Sorry. I didnt want to ask. Its the lilacs. They are what brought me to your doorstep today, and to the brewery last night. The scent is heady.
You wolves have good sniffers. Did you happen to remember an old lady screaming from that night?
I, uh... He set the remaining quarter of sandwich on the plate. Yes?
Mireio chuckled at his obvious confusion. Its okay. Mrs. Henderson is a drama queen. She stopped over the next morning. Wanted to talk about the monster.
Monster?
Yes. And get thisshed changed her mind from her original assessment that it was Bigfoot. Now shes sure it was a Sasquatch.
Areally? His mouth dropped at the corners and his big brown eyes saddened.
Youre not a monster. She felt the need to reach over and pat his knee in reassurance. But its a good thing she thinks that, isnt it? If she was telling everyone shed seen a werewolf, that could cause trouble for you. How many people actually believe in Sasquatches?
About as many as believe in werewolves? He rubbed his palms on his thighs.
Right. But dont worry about it. She sipped the lemonade. So you said something like it wasnt normal for you to tromp through yards in werewolf form. Why were you in my yard the other night? Were you lost? Had you come through the cornfield that backs up to the yard?
He picked up the lemonade and drank half of it. The man seemed nervous again. Yet much as she shouldnt push, curiosity was a witchs best tool when it came to making good choices and weeding out the wrong.
Well, I mean, arent werewolves much more cautious about shifting near humans? And it wasnt even a full moon.
I dont know why it happened, he blurted out. Its something Im looking into.
Really? Like, something is wrong with you?
He shrugged. I went to a doctor a few days ago and he checked me out. Said it was probably nothing to worry about. Might have been sleep shifting.
Sleep shifting? I cant imagine.
Neither can I. The doc took a bunch of blood and did some other tests.
And?
And? Uh, he hasnt called with the results yet. Its nothing. I dont think you have to worry about finding me in your backyard in werewolf shape anytime in the future.
Well, Id rather you in my backyard than Mrs. Hendersons. You have to be careful.
I am, he said forcefully.
And Mireio took that as a warning to curb the conversation topic. She did love an alpha, but she wasnt stupid. When you poke a wolf with a stick, itll bite.
She prodded the bread crust on her plate. So you said youre some kind of security guy?
That was just my roundabout way of saying Im scion of the Northern Pack without actually telling anyone Im a werewolf.
Right. Gotta be careful. But since I know... What does being a scion entail?
At the moment? Not much. He chuckled and his shoulders relaxed. The wicker chair creaked as he settled into it. And those sexy dimples returned. The pack I grew up in has been shrinking every year. A few years ago, Ridge Addison handed over the principal reins to Dean Maverick, which bumped me up to scion, his second-in-command. But there are only two other pack members at present, and the only one who lives on the compound is Maverick and his woman, Sunday.
I know Sunday. Shes good friends with one of The Decadent Dames owners, Valor Hearst.
I know Valor. Ive sold her queen bees for her hives. Im also a beekeeper. I think I mentioned that last night?
Thats so cool. I love bees. Theyre so fluffy.
And industrious. They fascinate me. And Sunday is awesome. Lately shes been helping me with...a project.
Mireio leaned across the table and caught her chin in hand. What sort of project?
Just something he held his hands in the air to suggest something bread-basket sized small.
A small project that he obviously didnt want to talk about. The man was either shy or shifty. Mireio would stick with shy. And he was a cute shy, so that made his reluctance to expound easier to accept. On with the next topic. You said youve been remodeling a house?
Yes, my cabin. Im fixing it up. I intend to add on two rooms to the back before winter. I live about a run away from the pack compound.
A run?
I can jog back and forth from the cabin to the compound in about five minutes, or take a leisurely stroll in fifteen minutes. I moved into the old, single-room cabin years ago. Ive got the outhouse all finished, but now
Wait. Mireio set down her lemonade and sat up straight. You have an outhouse? Like...no indoor bathroom?
He laughed, and the sound of it felt like rough water rushing over river stones to Mireio. And for a water witch that was a very sexy sound. Its how the place was when I moved in, he said. But thanks to my remodeling its all modern and has running water with good quality plumbing in the outhouse. Not a hole in a board.
