Page 35 of Shift of Heart (Shifter Lords #1)

Chapter

Thirty

T he raven sat atop my roof, watchful and quiet. I waved, but didn’t bother him. After escaping my mother’s clutches, I left the bird to his own devices. He’d come when he needed me or for occasional companionship.

The Shifter Lords’ visit had left me shaken, so I stayed outside the rest of the day, working on new landscaping.

I had several trees I needed to boost, and I needed to do a walk-through of the property to make sure nothing was amiss, again something I’d neglected to do over the last several months.

I had a four-wheeler, but I preferred walking so I wouldn’t miss anything that required attention.

Part of me wanted to call Moira, but I didn’t want to drag her into this mess. If I pretended to be only a Floromancer of middling power, maybe the Council would leave me alone. As long as Caelan kept my secret. And why the hell would he do that?

I sighed and peppered magic at some pesky thorns that were beginning to choke my marigolds. They retreated, but not far enough away for my taste, so I popped them again.

“Stay away from the front yard and the paths I walk, you hear me?” I scolded.

Someone stepped onto my land. I stilled, straining to hear.

“I know you sense me,” a deep voice said.

I rose and turned, only to see the same shifter who’d been with Caelan last night. He was massive, a bear of a man, and handsome as sin. Magic curled from the ground, rising up through the soles of my bare feet.

“I come in peace and promise no harm,” he said, holding his hands up. “My name is Ben Walker.”

“Are you here to deliver a message?” I asked, still wary.

“Not quite. I’m here…” His voice trailed off, and he huffed a laugh. “Well, I suppose I’m here because I want to meet the woman who managed to so handily infuriate a handful of Shifter Lords.”

I rolled my eyes. “They’re overly reactive.”

Ben laughed. “I agree. May I approach?”

I tilted my head and studied him. He was well over six and a half feet tall and must have weighed two hundred and fifty pounds. If he got his hands around me, I’d have a real fight on my hands.

Ben’s brows drew together. “Do not study me like a predator,” he said quietly. “I would never put my hands on a woman without their permission.”

I swallowed hard. “Every woman studies every man like he’s a predator. Most men aren’t emotionally intelligent enough to notice.”

Ben made no move to come closer. “Look your fill, Evie. Use your magic to know me.”

My eyes narrowed. No man had ever offered to allow me to look that closely. I took a few steps closer, his unusual, fresh and clean scent washing over me. “You aren’t a wolf.”

“No.”

He did not elaborate.

I sent out a thread of tourmaline colored magic through the ground. “Are you sure you want to allow this?”

Ben smiled. My heart did a little skip bump at the sight. “Know me,” he said again.

His breath caught when my magic touched him.

“Last chance,” I whispered.

Ben’s eyes glowed a startling blue. “I wish to know you, Evie. That means I want you to know me, too.”

My magic swept around his ankles, seeking entrance inside the massive shifter’s body. He made no move toward me, but when my power entered his body, his head tipped back, exposing his throat. It was a submissive gesture, and the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.

My breath caught as I moved close enough to touch him. The power always worked better when I was in close proximity, and while I didn’t have to touch him, I realized I wanted to.

I pressed my hand gently against his upper chest, my magic touching his heart. Closing my eyes, I lay my head against him and took a deep breath.

Pain. Ben had known so much pain in his life.

So much tragedy. The magic showed me no pictures, and if it tried, I would deny them.

I didn’t need to share his private thoughts.

I only wanted to know he was safe. This was the part of my magic I showed no one.

Plants felt things. Every living thing felt emotions, pain, joy, hope, heartache.

Ben was no different. Except most of his life had been painful, only small moments of joy brushing against my senses.

He wasn’t a violent man, though violence had found him many times.

A small sigh of sadness escaped me. Ben’s massive arms wrapped around my waist.

“Every trial in my life brought me to this moment,” he said quietly.

The only darkness I found was external, things that had happened to him. Ben was guarded, deep, secretive, and had a well of power almost as large as mine. And to his credit, he made no move to examine me the same way.

I withdrew my power and wrapped my arms around him, tears streaming down my face. “Why?” I croaked.

We stood together wrapped in each other, and I can’t remember a time when I’d felt so safe. The last time someone had held me this close?—

I sucked in a breath and pushed Ben away, my heart thundering in my chest.

