Page 46 of Shift of Heart (Shifter Lords #1)
F our weeks had passed since Finn had revealed himself, and two weeks since I’d fully recovered, changed but healed. My Chimera magic was more powerful than ever, and my tattoo was acting up, no longer fully suppressing the power.
Hazel would be here in a week to restore it and help me with my next steps. She knew about Finn showing up, and we both agreed he was not dead, only biding his time.
Until then, it was business as usual. We had several weddings on the books, and there were never enough hours in the day to get everything done.
The Shifter Lords had stayed away. Everyone except for Rowan. He’d come by a week ago to say goodbye and leave his number.
He’d also left me with a small silver sculpture of a wolf that doubled as a planter.
I gifted him with a special hybrid vine I’d created—a mix of night-blooming jasmine and passion flower that bloomed every quarter and produced seedless passionfruit.
He was delighted by the gift, and I promised to go visit him in a few months to juice up the soil and roots.
Ben had made himself scarce after the events at the Keep, once he’d helped Moira to stabilize me and ensured I was going to live. Perhaps seeing me in that state was too much for the gentle healer. I couldn’t blame him. Moira, Ash, and Tess stayed around because they were my family.
Ben was kind, but he was still a stranger.
As was Caelan, though he wasn’t kind, not exactly. I hadn’t seen him in a month, but there were odd rumors surrounding a new presence at the keep. No one knew if the new arrival was a threat or a boon to his rule, and I’d started tuning those rumors out. It hurt to think about him.
The bell rang, announcing a new customer. I glanced up, stunned to see Simone standing there. A smile broke over my face.
“Hi!” I waved her in with the bouquet I was arranging, a mix of lilies and roses. “Need some flowers?”
Simone’s smile was tight. “We do.” She looked me up and down. “You look much better.”
I squashed down the hurt at not seeing her until now. The shifters owed me nothing. “I’m feeling much better.”
“Good.” She handed me a slip of paper. “This is everything we need. The event is in three months.”
I opened the paper and skimmed down the contents. “Wow,” I breathed. “This must be some event.” But as I continued skimming, a sick feeling began in my stomach. “What kind of event is this?”
Simone’s eyes flickered with regret. She shifted nervously on her feet. “Lord Caelan is getting married.”
Moira and Tess gasped.
The bouquet I held went up in a puff of crimson flames, there one moment and black ash the next. A vase behind me shattered. Simone went very still and took a step back.
I calmed my rage and pasted a smile on my face. “Tell your Shifter Lord I will do everything in my power to make this event unforgettable .”