Page 16 of Shift of Morals (Shifter Lords #2)

Chapter

Nine

A fter a restless night, I showed up at the shop ten minutes late the next morning. Ash, Tess, and Moira were already there, the smell of fresh coffee ripe in the air.

“Thank goodness,” I grunted, heading straight to the pot.

“Late night?” Ash asked, good humor twinkling in his eyes.

“Not the kind of night you’re thinking of.” I took a sip of the life-giving brew, sighing as the warmth hit my body.

Moira winked. “Our little prude is still wearing her crown.”

“Shut it,” I muttered. “And you? Soren seemed enamored with our friendly vampire last night.”

Ash and Tess made wooing sounds. Moira laughed. “Woo all you want. Everyone here knows I have no shame.” She wiggled her eyebrows.

“Be careful. You should know dating a Lord is dangerous.”

“Dating your local Lord is dangerous. Soren isn’t in our region and has no plans to make a move on Caelan’s territory.” She sipped her tea. “I’m not planning on marrying the guy, Evie. There’s no need to worry.”

“You little vixen.” I shook my head and laughed. “I wish I was more like you.”

“You wouldn’t be our lovable Evie if you were.” Moira held up a piece of paper and waved it. “Got an email this morning from the supposed mom. She relinquished the name of the wedding planner, but not much else.”

“A dead end, then.”

“Looks that way, unless we can ask Caelan.”

I shook my head. “No. Not with Gianna in the picture. I’m not going back to the Keep until I have to.”

Ash let out a low whistle. “Would you go if Gianna wasn’t there?” he asked.

Ugh. Why did everyone pay attention to everything I said? “Dammit. No. I wouldn’t go either way.”

“Lies,” Moira teased. “Evie can’t resist the Shifter Lord.”

“I can resist him just fine.” I topped off my coffee. “It’s Gianna we need to worry about.”

“You’re right. Those penciled in eyebrows are terrifying,” Moira said. “Anyone as elegant as she is definitely has something to hide.”

“True,” Ash said. “Do you know anything about her?”

Moira tapped a pencil on the desk. “She’s from a royal line. Swan shifter.”

“Ugh. Of course she’s a swan shifter.”

Three pairs of eyes turned my way. Moira’s lips twitched. “We should have tagged her as one when we first saw her. That neck. Dead giveaway.”

True. Gianna’s neck was long and graceful, and her bones were slender and delicate. Simone was smaller but sturdier.

“Swans are mean as hell,” Ash said. “And territorial. If she thinks you’re making a move on Caelan, Gianna will get territorial.”

“I’m not making moves on anyone.”

The doorbell rang.

“Except for him,” Moira said under her breath.

Ben walked in, his soothing magic sweeping across the store. I closed my eyes and smiled. Every time he came around, all I felt was peace.

He smiled when he spotted me. “Morning. I hope it’s not too early.”

“Nah. We just opened, but almost everything is still closed, so we won’t get any customers for a while.” I headed to the coffee pot and poured him a mug.

“Here you go.” Black and hot, the way he liked it.

Ben took the mug and curled his large hands around it. “Thank you.”

“What brings you in,” Moira said. “Searching for anything in particular?”

Ben grinned. “Just your lovely Floromancer.”

My cheeks colored. Ben and I hadn’t gone on a single date, and he hadn’t asked me out yet, but there was something between us—a spark we had yet to explore.

“You found her,” Moira said.

“Can I steal her for breakfast?” Ben sipped his coffee.

“Please,” Ash said. “She can take the entire day off. We have it under control.”

“That’s not necessary,” I said.

“I won’t take you away from the shop for the entire day. Breakfast is good for now.” He glanced at me. “Ready to go?”

I downed the rest of my coffee. “Sure am.”

He slung an arm over my shoulders, pulling me into the warmth of his body. “My treat.”

“Bye, Evie!” My team said in unison. “Either be good or be good at it!”

Ben chuckled as he held the door open for me.

The shifter had me back at the shop by 10:30, leaving me with a small charm he said was good for grounding.

Comforting magic pulsed from the small stone I’d tucked into my pocket.

He left me at the door, one finger tugging on a loose strand of hair, saying he’d come by in the next day or so.

His blue eyes crinkled at the edges as he bent to brush a kiss over my cheek, the spot tingling when he rose.

Catcalls greeted me when I walked into the shop.

Moira plopped her head onto her hands. “How’s our hot little healer?”

“So hot,” Tess said dreamily.

Moira grinned. “Tess! You little minx.”

Ash chuckled. “Even I can admit Ben is hot. I’d have to be blind not to see it.”

