Page 2 of Prey

Well, okay then. I know not everyone likes witches, but that was a little harsher than I usually get.

Tall, dark, and handsome steps forward, scowling at his friend. “I’m sorry, we just need to know if he said or did anything while he was here other than that?”

“No, well, when I told him no, he beat himself on the side of the head a couple times, which I thought was weird. I figured he was just an addict trying to get a fix or something. He was a human,” I say.

Nodding, he says thank you and they walk out, putting their helmets back on and head in the direction the hoodie guy went.

Emmett looks at me with his eyebrows almost to his hairline. “What?” I ask.

“Well, it may just be me, but I sensed a little bit of a change in you when those two walked through the door,” he says smirking.

Oh Goddess, please save me from these shifters and their damn noses.

“Em, we’ve talked about this before. You are my best friend, and I love you to the ends of the Earth and beyond, but we do not talk about what I smell like, when I see a hot guy, out loud,” I say with a stage whisper.

Josiah chuckles and kisses Emmett, then hugs me and heads out the front door. He usually stops for just a bit before he goes to work at his law office. He keeps weird hours because a lot of his clients are vamps. They can be out in the sun, but they are weaker, so most of them sleep during the main daylight hours and move around when the sun is getting ready to go down. The very old vamps don’t have this problem.

Once he’s gone, I head back over to the boxes and resume scanning and shelving. Em follows me, clearing his throat.

“What? So, they were hot? Blondie was a total dick though, so,” I say with a shrug.

“You really need to get out a little. You haven’t dated since Logan. It’s been two years already, Shas,” he says softly. “Just because he cheated doesn’t mean everyone will.”

I don’t want to rush. Being a witch means I have a much longer lifespan than a human, so it’s not like my clock is ticking or anything. I honestly don’t even know if I ever want to have kids. I can be a childless cat lady the rest of my life and be just fine with that. I’m lonely. But not lonely enough to chase after Blondie, or risk being cheated on again. Tall, dark, and handsome might be another story though, for a quickie.

Sighing, I turn to Em, gesturing at one of the fluffy couches we have in the sitting area. I have tried to make this place as cozy as I can. Lowish lighting—you still gotta be able to see to read—lots of plants, medicinal herbs, and a few cats lounge around. I have knick knacks on the shelves. There are soft, bean bag chairs, even fluffier rugs, a few tables in case someone wants to work on their laptop, and we offer free wi-fi to customers. Not to mention wall to wall books. We even have a rolling ladder.

Speaking of cats, as soon as we sit down, Loki comes running toward me. Black, fluffy, with gray eyes, and the meanest kitty in the world. Not to me, never to me. Anyone else though? Forget about it. We had to put signs up because too many people weregetting bit or scratched. He hardly even lets Em touch him and we’ve been friends since long before Loki and I bonded. He’s my Familiar, so no way I’m not letting him roam around here. Not like I can stop him anyway, since he can pop in and out whenever he wants. Just one of the many ‘not normal’ things he does.

Curling up on my lap, he purrs loudly while I stroke him.

“I know you worry like a mother hen, but I’m okay, I promise,” I say, trying my hardest to show Emmett that I’m serious. He’s been talking to my mother and grandmother too much, I think. I’m pretty sure my grandmother has been combing the Covens trying to find someone to set me up on a blind date with. No, thank you.

“I just want my best friend to be happy. Not that you aren’t content, but I want you to have love too, is that too much to ask?” he asks me. “Josiah makes me happier than I’ve ever been, and I just want you to have that too.”

Laughing, I pick Loki up and carry him to the counter. Em follows, leaning against the counter. I’m gonna need some more coffee. It’s been a weird morning already. Settling Loki in his bed, I turn to make another cup of coffee and ask Em, “What do you think about the weird guy? What did he smell like?”

“Best I can describe it was like something rotten. Not like food rotten, or dead person, but more like the rotten smell in the woods from wet leaves and dry rot. Those two clearly smelled it too, because they were tracking him with it. Lions have a great sense of smell anyway, then add shifter genes and those two are probably some of the best trackers around,” he said nonchalantly, looking at me from under his eyelashes.

Wait. Did he just say lions? Then that means…no way. “They were the President and Vice President of the Wrath MC?” I ask incredulously.

“Yep,” he replies, popping the p and cackling like this is the best entertainment he’s had in weeks. Which I know is a lie because he was just making out with his boyfriend in the customer bathroom.

Groaning, I pour my coffee, adding peppermint mocha flavoring and creamer, with just a touch of sugar, topping it with whip cream. I take a sip. Once I drink this, I should feel a little more able to process all of this.

A couple of human girls in their teens walk through the front door and Em chuckles as he walks off to greet them. Finishing my coffee, I go back to work and try not to think about the two lion shifters that I don’t need to have anything to do with.

I am not successful.

Chapter two

Rotten Plans

ETHAN

Fucking witches.

Kadi is side-eyeing me. I know he’s feeling some kind of way about how I reacted to her. He knows I hate all witches, but when I saw her I felt…something that wasn’t hate. I felt like she might be someone I could get to know.

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