Chapter 7

After grabbing take out for lunch, we went to the cemetery. Key was eager to get back to the HalloweenTour preparations, and I was eager to get back to the reassurance I always felt in Ian’s presence.

Theprivate gate was half open, so we slipped inside and walked up to the house. In my arms, Fluffy yipped excitedly and strained toward the cemetery side of the property. I guessed Ian was over there.

“Water and food first, Fluffy,” I told her sternly. She gave me doleful eyes but appeared to agree. We took the dogs and the bags of food into the house through the kitchen door, and I left Key in charge of things while I went in search of Ian.

Ifound him supervising Shane and Alex as they worked on keeping a thick bundle of cables away from the main paths between the graves. A handful of spotlights and speakers had been stacked up by Ian’s side.

Ah, Ian.

Iallowed myself a few moments to take in the sight of his back, all wide and strong, today covered by a black denim jacket, and the bubble of his butt, today covered by black jeans. Even his black boots were sexy. As usual, he had gathered his wavy long brown hair at the nape of his neck, producing the cutest ponytail. It made me want to flick it for hours. Then take off the hair band and run my fingers through his hair. Preferably while he kissed me senseless.

Ianand I had been dating for about four weeks, but he liked to tease, to keep his attention to moments when I least expected them. A peck here and there, a fast goodnight kiss, then a sudden kiss so deep it went all the way to my soul as if we were soul mates and he had all the right to live inside my chest.

No.No mating involved. Just two people figuring out their way as a normal, healthy couple would.

Ianchose that moment to glance over his shoulder, and I gave him the most awkward wave in my long history of awkward waves.

“Hi, Ian!” I greeted him brightly.

Hismouth kicked up at the corner. “Hi, there.”

“I brought lunch.”

Nevervisit a shifter without bringing food.

“The kids will be happy,” he said. “They’re finishing setting up the cables for the lights.”

Iwent to stand by his side and surveyed the cemetery with satisfaction. In the light of day, it was a moody, beautiful place with old gravestones perched at different angles, the occasional small mausoleum and statue, and thick, droopy trees adding to the peaceful atmosphere.

Thegrounds were covered by thick grass, healthy from the rain we’d been having, and the strays had already marked a path among the tombstones.

“No jobs today?” I asked.

Heshrugged lightly. “I cleared up most of our schedule until after Halloween.”

Igrinned, sneaking up a glance at his impassive face. Officially, Ian had refused to get involved in any way with the tour. Clearly, that’s why he was standing here, supervising his strays like he insisted Shane and Alex weren’t his own tiny pack.

Mygaze drifted down to his impressive torso, and I did a double take.

“Is that…?” I pulled aside his jacket and gasped. “It is!”

Underneathhis jacket, Ian was wearing one of my special HalloweenTeaCauldronT-shirts.

Oh, my goodness, but this man was going to kill me one day from all the sweetness.

Inresponse, he scrutinized my head. “Nice hat.”

“Oh, shush,” I mumbled, throwing my arms around his waist and hugging him close. Not too close, though. He wouldn’t appreciate green makeup and glitter on his black ensemble.

WhenI stepped back, he dug into his pocket and offered me a metal badge.

“I found this yesterday. Made me think of you.”

“It did?” I took the badge and examined it in wonder. It was round with a cartoon ghost holding a shield and a sword going Boo and CavalierCemeteryTours written around the edge. It was perfect. “I love it.”

Hegave me a rare grin. “I thought you might. It’s merchandise from when my mother did the tours.” Taking the badge from my hand, he carefully pinned it to my T-shirt. His eyes warmed, as did the butterflies in my belly.

Aflurry of barks broke the moment. Fluffy bounded toward us, apparently recovered from her exertion.

Iancrouched to greet her, then stood to pet Rufus, who had followed at a much more sedate place.

“That was a long dog walk,” he commented.

Inoticed Key peeking around the building, probably hoping I’d get to answer Ian’s questions instead of her. Smart woman. She’d go far in the bounty hunter business.

“There was a situation. I thought Key and the dogs might come in useful. I’ll tell you after,” I added, seeing Shane and Alex walking up to us.

Iannodded, and Key decided it was safe enough to join us with the strays here.

“How’s the tour going?” I asked, excitement filling me up anew. Ian’s mother had sent us her old tour stories, which we had integrated into the scripts. She had wanted to be here but had already made plans with her husband. I’d been vaguely relieved at the news—as much as she sounded like an amazing person (she had raised Ian, after all, and Ian was pretty amazing), meeting my boyfriend’s mother so soon had felt somewhat overwhelming.

Wemight’ve kissed and fooled around, but Ian and I had yet to spend a night together. A night together in the same room, I amended. The time he’d slept in my living room didn’t count.

