Page 34 of Shift of Morals (Shifter Lords #2)

Chapter

Twenty-Three

B y the time I’d clipped all the leaves from my skin and washed all the gunk from my body, Caelan was already in the kitchen, a fresh pot of coffee brewing. A skillet sat on the stove, the scent of sizzling butter and garlic a heady note in the air.

Caelan stood there, forearms flexing as he whisked together something in one of my vintage blue enamel bowls.

My ex-husband’s shirt stretched across the deep planes of Caelan’s chest, and the joggers were a little too tight across his powerful thighs.

A tug pulled low in my core, and I had to do everything in my power to hide my visceral reaction to seeing the Shifter Lord making breakfast in my kitchen.

“Hope you don’t mind. You had everything to make French toast, so I thought I’d whip up something to eat. Do you eat pork?”

I nodded stupidly.

“Good. As soon as I mix this up, I’ll put the bacon on.”

“I can do it.”

He shook his head. “Allow me this, Evie. You saved my life last night. Let me make you breakfast.” His deep voice rumbled across my skin.

I stood there like an idiot. “Um. Okay.”

A smile flashed across his face. “Good.”

Padding over to the coffeepot, I poured us both a cup, passing one over to him. He gave me a grateful nod and kept working.

Bewildered, I took a seat at the table and watched the Shifter Lord, one of the most powerful people in the entire country, make a no-name Floromancer breakfast.

After a few minutes, I rose and went to Seymour, the flytrap worse for the wear this morning. His pot was chipped, and one of his extra traps was listing to the side. I’d almost forgotten about him. “Hey,” I said, crouching down beside him. “Are you okay?”

Seymour quivered.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t get to you last night. But I can help you now. Okay?”

The flytrap quivered again. I reached for Seymour, stroking a finger over the top of his main trap, and let my magic seep into every part of him.

A minute later and the other trap had perked up, and Seymour was looking much better.

“I can’t do anything about the pot yet, but I’ll get you something better, okay? ”

Seymour thumped his broken pot a few times.

“Good. It’s time to get you a larger one anyway.” I gave him a final stroke and rose.

Thirty minutes of almost silent cooking later, Caelan sat a large pile of French toast and bacon in front of me, then snagged my coffee mug and poured me another.

I waited for him to fix his plate before I took a bite. And when he settled beside me, and my stomach lurched, it took everything I had not to ask him a million questions in an incoherent ramble.

We ate a king’s feast, and when the last of the bacon was polished off, I realized I probably could have eaten more.

“Evie,” Caelan rumbled. “Who’s Finn?”

My hand jerked, sloshing hot coffee all over my fingers. I hissed in pain, clutching my fingers to my chest. “Shit,” I cursed.

Caelan leaned back in his chair and waited, his expression neutral.

If he was asking about Finn then…

“He’s the one who attacked you last night.” Horror rolled through my veins. While the severity of his wounds made sense now that I knew who was responsible, not all the pieces fit.

The Shifter Lord inclined his head. “He was. And he seemed quite enamored with you.”

My eyes closed. He would know if I lied to him. Few people could lie to a shifter and get away with it. Lying to a Shifter Lord was tantamount to suicide.

“Why did he attack you?” Maybe I could distract him with questions.

One of his eyebrows rose. “I traced the rogue magic to the back of your property. Finn was waiting there. Watching for you, I assume. I told him stalking you isn’t a good idea.” A faint smile. “Finn did not agree.”

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered.

“I’m alive thanks to you. No harm, no foul, I suppose.”

I licked my lips and tried to think of what to say.

“You met him in Scotland.”

How much did he know? Shit. The walls pressed in against me, my secrets coming home to roost. I nodded. “Yes. I was on a trip with some girlfriends.”

“After your divorce.”

“As soon as the papers were signed.”

“Did you date him?” There was something in his eyes I didn’t like.

I opened my mouth to answer, then snapped it shut. “That’s an inappropriate question.”

Caelan’s lips edged up into a smile. “Did you?”

I tipped the last of my coffee into my mouth and rose. “Thank you for breakfast. I appreciate it.” After a quick rinse, I put my mug in the dishwasher. “I think your clothes are toast, so I can dispose of them if you put them in the trash. Do you need a ride home?”

“Evie.”

