Chapter 7
Claudia carried the wooden box back to the kitchen, even though her hands were a bit unsteady. She needed to focus on her work and the magic she’d woven into the pieces she’d prepared for him. That was safe territory. That was something she understood.
Unlike that unexpectedly scorching hot kiss at the breakfast bar.
Sam was giving her space but he silently tracked her movements as she set the box down on the counter between them. She could still feel the ghost of his hand on her waist, his fingers in her hair, his lips on hers.
For the mission, he’d said. Practice.
Right.
Claudia cleared her throat and opened the box, revealing the three items nestled in dark blue velvet. The overhead light sparkled on the gold, making each piece gleam softly.
“So,” she began, grateful that her voice came out steady. “I made three items for you. Each one has specific protections and functions.”
Sam leaned forward, his attention shifting to the contents of the box. “May I?”
“Of course.” She watched as he reached out, his fingers hovering over the pieces before selecting the cufflinks first.
He held them up to the light, examining them closely. The geometric pattern she’d etched into the surface caught the light, creating subtle shadows. They were simple in design but precisely crafted, masculine without being ostentatious.
“These are beautiful,” Sam said, and she could hear the genuine appreciation in his voice. “The detail work is incredible. Did you do all of this by hand?”
Heat crept up her neck. “Yes. I only need simple tools for working gold. The magic works better when the piece is made entirely by hand, when every mark and line is intentional.”
“How long did these take you?”
“A few days for the metalwork. Another few days for the enchantments.” She reached out and touched one of the cufflinks, feeling the hum of magic beneath the surface.
“These are primarily protective. They’ll deflect casual magical attacks.
Nothing will stop a determined assault from a powerful mage, but these should buy you time. Time to get away or call for help.”
Sam’s expression had gone serious. “What kind of attacks are we talking about?”
“Compulsion spells, minor hexes, tracking attempts. The kind of thing someone might throw at you in passing if they want to test your defenses or catch you off guard.” She took the cufflinks from his hand and demonstrated, running her thumb over the pattern.
“If someone tries to cast at you directly, you’ll feel these warm against your skin.
Not burning, just warm. That’s your warning. ”
“Smart.” He took them back, testing the weight in his palm. “And the enchantment won’t fade?”
“Not for years.” She felt her cheeks warm again. “I built them to last.”
Sam set the cufflinks carefully back in their slot and picked up the money clip. The Celtic knotwork she’d chased into the surface was more elaborate than the cufflinks, the interlocking patterns flowing across the gold in an endless loop.
“This is stunning,” he said, tracing one of the knots with his finger. “The craftsmanship is really exceptional, Claudia.”
“Thank you.” She ducked her head, focusing on the box rather than his face. “The money clip has a different function. It’s a detection charm. If you’re near active magic, it will vibrate in your pocket. Just enough that you’ll notice if you’re paying attention.”
“How close would I need to be?”
“Within about twenty feet for most workings. Closer for more subtle spells. And it’s keyed to recognize hostile intent, so it won’t go off every time you’re near me or another mage who means you no harm.”
Sam turned the clip over in his hands, examining it from every angle. “The detail on this is incredible. These patterns are all interconnected. There’s no beginning or end.”
“That’s part of the spell structure,” Claudia explained, warming to the familiar subject. “The continuous pattern helps the detection magic flow smoothly. It’s always active, always searching, like water finding the path of least resistance.”
“Clever.” He looked up at her, his gaze intent. “You clearly put a lot of thought into these items.”
More than you know, Claudia thought. More than I probably should have.
Truth be told, she’d started designing items for the Kinkaid Alpha even before she’d arrived.
She’d brought with her all the tools she’d need to complete her designs, and once she’d met him, she thought of new things she’d like to make for him. To keep him safe.
He’d begun to mean way more to her than he probably should have.
He was just her employer for the time being.
Why, then, did she feel so strongly about protecting him from the evil that wanted to stop both him and his Clan from simply living their lives in peace?
She had no answer to that question, so she just muddled through as best she could.
“I wanted them to work properly,” she told him. “And to be something you’d actually wear. There’s no point in protective charms if you leave them in a drawer because they’re ugly or uncomfortable.”
“No danger of that.” Sam set the money clip back in the box with careful reverence. “These are pieces I’d wear even without the magic.”
The compliment sent a flutter of pleasure through her chest. She’d spent years perfecting her craft, but hearing Sam appreciate the artistry as much as the function meant more than she wanted to admit.
He reached for the last item, the tie tack, and Claudia felt her breath catch. This was the piece she was most proud of, the one where she’d pushed her skills to their limit.
“This is different from the others,” Sam observed, holding it up so the golden topaz caught the light. The stone seemed to glow from within, facets sparking with tiny rainbows.
“That’s the most complex piece,” Claudia admitted. “The metal holds protection like the cufflinks, but the stone does something else. It’s a misdirection spell.”
Sam’s eyebrows rose. “Misdirection?”
“It makes you harder to track magically. Not impossible, but difficult. If someone tries to scry for your location or lock a tracking spell onto you, the topaz will scatter the magical trace.” She gestured to the stone.
“The facets work like mirrors, bouncing the magic away in multiple directions at once. It’s hard to explain without showing you, but essentially, a mage trying to find you will see twelve different possible locations instead of one true one. ”
“That’s brilliant.” Sam was staring at the tie tack. “How did you even figure out how to do that?”
