Page 25 of The Guardian's True-Mate

There was nothing inside the shed that I could see. The rustling was still there and so were tiny footprints in a pile of flour spilt from its bag. Terrick bit his lip and a second later burst into laughter.

“What’s so funny?” Duke asked before I could.

Terrick squatted down and held out a hand, still smiling. Footprints scurried away from him and then back to him, slower.

“What is it?” I asked after Terrick ignored Duke’s question.

He ignored mine for a long second too. Then he grabbed something Duke and I couldn’t see and picked it up. Little paw prints of flour dotted his face soon after.

“Raccoon,” Terrick finally said. “And a few birds are in there too, but bird spirits are really common. Birds sometimes just keep birding even after they’re dead.”

“But why are they hearing it too?” I asked Terrick as I followed him around the side of the house leaving Duke to watch the unlocked shed. Surely, the dragon-wolf could handle a few dead birds for a minute.

“I didn’t know at first either,” Terrick said, scratching his dead and invisible friend.

“But you do now?” I asked him.

“I have a theory. I’ll ask Liam about it. I would ask Scott, but I don’t want to stress him out. He’s going to be upset enough at all that lost magical flour all over the shed floor.”

“Are you going to tell me what it is or not, baby brother?” I asked.

He paused and scratched his invisible friend again.

“I think it’s spirit food,” Terrick said as another raccoon print appeared on his nose.

Laughing, he leaned away from the paws and scratched again.

“Spirit food supposedly not only soothes spirits but makes them stronger. Heck, if one of them ate enough of the stuff you’d probably see them. If I’m right anyway,” Terrick said, stepping past me.

“Then why are you still taking him over to Liam’s?”

“Her and because she shouldn’t have to roam Earthside walking past too much yummy food she’s unable to eat. It would be evil to leave her in this condition forever.”

Chapter Seventeen

Dakota

As much as I wanted to be alone with Cardian, I still needed to be there when Terrick told Scott about the invasion of the shed. I knew more than either of our Alphas about his hearth magic and if anyone could save the flour under his instructions it would be me.

Scott was quiet for a long moment after Terrick told him the news while holding his hand. I sat at the bottom corner of the bed and Cardian leaned against the doorway. I didn’t look at my mate as we all waited for him to process the news. If I looked at Cardian I’d want to kiss him and one thing would lead to another. We’d come here to help Scott and Terrick, not to hump all over their house.

“I’d settle for humping in just our bedroom for now,” my wolf chimed into my thoughts reminding me that Blithe was likely right. Neither of us would feel better until we exchanged the claiming vows.

“That’s my base flour recipe,” Scott said, startling me back to the current moment. “Nothing out of the ordinary has been added.”

“It seems you stumbled upon a recipe for spirit food by accident then,” Cardian said from the doorway.

“Don’t throw it out,” Scott said.

“You can’t eat it,” Cardian shook his head. “I’m willing to be the bad guy. We don’t know what would happen if a living person ate that flour now. We shouldn’t risk it.”

“I didn’t mean to save it for the living,” Scott said. “We’ll make them spirit bread with it. At least then it won’t go to waste.”

“Will it still bake?” Cardian asked.

“They’re spirits not little pixies out there undoing the baking properties of flours,” Scott laughed and squeezed Terrick’s hand.

“I’ll go get it off the shed floor and quarantine it away from the rest of the flour. Maybe if we put some of it out, they’ll stay out of the shed,” he offered.

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