Blood Kissed (Lizzie Grace 1)

“Mrs. Banks came into my café earlier this evening and asked me to find her daughter—”

“And your café’s name?” he cut in.

“The Psychic Café. And before you ask, yes, I have elder approval for both the café and my use of psychometry.”

“But not magic, which is what you were using up in Kalimna Park.”

“Summoning a wisp is only very minor magic, and that’s all—”

“All magic is banned in this reservation, minor or not.”

“Something I wasn’t aware of, Ranger.” Which wasn’t a lie, because no one had mentioned witches being banned before tonight. “And surely I could be given a pass in this situation given I only summoned the wisp to make my passage through the park faster?”

His expression suggested the reason didn’t matter, and once again I wondered what the hell had gone on in this place that had led to witches and magic being banned. They surely had to be aware of the danger they were placing everyone in by not having a resident witch on the reservation?

“For the record,” he said, “explain what psychometry is.”

“It’s the ability to catch thoughts and feeling from objects via touch,” I dutifully stated. “And sometimes, if the connection is strong enough, you can go deeper, gaining a location as well as idea of what might they might be doing.”

“And this is what happened with Karen?”

I nodded. “Marjorie gave me one of Karen’s lockets to use. The results were… unexpected.”

One eyebrow rose. “In what way?”

Heat invaded my cheeks. Which was stupid, really. He was a werewolf and a ranger. He’d probably seen and done more than I could ever imagine. “They, uh, were making love.”

Amusement briefly touched his lips and it transformed his face, lifting the stoniness and shifting his features from merely pleasant to striking.

“I see.”

“Trust me, it wasn’t something I wanted to see.” Or feel.

That touch of amusement grew, making me suspect he was all too aware of exactly how that connection had affected me.

Well, as you’ve already noted, he’s a werewolf, Belle said. And they’re big on the whole scent thing. Makes them as horny as hell.

You’re not helping matters, you know.

Wonder if he’s at all tempted—

Belle, shut the fuck up.

She laughed again but otherwise did as bid.

“So, it was this connection that told you they were in the park?” he said.

“Well, no. I only caught glimpses. I had to use a locket to guide me up there. We also left a message on your answering machine.” I paused, and silently added, Belle, you did make that call to the rangers, didn’t you?

Hello, didn’t you just tell me to shut the fuck up?

About him, dimwit.

Her warm laughter ran through my mind, tugging a smile to my lips. Yes, I rang and left a message. I didn’t ring the emergency number, though.

“We?” Aiden prompted.

“I mean Isabelle—she co-owns the café with me.”