Page 33 of Shift of Morals (Shifter Lords #2)

Chapter

Twenty-Two

CAELAN

I awoke with a jerk, my eyes scanning an unfamiliar room.

A toxic, foul odor hit my nose first. I grunted and gagged, slowly trying to orient myself.

Evie. I was in her house. How had I gotten here? And where was she?

And what the hell was I lying in? I slowly sat up, memories coming back to me.

Finn. My hands roamed my body, hitting something wet. I grimaced and pulled my hand away, wiping whatever the hell had gotten on me on the leg of my pants.

“Evie?” My throat felt like I’d gargled glass.

What the hell happened here? Once I sat all the way up, I swung my legs over, my feet landing in more liquid.

A large something lay to the left, covered in roots, vines, and leaves.

Typical Evie. Whatever it was hadn’t been there the first time I’d been here, and I assumed it was something she was growing until I stood and peered closer at it, only to see a feminine hand with long fingers sticking out of the side.

I swore and went to my knees, grimacing at the bark of pain as I landed. “Evie?”

Gently nudging a few of the roots away, I brushed Evie’s hair from her face. Her eyes were closed, bright green leaves growing on the ends of her hair. A smile tugged at my lips. Even covered in roots and leaves, she was stunning.

I murmured her name again. Evie’s eyes fluttered, opened, and went wide. “Caelan!”

Her nose wrinkled a few seconds later.

“Sorry,” I said sheepishly. “I’m not quite sure what happened here.”

“Poison,” Evie croaked. “Give me a minute.”

I took a few steps back and went to the kitchen to try to find some paper towels to sop up some of the mess. Her couch and floor were destroyed, and as more memories came back, I knew, once again, that it was my fault.

Would I never stop writing checks to Evie Quinn?

I found a roll of paper towels and went back to the scene of the crime, bending to clean up what I could while Evie extricated herself from her plant prison.

Once I got what I could, I found a trash bag, stripped my shirt off, and tossed it inside.

I had a second where I considered stripping my pants off, too, but I didn’t want to scandalize the poor Floromancer.

It would be fun, though.

My thoughts sobered as recent events surfaced. I’d almost died.

Again. In front of Evie Quinn.

Again.

Whoever that Finn guy was, he’d almost taken me out. Twice. I’d underestimated his strength and failed to use my full strength to take him out. He’d worn me down, using poison to worsen my condition, and almost had me.

I didn’t remember the first attack. He’d gotten me from behind and quickly overwhelmed me. This time he’d attacked from the front, and I still almost lost.

Evie and I needed to have a conversation.

She knew who Finn was. I washed quickly, scrubbing every bit of what I assumed was vomit away, and rinsed my mouth out multiple times until I felt somewhat human.

By the time I finished, Evie was sitting up, a look of dismay on her face as she took in the carnage.

“Your place looks a bit like a frat house.”

Evie turned to me, her eyes widening at my shirtless state. I didn’t miss her gaze sliding from my face to my torso, her cheeks coloring when she snapped her eyes back up to my face.

“Where’s your shirt?” she croaked.

“In the trash. Hopefully incinerated soon.” The Floromancer looked disheveled and tired and gorgeous.

Her dark hair tumbled around her shoulders, covering the remnants of her ripped and scored tank top. She’d tucked her dirty bare feet under her body and sat cross-legged as she peered up at me with too bright eyes.

I loved her eyes. They looked like a crystal-clear sea on a sunny day.

I loved her hair and itched to run my fingers through it.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” Her voice sounded hoarse.

“You healed me again.”

Evie nodded, her blue eyes wide in her pale face.

“Are you hungry?” I asked.

She nodded again.

“How about we clean this up and get something to eat?”

“I’ll clean it up later. You should be fine to go home.” Evie rose, wobbling as she stood.

I was by her side in an instant, my palm around her arm to steady her. “I’m not going home until I know you’re okay. We also have some things we need to talk about.”

She moved away, extricating herself from my grip. “There’s nothing to talk about. Something with venom attacked you. I found you on my porch and pulled you inside.”

My eyebrows went up. “Evie. I weigh over 250 pounds. There’s no way you got me inside by yourself.”

She scoffed, anger snapping in her eyes. “I might be smaller than you, but I am not helpless. I got you inside just fine.”

I held both my hands up. “Alright. Let’s say I believe you. Then what happened?”

Her jaw tightened. “Don’t make me punch you.”

My lips tugged in a smile. “And then what happened?”

She blew out an annoyed breath. “Then I catalogued your injuries and realized you weren’t healing. So I tried to figure out why.”

My gaze skimmed over the floor. “It was vomit then.”

“Whoever attacked you poisoned you. I wasn’t able to identify what it was, but it overrode your body’s natural healing ability.” Our eyes locked. “If I hadn’t found you last night, you would have died on my porch.”

Her somber tone sent a chill through my body. “This is the second time you’ve healed me.”

Evie nodded. “And the second time you’ve managed to destroy my property.”

I winced. “Apologies. I’ll send a check over via courier.”

“Don’t worry about it. The floor is special. I’ll have to find another source. The original is out of business. I don’t want just anyone working on my place. It’s…” Her voice trailed off.

“Special,” I supplied. “Being in your home feels like being in the woods. I understand. But I still plan to pay for the damages.” My gaze landed on the spot where she’d risen. “When you heal, you become one with the earth. How—” I paused.

A hesitant smile crossed her face. “It feels like I am unique and nothing, all at the same time. I can feel the heartbeat of the world when I’m cradled in Her arms.”

I wanted her. Roots and all. “Her?”

“The earth holds feminine energy. Masculine too, but most of it is divinely feminine. Being one with her restores me.” Evie blinked and looked down at her feet. “Sorry.”

“Never apologize for the things you love.” I glanced back at the kitchen. “Mind if I make a pot of coffee?”

“Not at all, but I don’t mind making it. Give me a moment.” She started toward the back.

“Evie.”

She stilled. “I’ll make the coffee. Go take a shower. I’ll be here when you get back.”

Evie swallowed hard, her cheeks delightfully pink. This was not like the feisty, violent woman I usually encountered. I liked this softer, rumpled side of her.

“I have some clothing if you want it. There’s another shower in the second bathroom if you want to clean up.”

The space between my ears sounded like a wind tunnel. “Clothing?” Why did she have male clothing? Who was he?

“Yes. They may be a little short and the shirt might be a little tight, but they’ll get you home just fine. My ex-husband wasn’t as large as you are.”

The rage in my veins fizzled and died. Ex-husband I could work with. My nostrils flared as I scented the place, inhaling Evie’s fresh, floral scent, and the smell of loam and greenery. I picked up another feminine scent, deep and herbal. That must be the witch who’s staying with her.

“I’d appreciate anything you can spare.”

Evie nodded and hurried to the back, returning in less than a minute with a pair of joggers and a black t-shirt.

She also held out a pair of white socks and winced apologetically.

“I don’t have an extra toothbrush. I’m sorry.

” But she held out a small tube. “But I do have a sample tube of toothpaste if you want it.”

I took everything she offered and waited until she’d gone to the back before I held the clothes up to my nose and smelled them. I wouldn’t wear another male’s clothes if they had any scent left on the fabric. But all my nose picked up was the scent of detergent and Evie’s faint smell.

She’d washed these clothes several times. I wondered if she’d gone to sleep while wearing them after the divorce. The thought made my hands squeeze the clothing until I’d conquered the urge to tear them to shreds.

When my breath got under control, I turned and headed toward the second bathroom.

I needed to get it together. Otherwise, I was going to scare the shit out of Evie.