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6. Rook

Chapter six

Rook

A utumn stands and stretches. My face heats and I avert my eyes, not wanting to make him feel uncomfortable by my ogling. Damn, anyone would think I'm a teenager lusting after his first crush.

I clutch my new gift to my chest. "Let me just swing by the store and tell Lyla where I'm going."

Autumn nods, pausing as soon as we step out from under the gazebo. "Just a second," he says as he analyzes the wisteria dangling from the gazebo's roof. He reaches out and traces his fingers over the vine.

Purple swirls of magic leave his fingertips. I stare in awe, realizing this is the first time I get to see him nourish the plants up close. The magic changes from various shades of purple and pink; magenta, amethyst, lavender, and violet.

The magic dances in Autumn's hand before diving into the plant. The vines are wiggling and the flowers seem to sway, as if a sweet breeze is caressing their petals. Autumn closes his eyes and extends a hand toward them. To my shock, several flowers lean into his touch.

Carefully, his magic cuts the stem of dangling flowers and Autumn catches them in his open palms. He opens his eyes and smiles up at me.

"What's that for?" I point at the pretty purple buds in his hand.

His lips part, and his green eyes sparkle. "I like to collect flowers that represent the special moments in my life."

I blink. Special moment. Did Autumn think this moment between us was special? My heart pounds. No, there's no way. I'm misunderstanding. Although, if someone were to question the significance of this moment, then yes. It matters to me. It's very special.

"So," I hedge, scratching the back of my neck. "What was so special about this moment that it needs to be celebrated?"

Autumn reaches for my fingers. He grasps one of my large, clawed hands in both of his, looking me deep in the eyes. "I don't tell anyone about my family obligations, let alone spill family secrets about our magic. But something is telling me I can trust you, Rook. I've never told anyone my true feelings on the matter. Only you." He lets go of my hand.

Something about his confession lights me up inside. "Yes, you can trust me, Autumn. I promise I will never betray that trust."

He smiles, and my hand itches to grasp his hand in mine. It's been years since I've been affectionate with someone, and even longer since I've displayed it in public.

We walk across the street and right up to the front entrance of the shop. My hand hovers above the doorknob.

Screw it.

I spin around quickly and face him. "You know what? Let's skip going back inside. I'll just text my sister. I'd rather spend this time with you than get a million questions."

Autumn's lips twitch. "Yeah, she seems a little protective of you."

I groan. "Oh gods, what did she say?"

Autumn bites his lip and giggles. "She tried to kick me out of the shop. She overheard the entire exchange with that Meyer guy. She also didn't seem to like the fact that I was looking for a love potion."

I groan again. "Damn. How embarrassing."

Autumn laces his fingers with mine and tugs me away from the apothecary's door. His fingers are warm in mine. The touch is so innocent, yet somehow lights me on fire. My gaze jumps to the front of my shop. Sure enough, I see Lyla and Cass staring at me through the window. When they see me looking, they both giggle and wave.

Oh gods.

Not letting go of Autumn's hand, I tug him around the back of my shop. If Cass is back, there's a good chance Blaze is inside as well. I know Blaze claimed to be a Sinclair when I interviewed him, but I kind of thought he was just part of the Sinclair Coven, not an actual blood-related Sinclair. I'll keep my promise to Blaze, but now that Autumn is in my life, this puts me in an uncomfortable position. I don't want to lie to Autumn.

The Sinclair family is a big deal in the supernatural community. I never really paid attention to any of their first names, especially since people just referred to them as the Sinclair brothers. Not only is Autumn's family very powerful, but if I'm not mistaken, the Sinclairs are one of the founding families of Heart's Hallow.

Their magic surrounds the town with its wards and protects us from discovery or danger.

We turn the corner and I lead him to a dirt path behind my shop. Autumn holds my hand as I lead him into the forest, where we're surrounded by thick, green trees.

"It's beautiful here. There's always been something about a magical forest compared to a normal one."

