Chapter Three

J enny awoke to the smell of bacon and the disorienting feeling of being in an unfamiliar bed. For a blissful moment, she thought the events of the previous night had been a particularly vivid dream. Then she stumbled downstairs, following the scent of breakfast. Red, the grandmotherly werewolf innkeeper, beamed at her from behind a steaming platter of pancakes.

No dream.

"Good morning, dear. I hope you slept well. Hungry?"

Jenny's stomach growled in response. "Starving, actually. Thanks."

As she dug into a stack of pancakes that would make IHOP weep with envy, Jenny marveled at the surreal normalcy of it all. Here she was, having breakfast with a werewolf, in a town full of supernatural creatures, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"So," she said between bites, "any advice for me?"

Red refilled Jenny's coffee cup. "Keep an open mind and remember that underneath all the fangs and fur, we're not so different from anyone else. Why don't you go explore the town a bit? It's a lovely day, and there's plenty to see."

After Jenny finished breakfast and got dressed, she confirmed that her phone still didn't have a charge. Without anything else to do, she went for a walk. The town looked different without the cover of night—still impossibly quaint and slightly off-kilter, but less menacing. She strolled down Main Street, taking in the eclectic mix of shops and cafes.

Her eye was caught by a storefront with a sign that read, "Twilight Tree Yoga Studio," in flowing, leaf-like script. Through the window, she could see a group of people—and were those actual trees?—contorting themselves into impossible positions.

Curiosity piqued, Jenny pushed open the door and was immediately enveloped in a wave of earthy scents—pine, moss, and something undefinably green. The studio looked like a piece of forest had been transplanted indoors, complete with living trees growing right through the floor and canopy of leaves overhead.

A man—or at least, Jenny thought it was a man—approached her with a serene smile. His skin had a greenish tint, and his hair looked suspiciously like moss.

"Welcome to Twilight Tree," he said, his voice as soothing as a babbling brook. "I'm Villosa. Are you here for a class?"

Jenny blinked, momentarily at a loss for words. "Uh, no, just looking around. I'm new in town. Jenny Cortado."

"Ah, the newcomer!" a melodious female voice chimed in. Jenny turned to see a woman with iridescent skin and hair that seemed to flow like water. "I'm Evinara. We've been dying to meet you!"

"Great," Jenny muttered. "Looks like the Beastly Falls gossip mill is running at full efficiency."

Villosa chuckled, the sound like rustling leaves. "News tends to spread like wildfire here. Or perhaps like a rapidly growing vine would be more apt."

"Right," Jenny said, fighting the urge to roll her eyes. "So, you're a... tree person?"

"Dryad," Villosa corrected gently. "And Evinara is a siren. We find yoga helps balance our supernatural energies."

Jenny watched as a woman in the back of the class shifted into what appeared to be a pretzel shape, her limbs bending at impossible angles. "Uh-huh. And the extra-bendy people?"

Evinara laughed, the sound like tinkling bells. "Oh, that's just Elastica. She's part rubber golem."

Jenny pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling a headache coming on. "Of course she is. Why not? So, you two have been here a while, I take it? Any insider info you can share with the new girl?"

Villosa and Evinara exchanged a look. "Well," Evinara said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "what would you like to know?"

"Where can I make a phone call?" Jenny asked, trying to keep the frustration out of her voice. "I need to see if I can postpone my job interview."

Villosa's branches—er, arms—rustled sympathetically. "I'm sorry, but part of the curse is that the town is stuck in the year 2000. We are unable to contact the outside world."

"You can't leave? Like ever?" she asked aghast.

"Not until we find our soul mate." Villosa assessed her. "Have you met anyone that appeals to you?"

Jenny's mind flashed to Rook, with his otherworldly beauty and gentle demeanor. She pushed the thought away. "I'm not exactly looking for Mr. Right. I'm more interested in getting out of here in time for my interview."

Evinara's melodious laugh filled the air. "I'm glad you're not my mate then."

"Or mine," Villosa agreed.

Jenny was about to ask how they knew when the door chimed, admitting a new student. Villosa and Evinara excused themselves, leaving Jenny to ponder the nature of the curse and being trapped in the year 2000.

After she left the yoga studio, Jenny saw a shop named Mortal Threads and decided to see what that was all about. Racks of colorful, handmade clothing lined the walls. Behind the counter stood a woman who could only be described as gloriously big—curves for days, topped with a shock of short red hair, a face full of freckles, and the most piercing green eyes Jenny had ever seen.

"Welcome to Mortal Threads," the woman called out cheerfully. "I'm Orla. You must be Jenny. Red told me to expect you."

