I’m jealous. I know I am. The setup looks suspiciously like a double date, and the idea of Ophelia getting romantically involved with anyone who isn’t me feels like swallowing glue.
I robotically chew the rest of my food and reassure myself I’m not missing anything super important in my distracted state. This is just an ideas meeting. We’ll get together later in the summer to iron out any solid changes for the fall semester. I can continue to not-creepily watch the woman I’m obsessed with.
To make up for my distraction, I pick up the bill for everyone. It’s not a big deal for me. My parents, horrible as they were—and still are—left plenty of money to their four children. Mor used her inheritance for the library. Anthony doesn’t need his, having made a fortune during his years as a model and influencer. Ame … honestly, I have no idea if my younger sister has touched the money. She lives a frugal life. I wouldn’t be surprised if she donated it years ago to an animal shelter.
As my group rises, I consider if I could sit here on my own. Slowly sip the rest of my water and wait for Ophelia’s party to be finished with their meal as well.
No. That would be weird.
But maybe I could hang out at the bar?—
Suddenly, Ophelia shoots up from her chair, throws money on the table, and hurries for the exit.
Working on instinct, I dive after her. But, misjudging the way the table arrangements might hold her up, I end up directly in front of her.
The firebird plows into me.
Ophelia has plenty of strength in her deceptively thin body. I wobble from the collision, then steady us both with my hands on her upper arms.
“Ophelia? Are you okay?”
That didn’t look like a happy, planned departure, and now that we’re close, I can see the sickly orange anxiety twisting in the air around her.
She jerks her chin up, gaze meeting mine, and I spy golden flames dancing in her irises.
“I need to burn something.” Her voice is soft and desperate. Shudders rack her body.
Is this the state she was in before almost lighting up her father’s house?
“Okay.” I wrap an arm around her, fighting my urge to magically soothe her. “Let’s find something to set on fire.”
We hurry out of the restaurant, and Ophelia allows me to guide her to my car. Hopefully, she can hold on to her internal inferno until I get her to a safe location. Once I’m behind the wheel, I dial a number I never have before.
“What?” Jack says on the other end of the line.
He sounds grumpy. But that’s his norm, so I ignore the tone.
“Hey. It’s Broderick.”
“I know. I have caller ID,” he growls.
Jack has never been the kind of guy who feels the need to impress the brothers of the woman he loves.
“Great. Anyway, Mor mentioned something about a few dead trees that fell near the library. She said you were planning on chopping them up for firewood.”
“Yeah. So?”
“So, could you drag them to the lakeshore instead?” I glance over at Ophelia, who sits hunched in the passenger seat. “Right now. Please. I’ll take care of them.”
There’s a pause.
“Fine.”
Grumpy or not, the wolf can still be helpful when he wants.
The line clicks off, and I gun it toward the library. When we arrive, I spy the werewolf disappearing around the side of the house, a massive tree gripped in his clawed hands. Jack is in his half form. Part human, part wolf. Wolfman, some might say. And apparently, it’s a rare form only guardian werewolves can access.
The guy is properly terrifying. Luckily, he’s in love with a Shelly, so I’m safe from him.
