CHAPTER 6
thorne
CAKE ME TO CHURCH
I hear her before she even reaches the door.
The light, quick rhythm of her footsteps across the courtyard. The faint hum under her breath, slightly off-key. The way the very air seems to shift, like the space itself is bracing for her arrival.
I should be used to it by now.
Instead, I exhale sharply, already knowing that whatever Lena Reyes wants today is going to cost me.
Then, the door swings open.
She steps inside my workshop like she belongs here, which—technically—she doesn’t. But she doesn’t seem to care, because she’s grinning, her dark eyes bright with mischief, and she’s carrying a bakery box like it’s some kind of peace offering.
Trouble.
She slams the box onto my workbench, dusting flour from her hands onto her apron, then looks up at me expectantly.
I fold my arms. “Reyes.”
“Thorne,” she counters, far too pleased with herself.
I glance at the box. “Bribery already?”
“Bribery?” She gasps, pressing a mock-offended hand to her chest. “That’s such a terrible thing to accuse me of.”
I arch a brow.
She sighs. Dramatically. “Fine. Yes. I’m here to ask for a favor.”
I don’t say anything, but my silence must be louder than words because she immediately barrels ahead.
“I got into the New Vegas Dessert Showcase.”
I blink, slow to process that one.
The New Vegas Dessert Showcase. The biggest culinary competition in the city. A week-long, high-stakes event where the best pastry chefs go to prove themselves.
It’s a big deal.
I know it’s a big deal.
But I’ll be damned if I let her know that I know.
“Huh,” I say, unimpressed.
Her eyes narrow. “Huh? That’s all you have to say?”
I shrug.
She groans, throwing her hands in the air. “Thorne, come on! This is huge! It’s the biggest competition in the city! If I win, I get a cash prize, promo spots in all the biggest food magazines, interviews?—”
I fight back a smirk as she waves her arms around, getting more animated by the second.
“And do you know what that kind of exposure does for a bakery like mine?” She doesn’t wait for an answer. “It means I wouldn’t have to worry about foot traffic or if people are willing to try a human-run shop in an Otherkin city. It means investors might take me seriously. It means I could finally afford to hire staff instead of running myself into the ground every day.”
