She stared at her empty plate. “Flint.” The pain in her voice was palpable. “Honestly, there’s not much Daphne, Shiori, and I can’t do. But I’m not sure it’s the right thing. Can I think about it?”

It wasn’t a no. He’d take that for now.

25

Going back to the office after being out for a long time was hard for anyone. But Emma was shaking as she drove up to the building. Flint had Monday off. He didn’t need to go back to the firehouse until tomorrow. But she’d avoided his request to help him lose his powers all day Sunday. They’d watched an entire session of Myths of Shifters and taken a long walk down his muddy road. The sounds of the forests waking up had almost made her forget his request. They played a game of review the casseroles like they were on a television show. Thelma Burgenstock’s cream cheese chicken surprise was surprisingly the best one, and they’d picked at it all day until she’d caught Flint licking the pan.

Emma was totally tracking down Thelma to get the recipe. But now she sat outside the repurposed school building. Flint had offered to drive her in, walk her in, stay with her even. But they hadn’t defined their relationship. She didn’t even understand it. Sometimes their powers did weird things, flicking out of them, straining for the other one, and then nothing. It didn’t seem to matter if he snuck off to the bathroom to fill an orb or if they were both at full force. No, sometimes they flickered together when they were a lump on the sofa, and other times when they were on opposite sides of the room.

But he was a shifter, and she wasn’t his fated mate. He would have said something or done something. And wasn’t there that whole you’ll get sick if you have sex and don’t mate thing? She’d read about it in an article in ShifterToday.

She sat in her car. It was twenty past nine. But even Shiori wouldn’t have said anything if she knew she was late today. Most likely.

It was warmer today. Crazy how the weather could change so fast. It wasn’t that much farther south than where she grew up, but they didn’t get any weather off of Lake Erie.

A firm knock on her window made her jump. Emma clutched her chest. She rolled down her window.

“Oh, Emma. I’m sorry.” It was Jack, Shiori’s mate and owner of the playhouse workshop. “I saw you sitting here, and I wanted to make sure you were doing okay. Are you okay? Do you want to come in through the shop? The front door is fixed if you want to go that way. I can walk with you. There’s security around the building now.” Jack pointed to a car in the lot.

“That would be nice.” She tried to roll the window up, but it wouldn’t go, so she spelled it up and grabbed her lunch. Thelma Burgenstock unfortunately hadn’t made this casserole.

She headed for the front entrance with Jack, but a few feet out, she turned to him. “You know, maybe we could go in through your shop.”

“Sure, anything you want. Plus, then I get to show you the new design I’ve been working on all week.”

Emma smiled. “I’d like that.”

Shiori had found the perfect mate in Jack. They complemented each other in every way. And it made her a little sad. Because she wanted that for Flint. She wanted him to have someone to complement, or at least for him to complement her. But she also didn’t want to give him up. Because . . . she bit down on the side of her cheek. That was old Emma. Emma who had to have love because of love. The one who’d got engaged to Sean, the one who invested all of her savings in a house that her ex now lived in with his new girlfriend. No, Flint and she hadn’t talked about anything other than what they were going to have for dinner and whether she would convince her friends to help him lose his gifts. Take away his power. The thought turned her stomach.

Jack opened the door next to the loading dock where his shop was. It was quiet today. None of the saws were running, and the radio was off. When they were in paint mode, they didn’t run the saws, but the radio would be blasting either country or rap music depending on which of Jack’s guys were working.

“Where is everyone?” asked Emma.

“Oh, the guys took my new installer Corbin out on a delivery in Texas. Huge order, five structures decked out with everything. They’re going to run it as a seasonal hotel behind their normal hotel. They’ll be gone for a while doing a full install and all the touch-up work.”

“Good timing.” Emma could hear her dad’s voice.

“I suppose.” Jack closed the door behind her and locked it.

Emma could see Shiori and Daphne’s wards around the place. They had gone to town. There wasn’t anyone who was going to get into the building without them knowing about it now. No way. She reached out and touched a grid. Daphne’s. She’d done an extra strip down the middle of Jack’s shop. The shop looked huge with all the playhouses gone. The last time she’d seen it, when the fire alarm had gone off, it was over-full. How had that been a little over a week ago?

Only one structure sat in the middle of the room. It had a traditional roof, but then wire mesh for a thatched roof.

“What’s it going to be?” Emma walked around it, touching the plastered walls.

“Guess.”

Emma studied the structure. All of Jack’s buildings which she’d seen so far were fairy tales. “I’m not sure. What is it?”

“I started it as a joke. With there being so many wolf shifters.”

“Well, it is Hundsburg.”

“True.”

“Is it Little Red Riding Hood’s house?”

“It is.” Jack laughed. “I hope the wolves have a sense of humor. I can change it to something else.”

All of Jack’s creations were adorable.

“Want me to walk you the rest of the way? Carter is dropping Shiori off later. They thought you might not come in today.”

“I said I would.”

“I know. It’s just that no one would blame you for taking a little more time.”

“The longer I wait, the harder it will get.”

“Rip it off like a bandage.”

“Exactly.” Emma hugged her lunch sack to her chest.

Jack walked beside her to the hallway doors.

Emma turned. “I can go the rest of the way on my own.”

“Okay. Carter installed a new intercom in the rooms that are used. Call me if you need me, or text me or use the intercom.”

“Thanks Jack, you’re the best.” Emma hugged him, smashing her lunch between them.

New Emma didn’t need a guy. But if she had one, she’d want one like Jack. Or Flint, a little voice sounded in her head until she shut it down. She didn’t want to be jealous of Shiori for having something Emma never would. Daphne too. Daphne who had married a human male who loved her and put up with her bossy ways.

Emma opened the door to the hallway. The smell of fresh paint and construction continued, but this wasn’t the residue of Jack’s shop—it was from the repairs of the fireball damage. The hall was littered with wards. There were so many it was dizzying to look down the hallway. Her phone in her pocket dinged, and she pulled it out.

Flint: How are you doing?

Emma: Just got into the building. Haven’t gotten to the well room yet.

Flint: Let me know if you need anything. I’m at the station next door.

Emma: But you don’t work today.

Flint: Hudson promised me bacon.

Emma: That’s all it takes?

Flint: Yup.