“If you smile any wider she’s going to see your fangs. Not a bad thing actually, since you shouldn’t be keeping secrets from your sweetheart.”

I contained my irritation, making sure to keep the Harley at a steady pace. I was all too aware that Miss Joy was riding behind me, her arms clasped loosely around my waist. “She’s not my sweetheart.”

“Oh? Then how come your stone cold heart melts every time she gets close? Like a second ago when she sighed in your ear? Don’t think I didn’t feel that fudgy goodness trickling through our bond.”

I gritted my teeth, unable to deny that I was hyper-aware of where Miss Joy was in relation to me. 

I thought Rune and I had established boundaries long ago, and that I could still hide my innermost thoughts from him without fearing that they’d be read. Looked like I was wrong. Or… I shook my head slightly at the alternative. 

My feelings for Miss Joy weren’t any stronger than those I felt for any random beauty who happened to stumble across my path.

“Denial, thy name is Jack Kalahari!” 

Rune howled with laughter while I took the turn off the highway and started down the road that would eventually lead to her estate. There was a lot of land to get past first, of course.

“Be quiet or—”

“You’ll what? Finally admit I’m right?” my wolf taunted like the ass he was.

“Or I’ll go vegetarian for a week.”

“You wouldn’t! That’s cutting off your own snout to spite your face!”

I sent Rune a mental image of the celery soup they sometimes served at the Six Winds Inn. “Behold your doom, wolf.”

“I don’t give a rabbit’s fart about your leaf soup, Jack. You know if you go vegetarian I’ll just double down during the hunt.”

That was certainly true. I decided to appeal to Rune’s logic… well, what little there was of it. “I can’t get too close to her, all right? She’s a murder suspect in the case I’m investigating.”

“A murder case that you will soon solve.”

“She is also newly divorced.”

“But not too broken-hearted about it, it seems.”

“There’s no way you could know that. She might be good at hiding her feelings.”

“She stares at you whenever she thinks you’re not looking.”

Did she? I only realized I’d straightened my back proudly when Temmie—I mean, Miss Joy—mumbled something, shifting slightly so her cheek wasn’t pressed against my shoulder blade, the way it had been for the past five minutes—my speed had apparently been perfect for lulling her to sleep. I froze at once, and to my relief, Temmie—Miss Joy—settled back against my back.

“I caught all that, you know.”

“Stop prying!”

“It’s hardly prying when you’re practically oozing affection and possessiveness for her. Are you aware that she might be your mate?”

“I thought it’s extremely rare for us to find our mate.”

“True. But The Fates always dish up a mate to the grumpy reluctant ones. That’s you, by the way. Because I’m sunshine incarnate,” Rune growled happily. “If it were up to me, you guys would be snuggled in a blanket under the stars already, naming your future triplets. I vote for Luna, Poppy, and Amberly if they’re girls, and Fox, Phoenix, and Wolf if they’re boys.”

“Sounds like we should have gi—” I caught myself, groaning. “Give me a break, will you? I only just met the lady!”

“That’s how fated mates work, you know.”

I growled in response, the sound not quite audible below the low roar of the Harley. Rune must have realized how close he was getting to riling me up, because he subsided into the background in my head, content to lick his chops and ‘ooze’ amusement at me.

It was great timing though, because we’d just arrived at Tem—Miss Joy’s—estate. I slowed down to take the curve of the private drive, taking the time to put my thoughts and emotions in order. By the time I coasted to a stop by the front porch, I had mastered myself once more.

“Miss Joy, we’re here.”

Miss Joy snorted slightly, then straightened, clearly waking up from her impromptu nap on my shoulder. “What, already?”

I suppressed a smile and pretended I hadn’t noticed she’d fallen asleep as I helped her get off the Harley.

“Thanks for the ride, Jack,” Miss Joy said, reaching up to brush away flyaway strands of hair from her face. It was a little too dark to see properly without the help of my night sight, but I could tell her face was redder than could be accounted for by her cheek being pressed against my jacket. “That was probably the most peaceful one I’ve had since I arrived in Blisswood.”

“It was my pleasure.” An absurd feeling of pride swept through me again at the thought that she’d enjoyed the ride. It made me speak more gruffly than usual, though the sparkle in Tem—Miss Joy’s eye made me suspect she’d caught on to me.

“Yeah, you’re not fooling anyone,” Rune snickered. “Is that all you’re going to say, though?”

“I’d say more if you’d stop distracting me,” I shot back before I could think better of it.

Rune laughed again. But before I could think of what else to say, Miss Joy beat me to it. “Well, goodnight, then.”

I sighed and looked away. As I did so, I caught sight of something that made my blood turn cold.

“Wait.” I reached out to take Miss Joy’s arm as she turned away.

“Wh-what is it?” she stuttered, eyes suddenly wide. For a moment, I couldn’t understand why she was looking at me so nervously. Unless she’d somehow grown eyes on the back of her head and seen what I’d just noticed. 

Then I realized that I’d not only taken her arm, I’d also pulled her close so that she was almost flush against me, our lips mere inches apart.

