Page 16 of Vow Of A Fox

The thought struck me like a ton of bricks. That was where he’d attacked Ellis and Rachel while they were gathering dirt for Maribel. If his raven had bonded with that place—if he was guarding it—I might be able to use it against him.

But how? And how could I stop myself from falling under his mind control long enough to snag a feather?

My mind swirled with thoughts until it was hard to think straight.

Ben stood, stretching a bit, and my attention jumped back to him.

“Ready to head back? I don’t want to keep you away from work for too long.”

I nodded, brushing crumbs from my lap as I stood. “Yeah, I’m sure the coffee shop is busy with people looking for their lunchtime caffeine hit.”

As we walked back to The Caffeinated Fox, I listened to Ben talk about a grumpy cat he’d treated this morning. When we reached the coffee shop, he hesitated, his hazel eyes meeting mine with that familiar warmth that had started to feel dangerously comforting.

“Thanks for letting me steal you away for lunch,” he said, his tone light but sincere. “We should do it again sometime.”

The air between us crackled, and I knew there was a kiss building between us.

I wanted it, I did, but I knew it would only pull me closer to him, and that wasn’t smart right now.

“I’d like that,” I replied, keeping my voice light and noncommittal while I gripped the handle of the door. My fox bristled, annoyed by my restraint, but I ignored her. “Thanks for the sandwich,” I said before slipping inside.

“Anytime,” I heard him say as the door closed behind me.

I exhaled a slow breath while I walked to the counter, weaving through the line that had formed while I was gone. My fox nipped at me. Ben felt important to her in a way I didn’t fully understand, and the way I acted had royally pissed her off.

Ignoring her, I headed to the back room and shucked off my coat before making my way to Cassie behind the counter to help.

“Good lunch?” she asked.

I forced a grin, hoping it was convincing. “Yeah, it was fine.”

My gaze dipped to the line of cups waiting to be filled. I grabbed the first one and got to work. My mind wasn’t on the coffee order I was making or even on Ben, though. It was back on Xander, Lucius’s grave, and figuring out how to get a damn feather so I could put this all behind me and finally move forward with my life.

Chewing my bottom lip, I made a decision.

I needed to sneak up to Lucius’s grave and find Xander’s raven’s nest. If I could figure out where he was staying, I’d have my starting point. Ben’s words earlier had sparked the idea, and now it felt like the only logical move.

My fox stirred, confidence blooming through her.

Challenge accepted.

6

BEN

Iflipped off the lights in the lobby of the clinic and locked the door behind me as I headed to my truck. My thoughts weren’t on the animals I’d treated today or the paperwork waiting for me tomorrow.

They were on Sienna.

I hadn’t heard from her since lunch. It shouldn’t have been a big deal—we barely knew each other—but it bothered me more than I cared to admit. She’d been distracted, her usual spark dimmed by something she wasn’t saying. Her smile had been there, but her mind had been somewhere else entirely.

I could feel it.

Had I said something wrong? Done something to push her away? Or was she hiding something she didn’t trust me enough to share?

The uncertainty of what was going on gnawed at me, refusing to let up. Before I could second-guess myself, I cranked my truck to life and started toward The Caffeinated Fox on impulse. As I drove, I replayed our lunch in my head, picking it apart. My gut told me there was something big she was dealing with that she didn’t want me to know.

By the time I pulled up to the coffee shop, the windows were dark, and the ‘Closed’ sign hung in the door. I sighed, about to turn the truck around, when the door opened.

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