“Penny. The woman with the child who gatecrashed the town?” Sophie asked unkindly.
“I wouldn’t say she gatecrashed the town, but yes, Penny.” He took a deep breath. “She’s my mate.”
Sophie took a couple of steps back as if he’d struck her. “Your mate?”
“Yes.” He smiled, knowing he was crushing her hopes if she truly was in love with him. But the sooner those hopes were crushed into the ground, the better. Sophie needed to know there was no future for them.
Are you sure she’s got a crush on me? Logan asked his wolf.
Can’t you tell by her reaction? his wolf answered. Right now if she had a Logan doll, she would be sticking pins in it.
“She just shows up in town, just like that, and she’s your mate?” Sophie wasn’t exactly happy about this news. His wolf was right, how had he missed it?
Because, lately, you go around with your head stuck in the mountains, without really taking notice of other people. His wolf’s words cut deep.
“Yes. I never expected to find her. I always thought I’d live alone.” He smiled at Sophie, wanting her to understand that even if Penny hadn’t come to Wishing Moon Bay, he would never have made a life with her. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her, but if he read her expression correctly, that’s exactly what he’d done.
“Lucky you. Lucky her.” Sophie’s mouth turned down as she went back to the reception desk and started work.
“I’ll go check the rooms.” He pointed up the stairs, but she didn’t even look up at him.
People person, his wolf said, mildly amused at the mess Logan had inadvertently made of things.
I don’t do it on purpose, Logan told his wolf. It just happens. Sometimes I wonder if I’ll ever truly get people, even after all these years I still can’t find a way to make sense of people’s emotions.
Fear settled in his chest as he went into room seven and checked that everything was ready for the new guests. The housekeeping staff had been into the room that morning and cleaned the room and put fresh bedding on the bed. There were mints on the pillows and complimentary coffee and tea on a dresser alongside a kettle and some cups. The room smelled fresh and clean and there wasn’t a speck of dust on any of the surfaces. Going through to the adjoining bathroom, he found the same high level of cleanliness. Squeezing the towels, he was satisfied that they were fluffy with a fresh fragrance.
His wolf found the whole routine mildly amusing. You really have learned a lot from Valerie.
I never realized how much until I had to take over. But since we grew up here, following her around while she did her chores, it just kind of rubbed off.
But not her people skills, his wolf pointed out.
No one is perfect. Logan moved along to room eleven and did the same checks, and found the same results, the rooms were perfect.
Locking the doors, he went back down the hallway, hovering outside of room eight where his mate was rummaging through her luggage. As he stood outside her room, he was tempted to knock on the door, just so he could see her face. He took a step closer, his knuckles hovering over the door, but then he heard Milo laugh and she giggled along with her son, leaving Logan feeling as if he were on the outside looking in on a world he might never fully be a part of.
Of course, we’ll be a part of it, his wolf replied. It’s just going to take time.
What if I alienate Penny in the same way I seem to alienate other people?
Your brothers love you for who you are. Valerie loves you for who you are. There is no way fate would have gone to all the trouble of getting your mate here to Wishing Moon Bay if you two were not meant to be together. She’ll understand because she has been an outsider herself. She gets you. Or she will get you. One day.
Thanks, I think. Logan went downstairs and headed straight for the kitchen where Ivan was already working on preparing his evening menu. “Ivan, can I ask you about something?”
“I knew you’d come to me for advice about your mate.” He looked up from where he was gutting the fish he’d bought this morning from the market.
“I don’t need advice about my mate,” Logan retorted. “I wanted to ask you about this.” He fished the pendant out of his pocket and dangled it on the chain in front of the dragon shifter.
“What is it?” Ivan went to the sink and washed his hands before he reached out to hold the chain.
“I was hoping you might tell me. Milo found it in the attic. He said he was drawn to it. We were trying to figure out if it’s just a piece of junk or if it’s something else. I couldn’t decipher the symbols on it. They’re nothing I’ve ever seen before.” He let go of the chain as Ivan took hold of it.
“It’s not junk.” He weighed the pendant in his hand. “It’s a precious metal but not one I’ve seen before.” He leaned forward and sniffed the metal, licking his lips as if he were tasting it. “It’s familiar. I recognize the smell.”
“What about the runes, or symbols, whatever they are? Penny said she thought she’d seen it before, which made me think it was a common piece. You know, like the kind you find in cheap gift stores.” Logan watched Ivan as he placed the pendant on the counter and then reached in a drawer for a flashlight.
“It’s not junk. Definitely not mass-produced. That’s not to say that there might not be cheap replicas out there.” By out there the dragon shifter meant outside of Wishing Moon Bay. Often real pieces of jewelry from town were found and reproduced.
“Is it safe?”
Ivan looked up sharply. “Do you have any reason to believe it’s not safe?”
“I don’t know, after Penny held it, she had this strange look on her face. It was as if she really wanted it back. Really wanted it.” Logan pressed his lips together into a thin line as he recalled the look in her eyes. “Then it passed.”
“If Valerie was here, she might be able to tell you. Otherwise, I can take it home tonight and have a better look. Valerie gave me some books on symbols and runes to study, but I haven’t had time to get around to them yet.” He picked the pendant up and shined the light on it from different angles. “I think they are protection runes.”
“Protection runes. What about the moon? Is that symbolic or just decorative?”
“If this is a talisman then it’s all symbolic, each part of the pendant would have been put there for a reason.” He handed it back to Logan, switched off the flashlight and put it back in the drawer. “If Milo was drawn to it and gave it to Penny, who thinks it’s familiar, I would give it back to her.” He took his phone from his pocket. “Hold it up, I’ll take photos and see if I can match the symbols this evening. I could do with the practice. But if that fails, I’ll contact Valerie and see if she has seen it before.”