Whew! For a second there you had me worried. Ill have you know the bathroom is the most important room in my house. There are not too many nights I miss my bath.
You were taking a bath the night I saw you standing outside the door. Uh, sorry. He rubbed a palm over his face and swiped across his beard nervously. I have to stop bringing that up. Its rude of me.
Not rude, just... Mireio sighed. So youve seen me naked. Just gives you something to desire, doesnt it? And she sat back, satisfied that shed stepped beyond the weirdness of the event and made it something she could control. If not a little weirder. Ha! Go, Mireio! Anyway, my bathtub is huge. Its because Im a mermaid.
Larss jaw dropped open. You are? So youre like a mermaid witch?
I mean, figuratively Im a mermaid. I love water. I work water magic. I think I was probably a real mermaid in a past life. You know?
I can imagine you swishing around in the sea. But would your hair have been green?
Maybe. She twirled the ends of her hair around a fingertip and fluttered her lashes at him.
And Lars fell into that puppy-dog, lovestruck expression again. Oh, dear, but he had it bad for her. And she wasnt beyond encouraging him, because now that she was getting to know him, she really liked the strong silent alpha.
Had she intentions to avoid a relationship? Silly witch.
Mireio!
At the shrieking female yell, Lars sat up abruptly, kicking the table and upsetting the plates. Mireio made a grab to keep them from falling onto the stone patio. Its just Mrs. Henderson, she said quickly, as if to calm a spooked dog.
The old woman popped around the back corner of the house with a notebook in hand. She wore an olive green pencil skirt that Mireio imagined shed probably worn in her heyday back in, well...whenever the skirt had been in style. Her black-and-gray hair was piled into a messy bundle atop her narrow skull and on her feet were the ever-present and quite beaten pink bunny slippers.
Oh. Mrs. Henderson eyed up Lars. I didnt realize you had a guest, Mireio.
Mrs. Henderson, this is Lars Gunderson. Lars, Mrs. Henderson, my next-door neighbor. We were just finishing lunch. And I have a loaf of oatmeal rye for you that Ill bring over once its cooled, Mrs. Henderson.
Oh, thats lovely. Youre always so generous with the baked goods. And quite a talent too. She still couldnt drag her assessing gaze from Lars as she held out the notebook before her. I dont mean to interrupt but I wanted to show you the sketch I made of the she dropped her voice to a whisper you-know-what we saw the other night.
Mireio glanced to Lars, who, no doubt, had figured what the woman was talking about, but he didnt show that he had.
Lars, was it? Mrs. Henderson asked him. She tilted her head, taking him in with a discerning gaze. Have we met before? You seem very familiar.
Never, Mireio blurt out. I mean, weve only just met, so of course youve never seen him here or in my yard before. Let me see what youve drawn, Mrs. Henderson. Its okay. I mentioned the, uh, incident to Lars. So hes in on it.
Oh? The womans eyes brightened, pleased to have another conspirator present. She told you about the Sasquatch?
That she did. He leaned his elbows onto his knees, giving her his full attention. You must have been frightened something fierce.
Who me? Oh, gosh, no. I may have been initially surprised to see such a big, ugly, hulking beast tromping through my prized tulips, but that didnt stop me from getting a very good look at the monster.
Larss jaw tensed. It was a good thing he wasnt holding the glass of lemonade because Mireio guessed his clenched fingers might have sent shards flying.
Mrs. Henderson laid the notebook down on the table and Mireio turned it so both she and Lars could look at thequite talentedsketch of what looked similar to an ape-like man with long hairy fingers and a hunched back and shoulders. The head was all wrong, not matching the werewolfs actual wolf head and long toothy maw, but instead more resembling a man with large ears and a flat monkeylike snout.
Remarkable, Mireio said with a secret glance and smile to Lars.
Is it how you remembered the beast too? Mrs. Henderson asked eagerly. I intend to bring this sketch in to the police, but Im still not so sure I got the nose right.
Oh. Well... Mireio shrugged. I didnt get a very good look at it. I had initially thought it was a moose...but Im sure what youve drawn here is very close.
But you said it stopped and stared at you for a moment. Surely you must have seen details? Did you look into its big glowing yellow eyes?
