5. Sienna

5

SIENNA

T he morning rush had finally tapered off, leaving me with a few minutes to breathe before the lunchtime crowd rolled in. My thoughts, however, were anything but calm. I’d been replaying last night in my head all morning—the puppies, how calm Ben had been under pressure, the way he’d smiled at me like I was someone he was genuinely happy to be around.

I liked him.

My fox liked him too, which was saying something since she wasn’t exactly impressed by most people. Even so, I couldn’t allow myself to get too carried away. Timing was everything, and right now, the timing was crap. My priority had to be figuring out a way to get a feather from Xander’s raven.

Nothing more.

As I wiped down the counter, the door swung open, jingling the bell overhead. I glanced up out of habit and my stomach flipped at the sight of Ben strolling in. He held a paper bag in one hand and wore that easy, confident smile that made my heart do annoying little somersaults.

“Hey,” he said, making his way to the counter. “I come bearing lunch.”

I hesitated, torn between the thrill of seeing him and the nagging voice in my head reminding me of my self-imposed boundaries. My fox, on the other hand, was practically bouncing with joy, urging me to say yes before I could even think about saying no.

“Ben,” I started, trying to sound casual but probably failing. “That’s sweet, but?—”

Before I could finish, Cassie appeared at my side, her timing as impeccable as ever. “Go. I’ve got this covered.” She smiled warmly at Ben, her cheeks flushing slightly.

I blinked, caught off guard. “What? No. I can’t leave you to handle the lunch rush alone.”

She waved my words away. “I’ll be fine. Besides, you’ve been working hard all morning. Take a break. You deserve it.”

Ben’s grin widened, and I could see the hope in his eyes. My fox practically hummed with contentment, and I knew I was fighting a losing battle.

“All right,” I said, giving in. “But I can’t be gone long.”

“Not a problem.” He grinned.

“Let me grab my coat.”

As I stepped into the back room for my coat, I felt a buzz of excitement radiating from my fox. She wasn’t the least bit conflicted about spending more time with Ben. I, on the other hand, couldn’t shake the thought that I might be making a mistake. But as I slipped my coat on and joined him by the door, I decided I could afford one lunch break.

Just one.

After this, we would have to distance ourselves until I got the feather and Maribel did her thing, sending Lucius’s spirit where it deserved to go.

Ben held the door open for me, and I stepped out onto the sidewalk.

“Where are we headed?” I asked.

“How about the gazebo?” he suggested. “We can eat and people watch.”

“Sounds perfect.”

We headed in that direction, walking side by side. The fall air carried a crisp chill, the kind that hinted at the first frost of the season coming soon. I tugged my jacket tighter around me, sneaking a glance at Ben. He stared straight ahead like he didn’t have a care in the world.

I envied that.

“I called Donna this morning,” he said, breaking the silence. “Bella and the puppies are all doing good. She sent me a picture of the whole crew piled up together, happy as can be.”

“That’s great,” I said, managing a small smile. “I’m glad they’re okay.”

“Me too.” He nodded, his tone warm. “It was a close call, but Bella’s a tough one.”

I tried to focus on his words, but my mind kept wandering. Xander. His raven. The feather I still didn’t have.

I was failing at this task miserably.

We reached the gazebo, and Ben held out a hand, motioning for me to take a seat. “Ladies first,” he said with a grin.

“Why, thank you,” I replied, sliding onto the bench.

He sat beside me and pulled out the sandwiches from the bag he carried.

“All right,” he said, holding them up. “Turkey or ham?”

“Turkey. Definitely turkey,” I said, grinning as I took the offered sandwich.

He unwrapped the ham sandwich and leaned back, the wooden bench creaking slightly under his weight. “So, get this,” he began, launching into a story. I tried to pay attention, but my mind was elsewhere. My brain was too tangled up in thoughts of Xander and what I needed to do to fully process the words he was saying.

“Okay, what’s up?” he asked suddenly, his voice gentle but direct, catching my full attention. “You’ve been nodding at all the right parts, but I can tell you’re not really here.”

I blinked, caught off guard at being called out. “What do you mean? I’m here.”

He gave me a knowing look, one that made it clear he wasn’t buying it. “You look like you’ve got a lot on your mind. I’m all ears if you want to talk about it.”

My fox stirred, pushing me to admit the weight of my problems to him, but I knew I shouldn’t. Dragging him into the mess that was my life right now wasn’t smart. After all, he was human. Even so, I wanted to tell him something about it all so he could wallow with me for a while. He was smart, maybe he could help me figure out a plan.

“What do you know about ravens?” I blurted out before I could think about what I was saying.

Ben raised an eyebrow, intrigued but not thrown by my random question. “Ravens? Plenty. They’re smart as hell, love shiny things, and can be surprisingly loyal. Why?”

Of course, he would ask why. Why wouldn’t he?

I hesitated, my fox stirring inside my chest. She liked having his full attention like this.

“Just curious,” I said, feeling how ill my fox suddenly was with me for my inability to let him in more.

We barely knew him, and yet she trusted him completely.

“All right,” he said. “But if you’re planning to adopt one, I need details because you seem more like a dog person.”

