“Alice said,” Hank began, “that if you two get too far away from one another, you’ll feel the consequences.”
“Consequences?” Jenna looked at Titus with the same panicked expression he probably had on his face. “If that’s true…”
Titus nodded. “We already have.”
Jenna couldn’t fathom what she was hearing. Bound to Titus? The man who’d made her life miserable these last few months? And under some kind of love spell, to boot? She refused to accept that was possible, magic or not. Sure, he was a very attractive guy who was probably a great kisser, but—wow. What was that? She shook her head. “Nope. Don’t want that. Don’t want the love spell either.”
Hank snorted. “I don’t think it works that way.”
“I don’t care. I’m a valkyrie. I have my own magic.” She’d just use the sheer force of her willpower to negate whatever magic had been performed upon them. She looked at Titus. She was not going to let herself be influenced by…he really did have the nicest eyes.
Freya on a stick, she was in trouble. She was not falling in love with anyone. Ever again. Love meant heartache. And she’d had enough of that for a hundred lifetimes.
“Good luck with that,” Titus said. “Isn’t valkyrie magic just swords and stubbornness?”
Jenna glared at him. “Oh, suddenly man’s best friend is an expert on valkyrie magic?”
Titus glared back. “I’m a wolf, not a—”
“There’s my favorite nephew!” Birdie Caruthers strode into the room with all the calm and quiet of a category five hurricane. She wiggled her fingers at Jenna, making the hot pink fringed handbag hanging off her elbow sway. “Hiya, Jenna.”
“Hi, Mrs. Caruthers.”
Hank frowned. “Aunt Birdie, you realize I’m standing right here.”
“Settle down.” She wrinkled her nose at him. “You’re my favorite healthy nephew. Now don’t be so needy.”
“I’m not—” He sighed and shoved a hand through his hair. “I’d better get back to the station, because clearly no one else is there.”
Birdie rolled her eyes. “There’s someone there. Probably.”
“Sheriff?” Jenna stood.
He paused on his turn toward the door. “Yes?”
“Is Alice working on a way to break these spells?”
He nodded. “She is. Or rather, she will be. She has to figure out all the remaining ingredients first, but then hopefully she’ll be able to come up with something.”
“Until then, what am I supposed to do?”
Hank looked from her to Titus. “That’s up to you two. I’ll get someone to cover your shifts until you figure that out.”
Titus made a face. “I have the inspector coming in this week. I have to be at the station.”
Jenna put her hands on her hips. This was a complication she didn’t need. “And the race is coming up.”
“Like I said, figure it out.” Hank turned, lifting his hand in a wave.
Jenna huffed out a breath and sat back down, staring at the door as it closed behind him. “This is unacceptable.”
Birdie sat down beside her. “What’s that, honey?”
Jenna turned to the older woman. “This whole thing. But especially that your nephew and I are apparently bound together because we were exposed to a magic bomb.”
Birdie looked way too amused by that. “Is that right?”
Titus let out a little grunt. “You’re kind of glossing over the big one.”
“Oh?” Birdie said.
“We’re also under the influence of a love spell. Apparently.” His gaze shifted to Jenna. “I can’t say as I feel particularly amorous, however.”
“Good,” Jenna said. “Let’s keep it that way.” But inside, she was the slightest bit miffed. Was he really not attracted to her even the tiniest bit? How was he ignoring the magic’s pull when she was definitely feeling it? Of course, she was also ignoring it. Hard. But feeling it all the same.
“So what are you two going to do if you can’t be apart?” Birdie asked.
Neither Jenna nor Titus answered right away.
“Well?” Birdie said.
“I guess we haven’t thought that far,” Titus finally replied.
“What we need is for Alice to work out a way to dissolve the spell.” Jenna stood. “Maybe we should test just how far apart we can get.” She already had an idea about that based on where she’d been in the parking lot when her stomach had started hurting, but the truth was, she was outnumbered by werewolves at the moment and needed some air. Air that wasn’t saturated with the scent of Titus.
He raised his brows. “Where were you when your stomach started to hurt?”
She sighed. He was ruining her chance to escape. “Pulling out of the parking lot.”
He looked out the window. “This room is almost directly over the main entrance, so that makes the lot exit about, what? Thirty yards? I think we can use that as a gauge.”
Birdie whistled. “A hundred feet? That’s it? Doesn’t give you two a lot of options, huh?”
Titus made a face. “No. It doesn’t.”
“So,” Birdie said. “Whose house are you going to live in when you get out of here?”
Titus looked at her. So did Jenna. Then they looked at each other. In horror.
Jenna recoiled. “I can’t live with you.”
He shook his head. “I’m not living with you.”
Birdie laughed like it was all a big joke. “You two. So funny. What other option do you have? You can’t be away from each other. Look on the bright side. It’ll be easier to work together on figuring out who planted that package.”
“That’s not the job of the fire department.” Jenna paced to the door. “And Alice will have a remedy soon. I know she will.” Jenna knew nothing of the sort, but she refused to believe anything different.
“And if she doesn’t?” Titus asked.
A nurse came in, saving Jenna from having to answer. “There you are, Deputy Blythe. We’re ready to start the new round of tests now. If you could just come with me. Chief, Nurse Lawrence will be in for you shortly.”
Jenna hesitated. “Where are we going?”
“Back to your room next door. I have everything set up in there.”
“Okay, great.” Jenna exhaled, glad she didn’t have to explain why she couldn’t go
