towel.
Mel returned and thrust her arm into the room with a white T-shirt dangling from her fingertips. “It’s one of my mate’s silly shirts, but you can have it.”
“I wouldn’t dare keep it, but thanks.” After slipping on the shirt, I followed her back to the living room.
The front door was ajar. Beside it, a heap of clothes that belonged to Salem. I neared the opening and peered outside to see if I might catch a glimpse of him.
Not thirty minutes ago, I was reenacting a horror movie. Now I’m stalking a man in hopes of seeing him naked.
And I was willing to bet Salem Lockwood looked fantastic in the nude. Muscular men had never been attractive to me.
My hopes were dashed when I encountered another wolf at the door. He was a mixture of black and brown, but not like Catcher. His light-brown coat had a mixture of colors that made him a textbook example of a wild wolf.
Melody scooped up his bloody clothes and looked at him through the doorway. “I’ll tell Tak you’re home.”
I clutched her arm. “Is that Salem?”
“The one and only. It’s funny. He’s a mellow guy who never yells or inserts himself into conversation, but his wolf is a force to be reckoned with. The mind boggles. I need to put these in the washer. Make yourself comfortable.”
I stood at the threshold and stared at the animal. While Catcher was busy patrolling the yard with his nose in the grass, Salem watched. His animal had a regal way of assessing his surroundings, his tail high and confident, his reaction slow and calculated.
“Thanks for the ride, Salem. Too bad I didn’t get to tell you in person.”
The wolf snapped his attention to me and approached. It was never a good idea to stare any animal down, so I swung my gaze down to his paws. When he nuzzled against me, my heart melted.
Kneeling to his level, I smoothed my hands over his soft face and started talking to him the way humans talk to their pets.
“You’re a beautiful boy, aren’t you? Yes, you are.
” I tapped my nose against his. “What a pretty boy. So is your human. He’s so handsome.
I bet you’re as tenacious as he is. Aren’t you?
Yes, you are. Such a sweet boy.” I gave him a good scratch on his shoulder and ear until his hind leg moved as if to scratch.
“Wish I could kiss you, but I don’t know how feral you are.
Maybe I’ll kiss your human instead,” I quipped before standing.
He snorted, his eyes alight with mischief before he shot across the yard like a bullet, Catcher chasing after him.
Melody reappeared and closed the door. “He’s lucky.”
“Why’s that?”
She gestured for me to follow her through the living room. “I can only remember a minute or two of my shift. Salem can hold on for an hour.”
Oh my God.
“An hour? Please tell me you’re kidding.”
She smiled over her shoulder before opening the door to the right of the fireplace. “Why?”
Oh, no biggie, I mused to myself. Other than the fact I just admitted how hot he was and how I wanted to make out with him. No wonder he fled! I’m so glad I didn’t smooch his face and rub his belly.
My eyes widened at the length of the room.
Windows overlooked the front of the house and side yard, but it was the jewelry and clothing that caught my eye.
Necklaces hung from hooks on the back of a gorgeous desk, each shelf containing jewelry equipment.
I could only imagine the drawers were filled. I admired the different stones.
“That’s Hope’s primary workstation.” She pointed before hopping back a few steps.
“This is mine. I design clothing. We’ve been doing this since we were kids and selling merchandise.
My aunt worked in a store for years before running her own business.
I grew up in her store and learned a lot, so that inspired us to open our own shop. ”
“Oh, right. I heard about your store in Austin. Tak mentioned you’re opening a second location on Juniper Road.”
“I’m so stressed, but it’ll be awesome. We learned a lot with the first location.
” She gestured to a large table at the end of the room in the right corner.
“That’s where Robyn does all her sketches.
People commission her for family portraits, especially the deceased.
Sometimes they just want a sketch of their property.
That’s something she does for fun, but she also makes money holding yoga classes. You should come.”
“Sounds great,” I said, deciding not to ask about the cost. My gaze drifted to the window when the tree branches swayed outside. This had to be magical in the early morning with all the windows. All they needed were a few stained glass pieces. “I love your couch.”
She laughed at the hot-pink sofa. “You’re one of the few.
She’s mine, and I’m going to the grave in that thing.
That’s the supply closet,” she said, pointing to a door on the right wall.
“It’s mostly filled with my mannequins, fabrics, shoes, and other stuff.
Hope stores boxes of inventory in there, but some of her stones are sent to her assistant in Austin.
She makes all the easy stuff for that location, like bracelets and beaded necklaces.
Hope focuses on the custom jewelry and expensive designs that take her weeks or more.
That’s where most of her money comes from. I’m sure I’m boring you with all this.”
“Not at all. I’m an artist, so I love learning about everyone’s craft. Running a store would stress me out.”
“You sell those window hangings at the general store.”
“Yeah, but they don’t earn a lot of money. They’re mostly for fun and to showcase my art. It’s the larger projects I’m proud of and want people to know me for, so that means working one job at a time. Hopefully I can work something out with your Packmaster.”