Page 51 of Starry with a Chance of Nightshade

“W-what was what?” he asked, still out of sorts.

“Uh, the air around you was electrified,” she said, giving him a pointed stare. “Then the coffee shop went allClose Encounterson us.”

He wasn’t sure what she meant by that.

Jeffrey was staring at him as well. “You were leaking Fae cooties all over the place. I feel dirty. Like I need a shower.”

Dana rolled her eyes. “Dramatic much?”

Jeffrey waggled his brows. “Well, he did get them on me. Makes my wolf edgy.”

“Your obsession with pointing out what he is has passed the point of weird, hon,” said Dana.

“Hey, for nearly three years he had me wondering,” admitted Jeffrey. “He just felt off. I knew he was something. I just didn’t know what. And if you knew how powerful a Fae has to be to hide what they are from everyone in this town, you’d get my obsession.”

Dana ignored her mate. She looked at Stratton. “So what caused the power surge in you—because I’m just assuming the lightswereyour fault.”

“I-I don’t know what caused it,” he admitted, and that was troubling. It was bad enough he’d been sensing something from the Dark Fae side of things in the area. Add in his loss of control and that was a recipe for disaster.

“Are you done with whatever it is you don’t know about?” asked Jeffrey, looking ready to take on the world to keep his woman safe.

Nodding, Stratton cleared his throat. “Yes.”

At least he hoped so.

Just then, Jeffrey’s front jean pocket began to play Patsy Cline’s “Crazy.” He withdrew a cell phone, handing it directly to his mate. “I think we both know who is calling me.”

Dana frowned. “Please tell me you didn’t use that song for Marcy when she calls.”

“Hey, yourstepmomis kind of out there,” he said with a laugh as she yanked the phone from his hand. “And for the record, I used it for Bram’s ringtone. He won’t call me himself and she loses the phone you got her, so I know if a call is coming from his number, it’s her.”

“Marcy?” asked Dana. “Is something wrong? Well, for one, you hate cell phones and you’re calling Jeffrey’s phone. Not mine. Fine. My cellisin my car so no, I wouldn’t have heard it ringing. What do you mean you don’t want to talk to me? Huh? I don’t know anyone named Toir-dead-bach-er, or whatever you said, so no, you can’t talk to them. Who? Yeah, he’s here, hold on.”

Stratton stood silent, trying to wrap his brain around what had caused him to lose control of his power. Thankfully, the surge had been fleeting and no one had been harmed. It could have been far, far worse.

“It’s for you,” said Dana, handing Stratton the phone.

He took it. “Everything okay?”

“I was calling to askyouthat,” Marcy said. “The flowers just told me that the trees told them that the patch of grass near the butcher shop overheard the bushes outside of the coffee shop you like so much say that you were having some trouble. Are you? Today is a good day for you. A really good one. Trouble wasn’t on the menu. What did you do?”

Stratton did his best to follow along but failed. Marcy had a gift for operating in her own reality and granting everyone else around her small glimpses into it. “The who told you what?”

“Silly pants, as a Fae who is supposed to be at one with nature, you kind of suck at listening to it.” She sighed as if he was the exhausting one in their friendship. “Let’s try this once more. I’ll go slower for you. The flowers told me that the trees told them that—”

“Marcy, I surrender,” said Stratton. “Please don’t repeat it all again.”

“Then tell me what’s shakin’ non-real-meat-bacon because I’m still off meat, but something is amuck there,” she said, her voice singsong-like. “Nature is abuzz about it. You’re basically the talk of the flora and fauna. If they had tabloids, your picture would be splashed all over them. So dish. Inquiring minds are tired of getting their information secondhand. Spill the beans.”

Marcy Van Helsing had become a close friend in a short period of time. It had a lot to do with the fact she was of the Nightshade Fae Clan, but more than that, she was a tender-hearted woman with a lot of love to hand around. Something Stratton sorely lacked in his life.

When Stratton had first met Marcy, he’d found himself drawn to her. Partly because she too was Fae, but moreover, she was incredibly sexy with voluptuous curves. He’d even asked her out on a date, only to have her turn him down, saying some nonsense about it being awkward later when his mate got to town. As if he had a mate. It was for the best that they’d not gone on a date. She was now married to Abraham “Bram” Van Helsing and was incredibly happy. She was also still very strange.

“Everything is fine here,” said Stratton. “No trouble to speak of. Promise.”

Dana and Jeffrey gave him “oh really” looks.

He expelled a long breath as the line moved forward several more paces, putting Dana next up to order.

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