Page 43 of Little Howl of Moon

“Thewhat?”

All of us were interested in that, but then the phantoms smirked, and I was suddenly really nervous. Surely they didn’t mean . . .

Layla had agreed to not use her powers after much back and forth. Only Luca was on her side, but they’d both apparently been outvoted at a family meeting I’d purposefully skipped out on.

“Didn’t you hear? There’s another reaper in town, and she’s not afraid to match humans and monsters.” Another twisted smile. “So either bring us our true mate, or we’ll go to her.”

Lucy let out a curse, but the Barista held up his hand, his eyes burning like two pits of fire. “Can you only use mirrors?”

“Yes.”

“Fine. Fucking phantoms.” The Barista pried the mirror off the wall. “Follow me back to the cooler, I guess.”

Bell, Lucy, and I watched him cart the glass to the back.

“Well,” Bell said. “So much for Layla saying she wasn’t using her powers.”

I drew in a sharp breath, because I knew why she was doing it. We all knew why. It wasn’t what her parents wanted, of course. Hell, none of usreallydid.

She was trying to drawHimnear. Death.

“Here’s your coffee and loaf,” Bell said, shoving everything into my hands. “Maybe if you ask Dad nicely, he can give you a shortcut back home.”

Lucy was staring off into space, hardly paying attention to us. But then Bell cleared his throat, and he jumped, a frantic look passing over his face, then disappearing.

“Of course,” he said. “Tell Oli we said hi. And . . . I think B would like to talk to him. When he’s willing to speak to him again.”

“I’ll pass on the message,” I said. Oli had been especially horrified by the Barista’s actions. Given we were both freshly mated, the idea of losing our bond was especially appalling. “Thank you.”

I stepped through the portal Lucy created and landed back into the bedroom Oli and I now shared.

Oli lifted his head in surprise, pushing his reading glasses up his nose. “Well, hello there, pup.”

I smirked as I took his coffee to him. “I brought your coffee,Sir. And a message that my uncle would like to talk to you again.”

“Trouble can wait.” He had that wicked look in his electric blue eyes as he pushed the blankets back, revealing his hard cock. “Are you okay with drinking our coffee cold?”

I gave my mate my most wolfish grin. “I absolutely am.”

“Good.Kneel.”

“Yes, Sir.”