Whatever plans Kel has, I can’t let them come here.
“Pence!” Peter calls out from the house. “You’re back.”
She bends down as the little boy runs toward her. She scoops him and hugs him tightly. “I am. Now, tell me all about your morning.”
He wiggles out of her hold but grabs her hand. “We’re making grilled cheese for lunch. Kasha let me help flip them. Come eat with us.”
As if on cue, my stomach growls, making everyone laugh as I say, “I think my stomach accepts.”
I follow the two of them inside, and a heaviness weighs down on me when I see Kasha at the stove, Cara setting the table, and allow Peter’s excitement to consume me.
This is what a home should be like, and it’s nothing I’ve ever had, but looking at Spencer, I know I’ll do and give whatever I have to in order to make that happen for us.
Not only because I crave this future with her, but because we both deserve peace and happiness.
After lunch, we played a game of something called “Go Wolf.” It wasn’t hard to catch on. All I had to do was try and match as many of my cards to those in someone else’s hand. If I guessed wrong, and they didn’t have the card I needed, they’d tell me to “Go Wolf.”
The statement makes no sense but made Peter giggle every time someone said it.
Now, we’re headed back to town. Only we don’t go the way we’ve been using the last couple of times. Spencer leads the way through a few more residential streets and stops at another house before turning toward me.
“There is another witch that lives here,” she explains. “I don’t know her like I do Natalia, but I’ve heard she makes rings for shifters like the one I have.” She holds up her hand and wiggles her middle finger with the silver band and white stone that has flickers of a fiery orange through it.
“And that’s why you weren’t naked like I was?” I ask, just making sure I understand why we’re here.
“Yep.” Her eyes drift toward my pants. “Now, nobody else will need to see your goods except for me.”
That makes me chuckle. Jealousy is adorable on my mate.
“Whatever you think is best,” I tell her as we step toward the walkway of the house. Before we get very far, Natalia materializes in front of us on the sidewalk.
“Are you seriously going to another witch for something after all I’m doing for you?” Her tone is laced with equal parts disappointment and shock. “I can’t believe you, Spencer.”
My mate’s brows raise high on her forehead. “I thought I was being considerate by not putting more on your plate. You know, because I do understand how much you’re doing for us.”
That has the witch calming down, but not by much. She crosses her arms with a huff. “What do you need?”
Spencer nudges me with her elbow. “He needs a ring to make sure he doesn’t keep losing his clothes when he shifts.”
Natalia snickers. “Wasn’t really a problem before, huh?” I snarl and she holds a hand up. “Too soon for jokes. Got it. Well, I have some premade on my shelves. I just need to soak in his blood, which any witch would need to do, and if I were you, I wouldn’t be giving anything of the sort away to just anyone.”
She makes a good point, one Spencer seems to comprehend quickly. “I didn’t think about that.”
“And that’s why I’ve been tracking him.” Natalia gestures toward me. “Well, part of the reason. I knew you’d want to be able to find him in case his wolf went feral and took off without you.”
I hadn’t even questioned how she knew we were here, but I guess I should have.
“My wolf is in perfect control, thanks to Spencer,” I tell the witch, so she doesn’t try any other magic shit with me just in case.
An odd noise leaves the back of her throat. “Right. Now, come with me.”
She grabs both of our hands and, without any other warning or explanation, teleports us back to her shop.
Rematerializing takes my breath away and I have to bend forward, resting my arms on the counter in front of me before I can feel my lungs working the way they should.
“Don’t do that again,” I say with a growl.
“Don’t cheat on me with lesser witches.”