Page 23 of Wynter

One second, I was admiring his reindeer form. Then, next thing I knew, he was hiding behind the van. And then flying out of sight.

Sure, when I first saw him, I just wanted a distraction. A one-night stand. But after getting to know him, I let myself believe that we could be more. That maybe, just maybe, he was The One.

It wasn’t just the rope of fiery blue ice that connected us. Wasn’t just the fact that we’re mates. The two of us just clicked.

With Leith, I felt like I could open up. Like I could be myself instead of the cheerful Cleanly Den maid who’s always up for a good time. He saw so much more than just a girl who drinks pink Mood Teas and pretends everything is fine. He saw the real me.

I thought everything was going fine. I thought he felt it, too. But that’s how it was with Ghost. I thought things were great, and then he betrayed me. I thought things were great with Leith, and he just flew away.

My heart constricts. Why? Why do I keep falling for men who don’t want me back? Why didn’t Leith stick around? Didn’t he want me the way I want him? Didn’t he feel anything?

I’m all worked up by the time I get home. All I can think about is wanting Leith and not being wanted back. Of wanting Ghost and being betrayed. And just thinking about the sorry state of my love life makes me want to bury my face in my pillow and cry.

I unlock the door to my apartment, and that plan goes right out the window. Because Mini isn’t sleeping on the couch. She’s in my bed. With my fuzzy.

The two of them are curled up so she’s spooning the little ball of fluff. And Snowball’s got a contented smile, the kind he only gets when he’s curled up on my lap. He’s never been like this with anyone else. He growls at my one-night stands, and if it wasn’t for the containment spell, he’d probably tear them limb from limb.

And it isn’t just men. I’ve had Amber over a few times, and Snowball never took to my best friend. Or her sister, Violet. And the one time their vampire friend Sapphire tagged along, she and my fuzzy got into a snarling match.

Just the sight of his teeth and his terrifying growl should have kept Mini away. But she’s got her arm draped over him instead.

It baffles me. But it also keeps me from kicking her butt to the couch. That and the girl stinks.

Her spell’s worn off, and it turns out that instead of a makeover spell, she used a much cheaper masking spell instead. It basically convinced us all she looked and smelled good, while she was the same dusty, stinky Mini underneath. Which means she’s going to need a bath and my bed’s going to need a change of sheets before I’m going anywhere near it.

I head to the kitchen instead, only to discover that Mini raided my fridge. She ate the pizza I was planning to have for breakfast and the yogurt I usually grab at night when I need a snack.

I glare at her, but my fuzzy looks so content that I leave her be and head for the couch. It takes me forever to get comfortable, but just when I finally doze off, my buzzing phone startles me awake.

I’ve got a crick in my neck, my arm’s numb, and pain shoots down my back as I sit up. Meanwhile, Mini’s curled up in my bed, wrapped in my cozy blankets, holding my pet. And the slight smile on her face makes me want to smother her with my pillow and toss her to the curb.

I scowl as I reach for my phone, but instead of an alarm, the name Silver Steins Brewery shows up on the screen.

“Hello?” I pick up the phone, not bothering to keep my voice down.

“Zoe?” I hear Dominick’s familiar voice on the other line. He’s one of the three brothers who own the Silver Steins Brewery, and the one who hired me to clean up the magical explosion last night.

“Need me to clean up another magical explosion?” I ask.

“Yes,” Dominick replies and then starts sputtering. “N-n-nnness. Listen, did you finish cleaning my office last night? After I left?”

“I did. Why, did I miss something?”

“Ye-nah-yes.” He pauses before trying again. “N-Yes. You need to come down here. Now.”

“I’ll grab the van and be right there. Twenty minutes tops.” I tell him, but my stomach growls. Because stupid Mini ate all my food and there’s nothing else left in the fridge. “Listen, do I have time to stop for breakfast at Bob’s?”

“Yes.” Dominick’s answer doesn’t match his tone, and he’s still spluttering. “Zoe, wait! You need to get here right now! The police are already on their way.”

“Police? Was anyone hurt?”

“Yes.”

“Who?” I demand over Dominick’s sputtering.

“No one. But the brewery got robbed last night.”

“Robbed? Shit!” I glance over the back of the couch at Mini, who’s sitting up in bed and rubbing her eyes. She’s got a serious case of bedhead and a bit of drool on the side of her mouth, but she doesn’t look smug. Just surprised.