Page 38

WREN

Everything hurt. I’d woken with aching muscles and a heaviness in my bones I couldn’t shake. But that hadn’t stopped Brix from forcing me into a morning parkour run session or King from making me spar for an hour.

Okay, the forcing wasn’t exactly true, but I did complain the whole time. The fact that I’d had to be on my feet at Arcane for hours afterward hadn’t helped.

Large hands landed on my shoulders, and fingers began kneading the muscles there. I moaned, my lids falling closed as Puck’s smoky whiskey scent swirled around me. “Please, never stop. I’ll give you my soul if you do this forever.”

Puck let out a husky chuckle. “I don’t mind the idea of owning you.”

“You would, you overbearing alpha,” I muttered.

He pressed a kiss to my hair. “We’ve only got another hour before closing. Then you can go straight to bed.”

Gods, that sounded like heaven. Fluffy pillows. Warm bodies. And sleep that lasted for at least twelve hours.

“Do you want me to make you a snack? We’re pretty slow?—”

As if he’d tempted fate, the front door opened, cutting off Puck’s words. I forced myself to lift my lids and immediately wanted to close my eyes again. Because if I closed them, I could ignore that Cressida and her two bitchy minions, Dara and Siena, had just walked in.

Puck let out a low, rumbling growl. “What did I say about you coming here?”

Cressida sent him a simpering, contrite look that was obviously fake. “We’re here to apologize. You were right. I was jealous. I thought we shared something special, and I wasn’t ready to see you move on. But Wren didn’t deserve me being mean.” Her gaze flicked to me ever so briefly. “I’m sorry.”

She spoke both my name and sorry as if she’d tasted something bad, then turned her glare on her friends. They both quickly mumbled apologies, as well.

Puck pulled me into him and brushed the hair back from my face. “What do you think?”

The last thing I wanted was to have these three bitches harboring hatred because I got them kicked out of the only bar in town. “It’s fine. They can stay.”

Puck’s gaze didn’t move from my face for a moment, as if he was making sure I was certain. Then he glanced at them. “You pull one move that’s even a little suspect, and you’re out. And next time, it’ll be for life.”

Siena paled at that, but I could see the annoyance in Cressida’s gaze. I had a feeling Cress would be out on her ass before long.

“What’ll you have?” Puck asked.

The ladies ordered cocktails, and Puck got to work filling their orders.

I took that as my excuse to visit the few tables with patrons.

A couple of mechanics from the local shop were finishing up their round of beers, a tourist couple with hearts in their eyes and hands in places that said they were getting lucky later lingered but asked for the bill, and a woman who looked vaguely familiar had settled in with a book and a glass of wine.

I got the check for the mechanics and the couple, but when I stopped at the woman’s table, she startled then flushed. “Sorry. Head in the clouds,” she muttered.

“It’s no problem,” I said with a smile. “Do you want another glass before we close? It’s about to be last call.”

She glanced up at the clock on the wall. “Oh, goodness. I really have lost track of time.”

“Must be a good book.”

“The best,” she said, her lips twitching. “But I’d better get going. Thanks for the wine.”

“Anytime,” I said, heading back to the bar to get my rag and cleaning spray.

Cressida’s high-pitched laugh grated on my nerves, but I shoved the annoyance down as I reached for my supplies.

“Need any help?” Puck asked hopefully.

“Sorry, buddy. You’re stuck behind the bar.”

His green eyes sparked with gold. “Birdie…you know what that does to me.”

I grinned. “Too bad you can’t do anything about it.”

“Oh, I can’t?” Puck moved in a flash, grabbing me around the waist and taking my mouth. My lips parted, and his tongue stroked in. I couldn’t hold back the moan as his taste teased my tongue.

One of the mechanics hooted while someone else started clapping. Puck righted me, and I stared at him, blinking and trying to steady myself.

“What was that you were saying, Birdie?” Puck asked innocently.

I scowled at him. “I’m gonna get you back for that.”

“Sure, you will,” he said, laughter in his voice.

“You tell him, Wren,” one of the mechanics called as he headed out the door, his buddies in tow.

The woman from the tourist couple gave me a thumbs-up as she took her boyfriend’s hand, and I couldn’t help but giggle. The sound died on my lips as I met Cressida’s furious glare. It was almost comical how angry she was. So, I just smiled at her. “Something to say?”

She downed the rest of her drink in one swig and slid off her stool. “I think the ambiance in here leaves a little something to be desired.”

“Aw, shucks. We’ll miss you,” I singsonged.

Puck choked on a laugh as Cressida’s henchmen followed her out. “Cleared ‘em out with fifteen minutes to spare. I’m in awe of you, Birdie.”

“As you should be.”

We made quick work of cleaning up. I handled the tables while Puck followed behind me with the broom. Before long, we were ready to go.

Stepping out into the night, I breathed deeply. The pine air swirled around me, clearing away the scents of the day. Having shifter senses in a confined space for so many hours could be a lot, and as tired as I was, my wolf craved a run.

I started toward Puck’s SUV, parked a few spots down, but stilled as I scented something that didn’t belong.

Fox.

And I wasn’t talking about the wild animal. I meant shifter. I opened my mouth to yell, but it was too late. A blade was already headed straight for me.