"I know," I reply. "The magic tugs at my heart and makes my wolf want to run through its depths and howl at the moon."

My thoughts stray to my dream. The memories of running through this very forest, and following an intoxicating scent until my wolf led me to Autumn in that clearing. Maybe someday I can take him to that exact spot where we met our dreams.

"Did you… Did you visit me in my dreams?" I blurt.

"I did." He stares at me quizzically, almost as if he's unsure of the answer. "I was curious if it was a shared dream between us."

"Huh. I didn't realize a witch could do that."

"Apparently, I can. I definitely need to look into it. Maybe there will be some answers in the family grimoire, an entry that talks about dreams. Somehow, I just knew we were both experiencing it at the same time."

"It was so vivid. I've never experienced a shared dream before. It's usually something very meaningful between shifters."

He scrunches his brow. "But I'm not a shifter."

"Either way, I'm glad my first shared dream was with you."

"Welcome to my little cottage," I say as I hang the keys on their hook by the door. I place the spellbook Autumn gave me on my coffee table and gesture at the sofa. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. Your gift is in my room. I'm just going to grab it real quick."

"Thanks," he replies, glancing around with a curiosity that reminds me of a cat. "Hurry back. I'm excited to spend more time with you."

I bite back a grin as I jog to my room. Fuck, how does this little witch always make me feel so damn giddy? He's always been so pretty, but I can't get over how sweet and enchanting he is when he flirts. I never thought he'd flirt with me, let alone make me feel so happy and young.

Autumn might be the younger one of us, but there's something about him that screams charming and in control. I like that.

Once I'm in my bedroom, I make my way over to my bookshelf and pick up the gift-wrapped book. The other night when I met him, I came back home and wrapped up my favorite Helena Hunt book. I was excited to give it to him this morning, but chickened out at the last minute. A gift seemed a little forward for strangers. But then, when he gave me that spellbook under the gazebo, I swear my heart melted. He thought of me, just like I thought of him. When I step back into the living room, I'm shocked to see he isn't sitting on the sofa.

Instead, he's standing by my entertainment center, elegant fingers trailing the shelves as he looks at the photos I have displayed there. I stop and take in his appearance. Why does it feel so right that he's in my house like this?

Fuck, slow your roll, Rook. Calm down before you scare him away.

He smiles as he glances at a photo of Lyla, Zero, and me. Zero has thick arms around both of us with a happy, sloppy smile on his face. As if sensing me, Autumn looks over his shoulder. "Who is this?" He points at the picture.

I walk over to his side, leaning my arm against his. He presses back firmly and my heart skips a beat. "That's my best friend, Zero. He's an amethyst dragon."

"Ah, that's why he looks so familiar. I think I saw him walk into your shop the other day."

"Yeah." I laugh. "That was probably him. Big purple wings and scales along his arms and face?"

"Yup. That's the guy."

"You'll probably meet him soon if you keep visiting my shop. He's trying to get permission to move here in Heart's Hollow."

"Permission? Why would he need permission to move to a sanctuary town?"

I place the photo back on the shelf and nod. "Yeah. He's a vampire hunter for the Elite Guard. They have to vet any town he wants to make his permanent residence."

"Holy shit. That Zero? He's famous. And he's your best friend?"

A little zing of jealousy zips through me, but then I remember Autumn is supposed to marry another witch to save his coven's magic. I don't think I need to worry about my friend. Although, they would make a stunning couple. I shove the stray thought away. No. Now that Autumn is finally in my life for however long that is, I'm not going to ruin it.

"He is. I love him like a brother."

Autumn stares up at me with something akin to awe. "Good. I like the way you are with your family."

"Thank you, Autumn. Want something to eat? I was thinking of tossing together a big salad for lunch. All the ingredients are fresh, and I don't want anything too heavy right now. I'm thinking some arugula, mixed greens, and dried apples. I like to finish it with blue cheese crumbles and a vinaigrette."

"A salad sounds great!"