His eyes opened, a fierce glow shining from them, a terrible look forming on his face. “Who?” he snarled.

I shook my head.

Ben inhaled a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them, the glow was gone, and his face was a neutral mask. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Why are you here?” I asked quietly. “No one wants to know me without an ulterior motive.”

A sad smile curved his lips up. “I’m sorry that has been the case.” His eyes swept my land. “Were you about to walk your property?”

My brow furrowed. “How did you know?”

He pointed at my bare feet. “You have boots and socks right by the edge of the uncleared land. Mind if I join you?”

I believed he wouldn’t harm me, but it didn’t mean he was here without an ulterior motive, especially with Caelan as his Lord. “You can, but I won’t tell you anything.”

Ben laughed. “The Lord is my friend, but he is not happy I am here. You might say we are in a bit of a disagreement.”

“I can only imagine he disagrees a lot,” I grumbled.

He grinned and gestured for me to go ahead. “I’ll wait at the edge for you.”

I hurried over to put my socks and boots on, tucking my overalls into my socks when I was finished.

When I rose, Ben was watching me. Not in a predatory way, but in a soft way.

Color touched my cheeks. I found the shifter unnerving.

Not in a threatening way. In a...dangerous for my heart kind of way.

But I’d found Caelan the same, even as I feared for my life. I didn’t fear Ben, though. He had a gentle energy about him, and I hadn’t recognized his magic, though it felt peaceful.

“I’m a healer,” he said, answering my unasked question.

I snapped my attention to his face. “Was I that obvious?”

He lifted a powerful shoulder in a shrug. “You are the first person I’ve allowed to examine me like that. Thank you for not taking advantage.”

“You’re the first person who’s allowed it.”

We smiled at each other, and I felt an odd magical tug, drawing me toward him. I shook it off and stepped into the woods, the big shifter behind me, silent as a mountain cat.

As we walked, I realized how nice it was to have someone with me. Allowing Ben to get too close would be a deadly mistake, but I could enjoy this onetime outing. As we walked, the shifter asked questions about the flora and fauna, and to my surprise, seemed interested in the answers.

I asked him about his healing abilities and limitations, divulging a little of my own skill without giving away too much. He told me how long he’d been with Caelan and how he worked as the Keep’s main healer.

I boosted the nutrients in the soil where I found it lacking and healed some spots on my apple trees that looked to be diseased.

There were several areas where seeds had gone too far to ground, so I gently tilled the soil to move them closer to the surface.

In a few weeks, several parts of my land would be blanketed with native wildflowers.

I trimmed areas that needed to be trimmed to encourage more growth and buried plants and animals too far gone for my help. In the earth we began and to earth we returned. Life was a cycle and to disrupt it meant disrupting life itself, the very balance of nature.

Ben stayed quiet but watchful, and I realized I liked having someone watching over me while I communed with the earth. Every time I stood, he held a hand out to help me up, and by the time we made it to the back of the property, he stopped letting go of my hand.

I’d known the man for less than two hours, but I knew in my soul Ben had a gentle spirit saddled with lifelong trauma. As sad as it was, like recognized like.

At the edge of the uncleared land, I stopped abruptly, sensing the tingle of familiar and very unwelcome magic. “Stay here,” I warned.

Ben’s wicked chuckle tightened long unused things inside me. “If you think I’ll let a woman walk into danger alone, you’ve sorely misjudged me.”

“I don’t have time for macho nonsense,” I hissed. “Have you ever dealt with the gods, Ben?”

The shifter stilled, his brows drawing together. “Apparently you have.”

“I have, and you do not want to be on their radar. I will be fine. You may not.”

Ben’s upper lip curled, but he relented. “I’ll stay here for now. If there’s a hint of danger, I will not hesitate to come to you.”

Today felt like I’d stepped into a paranormal romance.

A beautiful man built like a brick shithouse randomly showed up in my yard, said beautiful things to me, allowed me to inspect his inner spirit, then walked with me for hours, didn’t make a single thing about him, then wanted to protect me when danger showed up at my doorstep. Who the hell was this guy?

I felt like I was being punked by the universe.

Ben slipped back into the tree cover as I stepped into the yard, squaring my shoulders as I prepared to face my mother.