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess, the town grapevine strikes again?"

Orla laughed, a warm, rich sound that instantly put Jenny at ease. "Something like that. Us humans gotta stick together in this crazy town. Now, what can I help you with? Looking for something special?"

Jenny glanced down at her rumpled clothes, suddenly aware that she'd been wearing the same outfit since her car broke down. "Actually, yeah. Got anything that says, 'I'm totally fine with being trapped in a supernatural town,' but also, 'I'm a serious professional, please hire me'?"

Orla's eyes lit up with the gleam of a woman who loved a challenge. "I've got just the thing. But first, dish. How are you finding Beastly Falls? It's not every day we get new blood around here—figuratively speaking, of course."

As Orla bustled around the shop, pulling out various items for Jenny to try on, Jenny found herself opening up about her bizarre situation. There was something comforting about talking to another human, someone who understood just how weird all this supernatural stuff was.

"...and now I've got to waste a whole week here before this sentient town sets me free," Jenny finished, tugging on a pair of perfectly fitted jeans that Orla had thrust at her.

Orla clucked sympathetically. "That's a rough break. The town does take some getting used to. You should've seen me the first time I realized my boyfriend could turn into a wolf. Talk about a hairy situation!"

"Is he your mate?"

She looked away and swallowed hard. "No."

"How do you know?"

Orla shrugged. "We're comfortable, but we're still trapped here in Beastly Falls. So that means we're not meant to be."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's casual and it gives me someone to hang out with on the weekends, provided it's not the full moon."

"It must be hard to be stuck here."

"The worst part is I've seen all the movies in Blockbusters and I'm working my way through all the books in the library. It's the boredom that gets you."

"What about food?"

"The grocery store shelves replenish with the same stuff every Monday. The town wouldn't let us starve. She gives us what we need."

She? Don't ask. Don't ask. "That's good, I guess."

After Jenny left Mortal Threads with a bag of new clothes, she spent the next few hours wandering the streets of Beastly Falls, taking in the strange mix of mundane and magical. A group of pixies flitted past, arguing over the best flavor of ice cream. A troll—actual, honest-to-God troll—was carefully tending to a flower box outside his home. It was like something out of a children's book, if children's books included the occasional fang or claw.

As fascinating as it all was, Jenny couldn't shake the nagging worry about her upcoming interview. She'd worked so hard to get this opportunity, and now it was slipping away because of some supernatural matchmaking scheme. She wished she could call the producers and tell them she was going to be delayed or something. Her fingers itched to work on an engine, to lose herself in the familiar rhythm of nuts and bolts and—

Her train of thought screeched to a halt as she rounded a corner and saw it: a 2000 Toyota Camry, sitting abandoned in a parking lot with its hood up. It wasn't much to look at—the paint was faded, and Jenny could practically hear the rust forming—but to her, it was beautiful.

"Hello, gorgeous," she murmured, running a hand over the car's hood. "What are you doing all alone out here?"

A quick examination revealed that the car had definitely seen better days, but nothing that was beyond Jenny's skills to fix. If she could get this baby up and running, she might have a working car to get her to the interview once the week was up. But first, she needed to find out if anyone owned it. A quick check in the glove compartment didn't yield any paperwork. All she found was a business card for Mayor Sylvia Haasenfrau and the address of the Beastly Falls Municipal Building.

Where the hell was that?

Turning the business card over, she saw a small map with an X that said, "You are here," and an arrow pointing towards the mayor's office, detailing which streets to follow.

"I guess that's my next stop." She stowed the bag of clothes in the back seat and navigated the town, looking down at the business card map until she came to the Beastly Falls Municipal Building. Entering the building, Jenny thought it looked like it had been designed by M.C. Escher on an acid trip. Staircases led to nowhere, doors were placed at impossible angles, and Jenny could have sworn she saw a window that looked out into deep space.

She approached the reception desk, where a harried-looking man with pointed ears was juggling several floating orbs of light.

"Excuse me," Jenny said, trying to catch his attention. "I'm looking for the mayor's office?"

The receptionist caught the orbs with a wave of his hand and pointed to a door that definitely hadn't been there a second ago. "Third door on the left, can't miss it. Mind the temporal shift on your way out."

Jenny decided it was best not to ask what a "temporal shift" was and made her way to the indicated door. She knocked and heard a cheerful, "Come in!" from the other side.

The mayor's office was a study in organized chaos. Every surface was covered in papers, trinkets, and what looked suspiciously like magical artifacts. And in the center of it all sat a short, plump woman with rosy cheeks and a head full of curls that seemed to defy gravity. The name plaque on her desk proclaimed her as Mayor Sylvia Haasenfrau.