When I hand him the wrapped book, my chest warms when his whole face lights up. "Open it tonight when your're home. It's one of my all-time favorites."

He grins. "Thank you, Rook."

A shiver runs down my spine when he says my name. I point at the flowers he's still holding. "Do you want me to preserve them? I have a really pretty bell jar that matches the color of the petals."

Autumn nods eagerly, grinning. "A bell jar? Yes, please. If you're sure? I know some of the magical ones can be pricey."

Tipping my head to the left, he follows me into my spare room. "They can be very pricey, but I'm resourceful." I wink.

He gasps when he takes in my shelves that line the room.

"I collect the glass lids for cheap, then I hand carve the base. I usually polish them. Sometimes I carve patterns on the sides."

"These are stunning."

"Here we go," I say, pulling down a set with a polished white base that has green vines and purple wisteria painted on the sides. Maybe someday I'll admit that his gazebo inspired this design. It's only fitting that I give it to him.

"Wow," Autumn whispers, handing me the flowers. Although I'm pretty sure he's more skilled at performing a conserving spell than I am, I admire his willingness to give me a chance. I cup my palms and blush when I see the stark contrast between the delicate wisteria and the black-tipped claws of my werewolf hands.

Shame burns through me, and I look away as I begin chanting the spell. Green wisps of magic float in the air, twirling around the plant and using its magic to keep the plant in pristine condition. When I'm finished, I place the stem in the bell jar and chant another spell that causes the stem to float under the glass.

"That's impressive. You're good with plants."

"Thanks." I hand him the jar.

"Can I ask you a question?" Autumn's green eyes sparkle. He studies me quizzically, causing me to squirm under his gaze. This is usually the part when people ask about the curse and if there is any way to lift it. If there's any way to ‘fix me.'

"What's it like, being a hybrid?"

"A hybrid? You mean Moon Cursed?"

He frowns. "I'm so sorry. That was really insensitive of me. I assumed you were a born hybrid. I didn't think you were cursed."

"I was. It's why my pack kicked me out and why Lyla left."

Autumn narrows his eyes. "Assholes."

"Come on, follow me to the kitchen. I can make our salad and tell you more about it." I lead him back to the kitchen and pull out all the ingredients.

"You don't have to if it makes you feel uncomfortable. I promise. I didn't mean anything bad by it. And your old pack is a bunch of fools for letting such a talented potion maker go."

I bark out a laugh. "They didn't care that I could brew potions or create spells. They used me for my muscles."

"Then they're idiots. The lot of them!" There's humor in Autumn's tone, and I appreciate it.

Idiots. I chuckle, remembering Blaze saying something similar.

I chop everything up and toss it into a huge serving bowl. While I'm dicing, I end up telling him all about my pack, their expectations, the work, their prejudice, and even some things I never told my sister. As we eat our food on my back patio, I tell him about how Lyla and I were attacked and how it changed my life forever. We chat for over an hour. Talking about things that are probably way too serious, yet somehow feel right. Telling him my secrets was as easy as it seemed to be for him.

Not only is he easy to open up to, but I love how he makes even the hard topics easier to talk about. To my surprise, we have or had a lot in common. We both understand what it's like to have certain expectations attached to our names.

We've only seen each other twice now, well, three if you include the dream. Is it crazy to think there is some kind of spark between us? All those times I've been crushing on him from afar and maybe, just maybe, there's a chance there can be something more?

"I don't know what it is about you, but it feels like we've known each other for years."

"Yes! Exactly." I'm caught up in his pretty eyes. The green is stunning, but the gold and brown flecks really make them stand out. "I really like you, Rook."

Truthfully, I'm a selfish wolf, but if Autumn is willing to give me the time of day, then I want to use this time getting to know him. Both as the powerful witch and charming person I know he is. I want to spoil him until he's forced to marry someone else. This might lead to my own heartbreak, but I have this crazy feeling that if I don't have Autumn in my life at all, that would be far worse.

"I really like you too, little witch."

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