Page 9 of Shift of Heart (Shifter Lords #1)

Chapter

Seven

A flower bouquet lay before me, but I didn’t want to touch it. Malevolent energy wafted from the wilting blooms. Tess, Moira, Ash, and I all stood in a semi-circle around the spelling table, staring down at it.

“Who brought this in?” I asked.

Moira flipped through the clipboard she held. “Um. A woman named Amy.”

“Marriage date.”

Moira’s eyes skimmed down the page. “One week ago. Her mother dropped off the bouquet for her daughter. The daughter’s name is Chloe.”

“Do we have the groom’s name?”

Ash shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t like this,” he murmured. “Those flowers are...tainted.”

Moira shook her head. “No place for it. I can add it to the sheet for next time.”

“Please do,” I murmured.

Tess rubbed her hands over her arms. “He’s a bad man. A very bad man.”

“I’m not sure he’s a man at all.”

Three sets of wide eyes swung my way. “You can tell that?” Moira asked.

I tipped my hand back and forth. “Sort of. There’s a magic imprint soaked into the blooms, but it’s faint. Men don’t normally handle their bride’s flowers.” Odd that he handled them at all. “Do you know if the couple is on their honeymoon?”

Moira shrugged. “I assumed so since the mom dropped the bouquet off, but I didn’t ask.” She took a step back, eyeing the flowers warily.

“Should we call her back and refuse the job?” Moira made a note on the clipboard. “She left her cell and an email address.”

I thought about it, but shook my head. “It’s not the bride’s fault. When is she expecting the flowers back?”

Moira consulted the clipboard again. “Two weeks.”

“Good. Let’s pack this back up.” I turned to Ash. “Can you grab one of the magic dampening sacks?”

“I’ll get it,” Tess volunteered. She floated away in a hurry.

“Chicken,” Ash muttered.

“Don’t be jealous you didn’t volunteer fast enough,” Moira chided.

I laughed. “Once Tess gets back, we’ll secure the flowers. I didn’t sleep well last night, and I don’t want to work on them while my head is fuzzy.”

Ash leaned over and felt my forehead with the back of his palm. “Feeling alright, Evie?”

I brushed his hand away. “You know I’ve never run a fever since you’ve known me.”

The dryad shrugged. “First time for everything. Some illnesses of our kind manifest in a higher body temperature.”

“Nothing but weird dreams plaguing me,” I confessed. More than a dream, but I wasn’t ready to tell them the fae king had popped up and had a disturbing convo with me.

“You’re off tomorrow and should take it easy. You’ve had an interesting few days.”

At Ash’s curious glance, Moira winced. “With the number of customers coming in, we’ve been busier than normal.”

Ash didn’t say anything, but he gave us both an odd look.

The bell over the door rang, announcing a new customer. Tess and Moira went to the front while I wrangled the evil bouquet. Ash winced when I picked it up, which made me laugh.

“It’s not a bomb,” I teased.

He shuddered. “I’m glad you’re wearing gloves. Touching that with bare skin seems unwise.”

I tucked the flowers into the magical pouch and carefully zipped it up, ensuring all the blooms were carefully tucked in.

I couldn’t leave it for too long. Even with the magic in the shop, fresh flowers still needed to be looked after or preserved as soon as possible if they’d already been cut. “I’ll look at it in a couple of days.”

“When you catch up on your sleep,” Ash said as he probed but pretended he wasn’t.

“Yes,” I said and smiled sweetly. Handing him the bag, I waved and went to help Tess and Moira.

“Evie!” Ash gasped. “You are the worst!”

I laughed and pushed through the connecting doors.

Moira spun around, eyes wide. “Go!” she mouthed, frantically waving me back.

I stopped and blinked, about to ask her what was going on, when a staggering and familiar magic washed over me.

Tess’s face brightened when she spotted me. “Oh! Here she is now.” She came out from behind the counter, her cheeks pink and eyes sparkling, a look I had never seen on her. Tess put the ’s’ in morose.

“Evie Quinn is the owner and knows everything about flowers. I’m sure she can answer any questions you have.”

Moira squeezed her eyes shut and exhaled before slapping a smile on her face and turning around.

The Shifter Lord and a small blonde woman with smiling green eyes walked by Tess’s side. My heart leapt in my chest, and I quickly moved to control my breathing.

