3. Sienna

3

SIENNA

A s I lay in bed, my mind instantly filled with thoughts of Ben and the unexpected texts we’d shared last night. It had been fun. Normal. Refreshing. The kind of banter that was easy and light without any strings attached.

I hadn’t wanted it to end.

As I picked up my cell from the nightstand and read through them all once more, a smile tugged at my lips. When my fox stirred, I tried to pinpoint what had her so excited about him but couldn’t.

Sliding out of bed, I started getting ready for another shift at The Caffeinated Fox. My cell chimed with a new text while I brushed my teeth, and my heart jumped. I glanced at the screen, hoping to see Ben’s name. It wasn’t him.

It was Dean.

My heart sank, and the cold dread of reality swept in as I read his message.

Any ideas yet on how to get that feather from Xander’s raven?

I rinsed my toothbrush in the sink while I thought about how to reply. Guilt washed over me. I’d let myself get too caught up in silly texts with a guy I didn’t even know when my focus should’ve been on something far more important—like getting that feather.

Shit. I really needed a plan.

Preferably one that kept everyone safe and got what we needed to banish Lucius’s spirit.

Cringing internally, I tapped out a reply.

Still working on it, but don’t worry. I’ve got it under control.

My thumbs hovered over the keys. I wanted to say something more reassuring, but honestly, there was nothing more to say. It was the best I could offer while I tried to think up a plan that didn’t involve ambushing a possessed raven shifter with mind-control abilities who could easily turn the tables on me.

My fox paced.

She felt as anxious as I did. We both knew that the releasing phase of the moon was approaching soon and everyone counted on us to get that feather beforehand.

Another text from Dean came through.

I’m sure you do. Worst case, we can always ambush him.

I snorted as I replied.

Not opposed to that idea, honestly.

He was quick to respond.

We’ll keep it on the back burner for now.

I tucked my phone into my back pocket and pulled in a deep breath while running my fingers through my hair. My fox instincts flared to life. Her cleverness drove me to think of every possible way to get the upper hand on Xander so we could get what we needed. While foxes might not be built for brute strength, they were quick, sneaky, and always alert.

If my fox could lure him out, then she could snag a feather. I knew she was quick enough.

The only problem was Xander’s mind control ability.

He could slip into a shifter’s head—like Lucius had been able to—and take control. If we weren’t careful, he’d have my fox and I under his control in seconds.

A rush of air passed through my lips as doubt set in.

What if I couldn’t pull this off? What if I couldn’t get a feather in time?

My fox nipped at me, not liking the way I was thinking. I agreed with her. That train of thought wasn’t helpful.

“Focus, Sienna,” I muttered to myself, shaking off the lingering doubt. Pursing my lips together, I finished getting ready for my shift and then headed out the door. Turning my phone on silent, I walked to my car, refusing to think about Dr. Ben and our texting thread from last night again.

I had to focus right now.

The drive to Main Street was short, and I found a parking space quickly due to how early it was. As I walked to the coffee shop, I tried to think of how I could lure Xander out and get him to give way to his raven long enough for me to grab a feather. Astrid, Xander’s sister and Dean’s mate, had said she hadn’t seen him at his house lately.

Honestly, no one had seen him in a while.

I’d assumed since he was possessed by Lucius’s spirit and had his mind control ability, he would have been busy forming an army like Lucius had when he was still alive, but it didn’t seem like it. Maybe Lucius had learned from his mistakes and was now laying low in his second attempt at whatever evil he was planning for us all.

Bastard .

The warm scent of coffee and vanilla welcomed me as I stepped inside The Caffeinated Fox. Cassie was already behind the counter, busy doing her thing. Her face lit up when she saw me enter.

“Morning,” she said, holding a fresh cup of coffee out to me.

Gratitude filled me as I took it from her, my cold fingers soaking up heat from the cup. “Morning. Thanks for the pick-me-up.”

“No problem.” She flashed me an inquisitive smirk. “So, did you keep texting with the veterinarian last night after you left?”

A grin tugged at my lips, but I tried to force it away. “Yeah, but it’s not a big deal. It was just a wrong number and a couple of laughs.”

Cassie raised her eyebrows, clearly not buying it. I didn’t blame her. I didn’t buy it either. Something about Ben lit me up and excited me.

I couldn’t explain it.

Clearly, my dating life had been nonexistent for too long and my life had gotten boring as hell if a wrong number was shaking things up for me this much.

“Mm-hmm,” Cassie murmured. “Sure. But sometimes, fate likes to play matchmaker. So, you never know.”

I laughed, a little thrown by her persistence.

Cassie was usually the quiet one—the calm, friendly presence behind the counter serving up lattes. Seeing this side of her was unexpected. But honestly? Her words struck something in me. Even my fox sat up and took notice.

Was there more to this whole situation with Ben than a wrong number and humorous text exchanges?

I blamed Ms. Lynette—as well as Cassie—for having me thinking this way.

A customer entered, gaining Cassie’s attention, and I headed to the back to drop off my purse and take a few uninterrupted sips of coffee before heading out front to help.

The morning passed in a steady rhythm with regulars cycling through like clockwork. Pastor Elton came through for his large vanilla decaf, a couple of firefighters—including Cassie’s friend Adara’s man Dusty, who I knew was a dragon shifter—came through, and a moms’ group. As I settled into the flow of things, I felt myself relax a bit. It had taken me a long time to realize it, but routine had a way of clearing my mind.

Too bad I had a hard time sticking to any type of routine.

A man I didn’t recognize strode into the coffee shop. He seemed focused as he scanned behind the counter, like he was searching for someone. My fox perked up at the sight of him. He’d piqued her curiosity—and mine, too.

The guy was handsome.

