He set the crate down, opened the fridge, and started adding her bottles to one of the shelves. “Agnes Miller. She owns the Bell, Book & Candle.”
“I know the shop, of course, but I don’t think I’ve ever met her. What kind of wood is this? I’ve never seen anything like it.”
“Katalox. I’d never worked with it before, but it’s what she requested. It’s very hard and very dense. Heavy too. Not easy stuff. But it’s what she wanted.”
“It’s really cool. It’s a stand, right? What’s it for?”
“To hold her crystal ball. In fact, I need to deliver it tomorrow since it’s done.”
That got Jenna’s mind working. “Is Agnes a witch, then? I think I knew that.”
He closed the refrigerator. “She is. And a pretty good one.”
“Maybe we could talk to her about our problem.”
“That might be stepping on Alice’s toes a bit.”
“Titus. We have been hexed. The more help we can get, the better. We can tell Agnes that Alice is working on it too. Never hurts to get a second opinion.”
He looked unconvinced. “I don’t know if that’s true where Alice is concerned. She can be…particular.”
“What if we haven’t heard anything from her by tomorrow when you go to see Agnes?”
“Fine. Then we can talk to her about what’s going on.” He shook his head. “Is this what you do to the perps you catch? Wear them down?”
She grinned. “Please, that was nothing.”
His expression went serious. “Listen, I have a favor to ask.”
He wanted something from her? She couldn’t imagine what it was. “Sure. I mean, we’re in this together. We have to get along. What’s up?”
“I really need to run tonight.”
“Okay, so run. Oh. Yeah. I’d have to go with you.” She shrugged. “I can run. You think I can’t keep up? I need to keep in shape for the 10K anyway. I’m the department’s anchor, you know.”
“I’m aware. But I’m not talking about that kind of run.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “And it’s not that I don’t think you can keep up.”
“You mean, like, a wolf run.”
“Yes.”
“So? I can run through the woods just as well as on the street. What’s the problem?”
He frowned and looked altogether uncomfortable.
“Oh, for Odin’s eye, just spit it out.”
“You’re not a wolf, and I’ve never run with anyone who wasn’t.” He let go of his neck. “I don’t want to sound…selfish, but I either run with the pack or alone. And running with the pack isn’t like running with someone else. It’s hard to explain.”
Not to her it wasn’t. She crossed her arms. “You want me to keep my distance and let you do your wolfy thing.” She lifted one shoulder like it was no big deal, which it wasn’t. They both had to do whatever was necessary to keep the spell from getting the better of them.
“That doesn’t bother you?”
“No. Why should it? You’re a werewolf. I’m a valkyrie. We each have our things, right?”
He nodded. “Right. Thank you.” He turned like he was going back into the house, then stopped. “In the interest of full disclosure, because I feel like the only way we’re going to get through this is by being honest, the spell is definitely affecting me. But I’m doing everything I can not to let it change how I act toward you.”
She exhaled, suddenly aware she’d been holding her breath. “Same here. Thank you for saying that. I know we rarely see eye to eye on things, but as long as we’re civil, we’ll get through this without killing each other.”
The golden hint of wolfen glow lit his eyes. “I promise, what’s on my mind isn’t murder.”
She straightened at the feral tone of his voice. “Titus. You can’t say things like that to me. Being under this spell is hard enough without comments like that. I do have feelings, you know.”
Feelings she was struggling to control. Maybe she should kiss him and get it over with. Prove to herself that the spell was causing all these thoughts, that there was nothing truly physical or chemical happening between them. Because a love spell might make her want to kiss him, but it couldn’t create chemistry where there was none.
It was just magic. Plain and simple.
But what if it wasn’t? What if this magic had unleashed something that had already been inside her?
That was ridiculous. But just in case, she shelved the kiss idea. Now wasn’t the right time anyway. His eyes were already glowing.
And she had a pretty good idea of what that meant.
“What kind of feelings?” It wasn’t a question he should have asked, but his body was betraying him, his control was thin at best, and the woman in front of him radiated the kind of feminine strength that filled him with desire even when he wasn’t under a magic spell.
She shook her head, causing a few wisps of hair to swing free from her ponytail. “We shouldn’t have this conversation.”
“Why not? You think ignoring what’s going on between us is going to make it easier to bear?”
“Yep. Sure. Let’s go with that.”
“You’re lying to yourself if you really believe that.” Had her lower lip always been that full? “I thought valkyries were all about honor and truth.”
Her eyes narrowed at those words, the muscles in her jaw working. “Don’t push me, wolf. We are not friends. We never have been. We only barely managed to be polite to each other when your brother forced us to work together on the race. Anything I feel for you is because of this spell. That’s it.”
He rolled his shoulders like he was bored. “Still lying. Sad. I always thought your kind were such noble—”
“Fine.” She launched toward him, covering his mouth with hers in a move so fast she went from standing in front of him to pressed against him in a split second.
After a moment of shock, he closed his eyes. He wasn’t going to protest, if that’s what she
