He hadn’t been careless with his magic, and he’d acted within reasonable boundaries.
Although maybe not when everything could be recorded on a phone and computers noted every key stroke. Perhaps the casino was wondering why their jackpot had gone off. His heart beat a little faster at the idea that the casino would come after him. He was sure that tampering with the slot machines was a crime. The Coven could’ve found a way to stitch him up and hand him over to the cops.
Instead, he had one and half weeks to prove himself.
He owed the Coven for teaching him about magic—though that was probably so he didn’t expose witches by accident. And they had covered for him several times. This punishment was more about him taking his place in the community instead of looking after only himself.
But that was what he did best. He’d had to be good at that or he’d never have survived his first two foster homes. Now he took care of himself. He didn’t want a familiar.
He couldn’t take care of anyone else.
He wasn’t ready for that kind of commitment—certainly not with a man who’d blazed with fury the moment after they’d kissed. Jude had thought Mack would actually shift for a few heartbeats.
That would be something to see. He let his mind drift to an idea that he should find terrifying, not intriguing. He wished he’d gotten more than a kiss, but he couldn’t forget the way Mack had pulled away as if he’d sensed something. Did he know about the familiar bond? That was not going to be a fun conversation. Maybe it was one he should avoid.
Find the real killer, call in the Coven, and get them to remove the bond. Then run so he never had to see Mack again.
Easy.
He finished his muffin and made progress on his coffee. The heat and caffeine slid through him and waking him up. His brain wasn’t moving past how close he’d come to getting Mack in his bed only to screw it up. If he’d gotten into bed with Mack, the bond would’ve been strengthened. Again, Mack had unwittingly saved his ass. He should thank him at minimum.
The door opened, and a man and a woman walked in. “And was it the same as the others?”
“Yeah, torn apart. Heart and all the innards gone.” The man glanced at Jude and winked as if he knew him.
It took Jude a few seconds to realize it was the man who’d been sitting with Mack last night. Guess Mack hadn’t said anything to his friend about what had happened. Maybe Mack hadn’t told anyone. The tension didn’t ease.
“Lisbeth seems to think it’s come back.”
They kept talking, and Jude did his best not to be obvious with his eavesdropping. He flicked the page of the paper and sipped his coffee.
“Come back?” The man genuinely sounded shocked.
“Yeah, she’s looking for connections to North.”
They placed their order and moved on to talking about someone’s baby.
He wanted to rush over and ask about the missing heart. Had there been another attack last night after Mack had left him in a rage? He closed his eyes and let himself sink into the memory of the kiss. Would the Fates really tie him to a killer?
Those bitches had a sick sense of humor.
He drained the remains of his coffee. He didn’t know who Lisbeth was, but he’d seen a poster on the wall about the historical society. If there was a connection to North, he needed to go there first. He searched the map on his phone and noted the historical society was only a couple of blocks away. He’d walk and check out the town, after he’d gotten a coffee to go. It was definitely a two-coffee morning.
Jude strolled up the road like a tourist. The coffee was hot in his hand and smelled like heaven. He rounded the corner, heading to the historical society. On his left was a place that seemed to sell everything from used cars to tractor parts. Not that much farther up the road was Mackenzie Auto Repairs.
His steps faltered.
He knew at some point he’d have to see Mack again, and he really wanted to see him again, but that was the familiar bond making sure he didn’t stray too far from the shifter who was supposed to help him. He’d never relied on anyone, and he didn’t like the idea of starting now. The hot coffee cup made his palm sweat. His other hand was also sweaty, and he had no excuse for that.
He wasn’t ready to face Mack again. His jaw wasn’t ready. But his body was. Anticipation hummed through every cell. Lust was a spark he had no control over.
Historical society, then North, and then maybe see Mack. And if Mack appeared to be innocent; Jude would even apologize. He had no idea how he would raise the issue of Mack being his familiar.
As he’d deliberated, his feet had taken him closer to Mack’s garage. He would walk past it, that was all. But as he did, he glanced through the window and saw Mack behind the conter talking to a customer. Mack turned his head, and their gazes locked.
Jude wanted to punch himself in the heart to make it stop doing that excited leap. Mack wasn’t exciting, he was potentially dangerous. When he shifted, he’d be a bear with his human intellect. As a human he was strong, as a bear… That was a creature no one crossed if they wanted to live.
And now Jude was staring, and Mack’s customer was leaving.
The door opened.
All he had to do was keep walking to the historical society. He reached his hand out and caught the door, then he went in. Maybe he should eliminate Mack as a suspect first.
“You’ve got some nerve