Caelan was one of the most powerful shifters in the country. If I had an extreme physical reaction, he would get suspicious. A suspicious shifter was the absolute last thing I needed.

Moira didn’t have to worry about it because she had no heartbeat, and Tess, bless her dark little heart, was clueless.

I smoothed my hands down my floral apron and smiled. “Hello. Welcome to Little Shop of Florals. Is there something specific you’re looking for?”

The small woman smiled and stuck out her hand. “I’m Simone Ashmoore, The Shifter Lord’s Omega.”

Her handshake was firm and dry. Comforting magic rolled over my skin as we touched.

Omegas were rare and prized within their packs for their unique, blissful magic, but rarely rose high in the ranks.

It was odd she was with Caelan. From what I knew of Shifter Lords, they rarely left their compounds without their second.

If Simone was a second, she was extraordinarily powerful.

“Evie.”

Caelan stared at me, his eyes not missing a thing.

He was tall and powerfully built, his entire presence feeling like a warning.

Even the plant life inside my shop had gone still and wary.

He was well over six feet, with broad shoulders and a trim waist. Everything about him screamed restrained violence, and he stood with absolute stillness.

The Shifter Lord was a storm in waiting, barely held together by human skin.

His hair was dark, longer on top and slightly tousled, the only thing even a little messy about him. But the most stunning thing about him was his eyes. Storm gray and gold-flecked, a rarity in human form.

Only Lord’s eyes glowed gold when they shifted or used their power, but Caelan’s magic was held firmly in check. His power was so tremendous, it had manifested into physical traits.

His clothing was made less for style and more for function. Today he wore well-used blue jeans and a charcoal-colored t-shirt with a flannel jacket over the top. His boots were leather and scuffed. Steel-toed and heavy, if I had to guess.

Caelan, for all his power, looked to be a working man. A sliver of admiration wound through me before I squashed it down.

As he looked at me, he catalogued weaknesses, searching for ways to hurt or subdue. I don’t think he meant anything by it, but Caelan was a man who constantly scanned for threats. In his line of work, he had to.

Power hummed around him, a magnetic field that brushed against my skin. I wrapped my power tightly around me, keeping it pushed deep down inside. This would be the true test to see if Caelan recognized me—if my thistle tattoo worked as it should when a threat like a Shifter Lord appeared.

Tess broke the tense silence. “The Pack needs flowers for a funeral,” Tess said.

I blinked and tore my eyes away from Caelan. “Oh!” I put a hand over my heart. “My sincere condolences.”

Get it together, Evie. He probably didn’t think anything of my perusal. I bet everyone stared at him like that. “I’d be happy to help. Would you like to step into my office?”

Being enclosed in a small space with Caelan wasn’t ideal, but I had to pretend everything was normal. Speaking about funeral arrangements in the open was the height of unprofessionalism.

Caelan stepped forward and held out his hand. “Caelan Wolfe.”

His last name was Wolfe? My lips twitched.

Moira sucked in a choked gasp of air.

Simone’s eyebrows lifted, her bright eyes sparkling with amusement.

To cover my faux pas, I smiled and mustered up my old high school theater skills. “A Shifter Lord,” I breathed, piling on false admiration. “Thank you so much for choosing my shop.”

When our hands touched, magic sparked between us, unseen by the others but felt by us.

Caelan’s eyes went wide. His nostrils flared as he tried to fully scent me.

That’s where the power of my tattoo came in.

All someone could smell was a low powered Hedgewitch.

But there was one fatal flaw. It didn’t do a thing when someone at Caelan’s power level touched me.

He wouldn’t know what I was, but he would know I wasn’t just a Hedgewitch.

And that might prove to be a huge problem.

His skin was warm and calloused, and for a brief second, I wondered what those hands would feel like running over my bare skin. I swallowed hard and pulled my hand away.

Caelan’s eyes narrowed. “Evie Quinn, you said?”

I nodded and cleared my throat. “Would you like to come into my office?” I asked again.

Caelan smiled, the effect devastating, and I wondered if he knew what I’d been thinking about a second before. “Lead on, Evie.”

He wouldn’t let me lead him. Caelan walked up next to me, his gray gaze scanning the shop with a thorough eye. “Every Shifter Lord takes on the surname of their beast, though we don’t always announce it.”

