a little old lady who’d been raving about pumpkin doughnuts when he’d stopped for a latte at his favorite coffeehouse. Her words created a craving in him, so he decided he’d earned a treat.
This morning, he’d walked into that bakery a regular person with regular worries and walked out—well, honestly, they’d run the hell out of there—with an entirely new view of the world.
As a large, white plantation house came into sight, his emotions churned. He leaned forward, his mouth falling open as the gorgeous place filled his vision. At least two stories, maybe three, thanks to what looked like one of those big, historical attics at the top, the structure rose majestically among a setting of gorgeous live oaks. Pillars graced the front, and it looked like someone had been systematically removing the kudzu that had grown along the face.
As they parked, a large German shepherd ran out to the Jeep, and Baer laughed as he jumped out and hugged the dog.
“Is she yours?” Wiley asked.
“Yeah, this is Ruby, and she is very curious about you.”
“I can’t imagine what that’s like. Hearing your own pet.” He thought of his diva cat and had to grin, unable to imagine the disdain she seemed to feel toward everything. She had such a regal way of carrying herself, he’d named her Queenie. Even as a kitten, she’d pranced around like she owned the place.
Ruby put her paws on the driver’s front seat and panted in his direction, looking like she had a big grin on her face as she stared at him. He opened his door and climbed down, chuckling as she ran around to greet him. She didn’t jump up on him, so he kneeled, rubbing her soft fur and getting a lick in return.
“This is where you’ll be staying,” Baer said as he walked up behind his dog.
Wiley’s heart skipped a beat and his head jerked up. Stay? Okay, so maybe this crazy fantasy was starting to take a dangerous turn. He didn’t really know Baer or any of these so-called brothers of his. Was it safe to stay with them? Maybe it was just a misunderstanding. Fighting to keep the growing trepidation out of his voice, he replied, “Oh, I have an apartment in town.”
Baer shook his head. “I’m sorry, but it’s too dangerous. The goddesses put up a magical barrier here that keeps the pestilents out and keeps you safe. You’ll have to stay here for the foreseeable future.”
Wiley looked at the house again, his mouth hanging open. It was nicer than any place he’d ever stayed before. His grandmother’s home had been a ranch with two small bedrooms and a single bathroom with pink tile. His apartment was small.
Overwhelmed, he hung back as Baer started for the front porch. Red hair swung as he looked over his shoulder and saw that Wiley wasn’t following him. He returned to Wiley, moving with fluid grace for such a tank-like man.
“You okay? Feeling like it’s a bit much, right?” He’d cocked his head as if he were trying to see Wiley’s face more clearly. His brow was furrowed with concern and worry.
Wiley nodded. “When I was caught up in the moment, running out the bakery after those people shot it up, and you…changing into a freaking cougar, it was this great adventure. Maybe my brain had shut off and decided to just go with it.” Wiley shoved a slightly trembling hand through his damp hair. “But you know, now I’m kind of realizing I was a bit hasty, maybe.”
Baer smiled a little knowingly. “You just realized that you jumped into a Jeep with a total stranger who can shapeshift, he took you to this house in the middle of nowhere, and now you’re expected to stay.”
Heat made his cheeks burn. “Yeah, something like that.”
“Totally understand,” Baer said with a laugh. “Got your cell phone handy?”
Wiley reached into his back pocket and pulled it out. He breathed a quick sigh of relief that the screen didn’t get cracked in all the insanity. He thumbed it on and smiled to see he even had three bars.
“Got a friend or some family you can check in with? You can say you made a friend and are hanging out for a while. I’ll give you the address to this place. That way someone knows exactly where you are.”
“Are you sure?” Wiley asked as he pulled up the last message he’d sent to his grandmother. “What about the pestilents?”
Baer shrugged. “We’ve been here a while.