Page 64 of Traitor Witch

At least he isn’t trying to eat me.

As if in answer to my thoughts, Cas’s head lowers until his face is pressed against my neck.

“He’s… sniffing me?” Well, this got weird fast.

“Don’t move.” Something tells me I don’t want to see the expression on Nos’s face right now. “He’s just scenting you. It’s a shifter thing.”

Another growl sounds from behind me, followed by the sounds of a scuffle.

“Ry, no! Do you want him to shift? He’s just scenting her.”

“What the hell happened?” Rysen’s whisper isn’t so much a whisper as a hiss.

“She hugged him.”

That shut the vampire up fast.

“Nilsa, don’t tense,” Nos continues, even though I’ve been subconsciously doing that since I triggered Cas’s beast. “He won’t calm until you’re calm.”

Calm. Right.

Yeah, that’s not happening.

There’s a knife in my boot. I don’t want to stab Cas, but I will if it’s a choice between that and being squished by whatever his other half is.

“Please, Lady Solar. Once he’s calm, he’ll release you, you have my word.”

Calm down the raging shifter. Okay.

I start stroking Cas’s back in small circles because I honestly can’t think of anything else.

It works. His arms loosen slightly.

Encouraged, I keep going. I’m not exactly good at offering comfort, but after several tense moments, Cas steps back, eyes flashing a brilliant turquoise.

When that colour bleeds away, he looks at me then glances away.

“Shit.”

“Are you back?” Nos asks, coming closer.

“I didn’t mean to trigger your beast,” I apologise. “I didn’t realise he wasn’t a hugger.”

Cas barks out a laugh. “He is a hugger. That was the problem.”

But that doesn’t ease the careful distance he keeps between us as he moves back to the waiting supplies. “I take it we got the right herbs then?”

My head bobs of its own accord as I go back to surveying the tiny garden on the table. “They’re perfect.”

His grin is like lightning across his face. “You look stunning in the clothes.”

I try to shrug it off, but Nos cuts me off before I can thank him. “I think we should take her with us next time.”

Cas shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Whatever you want.”

My hand flutters over the soft leaves on the table. “Where should I put them? The deck?” I’d rather not face the ocean every time I have to cast something, but I highly doubt Val will give me a second cabin when he objected so much to giving me the first.

A door appears beside me before I’ve even had time to finish my sentence. It springs open on silent hinges, revealing a sun-drenched room that definitely hadn’t been there before.