"Ah, Jenny Cortado," Sylvia exclaimed. "I've been expecting you. Please, have a seat. Tea?"

Jenny blinked, momentarily thrown off balance. "Uh, no, thanks. How did you know I was coming?"

Sylvia waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, I have my ways. Now, what can I do for you?"

As Jenny explained about the abandoned Camry, she felt a sense of calm washing over her. Sylvia's presence was oddly soothing, making Jenny feel like everything was going to work out just fine.

"Well, isn't that serendipitous?" Sylvia said, beaming. "That old Camry's been sitting there for ages. There's something wrong with the engine. There's no owner on record, so it's all yours."

Jenny's excitement must have shown on her face because Sylvia laughed, a tinkling sound that made Jenny want to laugh along. "I'll just need you to fill out some paperwork, and then you can get started on your new project. Who knows? Maybe working on that car will help you settle into Beastly Falls a bit more."

"Oh I'm not staying."

"Never say never."

As Jenny filled out the forms (which included such odd questions as "Have you ever been cursed by a witch?" and "On a scale of 1 to 10, how resistant are you to transfiguration?"), she couldn't shake the feeling that this was too easy. But hey, who was she to look a gift car in the mouth?

With the keys to her new project in hand, Jenny practically skipped back to the parking lot. However, when she got back to the parking lot her mood swung as she staggered a bit. She was never that cheerful. Had the mayor worked some mojo on her?

Jenny decided that she didn't care. She put that and the supernatural town out of her mind and spent the next few hours assessing the Camry's condition, making mental notes of what needed to be fixed and what parts she'd need to scrounge up. She took a quick break to grab the burger plate special at the Moonlit Café.

As she worked, she found herself relaxing for the first time since entering Beastly Falls. This, at least, was familiar territory. Engines didn't care if you were human or supernatural—they just needed the right touch to purr back to life.

She was so engrossed in her work that she barely noticed the sun setting until a voice startled her out of her concentration.

"I see you've found a new project."

Jenny looked up to see Rook standing there, looking unfairly attractive in the darkness. Her heart did a little flip that she steadfastly ignored.

"Yep," she said, wiping her hands on a rag. "Figured if I'm stuck here, I might as well make myself useful."

Rook's lips curved into a smile that did funny things to Jenny's insides. "What are you planning to do with it if you can get it to work?"

Jenny snorted. "Please. There's no if . I'm going to use it to drive to upper state New York and beg to reschedule my interview.

Something flickered in Rook's eyes, but it was gone so quickly Jenny thought she might have imagined it.

"I'm not sure what excuse I'm going to give them, because they're sure as shit not going to believe the truth."

"Well," Rook said, his voice carefully neutral, "since you're not making your grand escape tonight, perhaps you'd join me for a cup of tea? I've just opened the shop for the evening."

Jenny hesitated. On the one hand, spending more time with Rook was probably a bad idea. He was distractingly attractive, and she couldn't afford distractions right now. On the other hand, tea did sound good.

"Sure," she found herself saying. "Let me just clean up here."

The Midnight Brew was a welcoming place. Soft, warm lighting cast a cozy glow over the plush armchairs and polished wood tables. The air was heavy with the scent of exotic teas and spices, and soft jazz played in the background.

Jenny settled into one of the armchairs, feeling oddly at home despite the supernatural surroundings. Rook bustled behind the counter, preparing their drinks with the practiced ease of someone who'd been doing it for... well, probably centuries.

"So," Jenny said as Rook handed her a steaming cup, "busy day of sleeping in a coffin?"

Rook chuckled, the sound sending a pleasant shiver down Jenny's spine. "I'm afraid Hollywood has given you some misconceptions about vampire life. No coffins, I assure you. Just a very dark room and some high-quality blackout curtains."

Jenny accepted the cup of tea with a murmured thanks. She took a sip and was surprised by the complex blend of flavors that bloomed on her tongue.

"Wow," she said, genuinely impressed. "This is actually really good. What is it?"

Rook smiled, a hint of pride in his eyes. "My own special blend. A mix of Assam black tea, cinnamon, and a few unique ingredients. It's quite popular among our nocturnal residents."

"You make a mean cup of tea."

"High praise indeed," Rook said.

She looked over at his cup. "You're not drinking the same thing as I am. What do you have?"

"A more specialized blend."

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Please tell me you're not drinking blood out of that cup."

Rook's expression turned serious. "No, but it's a substitute I created that allows me to avoid drinking blood altogether."