Claudia felt her face heat again. “I experimented. Topaz has natural reflective properties, and I thought if I could harness that and combine it with the right enchantments, I could create something useful. It took a few tries to get the balance right between the metal’s protection and the stone’s misdirection without them interfering with each other. ”
“A few tries,” Sam repeated. “Meaning you made multiple attempts at this until you got it perfect.”
“Well, yes. I couldn’t give you something that might fail when you need it most.”
He set the tie tack down and looked at her, his expression unreadable. “Claudia, these aren’t just protective items. These are works of art. The amount of skill and care that went into making them is obvious in every detail.”
She shifted uncomfortably, not quite sure what to do with the intensity of his praise. “I’m good at what I do. It’s just my craft.”
“It’s more than that.” Sam reached out and took her hand, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. “Thank you for taking such care with these. For doing your best to help protect me.”
The touch sent electricity up her arm, and Claudia had to remind herself to breathe. “You’re welcome. I just want you to be safe in Monaco.”
“I will be. Especially with these.” He squeezed her hand once before releasing it, and she felt the loss of contact like a physical ache. “How do I activate them? Or are they always working?”
Right. Back to business. She could handle business.
“The cufflinks and money clip are always active. You don’t need to do anything special.
Just wear them.” She picked up the tie tack, weighing it in her palm.
“This one is a little different. The misdirection is passive most of the time, just making you harder to track. But if you’re in real danger, if someone is actively trying to lock onto your location, you can activate a stronger version. ”
“How?”
“Press your thumb against the topaz and push a little of your energy into it. Not much, just a touch. It’ll feel like the stone is pulling slightly, like a gentle tug.
When you feel that, you’ll know it’s working at full strength.
” She demonstrated the motion, though without actually activating it.
“The enhanced misdirection will last about an hour, then it’ll fade back to the passive level.
You can activate it multiple times, but try not to do it more than once in a twenty-four-hour period or you’ll drain the enchantment faster. ”
Sam nodded, taking in the information. “And you can recharge them?”
“Yes. Bring them to me, and I can refresh all the enchantments. It’s easier to maintain than to build from scratch.”
“Good to know.” He carefully placed each item back in the box, treating them with a respect that made her chest feel tight. “I’ll take good care of these. I promise.”
“I know you will.” And she did know it. Sam wasn’t careless with things that mattered.
The question was whether she mattered, or just the magic she could provide.
Stop it, she told herself firmly. This is professional. He needs these items for the mission. Don’t read more into it than there is.
But it was hard not to read into things when her lips still tingled from his kiss and her waist still remembered the weight of his hand. When he was looking at her like she’d given him something precious, instead of just doing her job.
“I should let you get back to your evening,” Sam said, but he made no move to stand. “I’ve taken up enough of your time.”
“You brought dinner,” Claudia pointed out. “That more than makes up for any time taken.”
“Still.” He glanced at the box, then back at her. “Thank you for all this. The items, the explanations, the…” He paused, and she knew from the devilish twinkle in his eye that he was thinking about the kiss. “The practice.”
“The practice,” she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper. “Right.”
They looked at each other for a long moment, and Claudia felt the air between them grow thick with unspoken things. Things she didn’t dare say, questions she didn’t dare ask.
Did you feel it too? That spark, that connection, that sense of rightness when you kissed me? Or was it really just practice for you?
But she didn’t say any of that. Instead, she smiled and started gathering their dinner plates. “We should probably clean this up. Unless you want to take the leftovers home?”
“You keep them,” Sam said, standing. “I’m going back to the condo tonight anyway. I have early meetings and don’t want to battle rush hour traffic on my way in.”
They cleaned up together, moving around the small kitchen in a careful dance of not quite touching. Sam washed while she dried, and it felt far too domestic, far too comfortable, like something they’d done a hundred times before.
When everything was put away and the box with the protective items was tucked safely under Sam’s arm, they walked to the door together.
“Thank you again,” Sam said, pausing with his hand on the doorknob. “For everything.”
“You’re welcome.” Claudia hugged her arms around herself, suddenly aware of the cool evening air coming through the open door. “Be safe driving back to the city.”
“I will.” He smiled, and it transformed his usually serious face into something warm and approachable. “Goodnight, Claudia.”
“Goodnight, Sam.”
She watched him walk down the path to the main house, the box held carefully in his hands. He turned once to wave, and she waved back before closing the door and leaning against it.
Her lips still tingled. Her magic still hummed with the memory of his touch. And her heart was opening to possibilities she’d given up dreaming about a long time ago. Foolish heart. She could not fall for a man who was absolutely, completely wrong for her. A man with big commitments elsewhere.
He was not only an Alpha, but a king among shifters. True shifter royalty. Add to that the fact that he was a billionaire with responsibilities to his Clan and his businesses and the entire shifter community.
And her? She was just a mage. A nobody with a talent for metalwork and a foolish, growing attachment to a man who was so far out of her league, he might as well be living on another planet.
But when she touched her fingers to her lips, remembering the taste and feel of him, she couldn’t make herself regret it. Even if it was just practice. Even if it meant nothing to him.
For her, it had meant everything.