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More of a stud than a stag.
I cut the engine and stepped outside. “Hey, stranger.”
He slowed to a halt next to the truck. “Hey, Clay. Coming from Bridger Farm?”
“I am. Phaedra and I are friends now.” I wasn’t sure why I felt compelled to add that. I quickly tried to change the subject to smooth over my awkwardness. “So, how are you settling in?” Officer Leo arrived in Fairhaven after I did, replacing a cop killed by a monster in the woods, not that he or Chief Garcia knew the real circumstances of Officer Lindley’s death. I’d grown fond of Leo. He was the human equivalent of a Labrador—handsome, friendly, and with boundless energy.
“Terrific, honestly. I love being close to Mother Nature and still have New York City practically on my doorstep. It’s the best of both worlds.”
“I wondered whether the small-town atmosphere would suffocate you after a few months.”
He pulled a face. “Me? No way. I can make myself comfortable anywhere.”
I believed it. Leo oozed charisma and good vibes. I had no doubt he was already a popular figure in certain Fairhaven social circles.
“Is this your usual running trail?”
“No, I like to mix it up. The same routine day after day would make me a little nuts.”
“I understand. I get a little stir-crazy staying in my house all day.”
He snorted. “Yes, that tiny, cramped house of yours. Totally relatable.” He shaded his eyes as he peered at the sky. “Wow. That’s a lot of birds.”
I followed his gaze to see a flock of black birds soaring overhead. Not just any black birds.
“Are those crows?” he asked.
“No,” I replied, my stomach tensing. “Ravens.”
“Yeah, I guess they’re too big to be crows.” He observed them for another moment. “I guess this town really does attract all manner of critters.”
My throat thickened. “You have no idea.”
I couldn’t tell Leo that ravens were harbingers of death, and that their presence was a sign of things to come.
Very bad things.
Grinning at the problematic portent, he said, “Hey, don’t they call a group of ravens a murder?”
“An unkindness.” My voice hitched as I answered. “A group of crows is called a murder.”
Leo shifted his focus to me. “You okay, Lorelei?”
“Always.” I put on my game face. There was nothing the local police could do. Humans with guns were useless against the supernatural forces that promised to gather in Fairhaven.
“It’s cool if you’re not, you know,” he said.
I snapped back to earth. “Sorry?”
“You don’t always have to be okay. It isn’t a requirement.”
It seemed my game face needed work. “Thanks. I appreciate you saying that.”
Leo squinted at the trees behind me. “I think someone’s coming.”
I turned to see a short creature with curved, pointed ears emerging from the woods. Shit. A hobgoblin.
“Hey, kid,” Leo called. “Whatcha you doing out here?”