Jenny leaned forward, intrigued despite herself. "Really? How does that work?"

As Rook explained the intricacies of his tea blend—a combination of rare herbs, some light magic, and a lot of trial and error—Jenny was captivated. There was something about the way Rook spoke, the passion in his voice when he talked about his creation, that was utterly irresistible.

"You basically hot-wired your own biology to run on Earl Grey instead of O-negative. Talk about a high-octane tea party."

Rook's lips curved into an amused smile. "I assure you, my 'engine' runs much smoother than any jerry-rigged contraption. And I'd like to think my blend is a bit more sophisticated than Earl Grey. It wasn't an easy process, I assure you. There were dark times before I found this solution."

The shadows in Rook's eyes hinted at a past that was far from pleasant. Jenny felt a sudden urge to reach out and comfort him.

He paused, and a mischievous glint replaced the sadness. "High-octane tea party, though? I rather like that. Perhaps I should put it on the menu. 'Rook's High-Octane Blend: Guaranteed to Revive Even the Most Lifeless of Immortals.'"

He really was attractive. Jenny found herself looking at his mouth and wondered what it would be like to kiss him.

"Well," she said, clearing her throat, "at least you found a way to make it work. That's more than a lot of people can say, supernatural or not."

Rook's gaze softened as he looked at her. "We all have our struggles, I suppose. But enough about me. How are you finding Beastly Falls? I hope the town hasn't been too overwhelming."

Jenny snorted. "Oh, you know, just your average day. Yoga with a tree person, shopping with a werewolf's girlfriend, adopting an abandoned car. Totally normal stuff. I don't know how I'm going to last a whole week."

Rook's expression turned serious. "Jenny, I know this situation isn't ideal. But the town doesn't bring people here without reason. You have a soul mate here. Someone who needs you."

Jenny set down her cup with more force than necessary. "Yeah, well, maybe the town should mind its own business. I had a life, you know. A career I've been working towards for years. And now I'm supposed to just give that all up because some magical matchmaker decided I need a supernatural boyfriend?"

Rook flinched slightly at her words, and Jenny immediately felt a pang of guilt. It wasn't his fault she was in this situation, after all.

"I'm sorry," she said, softer this time. "I know you're just trying to help. It's just frustrating. I really need this job, and my past relationships haven't been anything to write home about."

Rook reached across the table, his cool hand covering hers. The touch sent a jolt of electricity up Jenny's arm. "I understand. Truly, I do. When I first came to Beastly Falls, I was lost. Angry. I thought I knew what my life was supposed to be, and this town turned everything upside down."

Jenny found herself leaning in, drawn in by the intensity in Rook's eyes. "What changed?"

A small, almost shy smile played at the corners of Rook's mouth. "I found something I never knew I was looking for. A home. A purpose. And maybe you will too."

The air between them seemed to crackle with tension. Jenny was acutely aware of Rook's hand on hers, of how close they were sitting, of the way his eyes seemed to see right through her defenses. For a moment, she thought he might kiss her. Part of her—a larger part than she cared to admit—wanted him to.

But then reality came crashing back in, and Jenny pulled away, clearing her throat awkwardly. "Yeah, well, we'll see about that. I've still got an interview to get to, supernatural shenanigans or not."

Rook withdrew his hand, and Jenny immediately missed the contact. "Of course," he said, his voice carefully neutral.

She couldn't help a yawn that popped up out of nowhere. "I should go. It's getting late, and I've had an eventful day."

"It's been a pleasure talking with you." Rook's smile was warm, if a little sad.

As Jenny stood to leave, she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd somehow disappointed Rook. But that was ridiculous, right? She barely knew him. And yet...

"Thanks for the tea," she said, hovering awkwardly by the door. "And the chat. It was nice."

"Tomorrow, would you like for me to give you the night tour of Beastly Falls?"

Jenny wasn't sure why her pulse spiked or the sudden flush of happiness that coursed through her, but she nodded. "Yeah, I'd love that." And she meant it too.

"Then it's a date."

Was it? Or was it just a turn of phrase that Rook used?

As Jenny walked back to the B&B, her mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions. On the one hand, she was excited about her new project with the Camry. It gave her a sense of purpose and a way to get to the interview since the Bug had shit the bed.

On the other hand, she couldn't shake the memory of Rook's touch, the intensity in his eyes when he talked about finding a home in Beastly Falls. It stirred something in her, a longing she didn't want to examine too closely. Could Rook maybe be her soulmate?

She waited to feel a surge of ridicule at the thought. When it didn't come, Jenny wondered how the rest of the week was going to turn out.