I laughed, the sound surprising even me.

My fox loved the connection forming between us, but I knew I was treading on dangerous ground. Letting Ben into this part of my life was risky. However, it also felt like a relief.

I could see both sides.

“Seriously, though. You don’t strike me as the random bird trivia type,” Ben said, tilting his head as he studied me. “There’s got to be a story behind your question.”

My fox urged me to trust him, but my logical side screamed that it was too soon and too dangerous.

“I guess I’ve been seeing them around a lot lately,” I said, hoping I sounded casual. “Curiosity bit me.”

“Okay,” he said, not sounding entirely convinced. “Well, they’re fascinating creatures. Did you know they hold grudges?”

I knew, but I didn’t say as much.

“Really?”

“Oh, yeah. If a raven decides it doesn’t like you, it’ll remember you and it might even teach its friends to avoid or harass you.”

That sounded about right. While Xander didn’t seem to have any friends to rope in, he sure as shit had no issues with harassing us all on his own.

“But they’re also incredible problem solvers and fiercely protective, especially when they’ve bonded with someone or something. They’ll defend their territory, their mates, and even the random shiny objects they claim as treasures. Sometimes, they’ll even guard places that hold special meaning to them. They’re insanely protective and territorial like that.”

“Guard places,” I echoed softly while my mind raced.

Was that why Xander had been lurking at Lucius’s grave? Was his raven protective of the place because of what it was? Could I use that to lure him out and get close enough to snag a feather?

“You okay?” Ben’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts, pulling me back to the present.

I blinked, realizing I’d been quiet too long. “Yeah,” I said quickly, forcing a smile. “Just thinking. I didn’t realize ravens were so complex.”

“They are,” he said with a grin, his tone light but his eyes studying me closely. “Kind of like someone else I know.”

I arched a brow. “Was that supposed to be a compliment?”

His grin faltered briefly before softening into something sincere. “It is. I just mean you have layers. One moment, I feel like I’m starting to figure you out—getting a glimpse of who you really are. And then the next…” He chuckled softly. “You pull the rug out from under me, and I’m back at square one.”

His words hit me harder than I expected, warmth spreading through my chest despite the turmoil swirling in my mind. I smiled, forcing myself to push the chaos aside and be in the moment with him.

If only it were that easy—to let someone in and let go of the storm raging around me.

I shifted my focus back to my sandwich, pretending to people-watch, but my attention kept drifting back to him. There was a warmth to him, steady and reassuring, that drew me in. My fox felt it, too. She trusted him, even craved the safety he offered. It was unsettling how much I wanted to lean into that feeling and let it drown out everything else. But I couldn’t. Not yet. Not when Xander was still out there, possessed by the darkest evil I’d ever known.

Lucius’s grave had to mean something to him.

The thought struck me like a ton of bricks. That was where he’d attacked Ellis and Rachel while they were gathering dirt for Maribel. If his raven had bonded with that place—if he was guarding it—I might be able to use it against him.

But how? And how could I stop myself from falling under his mind control long enough to snag a feather?

My mind swirled with thoughts until it was hard to think straight.

Ben stood, stretching a bit, and my attention jumped back to him.

“Ready to head back? I don’t want to keep you away from work for too long.”

I nodded, brushing crumbs from my lap as I stood. “Yeah, I’m sure the coffee shop is busy with people looking for their lunchtime caffeine hit.”

As we walked back to The Caffeinated Fox, I listened to Ben talk about a grumpy cat he’d treated this morning. When we reached the coffee shop, he hesitated, his hazel eyes meeting mine with that familiar warmth that had started to feel dangerously comforting.

“Thanks for letting me steal you away for lunch,” he said, his tone light but sincere. “We should do it again sometime.”

The air between us crackled, and I knew there was a kiss building between us.

I wanted it, I did, but I knew it would only pull me closer to him, and that wasn’t smart right now.

“I’d like that,” I replied, keeping my voice light and noncommittal while I gripped the handle of the door. My fox bristled, annoyed by my restraint, but I ignored her. “Thanks for the sandwich,” I said before slipping inside.

“Anytime,” I heard him say as the door closed behind me.

I exhaled a slow breath while I walked to the counter, weaving through the line that had formed while I was gone. My fox nipped at me. Ben felt important to her in a way I didn’t fully understand, and the way I acted had royally pissed her off.

Ignoring her, I headed to the back room and shucked off my coat before making my way to Cassie behind the counter to help.

“Good lunch?” she asked.

I forced a grin, hoping it was convincing. “Yeah, it was fine.”

My gaze dipped to the line of cups waiting to be filled. I grabbed the first one and got to work. My mind wasn’t on the coffee order I was making or even on Ben, though. It was back on Xander, Lucius’s grave, and figuring out how to get a damn feather so I could put this all behind me and finally move forward with my life.

Chewing my bottom lip, I made a decision.

I needed to sneak up to Lucius’s grave and find Xander’s raven’s nest. If I could figure out where he was staying, I’d have my starting point. Ben’s words earlier had sparked the idea, and now it felt like the only logical move.

My fox stirred, confidence blooming through her.

Challenge accepted .