Page 7 of Vow Of A Fox

“Focus, Sienna,” I muttered to myself, shaking off the lingering doubt. Pursing my lips together, I finished getting ready for my shift and then headed out the door. Turning my phone on silent, I walked to my car, refusing to think about Dr. Ben and our texting thread from last night again.

I had to focus right now.

The drive to Main Street was short, and I found a parking space quickly due to how early it was. As I walked to the coffee shop, I tried to think of how I could lure Xander out and get him to give way to his raven long enough for me to grab a feather. Astrid, Xander’s sister and Dean’s mate, had said she hadn’t seen him at his house lately.

Honestly, no one had seen him in a while.

I’d assumed since he was possessed by Lucius’s spirit and had his mind control ability, he would have been busy forming an army like Lucius had when he was still alive, but it didn’t seem like it. Maybe Lucius had learned from his mistakes and was now laying low in his second attempt at whatever evil he was planning for us all.

Bastard.

The warm scent of coffee and vanilla welcomed me as I stepped inside The Caffeinated Fox. Cassie was already behind the counter, busy doing her thing. Her face lit up when she saw me enter.

“Morning,” she said, holding a fresh cup of coffee out to me.

Gratitude filled me as I took it from her, my cold fingers soaking up heat from the cup. “Morning. Thanks for the pick-me-up.”

“No problem.” She flashed me an inquisitive smirk. “So, did you keep texting with the veterinarian last night after you left?”

A grin tugged at my lips, but I tried to force it away. “Yeah, but it’s not a big deal. It was just a wrong number and a couple of laughs.”

Cassie raised her eyebrows, clearly not buying it. I didn’t blame her. I didn’t buy it either. Something about Ben lit me up and excited me.

I couldn’t explain it.

Clearly, my dating life had been nonexistent for too long and my life had gotten boring as hell if a wrong number was shaking things up for me this much.

“Mm-hmm,” Cassie murmured. “Sure. But sometimes, fate likes to play matchmaker. So, you never know.”

I laughed, a little thrown by her persistence.

Cassie was usually the quiet one—the calm, friendly presence behind the counter serving up lattes. Seeing this side of her was unexpected. But honestly? Her words struck something in me. Even my fox sat up and took notice.

Was there more to this whole situation with Ben than a wrong number and humorous text exchanges?

I blamed Ms. Lynette—as well as Cassie—for having me thinking this way.

A customer entered, gaining Cassie’s attention, and I headed to the back to drop off my purse and take a few uninterrupted sips of coffee before heading out front to help.

The morning passed in a steady rhythm with regulars cycling through like clockwork. Pastor Elton came through for his large vanilla decaf, a couple of firefighters—including Cassie’s friendAdara’s man Dusty, who I knew was a dragon shifter—came through, and a moms’ group. As I settled into the flow of things, I felt myself relax a bit. It had taken me a long time to realize it, but routine had a way of clearing my mind.

Too bad I had a hard time sticking to any type of routine.

A man I didn’t recognize strode into the coffee shop. He seemed focused as he scanned behind the counter, like he was searching for someone. My fox perked up at the sight of him. He’d piqued her curiosity—and mine, too.

The guy was handsome.

“Hey, there. Welcome to The Caffeinated Fox,” I greeted him as he approached the counter, flashing my usual smile. “What can I get for you?”

His face lit up in recognition. “It’s you,” he said, his voice filled with certainty.

I blinked, caught off guard. “Excuse me?”

He grinned and placed a hand to his chest. “Dr. Ben Andrews. Wrong-number enthusiast.”

My eyes widened as realization hit me like a lightning bolt. This was Dr. Ben? The Ben I’d been texting last night?

He had to be the sexiest man I’d ever seen.

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