Mireio met Larss lift of his brows. He was smirking now, thank the goddess. He obviously understood there was no fear of him being found out with such a drastically wrong drawing, no matter who the woman showed it to.
Maybe a little longer, she said, tapping the nose. And did you get the tail?
The tail? Mrs. Henderson picked up the sketch and studied it. Im not sure I remember...oh. Sure. A tail. Of course, Sasquatches have tails.
Do they? Lars asked.
Oh, yes, Mrs. Henderson replied with knowing authority. Ill have to add that. Thank you, Mireio. Oh. She placed a hand on Larss shoulder. Will you be around more often? To, you know, keep an eye on our sweet Mireio?
Uh...
I think I hear the oven timer for the last loaf of bread, Mireio interrupted. Well talk later, Mrs. Henderson. Lars, would you help me bring in the dishes?
It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Henderson, he offered as he dutifully and quickly followed Mireios escape route into the kitchen.
The two of them watched out the window until Mrs. Henderson had turned the corner at the back of the house, then they both started laughing.
That was the most awful rendition of she made air quotes the monster, Ive seen. You dont look anything like that.
Yes, Im relieved. Must be interesting having that woman living next door, eh?
Never a dull moment. She opened the oven door, which emitted a whoosh of delicious bread scent.
Mmm, now that scent will lead me back to your door over and over.
Good, she said decisively. Because I like you, Lars. Im glad you had the courage to approach me last night. Maybe we can do this again tomorrow night? More like an official date? Because right now I have to go change and head in to work.
Id like that. Ah, but tomorrow night wont work. I wont be able to find a... He winced, pausing to think his words through. I have a previous engagement. Its not with another woman. Just something I cant get out of. How about this Saturday?
Two days away. Saturday works for me. But youll have to pick me up at the brewery because I have the early shift.
Its a date.
Great! Let me wrap up a loaf of bread for you to take along. She pulled out some brown paper she kept for wrapping baked goods, and with a few folds and tucks fitted it perfectly about a warm loaf and handed it to him.
He took the gift and then glanced to the front door. Back to her. He rubbed a hand along his thigh. Yes, I suppose I should leave. Thank you for lunch. It was really good.
It wasnt that great. But youre a guy. Usually guys like any food thats been made for them that isnt a TV dinner.
So youve seen the inside of my freezer?
He smiled, and she fell into that pretty white gleam of his. He had no idea the impact those pearly whites had on her. And was she blushing? Parts of her suddenly felt very hot.
Uh. Right. Then I suppose I should go. He turned, but didnt walk to the front door.
So Mireio stepped up before him, sensing what he couldnt say or do. And finding it sweetly endearing. Did you want to kiss me before you leave?
He nodded. Eagerly, but with a sheepish shrug. I wasnt sure it would be okay.
The guy had scored one simply by being a sweet, uncomfortable lunk of shy. Mireio crooked her finger, gesturing that he should bow down, and when he got close enough to kiss, she met his lips with hers.
His mouth was not tentative, finding its place against hers with a surety and the promise of more confidence than his speech gave. He didnt open her mouth, but he lingered, and the pressure of him against her worked a delicious tingle in her core. Mmm, now that was a very not-shy kiss.
When they parted, his eyes darted back and forth between hers. Then his dimples dented his cheeks and his smile caught up. Saturday cant come fast enough. He kissed her quickly, and then turned to leave.
Standing on the threshold and watching his long strides out to his pickup truck, Mireio touched her lips and whispered a blessing for the fact shed not been a stuck-up witch last night and had decided to talk to the man.
Good call, she said to herself. May the witch and the werewolf get along. At the very least, have some fun.
* * *
Well past the midnight hour, Mireio startled from her sleep and cried out. She sat up, seeking in the darkness for a creaturewith fangs. Heartbeat thundering, she pressed a palm to her chest and, realizing shed had another nightmare, breathed deeply in and out to calm her fears.
It was always the same. The vampire stood before her holding a bloody heart that dripped onto the toes of her white shoes, forever staining her memories of a younger, more innocent time.
She hadnt had a nightmare in over a year, but the fact it had returned now disturbed her. She had to perform the immortality spell. But if so focused on preparing for the spell, could she then also concentrate on dating the shy but sexy werewolf?