“I’ll think about it.”
Levi’s enthusiasm dims. “Satine?—”
“Hi!” The booming greeting has me jumping backward, ready to lunge inside and separate myself from the new arrival before they can comprehend the oddity of my appearance.
Then, I spy the red beard, and my panic evaporates.
“Mahon.” I step to the edge of my porch. “Hey.”
The bear shifter lingers in my driveway, looking rugged when compared to Levi’s business casual appearance. The big man has on heavy working boots, faded jeans, and a gray T-shirt that’s worn on the edges. He clutches a scuffed-up cooler in one hand and a blanket in the other.
But his expression is what catches my attention. The normally jovial man glances between Levi and me, brows raised, eyes … sad.
“Sorry. I should’ve called. Only I don’t have your number. So, I showed up.” Mahon raises his shoulders but doesn’t let them fall in a full shrug. Like he’s trying to brace himself for a blow.
My heart aches, and I stroll forward without thought.
“Don’t worry about it,” I say.
The shifter blinks, as if surprised to find me at his side. I wrap my hand around his wrist and tug him forward, strangely worried that he’ll barrel off into the woods and I’ll never see him again.
“Have you met my friend, Levi Abadi? We play chess sometimes, and I just beat him mercilessly.”
Mahon glances at my hold and then into my face, his lighting up with a grin. “Of course you did. No one compares to you.”
Warmth flushes through my body, and when I look at Levi, I can tell my friend is doing his best to suppress a smirk. Suddenly, I’m regretting my shortsighted teasing from earlier.
“Levi …” I put a warning in my voice.You’d better not embarrass me in front of the adorable bear.“This is Mahon Vernon Deepcave the third.”
When I release my hold on Mahon, he drops the blanket on the ground and reaches out to shake the monster’s hand.
“Nice to meet you, Mahon the third.” Levi keeps a cordial tone that tells me I’m in for it during our next hangout session.
“You too, buddy. Are you guys dating?”
My friend covers a laugh with a cough while I wonder if Mahon is this up front all the time.
“We tried that a while back,” Levi answers. “Didn’t work out. We’re friends now.”
The bear gives his hand a vigorous shake. “Good for me!” Then, Mahon turns his beaming face my way. “Want to go on a picnic?”
5
We endup in my backyard because going any distance from my house when the sun is up is not a risk I’m willing to take. Maybe if all the inhabitants of Folk Haven were either mythics or humans who knew about mythics. But this lake attracts tourists, and some unaware humans move into town because they like the quaint feel of the place.
There’s no witch strong enough to work a protective spell that would cover an entire lake and town. That would take hundreds of witches, all with a protective focus. I’m not sure that many exist in the world, much less in Georgia.
“I brought sandwiches,” Mahon announces as he unfurls the blanket, the fabric settling on the shaded grass under my favorite laurel oak. Long branches stretch outward, glossy leaves providing relief from the glare of the sun.
On this hot day, we would have been cooler, sitting by the water, but I have an urge to protect my small dock. One of the few places in the world that’s mine. Though I like Mahon, I’m not ready to take him there even if it’s only a short distance away.
“I can’t believe you brought me lunch.” I settle cross-legged on the blanket.
When Levi and I were dating, he never surprised me with a meal. Sure, he’d bring me food. But eating together was always a preplanned event.
Before today, I would have said I didn’t like surprises. Maybe I’ll have to reevaluate.
“I bring you lunch all the time.” He chortles at his own joke, and I toss a twig at him. Mahon merely grins as the projectile bounces off his broad chest. “You’re a violent woman. I like that. We should wrestle.”
