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THIRTEEN DAYS.

THIRTEEN DAYS.

I stand in the middle of my own shop, surrounded by the same two words, and my heartbeat is the loudest thing in the room.

Behind where my reflection should be, something moves.

A woman. Tall. Thin. Dressed head to toe in black, her face lost in shadow.

She raises one hand.

And points directly at me.

2

GAGE

STILL THIRTEEN DAYS UNTIL HALLOWEEN

My wolf wants to tear the mirror apart.

I'm considering letting him.

From the kitchen window I can see straight into Bell & Bone, across the thin strip of grass that's all that separates my property from hers. Maren stands in the front window with her arms crossed. Even at this distance I know the stance. Furious.

At the mirror. At herself. Probably at me.

My wolf pushes against the inside of my skin, restless, too big for the body I'm keeping him in.

Mate.

"I know."

Protect.

"I know."

Now.

I grip the edge of the counter until the wood complains.

Six months. I've spent six months doing exactly what I promised myself I'd do. Do my assignment. Watch her as I was hired to do. Keep the bad things on my side of the property line. Stay out of her life until she knows what she is.

That plan is coming apart in my hands.

The Lantern Coven is trying to protect Maren and swore her magic would sleep until Halloween when they hired me. Thirteen days from now. They were wrong.

It woke up this morning. Her power snapped against mine the second she caught my wrist in the shop. Raw. Bright. Nothing holding it in. Strong enough to make every light in the place stutter.

My wolf nearly came up through my teeth right there on her floor.

That would've been a hell of a conversation. Good morning. Cold out. I turn into a wolf, and fate says you're mine.

I take out my phone and call the head of the Lantern Coven, Evelyn. She’s the one who assigned me to observe and protect Maren. The Lantern Coven came to me as Alpha and asked me to watch her.

Three rings.

"What happened?"