Page 39 of Shift of Morals (Shifter Lords #2)

Chapter

Twenty-Seven

“ T hose are hideous,” Moira breathed.

Everyone stood gathered around the work table as I put the finishing touches on the last round of centerpieces and bouquets for the Shifter Lord’s upcoming nuptials. Moira was right. They were hideous.

“They look like Christmas threw up all over an evergreen forest,” Tess said.

“This is a candy cane hellscape,” Ash added helpfully. “You’re sure this is what his bride wants?”

“Confirmed multiple times,” I said, an aggrieved note in my voice.

“What are her bridesmaid colors?” Moira asked.

It took me a beat to even say the words. “Navy.”

Three equally horrified gasps rang through the room. “No,” Moira breathed.

“I’m surprised you didn’t fall into a dead faint when she told you,” Ash said.

“Sometimes even pretty people have zero taste,” Tess added.

“Not my wedding, not my monkeys.” Those words were the mantra I was living by these days. “Caelan is paying us a small fortune to get this done.”

“Even if the wedding doesn’t happen?” Moira asked. “Because I would definitely second guess someone who thought this aesthetic gave off any other vibes than angry Santa Claus.”

“Even if it doesn’t happen,” I said. “The bonding ceremony will determine whether the wedding continues, but even that should go off without a hitch. Rarely do the gods spurn a Lord’s match.”

Moira put her hand on my shoulder. “I’m sorry, Evie.”

I put my hand over hers. “Not like I could have had a relationship with him anyway. If Caelan ever finds out what I am, he’ll be forced to put me down.”

“There are ways around everything,” Ash said. “You haven’t turned into an evil, slavering mess, so there’s hope for you yet.”

I snorted. “Thanks, I think.”

“Ash is right,” Moira interjected. “You’ve had some weird magical blips, but you seem the same old Evie to us.”

I stopped twisting a bit of wire and glanced up. “Did you expect something different?”

No one said a word. “Guys?”

“Umm,” Tess said. “Finn is a dick, and we wondered if that was because he was a Chimera…or if he was just a dick.”

Ash let out a scandalized gasp. “Tess!”

Moira’s eyes widened before a delighted giggle slipped from her lips. “I knew we’d finally bring her down to our level!”

“Probably just a dick,” I said. “I’m hungrier than usual, especially after a shift, but other than that, I feel the same.”

It was the truth and yet, not the entire truth.

The Chimera magic had boosted my Floromancy gifts and now I had to use a delicate hand when I worked on anything in the shop or greenhouse.

After an incident where a pothos vine punched right through one of the shop windows, I had to spend a lot of time practicing before I could work on any plant life without altering it on a fundamental level.

I’d gotten the hang of it, but things were dicey for a week or two.

Everything was unusually quiet. Around town, the shop, and in my life. No chaos. No Finn. No threats of rogue shifters, and no gods. Naturally, that made me nervous as a cat landing on tin foil. When would the other shoe drop? And once it did, would all the fallout be on my shoulders?

“What about the bonding ceremony arrangement?” Moira asked.

I held up a finger and reached under the work table.

This one was my pride and joy. To avoid giving Gianna the middle finger on her wedding day, I stayed somewhat within the boundaries of the red and white theme, but I’d used peonies and Matsubara Red apricot blossoms, along with crimson dahlias, and a few artfully placed vanilla orchid blooms. For the final touch, I added delicate crystal beads and handmade glass berries throughout the arrangements to give it a sparkling and elegant appearance, along with a few thin bonsai branches selected by Ash.

The end result was a centerpiece that looked modern but also like a piece of art.

“Oooh,” Tess breathed.

Moira sucked in a breath. “Evie. This is beautiful.”

“Gorgeous,” Ash murmured. “Gianna is a fool.”

“The pièce de résistance,” I said, triggering a button at the centerpiece’s base.

A warm golden light encased the centerpiece as edible crimson and white glitter shot up from the middle, appearing and disappearing in an endless cycle.

“This is astonishing,” Moira said. “How is the glitter doing that?”

I wiggled my fingers. “Magic.”

“The Shifter Lord will love it,” Tess said firmly.

I hadn’t told the Lord everything about the piece. He’d seen the floral part, minus the crystals and glass berries, but I neglected to mention the lights and glitter.

“If the wedding isn’t blessed, I won’t trigger the glitter or lights.” The device was activated by a tiny remote control I could hide in the palm of my hand.

“Good call,” Moira said, “but I doubt Caelan will have that problem. The man was born blessed by the gods.”

Maybe in other areas, but from the way he talked about the ceremony, I had my doubts about this one.

“Either way, I’m proud of this.”

“We’re going to be rich!” Ash exclaimed. “Especially when everyone books you once they see this piece.”

Moira grimaced. “As long as they ignore everything else.”

I laughed. “Even so, the cost of the wedding will sustain us for a long time, if need be.”

“Caelan’s checkbook must be on fire these days.” Moira grinned.

Wasn’t that the truth. I’d told her about Caelan’s attack and the resulting damage to the house. True to his word, he’d sent over a more than generous check that covered the damage and then some, along with a recommendation for a dryad woodworker who worked as a contractor for people like me.

I’d called him over, told him what I wanted, then hired him on the spot because he knew exactly what I wanted and how to do the work.

“Good for us,” was all I said. “He’s good for it.”

Despite my mixed feelings on the upcoming wedding, the Shifter Lord had been good for business, and once we’d announced our shop was the florist, our foot traffic had exploded, forcing us to implement new store hours and be much more diligent about our calendar.

Little Shop of Florals was booked months in advance.

Things were looking up.

“Don’t forget we’re closed tomorrow. I’ll be out of pocket for most of the day, though I don’t plan to stay for the reception.

” My contract required me to be on hand for the bonding ceremony and the exchange of vows to keep everything running smoothly.

But once those were over, I planned to hightail it out of there ASAP.

Moira grimaced. “Gianna is a bitch for making you stay,” she grumbled.

I shook my head. “I appreciate it, but we all know having the florist there is common. I plan to keep to the background as much as possible.”

“Good luck with that,” Ash murmured, an amused glimmer in his mossy green eyes.

“Away with you,” I said, flicking my fingers at all of them.

Ash laughed and tugged on Tess’s arm. Moira lingered behind. When everyone was gone, she leaned forward. “How are you doing? The truth this time.”

Grief tugged at my heart. “Even if I wanted something, I can’t have it with him. It’s too dangerous. He’s intelligent enough to put things together. The further away from him I am, the better for us all.”

Her mouth turned down in a frown. “He might surprise you, you know.”

Caelan surprised me all the time, and not always in a good way. “Nothing good will come from him realizing what I am.”

“Maybe not at first. But don’t count Caelan out.”

I reached for her hand as she turned to leave.

“Moira. You have to realize in twenty-four hours Caelan will be married. I’ve already acted like an asshat every time I’ve gone to the Keep.

I can’t keep seeing him. I’ll screw up and I don’t want to be the kind of woman who comes in between a husband and wife. I’ve already toed the line too much.”

Moira’s eyes filled with sadness. She squeezed my fingers. “I understand. But things have a way of working out. Maybe not on the timelines we want them to, but they do.”

“I love you, vamp.”

“I love you too, monster.”

Moira trailed out of the back room, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Tomorrow, I would watch the Shifter Lord marry, and I vowed not to do a thing about it.

I should have never gotten involved with him in the first place. Perhaps this was my karma to bear.