Page 20 of Bewitched By the Werewolf
The three females chat like old friends and I’m at least grateful Tess isn’t being rude and inconsiderate to the locals. As a matter of fact, it seems like she’s going out of her way to be polite and friendly. Tactical ploy or sincere actions? Still unknown.
Slinking between buildings I remain—hopefully—hidden in the shadows and out of Tess’s line of site. She’s not looking over her shoulder or searching the surrounding area like she’s surveying. To anyone watching her they would just think she’s going about her day drinking coffee and catching up with friends. I know better. She wears dark reflective sunglasses so I can’t see where her eyes are looking and probably uses the reflections to see around her better. She’s sly, but I’m still on to her.
Tess is still chatting with the others, so I take a moment to check any messages on my phone in case a call came in that I need to take care of. There’s a message from my dadthat we’re going to have an additional guest at family dinner tonight. He doesn’t elaborate on who and I don’t ask. With the human female renting our cabin, Roman poking his nose where it doesn’t belong, and Tess wandering around town making best friends with the locals I have more than enough to worry about. An additional dinner guest is lowest on my priority list.
I’m just thankful I don’t have to deal with the female staying in the cabin. Lottie, I believe Hunter said was her name. Some human Ginger had the bright idea to rent the cabin to without asking us. Hunter says he’ll keep an eye on her and deal with any issues that arise because of her staying there, which I’m grateful for. But that also means there’s another area shifters will have to avoid being seen in.
Why the fuck are there so many unknown humans in town? This eclipse is going to be a shit show; I can already tell. I’m going to try my hardest to ensure it isn’t, and to do that I need to make sure my redheaded prey doesn’t see anything she isn’t supposed to.
I shove my phone back in my pocket and peer around the side of the building looking for my prey. She’s no longer talking to Larken and Becca but is crossing the street near to where I am currently lurking. Pulling back into the shadow of the building, I hold still and listen for her footsteps, trying to hear if they’re moving toward me or away from me. There are small noises that could be her steps getting quieter and farther away. I wait a few seconds before peeking out around the brick wall of the building.
She’s not there. She’s not anywhere. Not down the street or across the street. Just gone. Shit.
Striding out from my hiding place I take a few long paces in the direction I thought she was going, looking in through the window ofAnother Man’s Junk. Not spotting her inside I turn around and head back in the direction I came. Maybe I missedher passing me? Highly unlikely but where else could she have gone?
When I stride past the alley I was lurking in before none other than Tess steps out in front of me, causing me to bump into her and almost knock her to the ground. I grip her shoulders to hold her up and steady us both before releasing her. Once again, I couldn’t hear or smell her. I should have known exactly where she was just from her scent, but I smell nothing but earth. Dry old dirt. It’s not very appealing, yet there’s that faint hint of apples again. Drifting on the wind, there one second and gone the next. It’s infuriating that I can’t get a lock on this female’s scent.
“Sorry about that. Didn’t see you there.”
“Really? Cause it seems like you’ve seen plenty of me this morning,” she retorts with a snarky grin.
I knew she was smart, but I didn’t realize she had spotted me. Keeping my expression flat and unaffected by her calling me out on stalking her, I put my hands on my hips thumbing at my badge for emphasis.
“I’m sheriff in town. It’s my job to keep an eye on everyone in Snowberry. I’ve seen a lot of people today. You just happen to be one of them.”
Tess shakes her head of red and scoffs at me, not convinced. “You’re a bad liar.”
~Tess~
“I wasn’t lying,” Sheriff Evans disputes. He may not have been lying about all of it, he is the sheriff, and he has seen many people today, but he was definitely lying about not following me. I clocked him outside the market first and when he remained in my general vicinity afterSnap Shot,around the corner and down the street, I knew he was following me specifically.
“And yet you’re posturing to make yourself more imposing and commanding. What are you hiding Sheriff Evans?”
“What are you hiding Red?”
Red?Now he thinks he can call me nicknames while I still don’t know his first name? He may be cute and smell like crisp tangy oranges and something woodsy like sandalwood, but that doesn’t mean we’re pals. But seriously, why does he smell so good? It’s making my mouth water and again I’m hit with that awareness of him.
Ignoring his weirdly alluring scent I place a hand on my cocked hip and mirror his defiant stance just as I did before. I may not be as tall or broad, but I can be just as imposing. And I’m not going to let his man smell entice me one little bit.
“Red? Wow I’ve never heard that one before. You’re so original and witty to come up with such a clever nickname. I don’t think I’ve ever met someone so shrewd. You must put all the other deputies to shame with your wit. Have them rolling in their dungarees with laughter.”
My sarcastic rant pulls a smirk from the stoic giant.
“I have my moments.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little presumptuous of you to give me a nickname when I don’t even know your first name?”
His silver eyes track over my face, pausing on my mouth before circling back up to my eyes. At least he didn’t stare at my boobs. He does however continue his perusal of my hair that produced the oh so original nickname.
“Ryder.”
“Ride who?”
He chuffs a single deep laugh and his eyes shine with amusement. “Rye-der,” he annunciates.
“Sheriff Ryder Evans. Now that’s a stimulating name.”
“What exactly is it stimulating?” he asks, his expression remaining passive, but his eyes are more expressive than heknows. I can see the blossoming intrigue and appeal in those silver-grey orbs.
