by Mac Flynn
We rushed to the front and slid to a stop against the desk to look over the counter. A wizened old hag stood before the cowering Cotio. The woman wore a simple black dress, a wide-brimmed black hat, and clutched in one of her wrinkled hands was a large purse. Her other hand was outstretched with the palm facing Cotio. There was a scorch mark on the floor close beside him.
"P-please don't hurt me! That brew was good when I sold it to you!" Cotio insisted.
The hag sneered at him and her hand glowed with a purple light. "So you're saying it's my fault now?"
"I'm saying there's no refunds," Cotio told her.
"It didn't work! It turned my hair blue!" She knocked off her black hat and revealed short, curly blue hair.
Cotio winced. "If you read the instructions-"
"I did! It didn't get me my true love, so I want my money back!" she snapped.
Dives sprang over the counter and stood between the hag and Cotio so he faced the woman. "I think you've made enough noise. You should leave."
She sneered at him with her false teeth. "Get out of my way, boy, or you'll get some of this, too!"
Dives's lip curled up in a sly smile. "You'll have to hit me first."
The woman growled. The light in her hands grew brighter and a pulse of energy shot out. I could feel the heat from where I stood. The shot barreled towards Dives. He ducked and rolled out of its path, and the energy hit the floor. The wood boards singed and another black scorch mark remained.
"My floor!" Cotio moaned.
Dives rolled towards an aisle of bookshelves. The witch followed him with her palm and her light charged up. Dives grabbed one of the tomes from the shelf and opened the pages. A large, furry arm stretched from the pages. The witch flung up her arms as the fingers wrapped around her. Her purse clattered to the ground as she was pulled into the book. She disappeared, and Dives slammed the pages shut. The book shook in his hands, but remained closed.
Cotio climbed to his feet and wiped the sweat from his brow. "I think I'll close up shop early today. Business is too dangerous."
"Not a bad idea," Dives agreed. "Here." He tossed the book to the shopkeeper.
Cotio caught it in one hand and glared at the cover. "Damn witches and their fickle magic. . ." he mumbled.
Dives strode over to me and leaned an elbow on the counter. He flashed his smile at me. "So what do you think of your second taste of the paranormal?"
"I think I'll never visit an old folk's home again," I quipped.
He chuckled and pushed off the counter. "Does make you look twice at everyone, doesn't it?"
"And think twice about selling those home-made love potions," Cotio spoke up.
He picked up the purse and walked around to the rear of the counter where he dropped the book and purse into a box filled with various personal items. There must have been a dozen wallets and two dozen purses, along with a few books and candles.
I glanced at him and raised an eyebrow. "Does this happen often?"
He plopped himself down on a stool and sighed. "Very often now. People just can't admit they made a mistake. They want me to give them a refund, pay for their broken nose, or even buy them a new house!" He shook his head. "Kids these days."
I studied his middle-aged demeanor. "That last one looked old enough to be your great-grandmother."
Cotio raised his head and chuckled. "She wasn't that old."
Dives smiled. "Cotio here is going on-what was it?"
Cotio puffed out his chest. "Nine-hundred and two next month. A record for my family."
I glanced from Dives to Cotio. "I can't tell if you two are joking or not."
My patron chuckled. "Like I said, look twice at everyone."
Cotio cleared his throat. "So what were you wanting today? Or did you just come by to bother me like Latro did?"
"Both. I need some books on werewolves and mating," Dives told him.
Cotio raised an eyebrow. His eyes flickered to me and he jerked his head in my direction. "So she's the one?"
I pursed my lips and glanced at Dives. "What one?"
Dives shrugged. "Maybe, but I'd like to do some research first."
"What one?" I persisted.
Cotio walked around the counter to the aisle of books. "Let me see what I have." He disappeared down the aisle, but his mutterings wafted to us as he read off categories. "Bats. Possessed cows. Demonic dishes."
I turned to Dives and crossed my arms. "What one?"
He sighed and leaned against the counter. "I'm sure you know about wolves and their mating habits. They take a mate and don't let her go."
I raised an eyebrow and pointed at myself. "So you think I'm that mate?"
He shrugged. "You could be. That would explain why I-ahem, we had such fun last night."
"Here it is!" Cotio reappeared with a large tome in his hand. He blew off the dust and handed it to Dives. "The Definitive Guide to Werewolves and Their Mating. That'll be two-hundred dollars."
Dives frowned. "That's a little steep, even for you."
Cotio shrugged. "That guide isn't easy to find, especially outside the Old World. It took me quite a while and a great expense-" Dives held up his hand.
"I get it. You traded in your first born for the book. Just charge it to my account."
Cotio smiled and bowed. "Very well. Is there anything else I can do for you?"
Dives shook his head. "No, you've robbed me enough for today." He turned to me and offered his arm and a smile. "If you would."
I took the arm and Dives led me from the strange shop. The warm sun greeted us.
I glanced down at the book tucked under Dives's other arm. "Mind if I look at that?"
He smiled. "Only after I've had a chance to enjoy my purchase."
We returned to the limo where Puer awaited us. His eyes flickered to the book, but he said nothing and opened the door.
"To home," Dives instructed him.
We slipped into the rear, but I took the seat beside Dives. He smiled down at me. "Eager for a read?"
"Only if you flip through to the 'mating' part of the book," I told him.
He opened the cover and thumbed to the table of contents. "It would be my pleasure."
He ran his finger down the list of chapter titles that read like a strange cookbook. There was 'How to Prepare Your Food,' 'How to Keep Yourself Fit in Fur,' and other self-help references. Dives stopped at one that read 'How to Spot a Mate,' and flipped to that chapter. He read the short chapter aloud.
"To identify your mate you must first have intercourse with said human or werewolf-" He turned to me and smiled. "A definite check." I rolled my eyes, and he continued. "Then you must inspect the right shoulder of the female or male. If the person is your mate then a small crescent moon-shaped birthmark will have appeared on their shoulder."
We both looked to my right shoulder that leaned near him. I sighed and shrugged. "Here goes nothing."
I pulled down my sleeve to reveal the flesh. A crescent-shaped birthmark stood out from the rest of my unblemished skin. I blinked at it and looked up into Dives's smiling face.
I frowned. "So what exactly does this mean for me?"
He tossed aside the book, leaned down and captured my lips in a possessive kiss. We didn't break away until we needed air.
"T-that still doesn't answer my question," I pointed out.
He chuckled. "It means you need to get used to the good life because I'm never letting you go."
I blushed, but a thrill of heat swept through my body. I shrugged. "I guess I could get used to living the easy life, but I'm going back to work Monday."
He raised an eyebrow. "But-" I pressed a finger to his lips and shook my head.
"Everything's happening just a little too fast. Let me ease into this or my head is going to explode," I pleaded.
He grasped my hand and kissed my finger. "All right, my mate."
That was music to my ears, an
d more adventures on my horizon.
For all books by Mac Flynn visit her author's page or visit Mac Flynn's website.
Want to get an email when my next book is released? Join the Wolf Den and receive an email whenever a new book comes out!
Sign up here for my newsletter
