Trouble Comes in Three

TROUBLE COMES IN THREE

T he rickety stepladder wobbles beneath my feet as I balance on the top step, struggling to affix the upper most shelf to the wall of the new witches’ pantry. A bead of sweat trickles down my temple as I stretch on tiptoes to reach the far corner.

A little more…

“Rowe Branning-Wendall-Rothaven, are you trying to break your neck?” Mel’s amused voice carries across the room.

I glance over my shoulder and flash her a grin. “It’s all part of my master plan. Can’t walk all the way down here in the middle of winter with a broken neck. ”

Mel shakes her head, brown curls bouncing. “Don’t think that will get you out of magic practice so easily. Aspen will sit at your bedside to put you through your paces.”

A shudder goes through me at the idea as I hammer the final nail in place and admire my handiwork. The rich, polished wood gleams in the afternoon light filtering through the windows. Jars of herbs, potion ingredients, and assorted witchy paraphernalia already line several of the lower shelves.

“There. We have the start of a communal witch’s pantry, as requested.” I hop down and brush the dust from my hands onto my leggings. “Though I still say it’s going to cut into your bottom line.”

She waves a dismissive hand. “Nonsense. The shop caters to everyone else.” She gestures at the shelves. “This is for us. For the coven.”

A week had passed since Mel caught me raiding her store, which had launched this newest idea of hers. We had to wait for everything to be ordered and picked up from outside Hartford Cove, but now we’re in full project mode to finish off the new gathering space for our coven in the community center .

Warmth spreads through me. It’s taken time, but Hartford Cove has become home. Family. Even the magic stuff is starting to feel right.

“Besides.” Mel gives me a sly smile. “Once your cousin starts supplying those charms of hers, business will be booming. No one else around here has that kind of talent.”

“True.” I tilt my head, considering. “Maybe I can convince her to give me a cut of the profits. Call it a finder’s fee.”

“Rowe!” Mel swats at me with a dish towel, laughing. “You’re already squatting on a fortune!”

I dance out of reach, my laughter mingling with hers. For a moment, the lingering tension of the past few days fades away. No threat from the council, no shadowy dogs, no impending doom…

Just me and my friends, building something meaningful together.

I breathe in the earthy, herbal scent of the pantry and smile. Whatever else comes our way, at least we’ll be well-stocked to handle it.

“All right.” I clap my hands together as I look around at the boxes. “What’s next?”

“Why don’t you tell me, Miss Project Manager?” Mel waggles her eyebrows at me .

“No!” I wag a finger at her. “Denied! I'm the town gofer. You give me instructions.”

“Fine. Unpack the next set of shelves while I go get more stock for them.” She gestures to a large box identical to the one we just installed.

“Aye, aye, Captain!” With a salute, I snatch up the box cutter as she strides for the door.

Unpacking the shelf pieces, I start putting them together. The first one wasn’t difficult to assemble, and if I can finish before Mel returns, we can move right to loading it up.

The bottom shelves go in without a hitch, but as I stretch up onto my tiptoes to slide in the one above my head, it wobbles in my grasp. “Come on, you stubborn piece of?—”

With an ominous creak, the whole thing tilts forward. The unsecured shelves slide out, unbalancing it further. As I throw my weight against it, solid wood slams into my knee, sending me stumbling backward. Eyes squeezing shut, I brace for impact.

But the crushing blow never comes.

“Rowe! What the hell are you doing?”

My eyes fly open to find Tris standing over me, holding up the shelf with ease mere inches from my face .

“Trying to break my neck, apparently.” I straighten, heart still racing. “Good thing I’ve got a big, strong man around to save me.”

Unappeased by my flattery, he carefully sets the shelf upright. “This isn’t a joke. That thing could’ve flattened you.” He jabs a finger at the empty box nearby. “See this? ‘Two-person assembly.’ Do you have a death wish or something?”

“Aw, come on. It’s just a little shelf.” I wave a hand dismissively, but I can’t quite meet his gaze. “Besides, I had it handled. Mostly.”

Tris snorts. “Right. Because ending up as a Rowe-pancake was all part of the plan.”

I tilt my head, considering him. “Not to sound ungrateful for the rescue, but why are you here? Shouldn’t you be at the clinic?”

Tris glances down at his scrubs, a wry smile tugging at his lips. “New guy’s training today, so I ducked out early. Figured I’d see if you needed any help.”