So, he had noticed my amusement. Great. But I couldn’t stifle my curiosity. “Is it given to you at birth or do you have a different surname before you’re named Lord?”

His brow crinkled, and I wondered if no one had ever asked him that question. “Different. It’s Hawthorne.”

My breath caught as I stumbled. Caelan caught me by the elbow before I went down, steadying me. I righted myself as a nervous laugh escaped me. “Sorry about that. I’m a total klutz sometimes.”

His hand burned into my skin. “Quite alright.”

But he didn’t let go until Simone cleared her throat, then he jerked his hand away like he’d burned himself.

I turned away and led them through the back into the office, where I kept the book of floral selections.

My mind spun. Hawthorne. Caelan’s last name was Hawthorne?

Of all the surnames for a Shifter Lord to have, I never would have expected it to be so.

..witchy. The Hawthorne represented love and fertility and had a direct connection to the fae realm.

I also hadn’t expected it to relate so directly to my powers.

Shaking my head to ward off those thoughts, I held open the door, but Caelan took it and gestured for me to go inside.

Simone gave me a strange look as she brushed past, but her expression morphed into one of awe as she stepped in.

“Whoa,” she breathed. “This is your office?”

I pulled a couple of chairs up to the large carved table to the right side of the room and went around to the other side of my desk to get the book with all the selections.

“It is. Every plant in here was grown either by cutting or seed. The ones on that shelf over there—” I pointed to a set of large, polished mahogany shelves Ash had made from a fallen tree. “Those are hybrids I’ve created over the years.”

Caelan had stopped in the middle of my office, his mouth slightly open as he took everything in.

I rarely felt self-conscious about my magic, but even I had to admit my office was a little...extra. Plants were arranged on every available surface, and where there wasn’t a surface, I’d added shelving. Or a table. Or a wire rack.

Even the top of my credenza was crammed with plants. Vines climbed the lamps and light fixtures, tangled through the curtain rods, and hung with lush green leaves. I’d even placed three string of pearl plants inside my ceiling chandelier.

I had multiple varieties of pothos, Monsteras, ferns, and orchids blooming in every color in the large bay window overlooking the town square. There were African Violets and peace lilies, multiple types of succulents, Easter and Christmas cacti in full bloom, and dozens of others.

Simone wandered over to the hanging rod by the window and gawked at one particular plant. “This,” she breathed. “What is this? It’s stunning.”

I walked over to her and grinned. “It’s called Callisia Repens Pink Lady. It’s a turtle vine.”

She reached out and jerked her fingers away. “Oh, sorry. I just?—”

“Feel free to touch anything you want. Plants crave contact just like we do.”

Simone’s lips parted as she reached up to stroke its leaves. “I’ve never seen anything so beautiful. How do you keep it alive?”

I shrugged. Floromancy was a rare magic and not usually dangerous, but I rarely discussed my gift with anyone. “A strong green thumb and lots of research.”

I watched as Simone marveled over the plant. “Would you like a cutting?”

Simone gasped. “Oh no. I couldn’t.”

Caelan came over and stood beside Simone. “You should accept her offer. It’s good for the plant and an excellent way to brighten up your rooms.”

I blinked in surprise. “You grow things?”

Caelan’s teeth flashed. “Nothing like this, but I have a few houseplants I enjoy.”

Interesting. So many people dismissed green things inside the home, claiming they were too much work, or they had a brown thumb, but houseplants oxygenated the air, soothed anxiety, and helped calm the atmosphere. Plus, they were beautiful to look at. I wondered if Caelan felt the same.

Tearing my attention away from him, I refocused on Simone.

“I’ll take a few cuttings for you and root them.

It will take a couple of weeks, but when they’re ready, I’ll call you for pickup if that’s alright.

If you see anything else you’d like to try to grow, I’m happy to take any cuttings you’d like. ”

Simone’s smile grew. “That’s incredibly generous. Thank you.” Her bright gaze swept the room. “Can I ask for one of everything?”

Caelan huffed a laugh. “How about we keep it under five today? We don’t want to take up too much of Evie’s time, and we still haven’t looked at the flower selections.”

Chastened, Simone’s cheeks went pink. “Of course.”

I smiled at her. “I’ll see what I can do. Until then, please sit down so we can talk about what flowers you want for your service.”