“Don’t make fun of my innocent lack of Wiccan holiday knowledge. I don’t think I’ve ever said that word out loud before let alone heard someone say it. I didn’t exactly know any other witches before I was so unceremoniously tricked into moving to Ireland.”
“Is that what you call it? I thought you were just complainin’.”
I shot Mairead a bitchy look and read over the invite again. Costumes mandatory. Ugh. I always hated dressing up. I was the kind of person who would turn up in her usual clothes, and when people asked who I was, I would make a smartass comment that I’d come ‘as myself.’
Though this year was a different story. I was an actual witch with actual magical powers and a shapeshifter boyfriend. I wouldn’t be surprised if ghosts and that headless horseman fellow were a thing.
I slumped my shoulders and sighed. “I wonder if there’s anything to it.”
“To what?”
“The ghosts and shit.”
“Ghosts and shit?” Her cheeks paled, which was a feat considering her skin tone was translucent at best.
“Costumes are mandatory?” I shook the bit of paper, completely outraged. “Who makes costumes mandatory?”
“Maggie,” Mairead stated.
“What am I supposed to go as?”
“I always go as myself,” the Goth girl said. “Every day is Halloween to me.”
I almost choked on my own spit and fell to the floor.
“I should go as a sexy witch, then,” I retorted. “And Boone can get a fox costume, and we’d all be ironic a-holes.”
“If we’re all going as ourselves, then you need to take out the sexy part.”
“Mairead!” I pouted and put my hands on my hips.
A party, huh? Maybe it was just the thing we needed to lift our spirits. I smirked, thinking about getting that sexy witch costume. Mostly to annoy Mairead, but Boone would be really into it…in a wet knicker kind of way.
“Give me the computer! Stat!” I declared. “I’ve got some online shopping to do!”
Chapter 6
I hated the nights Boone worked at Molly McCreedy’s.
Looking at my empty microwave meal tray, I sighed. I’d gotten used to his home cooking, and nuked chicken wasn’t the same. Mairead was smart. She’d shaken her head at the prospect of rubberized beef and disappeared into the laundry with her painting.
Glancing at the overflowing bin, I angled my head to the side. If I anchored the corner of the container on that wad of aluminum foil and propped the other end against that empty popcorn bag, then I wouldn’t have to go outside in the dark, and trash mountain would still be standing tall.
Holding my breath, I gingerly put the container into place…and the whole thing crashed to the floor, making a huge mess. Grumbling, I cleaned up and tied a knot in the top of the bag. Seriously, what was the point of being a witch if I couldn’t do cool things like make a mop wipe the floor on its own or make the trash take itself out? I laughed to myself at the thought. Now, there was an idea. I could spell Carman to take herself out. That would solve all our problems.
If only it were that easy.
Lifting up the trash, I opened the back door and gasped, dropping the garbage bag onto the floor.
A silver wolf emerged from the darkness, all big and wild, and all I could see were teeth. It lopped up the garden path, its big paws thumping on the ground like an elephant was galloping toward the cottage. Calling on my magic, I stretched out my hands.
“Stay back!” I cried. “Or I’ll… I’ll…” I didn’t know what I was going to do but blasting its ass across the garden sounded like a fantastic idea. I’d poked out a shapeshifter wolf’s eye once before, and if he’d come back for seconds, I would make the other one pop.
The wolf skidded to a halt, like it had the ultimate clumsy gene, and sat on its haunches. It tilted its head to the side and watched me with interest. Finally, it let out a whimper and licked its lips. Two big eyes stared at me, and I curled my outstretched fingers into a fist, dampening my magic.
“Boone?”
The wolf’s tail thumped on the stoop.
“You’re kidding me!” I threw my hands up into the air, letting the last of my magic dissipate. “I was going to make your head explode!”
Wolf-Boone weaved past me into the kitchen, practically trampling me he was so big. I closed the door as he began to change into his human form, the sound of snapping and popping bones making me wince. It sounded worse than usual and was no easier to hear.
Turning on my heel, I glared at his hot, Irish, naked body. How could I be mad at him when he looked like a Calvin Klein model… Wait. I was so not going to be swayed by a six-pack and a tight ass. I was so mad at him for scaring me half to death!
“I think you could do it now,” he said.
“Do what?” I exclaimed. “Use my magical palms as a defibrillator on my own chest?”
“Unlock me memories.”
“Pfft.” I crossed my arms and deepened my glare. If I stared hard enough, I might be able to shoot magical lasers out of my eyes. Now, that would be something. “You’re lucky Mairead has noise-canceling headphones. She’s listening to Marilyn Manson, Nine Inch Nails, or whatever the Goth kids like these days out in the laundry. Imagine what she would’ve done in her pants if she’d come out here and found a giant wolf sitting on the back step.” Snatching up a tea towel, I thrust it at him. “And cover your dingleberries.”
“Will you help?” he asked, covering up his junk with the floral-printed tea towel.
“I thought you were that other wolf,” I said with a pout. “The one-eyed thing. The creepy dude you said was another shapeshifter.”
“Sorry,” he said sheepishly.
“You went out and changed into a bloody wolf without me,” I exclaimed, slapping him on the arm. My