He glances at the wobbly shelf. “Good thing I did, huh? Or you might’ve ended up like the Wicked Witch of the East.”

My hand presses over my heart in mock-offense. “Excuse you, I would make a fabulous splat-witch. But, um…” I peek up at him through my lashes. “Th ank you. For saving me from death by furniture.”

Tris arches a brow, fighting a smirk. “That’s it? I save you from getting squashed, and all I get is a wimpy little ‘thank you’?”

Oh, it is so on.

I hook a finger into his collar, the nameplate jingling as I tug him down to my level. His brows shoot up before I slant my mouth over his in a searing kiss.

Tris laughs against my lips, low and throaty. “Much better.”

Hands slide down to cup my ass, and in one smooth motion, he hoists me up. I wrap my legs around his waist as he walks me backward, pinning me against the half-built shelf.

My fingers tangle in his sandy hair, nipping at his bottom lip. “Mm, this is the best kind of help.”

Tris grins, all wolfish heat and wicked promise. “Oh, sparky, I’ve only just started to help you.”

He captures my mouth again in a hungry kiss, his hands sliding up my hips to my sides, leaving trails of sparks through my clothes. Craving more, I arch into his touch, and he obliges, fingers teasing at the hem of my sweater before slipping beneath to skim over bare skin .

I shiver, head falling back as his mouth trails down my jaw to my neck. He finds the sensitive spot above my collarbone, and I bite my lip against a moan.

“You’re wearing too many clothes.” With a few deft tugs, he sends my sweater sailing, leaving me in a thin camisole.

Cool air raises goose bumps over my heated skin, and I press closer, seeking his warmth.

One hand splays at the small of my back while the other traces maddening patterns on my thigh. I rock against him, reveling in the growl that rumbles through his chest.

“Rowe…” My name leaves his lips on a reverent sigh, full of wonder and want. Like I’m something to be worshiped.

Like I’m everything.

My hands slip under Tris’s scrub top, mapping the lean muscles of his back, the notches of his spine. He feels so warm, almost feverish, the heat of him soaking into me, melting me from the inside out.

Our kisses turn messy, desperate, and we lose sight of where we are, the world fading to a clash of tongue and teeth as we try to devour each other, to fuse into one being. Clothing becomes an intolerable barrier, and Tris wastes no time divesting me of my camisole.

“Beautiful,” Tris rasps, cupping my small breast, thumb drawing electric circles around my peaked nipples. “So goddamn beautiful.”

Vaguely, I’m aware we shouldn’t be doing this here. Anyone could walk in. But I’m too far gone to care, lost to the drugging slide of skin on skin, the delicious heat building between my thighs.

“Hurry,” I pant. “Tris, I need…”

“Me, too, sparky. I need you.”

I fumble with the tie on his scrub pants, hands shaking with urgency at the same time he reaches down to help, and our fingers tangle, clumsy with our eagerness. Between us, we manage to get the knot undone before the squeak of the door opening jerks us back to reality.

The intruder’s horrified gasp douses my arousal like a bucket of ice water.

“Oh! Oh my goodness!” Harper stands frozen in the doorway, a box of herb jars clutched in her arms. Her wide eyes dart between my bared breasts and Tris’s rumpled clothing. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t— I’ll just?—”

Equal horror fills me. Poor Harper didn’t deserve this trauma .

“Fuck.” Tris uses his body to shield me as he lowers me to the floor.

But when we try to grab my clothes, the damn shelf wobbles . Tris grabs for it, and his pants drop to his ankles.

Harper averts her face, cheeks flaming. “I’m really sorry. Mel sent me over with more stock for the shelves, but I can come back later.”

“It’s fine.” My voice comes out more breathless than I’d like.

Dammit, I’m a grown-ass witch. I refuse to let a little interruption fluster me.

“Just give us a minute.” While Tris holds the shelf up, I scramble back into my clothes before fixing his pants.

As I retie them, it takes a huge amount of willpower not to touch the bulge straining against the front.

“Later,” Tris promises in a husky whisper meant only for my ears.

Not trusting myself to speak, I nod. Lust and embarrassment vie for dominance, leaving me hot and prickly. With the number of times I’ve caught Mel and Aspen, I knew better than to let myself get carried away in a public space. Hartford Cove is full of wolf shifters with super hearing, for goodness sake.

Everyone on Front Street would have heard us!

Poor Harper hovers by the doorway, attention glued to the ceiling. When I clear my throat, she risks a glance in our direction.

