Page 7 of Dawn Unearthed

I held back a laugh. “May have overheard because you were in your hawk form, listening in? Or were you standing in her bookshop pretending to read?”

“I’m not going to dignify that with an answer,” Jaxton said sagely. “Penelope said her niece was coming to town. The one who’s opening that bakery shop?”

I cursed. “Shit, I forgot.”

“I guess you’d better contact Penelope, too. It seems her niece is here.” Jaxton hung up, presumably to get to work, and I looked down at the woman on my couch.

She was gorgeous, and from what I’d glimpsed, her eyes were piercing. Her hair was long and wavy, with nearly strawberry highlights that didn’t make much sense in the honey-brown strands. But I liked anything with honey in it. Her eyes were hazel, and when she had lifted her shirt with fear in her gaze, I had seen the witch magic all over her skin. The ink running down her body had moved in waves. Her affinity must be for water. Still, she had looked so confused about it. I was terrified that she had come into her power in the middle of a forest, on the edge of Ravenwood, with no other witches to help her.

Rowen needed to get here soon.

“Not soon enough,” I mumbled to myself as the woman’s eyes fluttered open. She looked around, her eyes wide with fear. She sat up quickly, nearly falling off the couch. I reached out to steady her, but she shrank away from me. My bear growled at that.

We would never hurt our mate.

I pushed that thought away. Just because my bear liked her, didn’t mean she was my mate. Though she scented of it, and I wanted to know what that meant. I ignored it. There wasn’t time for that, not right now—and most likely not ever.

“Where...where am I? What happened?” she asked, her voice coming in pants.

I swallowed hard, wishing that Rowen was here. She’d be able to help. I’d probably screw this up. “You passed out in the forest. I brought you to my house.” I swallowed hard, then remembered the blood on my shirt and all over my head. I hadn’t had time to clean myself up after the tree fell on me. I’d been too busy making sure she was okay.

Fear coated the room, the smell masking her natural rose scent. I nearly gagged on it.

“Don’t hurt me. Please. Let me go.” She looked around as if trying to find a weapon or an exit.

I shook my head, my bear amused by her fierceness. “I’m not going to hurt you. You saved me from that tree. Remember?”

“Maybe?” She scrunched her brows. “How did I get here?”

“I carried you.”

Her eyes widened. “Where are we?”

“You’re in Ravenwood,” I said softly. “Do you know what that means?” I asked, testing the waters.

“What do you mean?I’m in Ravenwood…Oh, God, I need to call my aunt. And get my car. What happened again? Why am I here?” She looked around my living room in a panic, and I heard her heart race. I wanted to reach out and steady her, crush her to my side and claim her as mine. Holding back the mating urge felt like trying to swallow nails, but somehow, I managed.

I wanted her.

I only knew her face, her fierceness, and her gentle touch.

And I wanted her.

Damn mating urge.

“I brought you here to make sure you were okay. Your aunt should be here soon.” I hoped I wasn’t lying. I hoped Jaxton and Rowen were taking care of things. Knowing them, everyone who needed to be here was probably already on their way.

“I’m sorry, I’m not usually like this. I’m so confused,” she said, rubbing her hand over her face.

My lips quirked into a smile at that. She was adorable when confused. I didn’t think me telling her that would help the situation, though. “I would assume so. Let me get you some water.”

She looked up at me and smiled slightly. I counted that as progress. “Thank you. I think? It’s been a bizarre day so far. I need…where’s my phone?”

I went still and sighed. “Everything that you could have had was in or near your car. My friend’s getting it all.”

Her eyes widened again, the scent of her fear coating my tongue once more. “No, it’s fine. I’m fine.” She tried to stand up, her knees shaking. “What’s wrong with me? Did you drug me? Wait. Sorry. That was rude. You saved me. Or I saved you? And my tattoos were moving, I think. They suddenly appeared when I was eighteen, but… I think I need to sit down.”

I wanted to yell at her, my bear growling at the thought that we could ever hurt an innocent woman, but I didn’t. I opened my mouth to say something, but the door opened behind us, interrupting me. The woman in front of me whirled and nearly fell again. I gripped her hips, keeping her steady. She tried to pull away from me.

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