“Hey, there. Welcome to The Caffeinated Fox,” I greeted him as he approached the counter, flashing my usual smile. “What can I get for you?”

His face lit up in recognition. “It’s you,” he said, his voice filled with certainty.

I blinked, caught off guard. “Excuse me?”

He grinned and placed a hand to his chest. “Dr. Ben Andrews. Wrong-number enthusiast.”

My eyes widened as realization hit me like a lightning bolt. This was Dr. Ben? The Ben I’d been texting last night?

He had to be the sexiest man I’d ever seen.

Tousled dark brown hair that looked like he’d just run his hand through it. Warm hazel eyes I could get lost in. A strong jawline softened by an easy smile. He wasn’t overly polished, but instead dressed in jeans and a plain button-up rolled to the elbows. His shoulders were broad and he had a tall, muscular frame that nearly had me drooling. However, there was something steady and grounding about his presence, too.

“Oh! Wow, small world,” I stammered, trying to play it cool even as my fox practically buzzed with interest. “Didn’t expect to meet you in person.”

He chuckled, his confidence almost maddening compared to my racing pulse and frantic vibes. “Yeah, neither did I. But after last night, I figured I had to see if you were as quick on your feet in real life as you are over the phone.”

I bit my bottom lip, fighting the grin that threatened to take over. “Oh, I’m even better in person,” I replied, grabbing a cup. “So, what’ll it be? Plain coffee, or are you one of those fancy latte types?”

“Just a regular coffee, black,” he said with a warm smile.

I stepped to the machine. “Black coffee’s a bit safe, don’t you think?”

He leaned on the counter, a playful spark in his eyes, and stared at me. My heart kickstarted inside my chest while I focused on not spilling his coffee as I poured.

“What can I say? I’m a simple guy,” he said. “But if you’ve got any wild recommendations, I’m all ears.”

“Next time, maybe. For now, your safe order is ready to go.”

I slid the cup across the counter, and our fingers brushed for the briefest second sending a small jolt of electricity up my arm. My fox went batshit crazy, and I struggled to calm her down, worried my eyes would brighten in front of him.

What the heck was wrong with her?

Ben blinked as he took his coffee. Had he felt that jolt? He was hard to read.

“Thanks,” he said with a slight nod. “You know, I still owe you a favor for making my wrong number blunder the highlight of my day. I meant it when I said to let me know if I can ever return the favor.”

The sincerity in his voice made my heart skip a beat, and a thrill that had nothing to do with the caffeine flowing through my veins rushed through me.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I said, at a loss for words.

Before I could gather my thoughts fully, Cassie leaned in, grinning from ear to ear. “Actually, tonight’s karaoke night at Last Drop. Sienna loves singing. Maybe you could be her partner?”

My eyes shot to her. First, what was she doing playing matchmaker? Second, how did she even know it was karaoke night at Last Drop, she’d been there like once.

“Oh, I’m not much of a singer,” Ben said, still smiling. “But I might be open to the idea. Depends on the song, though.”

While I wanted to go out with him for a night of karaoke fun, I wasn’t sure it was the best idea. At least not until I’d crafted a plan to get a feather from Xander. Better yet, not until the ritual with him was done and over with—just to be safe, because I could tell he was human.

Cassie didn’t know about everything going on with Xander, though.

Hell, she never even knew about Lucius to my knowledge.

Few in the shifter community of Crescent Creek did. It had been a joint decision this time around that we didn’t want to panic anyone.

However, with Ben standing in front of me, looking at me with that easy grin of his, I couldn’t bring myself to say no to a night of fun with him.

I took a breath, feeling my fox stirring again. She was nudging me to go out with him.

“I’m sure I can pick something you’ll know the words to,” I said, caving to his magnetic pull.

It was reckless, maybe even a little foolish to go out with him, but I couldn’t help myself.

A spark of excitement entered his hazel eyes. “Okay, I trust you.”

My fox practically did a backflip. Her energy buzzed through me, insistent and wild. It took every ounce of control I had to shove her into the back of my mind.

Calm down , I silently scolded her, but it was no use.

This man had stirred her up, awakening something in her that she wasn’t about to let go unnoticed.

“What time should I pick you up?” Ben asked.

“How about I meet you there at seven? That’s when karaoke starts.”

“Sure. See you at seven. Let’s hope I don’t make your ears bleed.”

“Doubtful,” I said with a grin.

With one last smirk tossed my way, he took his coffee and headed to the exit. The second the door closed behind him, I spun to face Cassie. She stood, watching me, with an innocent smile plastered on her face.

“Cassie!” I hissed, my voice sounding half-scolding, half-amused. “Did you really just play matchmaker?”

She shrugged, her nose wrinkling. “Well, you didn’t exactly seem like you minded. And besides,” she added with a smirk. “I could tell from a mile away you’re into him.”

“He’s cute, isn’t he?” I asked, gushing a little.

“Definitely cute,” she said, still smiling. “Go out with him and have some fun. You deserve it. You’ve seemed tense lately.”

“I have a lot on my mind.”

Understatement of the year.

“So, go have some fun,” she insisted. “At least one of us should.”

“You could come,” I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them.

While I loved Cassie and would definitely enjoy seeing her with a few beers in her singing karaoke, I realized that I wanted to spend time with Ben alone. There had been a spark there that I wanted to explore, even if it seemed selfish.

“I don’t think so. Karaoke isn’t my thing. Honestly, neither is the bar. No offense,” she said quickly, tossing me a look.

“None taken.”

“Besides, I’ve got a new book and a bottle of wine waiting for me at home,” she said.

I grinned, knowing she meant every word—my cousin truly savored the quiet joys of life. However, I’d come to realize that I craved things to be a little more electric.