I hesitated, torn by the look on Miss Joy’s face. She was gazing up at me, her eyes filled with wary anticipation. I could tell she was wondering if I’d pulled her close to kiss her… and by the moon, I was sorely tempted to. 

Her lips glistened in the dim light, appearing petal soft and perfect for stealing a kiss. And there was a sheen to her gaze that told me I could very well get away with it, if I decided to take my chances.

Just one quick kiss, one taste of this woman who stole my wits and consumed my senses every time we happened to cross paths.

And yet… I couldn’t do it. Not like this. Not while there was a possibility of danger threatening her.

“I…” I began just as Temmie tilted her face upwards. My body gravitated towards her, my instincts crying to me to seize my chance as she melted against me.

If not now, then when? Rune practically howled, though in actual fact, he was as silent and anticipatory as if we were hunting prey. We were just close enough that I could feel what he didn’t actually say.

“Yes?” Temmie breathed against my lips.

I nearly crushed her to me, there and then. I nearly threw all caution to the wind, so eager was I to claim her, to possess her, to—

I gulped, then forced myself away before I could do anything I’d regret. “I think you should get back onto the bike.”

Now, Rune howled. I silenced him viciously, shoving the memory of what I’d just seen at him until he conceded defeat.

Meanwhile, Miss Joy blinked up at me, her hazy, adorable look of anticipation turning into pure confusion.

“Uhm… sure? I mean, if that’s what you really want… whoa!”

I lifted Miss Joy onto my Harley. I couldn’t wait for her to come around and make a move. Who knew what danger was lurking, about to strike while I’d wasted time battling temptation? “It is. I also want you to ride immediately back to town if anything happens. Got it?”

“Huh?”

Miss Joy looked as if she were going to start arguing with me, so I pulled out my wand and lit it, thanking the moon that there was still enough magic in it to help me reveal what I’d noticed earlier.

Miss Joy gasped as she finally saw the red paint someone had splattered all over her door and front porch. Despite their having not used blood, the threat in the message was clear as day: ‘You can run, but you can’t hide!’

“Miss Joy?” I prompted when she stayed silent, her eyes wide and staring.

“Do you think they’re still here?” she finally whispered.

“I don’t know. But I’ll soon find out. Stay there.” I gave her a warning look, then loped towards the house, senses on high alert. 

“Wait!” Miss Joy called, but I couldn’t delay my search any longer. I prowled the surroundings, covering the area around the mansion and the nearby gardens—well, as far into the grounds as I could get without being repelled—before I was finally reassured that the perpetrators were probably no longer on the property.

But that didn’t mean they wouldn’t come back. Miss Joy was a sitting duck, living out here all alone.

“It’s okay,” she said when I came back and told her my findings, then voiced my concerns. “LeBeau’s here with me. He’ll defend me if someone should try to attack.”

“Are you sure about that? Why don’t you try summoning him now.” Then I could have a word with him about allowing intruders to come to close to the house. What kind of butler didn’t realize his home was getting marked? 

“Very well. LeBeau? LeBeau!” Miss Joy called out, aiming her voice towards the south tower at the back of the property. “LeBeau, please come, I need you.”

Nothing happened. The night was completely silent, without even the chirp of cicadas to provide some background noise.  I stifled a low growl. The butler wasn’t coming. I was sure of it.

“Huh. I guess he could be asleep, or somewhere else on the property. But I’m sure he’ll come if I try the spell Linus gave me,” Miss Joy said somewhat uncertainly.

“That spell is barely legible, it’s not safe for a new witch to use,” I said plainly. “You might end up summoning something else instead of LeBeau. Also, this isn’t the time to experiment, not when whoever it was who killed your aunt clearly has their eyes on you.” Which means you’ll be next.

I didn’t say that last sentence, but Miss Joy no doubt understood what I intended her to. Her eyes rounded and she grimaced. “All right, then would you mind accompanying me to LeBeau’s room so I can find out what’s holding him up?”

“I don’t mind at all. In fact, I insist.” I strode forwards to get to the front door first. I didn’t think whoever had painted that message had gone into the house, but I still wanted to be the first in to be sure.

A short traipse through her mansion ended up with us staring at an empty tower room that was sparsely furnished with moldy tapestries, a rickety old bed, a solid-looking brass-bound chest, and a wardrobe that was spacious enough to hang several skeletons in. But no gargoyle, either perched on the awning outside, or looming in a corner on the stone floor.

“Looks like LeBeau hasn’t been doing much dusting,” I observed as I gazed at the floor. “And look, no footprints. Are you sure this is his room?”

“Maybe he flies in and out of the closet,” Miss Joy said uncertainly. 

I raised a brow. “Highly unlikely. He’s made of stone, it probably takes a lot of energy to keep himself aloft.”

“Well, I’m not a hundred percent sure this is his room, anyway. I mean, he said south tower, but don’t gargoyles normally perch on rooftops, anyway?” Miss Joy walked over to the window, then called out into the night. “LeBeau! LeBeau, are you there?”

