Page 51 of Lycans & Lattes

“I can confirm that Willow and my brother have ended their relationship. The pressure was far too high for the both of them. Isn’t that right, Willow?” Eloise blurted. “I’m only here to keep the peace. You know how wolves can be when they’re heartbroken. Such a sad, pathetic⁠—”

I cleared my throat.

Avery tilted her head coolly. “Have you always been this terrible of a liar? I swear when we were kids, you were better at it. If I were you, I’d work on that.”

Something in the way Avery’s comment landed sounded more accusatory than critical.

I eyed Eloise as I finished making Avery’s coffee. What was Eloise hiding? What exactly did Avery know?

“My day off wasn’t all too exciting,” I said.

Eloise was meant to fetch the daily order in about an hour, but I contemplated canceling. Wouldn’t it be more convincing to not have Full Moon Bakery goods in the case? But then again, if I didn’t have the classic Halloween treats, I’d lose even more business this week. That wasn’t an option.

The doorbell chimed as the first batch of customers filtered in.

“I told you she’d be open today,” Lisa, a swamp monster, said to Maggie, her nymph companion.

“Yup!” Harlow called out, followed with a faux enthusiastic, “The sun’s not up yet, but we sure are open!”

I shot her a look. “Drink your coffee faster.”

Harlow saluted me. She’d need at least another hour to temper her snark.

The monsters bustled up to the register, apologies written on their ghoulish faces. After Jordyn’s encounter with Katie last year, the swamp monster clan had had to do major damage control to reclaim their image as slightly fishy but harmless environmentalists. They’d also become some of our more enthusiastic early-morning customers, since most of them worked at the fish market and hatchery.

Lisa ordered her usual kale pumpkin smoothie—with two shots of espresso—and Maggie ordered a winter berry maple matcha. But when they paid, they lingered around the bar, passing looks between one another and eyeing Harlow and me.

“Is everything okay?” I finally asked, passing the matcha across the counter as Harlow finished the dirty smoothie.

“Is it true?” Lisa practically burst with the question she’d been holding in.

Maggie added, “Your secret is safe with us . . . and the trees.”

“Yes,” I said calmly, ignoring the pulsating nerve in my temple.

I’d settled on the script of, “Wyatt and I are still friends and are maintaining our working relationship, but we decided we are too different to make a relationship work.” I just hadn’t expected the questions to start at 5:47 in the morning.

“Wyatt and I have broken off our romantic relationship,” I started, “but we are still⁠—”

“Not that!” Maggie screeched. “That Dean came to your rescue? Everyone in town is saying he fought off were-Wyatt to save the café from his wolfed-out rage. Such a knight in shining armor.”

Eloise pitched an entire giggle fit.

I stuttered through a laugh. “Yup. That’s exactly what happened. He’s a hero, that Dean.”

Harlow came up behind me, handed Lisa her smoothie, and put on a look of faux concern. “It was horrific. Who knows what would have happened if Dean and his rippling muscles and washboard abs hadn’t been here.”

Even with us laying it on thick, the two young women swooned.

“We knew it!” Maggie crowed.

“He’s so brave,” Lisa said between thick sips. “So dreamy.”

“Was he with anyone?” Maggie asked quietly. “He won’t tell us who, but we think he’s dating someone.”

“I heard rumors it was three someones,” Eloise piped up from her table, her second glass already half empty. “He might give Randy a run for his money as the Maple Hollow Don Juan.”

Lisa blushed and gave Eloise a little webbed-finger wave. “El, you’re looking perfectly sleep-kissed this morning.”