Page 185 of Secret Shifters Next Door

Without another word, she turned and jogged away from me. I watched her go, even allowing myself to watch her perfect butt as she went. My wolf snarled at me, angry that I was even thinking of another woman. I sniffed the air, checking to make sure I didn’t smell any magic, something I’d started doing with every person I met since Emily. Thankfully, I didn’t notice anything, but it didn’t calm my wolf down.

I sighed. “I’m only looking, okay? Jeez.”

The jog back home took a while. I was tired, plus my mind was wandering more than it had on the first leg of my run. Celina was leaving in two weeks. That meant I had half a month to figure out what to do. Was that even enough time to do anything? Getting her to reject me would take as long as getting her to fall in love with me. No matter which direction I decided on, it would take time. Did I have the time? What would happen if I ran out of time?

FIVE

CELINA

I’d written another twenty pages, and my creative juices were fully drained. It was like I’d run a marathon. Wanting to do something a little less intense, I lay in bed that Wednesday and scrolled through Pinterest. I enjoyed crafty things and was looking for a little project to kill some time and clear my mind before I went back to writing. There were a few I’d saved that looked fun.

But I had no supplies. It was one of the few things I didn’t like about being out of the city. Back home, I could have anything I needed delivered. Even stuff from home improvement stores could be sent right to my door. Here? I had to go out and get it myself. Ugh, dealing with people was exhausting.

Still, I wanted to do the projects, so I got ready. Breakfast of a banana and a cup of coffee was enough to fuel me for an hour out in the real world. A quick internet search showed me a craft store a half-mile down the road, which would probably have all the items I needed. It was cool out, but not as brisk as the last few days, so I decided to go on foot.

Ten minutes later, I was greeted with another cute building that fit perfectly with the rest of the town. Inside, I found almosteverything I needed in the first three aisles. I cruised around the store, checking out all the other things they had.

At the end of the painting supplies row, I felt a twist in my gut. Frowning, I put a hand to my stomach. It wasn’t unpleasant, but it was weird. The thought that I was getting sick or something flew from my mind when I glanced at who passed by the end of the aisle—my neighbor Miles. My eyes bulged in surprise, and I hunched my shoulders, trying to hide behind my shopping cart. Thankfully, he didn’t see me and continued shopping.

What was a guy like that doing in an arts-and-crafts store? I didn’t want to jump to conclusions, but he didn’t really seem like the type of guy who scrapbooked or made shadow boxes. Why the heck was he here? My curiosity got the best of me, and I had to find out.

As I crept around the corner, I caught sight of Miles’s broad, muscular back. He was talking to a store assistant by the woodworking section. The associate was doing her best to explain something to Miles, but she looked flustered.Thanks, sister. At least I wasn’t the only one who lost her shit when talking to the walking sex god that was my neighbor. Seeing someone else struggle to think when looking into those beautiful brown eyes made me feel better.

My mind did what it always did and built a little fantasy about what was going on between the two:

“Ma’am, can you help me?”Miles asked

“Oh, of course, sir. What can I do for you?”

“Well, I couldn’t help but notice you standing there, and I needed some help.”

“Help? With what, sir?”

“Well, you look like you’re really good at woodworking. Can you help me work my wood?”

I snorted.Honest to God snorted. The sound was loud enough for both the assistant and Miles to look my way. The assistant looked curious, but Miles raised his eyebrow as soon as he saw me. I wanted to melt into the floor, turn into a puddle, then evaporate. If I was truly lucky, whatever cloud I turned into would float about three states over. My face flamed, and I attempted to look like I hadn’t noticed them as I preoccupied myself with a selection of fake flowers.

I had no need for plastic and silk flowers, but I didn’t let that stop me from acting like they were the most beautiful and interesting things I’d ever seen in my life. I grabbed a massive handful of them and rushed back over to my cart. Thankfully, I’d grabbed everything I needed before seeing Miles, but I still had a crazy moment where I contemplated simply sprinting from the store and leaving everything.

The idea had merit. I could always return in a day or two to grab what I’d left…except then there would be the embarrassment of explaining to the store clerk why I’d run out the front door like my hair was on fire. No, best to get it done and get out. If luck was with me, I’d be back in my car before Miles was done shopping, and I’d be gone. Dust in the wind.

Luck told me to go fuck myself. The two registers in the store were busy, and it appeared every chick in the whole county had decided today was a great day for crafting. Then again, it made sense since Thanksgiving was only a few days away. Tons of people were making pilgrim and turkey crafts, plus getting a jump of Christmas decorating. Whatever the reason, I groaned at the number of people. For the second time in forty-five seconds, I thought about leaving everything.

I studied the things I’d picked up and wondered how much of an asshole I’d be if I left and the staff had to put everything back. A warmth filled my chest like a comforting blanket being laid across my shoulders, and I knew Miles was right behind me. No idea why I felt the way I did, but I knew. There seemed to be some sort of aura coming off him that engulfed and warmed me.

All the paranormal novels I read nagged at the back of my mind—supernatural creatures and the power they exuded. Was he some sexy humanoid alien? Maybe he’d come to Earth to try and repopulate his species. I was the only woman on the planet that could help. We’d have to…

I shook the fantasy from my head and crept forward as the line moved. It was agony. Forcing myself not to glance behind me, I kept my eyes on the cashiers. My teeth creaked as I ground my molars together in frustration. They, literally, couldn’t have moved any slower. Now that he was behind me, I was stuck. It would be even more embarrassing to leave now.

“So, what kinda project are you working on?”

Yelping, I spun on him. His words had startled me, and I’d only barely managed to stop myself from screaming. The yelp alone was ridiculous enough to send my mind into another spiral of mortified horror.

“What?” I asked.

He chuckled. “I said, what are you workin’ on?” He nodded at my cart.

Again, I was struck by how handsome he was. It was like some Renaissance marble statue had come to life and was standing right in front of me. I stood, speechless, and he cocked an eyebrow and tilted his head. “Are you okay?”

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