I shook my head. It pained me to see her try to remain hopeful when it was obvious she’d been abandoned. Anger spiked in me, making my words harsh. 

“Forget it,” I bit out, as I shut and barred the window. “You’re either coming back with me to the Six Winds Inn or I’m staying here overnight.”

Miss Joy turned to look at me. 

For a moment, I thought she’d protest and insist that she could handle whatever might come for her in the night, all alone here in the mansion of her dead aunt. But thank goodness, she had more sense than that, because the next few words from her lips were, “All right. I’ll call Madam Aella and see if she’s got any vacancies.”

I waited while she phoned Madam Aella, my sharp hearing allowing me to hear every word of the conversation when the call finally connected.

“Vacancies? Uh… no, no vacancies, I’m sorry… it’s been uh… a somewhat busy night for me. Sorry, but maybe it’s best if Jack stays over with you. Oh, and I wouldn’t worry so much about He—LeBeau. If there had been any real danger, he would have been at your side in an instant, I’m sure. Now, I’ve really got to go. See you soon, my dear.”

Miss Joy hung up the phone, then turned to me. “Well, I guess that’s that. I’ll see if I can find a guest room we can put you in.”

“One preferably not too far from your room,” I said, before I could think better about my phrasing.

“HAH!” Rune howled at the back of my head. “You can’t hide it, Jack! You’re head over heels for her!”

“You’re a wolf. You sometimes misunderstand human speech,” I responded, then swiftly tried to stuff him away into a dark corner of my mind. Rune went willingly, probably because he was still too busy laughing to put up much of a fight.

“Uh, yeah, I’m pretty sure there’s a guest room across the hallway from mine,” Miss Joy said, a furious blush staining her cheeks. “But this is just for tonight, right? I mean, it might be days or weeks, or even longer till the murderer is found, and you can’t escort me everywhere just to make sure I’m safe.”

“It is just for tonight, yes, but if you are indeed being targeted by the murderer, then you really do need to have someone protect you 24/7. I’ll have to see who in my department might be available to take over when I’m not free.”

“Right, because you need to continue your investigation and close the case,” Miss Joy said as she led the way through the mansion to her room. “I’m so sorry to be such an inconvenience. I’m sure I’ll be fine during the day. It’s just night times that might be dangerous, I’m sure.”

I fought the urge to blurt out that she was far from an inconvenience, and that I’d stay with her throughout if I thought I could get away with it, even if she weren’t a suspect on my case. Instead, I steeled myself until I could reply without undue emotion. “Your aunt was killed in broad daylight.”

“Oh. You’re right. Well, I’ll make sure I’m never alone during the day. That will help reduce the burden on you.” 

I clenched my jaw. Thank goodness, Miss Joy’s hearing wasn’t as good as mine or else she’d hear me grinding my teeth.

“And I won’t be alone tomorrow evening either,” Miss Joy continued, with an air of sudden remembrance. “I’m attending a dinner with Sir Reynolds.”

“Sir Reynolds?” I frowned. “Alone?”

“No, with Leo Masterchild as my date,” Miss Joy said slowly. “Why, is Sir Reynolds one of your suspects too?”

Leo Masterchild? What was she doing with a playboy like that? Don’t tell me Leo runs to her tastes.

“Nah. Not likely,” Rune said. “But if you’re curious, why not drop by to ‘investigate?’”

 I shoved him away again, then turned my attention back to Miss Joy who looked entirely too curious about my answer regarding Sir Reynolds.

“He’s someone of interest,” I said, avoiding answering her directly.

“Regarding my aunt’s murder?” she asked, stopping in the middle of a hallway. “This is my room, by the way, so I guess you can take this one.” She gestured towards a door opposite hers.

I opened the door and looked into the room. It was an opulently furnished bedroom with an en suite washroom and a living area by a bay window. It smelled slightly musty, but otherwise perfectly functional. “This will do. I’ll let you know if I need anything, Miss Joy. Have a good night.”

“Wait, you haven’t answered my ques—”

I closed the door, careful not to clip Miss Joy as she tried to poke her nose into my room.

“—ion.” Miss Joy sighed, then called out softly. “Well, good night then, I guess.”

Rune clicked his tongue. Rude. “This is why you’re still single.”

“I thought I was still single because I don’t date seriously and don’t intend to.”

That too! Rune huffed, then retreated into the back of my mind.

I stayed by the door until I heard Miss Joy safely retreat into her room and lock the door. Only then did I move to explore my room and ready myself for bed.

Nobody intruded onto the estate or threatened our safety that night. But I spent almost all my time tossing and turning in bed as I pondered Rune’s words and the strange attraction and protectiveness I felt towards the witch across the hallway.

It got so bad, in fact, that I finally only managed to settle down for a few hours of sleep in the early hours of the morning once I made up my mind to head home as soon as possible and dig out my best cravat.

A date with Leo Masterchild, indeed. I’d eat my wand before I allowed Tem—Miss Joy—to dine at Sir Reynolds’ without me.