“Also, don’t worry about the cleanup here. You already got most of it up.”

“Evie.”

“I’ll call someone to handle the floor and?—”

“EVIE!”

His roar shocked me into silence. My jaw snapped shut, and I stared.

“Your dating life might not be my business, but Finn is a threat to my territory. He is now my priority. Why is he so interested in you?”

My magic hummed in my veins, the Chimera magic oddly silent.

Every time I went into a healing sleep, my Floromancy power settled down, and I had a few days of reprieve from being forced to siphon off the excess.

But now that I’d merged with the Chimera, I felt more settled than usual.

Maybe Cernunnos was right. Maybe this was the path I needed to walk.

“He’s someone who can’t take no for an answer.” It was the best way to describe Finn.

“You’ve rebuffed his advances?”

“Multiple times. He is persistent.”

Power boomed through the room, the Shifter Lord’s magic rising. His eyes glowed burnished gold, the light reflecting off the kitchen counter like the morning sun. “I will kill him,” he snarled.

I touched Caelan’s forearm, sending a small jolt of magic through his body to break him from his rage. “Caelan. It’s not up to you to protect me.”

“It is my job to protect this place; you are included in that duty.”

“But it isn’t the only reason,” I said softly.

Caelan put his hand over mine, the heat from his palm burning against my skin. “Evie?—”

Someone knocked on the door. I jerked my hand away and bolted to my feet. “I have to answer that.”

Scurrying to the door, my heart beating a hundred miles a minute, I flung it open only to see Ben standing there. He wore jeans and a Henley shirt, his hair freshly washed. The scent of pine rose around us. A gentle aura floated around him, the Healer at home in a wild place like mine.

He held up his medical kit. “I didn’t like the way we left things. As such, I made up a lame excuse to come check on you to see how you were doing after the attack.”

Ben’s nose twitched, his eyebrows drawing together. “Do you have company?” He brushed past me and entered the house, freezing when he spotted Caelan in the kitchen.

“Poison,” I blurted. “He had poison.”

Ben turned to me. “Someone poisoned Lord Caelan?”

I nodded.

The Healer frowned and set his medical bag down. “I’d like to examine you.”

Caelan lifted his mug. “No need. Evie patched me right up.” His slow, suggestive smile made me want to punch him.

Ben’s jaw tightened. “Regardless, I am the Keep’s Healer, and you, its Lord. An exam is protocol.” His eyes swept over the living room, widening when he spotted the destruction.

Caelan raised his hands. “Fine. I submit.”

Ben nodded once and flipped open his bag. I retreated to get another cup of coffee during the exam. Once Ben was finished, he rose. “Evie, your healing ability is unparalleled.”

“I can’t claim all the credit. The earth does most of the heavy lifting.”

His gaze flicked to Caelan. “Poison doesn’t usually look so cozy in the morning.”

The Lord grinned. “Tell me, Ben. Do you always show up uninvited?”

I gave him a quelling look. “Ben is always welcome on my property.”

“May I speak with you outside?” Ben asked.

“Keeping secrets from your Lord, Evie?” Caelan’s taunting tone made me want to scream.

“I saved your life last night,” I snarled. “Don’t make me regret it.”

Caelan’s warm laugh followed Ben and me outside.

We hadn’t made it off the porch before Ben spun to me. “What are you hiding? Is this why Caelan was attacked?” He exhaled. “What are you?”

I blinked. “Ben. You just threw a lot of questions my way.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “And you aren’t going to answer any of them, are you?”

When I remained silent, Ben’s face hardened. “I can’t be the fool who continues waiting around for you to trust someone.” He jerked his thumb over his shoulder. “If you harm the Lord, the entire Council will come down on you. Remember that when you decide you want to keep your secrets.”

Ben hoisted his bag over his shoulder and jogged down the stairs, not looking back.

I threw up my hands and marched back inside. Caelan hadn’t moved from his spot, the Lord looking like the cat who’d eaten the canary.

“A lover’s spat?” he asked, sipping his coffee from my fox mug. I didn’t even realize I’d given him that one. How fitting.

“It’s time for you to go home. If Gianna finds out you stayed the night here, things will get complicated.”

He rose, all lean grace as he sauntered over. “It’s time for you to spill your secrets, Evie Quinn. Before they get someone killed.”