Daniel wiped his mouth. "About what Henry just said. I hope you don't think I'm rushing things."
"Rushing?" I forced a laugh. "Please. We've known each other since high school. If anything, we're taking our sweet time."
He smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners in that way I found utterly charming. "I just want to make sure we're on the same page. I don't want to pressure you into anything, especially not when it comes to something as important as marriage."
I reached across the table to take his hand. "I appreciate that, I really do. If there's one thing I've learned from all the craziness in our lives lately, it's that love isn't something you can plan or control. It just happens."
"Like karma," he said, squeezing my hand gently.
"Exactly!" I laughed. "When the time is right, we'll both know it. There's no need to rush or force things, let's just enjoy each other and see where life takes us."
"Sounds perfect to me." Daniel leaned over to press a soft kiss to my knuckles. My stomach-butterflies fluttered at the gesture, and I grinned like a lovestruck teenager.
We had hashed out our feelings about our own relationship, but we were standing on the edge of something new - a threshold we hadn't crossed yet.
My phone pinged, and with a big grin on my face, I answered.
"Emma," came Deva's voice on the other end of the line, cutting through my thoughts like a knife. "I need you at the shop. Now."
"Uh, sure," I said, my brow furrowing as I tried to glean some information from her tone. "Is everything okay?"
"Nothing a little karma can't fix," she said cryptically, and before I could ask what she meant, the call disconnected.
"Everything all right?" Daniel asked.
"Deva needs me at the shop," I said, sliding my phone back into my pocket. "She didn't say why, but it sounded urgent."
"Need a ride?" he said, already rising from his seat. His eyes held that protective glint I'd come to know so well, but there was also a hint of curiosity that made me smile.
"No, I'll drive," I said, grabbing my coat from the back of the chair. "But thank you."
He ran a hand through his reddish-brown hair. It stood up at odd angles, making him look boyishly disheveled, a side of him I found absolutely adorable. "I'll head over to the police department and check on that suspect list."
"Perfect." I gave him a quick peck on the cheek before making my way to the door. The wood creaked beneath my feet, the sound echoing through the quiet house. "I'll call you later?"
"Definitely," he said. "Stay safe."
"Always," I promised, stepping out into the crisp morning air. The sun had just begun to rise, casting a golden glow over the sleepy town. The sight was beautiful, but it couldn't compete with the warmth that filled me every time I thought of Daniel.
11
EMMA
The cafe doorchimed as I entered, and the delicious aroma of freshly brewed coffee greeted my nostrils like a warm hug. It was particularly surprising after the heavy smoke smell that had been present the last time I was here. They must've done some sort of spell to kill the nasty scents that had clung since the fire. The air was heavy with tension, though, which was less than welcoming. Deva's supernatural employees huddled in the dining room, their expressions a mix of concern and frustration.
The human employees were nowhere to be seen.
My gaze ran over them. Jax seemed the angriest, but the senior chef was known for being passionate regardless of the situation. Even though as a man in his forties, he was nearly twice the age of most of the employees, he was hardly the voice of reason between them. Luckily, Lucas, the sous chef was his opposite and was staying calm. Evelyn was also one of the older employees, sitting rigid in her chair next to him, her normally short black hair in disarray. As a woman with an eighteen-year-old child herself, she radiated calm when dealing with theyounger staff. Most of the time. Right now, she wasn’t calm, but I could tell she was trying to appear to be.
Michael seemed to be studying the situation like a predator watching his prey. The twenty-something-year-old man was a part of Nathan’s wolf pack, and he looked like it. Not just because he was tall and strong, but because he had that wildness to him that all the wolf shifters had after spending years without a strong leader. Penelope, another young server, and a witch was tapping her foot on the floor like the movement might calm her unease. It didn’t seem to be working though.
All and all, I felt like I’d just walked into an argument. Whatever was going on, it wasn’t good.
“This is insane!” Jax barked, and the werewolf’s eyes looked like storm clouds about to unleash a downpour.
“It’s not ideal…” Evelyn said, then began biting her lip.
I looked at Deva, and she sighed. “Jax was nearly hit by a truck. Theo was almost struck by lightning. Bryan was almost crushed by his car when the jack snapped. It’s been a lot of… bad luck.”