“Right. I’ll…put these over here.” She holds up the box like a peace offering before scurrying over to deposit it on the shelf already nailed into place.

Tris plasters on a polite smile. “Thanks, Harper. Sorry for the eyeful.”

She waves him off, already making a beeline for the exit. “No worries! I didn’t see anything! I mean, not much. I mean…bye!”

Before we can apologize again, she beats a hasty retreat, slamming the door behind her.

Unable to stop it, I burst out laughing, burying my face against Tris’s chest as my shoulders shake. He joins me after a beat, leaning his weight against the shelf to stop it from falling.

Once we catch our breath, Tris takes over the shelf-building, and we get it stabilized and affixed to the wall in no time.

Moving the cardboard out of the way, we unload the box Harper brought .

As I hand Tris a jar of dried herbs, his fingers brush mine, sending a tingle up my arm.

“Wolfsbane.” He examines the label. “Think this will work against Haut?”

“Try it. I dare you.”

“You just like watching me get pounced on.” He sets it on the shelf next to the other rows of jars and steps closer, his chest nearly touching my back as he reaches around me for another jar.

Warm breath caresses the back of my neck, and I elbow him in the stomach. “Keep your hands to yourself, mister. We can’t risk getting caught again.”

His brown eyes sparkle with mischief. “But it’s so hard to resist you.”

He plants a quick kiss below my ear before I can stop him. I glare in mock anger, but a smile betrays me. Tris as my fated mate is one of the best things to ever happen to me, even if his irresistibility means Harper saw my boobs.

The door swings open again, and this time, Mel breezes in carrying another box.

She takes one look at us and arches an eyebrow. “So, I heard Harper got quite an eyeful earlier. Are you guys trying to get us kicked out of the Community Center, too? ”

My cheeks heat, and I bury my face in my hands. I’m never going to live this down.

Tris, of course, just grins. “Yep, Harper is now one of the privileged few who’ve seen Rowe’s gorgeous boobs. We should invite her to join the Brigade. It can be a form of initiation to see your nipples.”

I smack his arm. “Watch it. Remember, they’ve all seen you buck ass naked, too.”

“Exactly.” Tris winks at me. “That’s why they’re privileged.”

Mel laughs and shakes her head. “Okay, you two, tone it down. Aspen will be here any minute.”

“Ooh, Aspen’s coming?” Tris waggles his eyebrows. “I’ve seen his ass, you know.”

My head whips around. “What? When?”

Tris smirks and jerks his chin toward Mel. “In the garden.”

Horror dawns as I gape at my friend. “In front of Granny’s rosemary? Melody Bellthellamew Bramble!”

“Haha, stop it, guys. I’m serious.” Mel’s cheeks pinken but a smile tugs at her lips.

Tris locks eyes with me, and in unspoken unison, we link arms and start skipping in a circle, singing at the top of our lungs. “Aspen and Mel, kissing in the weeds! K-I-S-S-I-N?—”

Someone clears their throat.

We freeze mid-skip to see Aspen standing in the doorway, arms crossed and brow raised. Three unfamiliar figures hover behind him.

Well, shit. Talk about timing.

Mel smacks her palm to her forehead, muttering under her breath about herding cats.

“Stranger danger!” Tris jabs a finger at the newcomers.

Hands on my hips, I fix Aspen with a glare. “What’s the point of a secret town if you’re letting random people waltz inside?”

“They’re not random.” Aspen releases a long-suffering sigh. “I have a surprise for you, Rowe.”

On guard in an instant, I study the strangers. “Yeah, well, I’m all surprised out. Try again next year.”

“I know you’ve been nervous about letting the council in on the Grim Project,” Aspen explains with infinite patience, built up over months of dealing with me. “So I requested some graders to come do a preliminary review. And while they’re here, they can perform our coven’s ring tests to show how easy it will be for others to earn their first magic license. ”

We’re in trouble. I feel it in my bones. Dread curdles in my stomach as I study the trio behind him. Tests? Reviews? Does he mean?—

“Rowe, Tris, Mel, I’d like to introduce Aven, Waylon, and Gael Hutchen.” He turns to the new arrivals. “Sons of the Northern Trinity and representatives of the council.”

As the strangers step forward, power crackles across my skin, raising the fine hairs on my arms.

We’ve worked so hard to hide Esme and Zane from the council, and my mentor waltzed them right through the barrier.