“One of the big spotlights is busted,” Shane said in a gloomy voice, his one-eyed stare boring into Alex. “Your friend’s stuff is crap.”

Alexshrugged like the most laid-back, unconcerned surfer dude ever, long, blondish hair included. “You need to plug it in the way I showed you.”

“I did, and it’s not working. It keeps going off and on.”

“I’m sure it’ll work when it counts,” I said, siding with Alex on this one. Bee-Bee—also known as thedeathtrap and that piece of crap among my newfound family in Olmeda—was still in perfect working order.

“That’s going to take some strong magic,” Shane muttered ungraciously.

Asif on cue, there was a loud thunk and a bright white light all but erased our retinas.

“Dude,” Shane exclaimed, shading his good eye with his hand.

“See? Told you it works.” Alex grinned, trotting down to the spotlights and turning the offending one off.

Iblinked, but the square of white burned into my retinas refused to go. “That’s one powerful light.”

“My friend only provides the best,” Alex said proudly.

“Yo, Alex,” a new voice shouted from the distance. A young, red-headed man stepped from behind a small mausoleum with an armful of wispy white stuff. “You want these on the statues too?”

“Who’s that?” I asked, curious.

“That’sAllen.” Alex cupped his mouth with his hands and shouted back, “Statues too!”

Theman gave him a thumbs up and began walking toward the nearest statue—a praying angel mottled gray and green with age and, I suspected, bird droppings.

“He’s your friend?” I asked. Alex really had a lot of friends. It was quite impressive.

“We went out a couple of times last year.”

“And he wants to help?”

“Yeah, he’s cool.”

Cool, or hoping to score more dates. “A shifter?”

“Nah, his mother’s a water mage,” Shane said.

Theway he said it made me think Allen hadn’t inherited a lot of magic. ShouldI add him to the suspect list? A young man tired of being laughed at for his lack of power might decide to exact some revenge on the paranormal community.

Butthen, look at me: low power, no wish for revenge.

“You guys decide on the Garreth shifts yet?”

Shanepointed at Alex. “He’s doing the first half, I’m doing the second.”

Alexlooked like he wanted to kick rocks. I bet he wanted the second shift, when everyone was a lot more drunk, and he could get the biggest screams.

“What about you?” I said, punching Ian lightly on the arm. “When’s your turn to play Garreth the Hound?”

Iansent me a glacial stare that had my inner organs begging for heated blankets.

Shanecoughed a laugh, and Alex couldn’t stop a huge grin. Key, seeing the ice stalactites forming on my lashes, came to my defense and announced lunch was ready.

Thatgot the strays’ attention. Alex shouted at his buddy to come eat, and they all went back to the house, an eager spring to their steps. I had no doubt Key would update Shane and Alex on the pentagrams issue the first chance she got.

“Garreth the Hound?” Ian repeated once we were alone, his voice right out of a freezer.

Icleared my throat. “Yes, well, you never know what might take your fancy.”

Helooked me up and down. “You don’t say.”

“Sorry,” I said, contrite. “Bad joke.”

Iannever shifted. Never. Not even when he’d been faced with a shifter in wolf form bent on tearing his throat out. There were plenty of rumors about why he wouldn’t shift, but nobody knew the actual answer.

Onetheory went that he hated shifters because his shifter father had jilted his witch mother for another shifter. But if that were the case, he wouldn’t be working in a city with a big shifter pack nor have given Shane and Alex a job.

Ianhad yet to tell me why he wouldn’t shift, and I was too scared to ask. What if the reason was that he had been cursed or poisoned by dark magic and he didn’t think I was powerful enough to help him? I worried my lower lip, avoiding eye contact. Talk about a bummer.

Andnow that I was thinking about the topic again, a new reason popped into my mind. Maybe there was no magic stopping him from shifting, and it had nothing to do with his family. What if he’d killed his ex-partner in wolf form back when he had discovered his ex-partner had been an assassin for hire? What if the action had scarred him so much he refused to shift again?

Thethought brightened my mood. Nothing said happiness like your boyfriend carrying trauma from his own past rather than assuming you were too powerless to cure some sickness.

Inmy defense, I was a witch, not perfect.

Iansettled an arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer, letting me know his iciness was all for show and he had been messing with me. I snuggled into his side.

Beinglike this, I could almost forget about the whole forever and ever mate thing.

Almost.

“Want to tell me what you were doing this morning?” he asked, perhaps noticing the slight shift in my mood.

“Sonia asked me for help with—oh!”

“Oh?”

Iducked under his arm and tugged at his sleeve. “Let’s check your perimeter.”

Hisbrows arched. “My perimeter?”

“Your fence.”

“Why?”

“In case you got a pentagram too.”