Most shifters had something about them that made them hard to resist. Ben was traditionally handsome, and he had a gentle way about him.

Despite that gentleness, Ben’s magic was an inferno.

He wasn’t a wolf, but he’d never disclosed what type he was.

Not that it mattered. Caelan had warned me away from his healer, and I had heeded that warning.

Somewhat.

I wouldn’t tell Ben no if he asked me out again, but we could never have a serious relationship.

Not with all the secrets I held.

“Yeah, yeah,” I said, waving their words away. “How’s business this morning?”

“Here and there. There’s time to finish some projects and get the new bouquets done for your other lover boy.” Moira winked.

“Please stop,” I begged.

Tess moaned, louder than she normally did. We all froze. “Tess?”

“She approaches,” the banshee said and popped out of existence a second later.

There was only one she Tess would sense that well.

“Shit,” I swore. “My mother is here.”

Moira’s eyes widened. “She can’t get in. Right?”

“Right. But not letting her in is disrespectful.”

“And if she destroys everything?” Ash said, his features paler than normal.

“I’ll allow her in under fae hospitality rules. If she touches anything, even us, we can appeal to Cernunnos.” Who’d been suspiciously silent lately.

On that note, a phantom wind blew the door open, revealing a woman wearing a dress of bright blue silk.

All goddesses are beautiful. Those are basically the rules of the fae.

But my mother? She was on a different level.

Her hair was dark as night and flowers were carefully braided through the strands, her skin pale as cream.

Long considered one of the most beautiful of the fae, my mother could stop traffic if she ever dropped her glamour among the humans.

Right now, any tourists milling around would see a dark-haired woman, girl next door pretty, holding a basket of flowers.

We had the same azure-colored eyes, though my mother’s held a chill no matter how warmly she spoke.

Cliona, Goddess of beauty, love, and passion, Queen of the Banshees, Queen of the seas…I could go on and on with her titles, but the one that mattered most to me was the one I called her.

Mother.

“Hello,” I said politely.

One of her dark eyebrows went up. “Daughter, I always enjoy your warm greetings.”

“This is the second time I’ve seen you in only a few weeks. Is something wrong?”

She rolled her eyes, the gesture one of the most human I’d ever seen on her. “Does there have to be something wrong for me to visit my daughter?”

My eyes narrowed. “No, but I rarely see you. This is the first time I’ve seen you this much since I moved away.”

“Then maybe we should change that.”

No. We absolutely should not change our situation.

“You haven’t answered my question. What’s wrong?”

She scoffed, a delicate sound. “Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

“If you agree to hosting rules, yes.”

Anger rolled over her face. Her jaw tightened with annoyance. “And what would you have me agree to?”

“Once you step onto the premises of my shop, you are a guest. No harm shall come to you as long as you agree to bring no harm to any living things inside. Mammal, paranormal, animal, plant, anything that has any sentience must be left alone. You also agree to leave everything inside alone. Anything inside is my property and is to be left alone. You’ll have twenty minutes inside, and then you must leave.

You are to cast no spells, murmur no incantation, take nothing even if you consider it yours, or try to coerce anyone or anything inside to join you or come work for you. ”

Mom sighed. “Honestly, Evie. You make me sound like a common thief.”

She wasn’t, but I can remember a few times where she got sticky fingers, and a couple of those were at my house. She’d stolen a couple of my treasures, nothing I couldn’t replace, but annoying, nonetheless.

“Do you agree?”

“Fine,” she snapped. “I agree to your rules. Do you have good tea at least?”

“I keep your favorite blend in the fridge.” With a mental nudge, I loosened the wards to allow my mother inside.

She stepped over the threshold and brushed past, her familiar scent of fresh sea and florals washing over me, bringing with it an aching wave of sadness.

Ash and Moira hadn’t retreated, much to my surprise. The dryad already had a cup of tea prepared for my mother and held it out. “Would you like cream and sugar?” he asked.

My mother’s lips curved in approval. “Ash. I’d forgotten what a gentleman you are. Thank you. I would love both, please.”

Ash inclined his head and went back to the fridge. Mom settled onto one of the seats, smoothing her skirts out.

“Moira,” she said when her eyes found the vampire. “Always a pleasure.”

“Cliona.” Moira hated my mother. With good reason, but it always made me afraid for her whenever Cliona deigned to show her face. Though the vampire knew when to hold her tongue, Moira loved me like family, and I wondered if there would come a day when she lost her temper with my mother.

That day might mean Moira’s death.

While Mom was under guest rules, she’d be on her best behavior, but she’d try to push my buttons and get me to violate them first. That way, anything that happens would be on me.

I had a lot more to lose than I used to.