“You’re certain it’s nothing bad?” Logan was dubious about handing the pendent or talisman over to Penny without fully understanding what it was and what power it might hold.
“I can’t answer that. Not for sure, but if Penny was drawn here to Wishing Moon Bay and Milo was drawn to the talisman, then there might be a reason for it.” Ivan went back to gutting his fish. “Did Penny have any idea about any of this?”
“You mean the town and magic and shifters?” Logan shook his head. “Not that I know of. I’ll ask her.”
Ivan lifted his head and stared at the door. “You can ask her now, she’s on her way down.”
“Already?” Logan checked the time. “She’s eager to work.”
“She doesn’t want you to think she’s using you.” Ivan smiled at his brother. “She’s a good woman. You’re a lucky man.” He pointed his sharp knife at the talisman. “Which is why you should give her that.”
“What do you mean?”
Ivan placed the knife down on the counter and looked squarely at Logan. “We don’t know why she came here. A wrench in her engine? Do you think that was there just so that you could find your mate? Are you that special, Logan?”
Logan shook his head, not wanting to believe what his brother was i
nsinuating. “You think there is something bigger happening here?”
“It could be.” Ivan picked up his knife and went back to work. “If there is, I’d start with that warlock. You know, the one who keeps complaining.”
“You think he did something to cause Penny to come here?” That didn’t make sense to Logan, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t true. Wishing Moon Bay wasn’t exactly known for making complete sense. How could it, when such strange and wondrous creatures lived here?
“I don’t know. It could be. All I know is you need to start asking the right questions.” Ivan went back to his fish, leaving Logan to go and meet Penny as she reached reception.
“Hi, Sophie.” Penny was dressed in smart black pants and a white shirt as she greeted the receptionist.
Sophie raised her eyes from the computer screen but didn’t answer. At least not until she saw Logan approaching. “Hello.”
“Penny, do you want to come through to the dining room and I’ll show you what to do?” Logan ushered his mate toward the restaurant, the talisman weighing heavy in his pocket. Should he give it to her or keep hold of it until Ivan had deciphered the symbols? If they had hidden meaning, they might protect Penny, and possibly Milo, from whatever might have drawn them to town.
“Are you okay?” Penny asked as the door closed behind them. They were alone in the deserted dining room, the restaurant didn’t open for another half an hour. Just enough time to give his mate instructions as to how things worked in here. “Logan, did something happen?”
“I asked Ivan about the talisman.”
“Oh.” Her forehead creased as she studied his face. “What did he say?”
“He said it’s made of a metal he’s never seen before. Definitely not a piece of junk.” He took the piece of jewelry from his pocket and held it out to Penny. “He is unsure what the symbols mean. He took a photo of it and said he’d try to figure them out tonight.”
“He has no idea?”
“Not really. He can’t tell if they are good or bad. He wondered if they were for protection and if they are, maybe you should have it.” He offered her the pendant.
“Does he think I need protection?” she asked, and uncertainty flickered across her face as she stared at the talisman.
“He doesn’t know.” Logan licked his lips nervously. “He said it depends on why you are here.”
“Here? In town?” she croaked.
“Yes, do you have any idea?”
“No. Other than the fact that I met you. Isn’t that enough? Couldn’t the road be visible to me because I was supposed to meet you?” Penny placed her hand on his chest and his heart beat so fast it drummed in his ears.
“What if it’s not?”
“You think Milo and I are in danger?” She looked from side to side as if expecting someone to jump out at her.
“I don’t know. But if anyone tries to harm you, they will have to come through me. And my brothers. Rift is with Milo now, he would never let anything happen to your son. And I’m here for you.”
A small smile crept across her face. “Now that’s something a girl doesn’t hear every day.” She forced herself to keep smiling. “In here, I have you and your brothers. Out there, I have no one to protect me. I think I’ll take my chances with you.”
He let out a pent-up breath. “I was worried you might leave.”
“So was I,” she admitted. “But I think I am safer here with my mate. Don’t you?”
“Absolutely.”
She stood on tiptoes and kissed his lips as if sealing her fate. Logan slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. He never wanted to let her go. Ever. He would lay down his life to defend her and Milo, against anyone and anything that might try to hurt her. As for the talisman, he slipped it back into his pocket. Maybe the white wolf shifter was the only talisman she needed.
Chapter Fifteen – Penny
She’d kissed him. It had felt like the right thing to do and as their lips pressed together and his tongue explored her mouth, she knew it was the right thing. The connection between them seemed to grow stronger with each moment they spent together, with each touch, with each and every word they spoke.
Yes, there was a small nagging voice in her head that told her she didn’t belong here. But the voice grew quieter until it was only a whisper.
“Am I the only one working?” Ivan stood in the doorway, his hands on his hips and a small smile on his face.
Logan pressed his lips to hers once more before they broke apart. “I was just explaining to Penny how the restaurant works.”
“Most people convey that information with words,” Ivan said drily.
“What do you need, Ivan?” Penny caught hold of Logan’s hand and squeezed it lightly before she crossed the room to the dragon shifter.
“What I need is the tables laid and the wine glasses brought out.” He backed out as Penny and Logan followed. “Melanie, one of the servers, usually does it, but I haven’t seen her. Did she call in sick?”
“Not as far as I know.” Logan went to the reception desk and spoke to Sophie. “Has Mel called in sick this evening?”
Sophie’s gaze flickered to Penny before she looked Logan squarely in the eye and said, “Yes. I told you earlier.”
Logan’s head jerked back. “No, you didn’t give me the message.”
“I did before you went upstairs and checked the rooms.” Her forehead creased. “You don’t remember?”
“No.” He shook his head and opened his mouth to speak but then closed it again. “Thanks, Sophie.”
“You’re welcome.” Her brow furrowed deeper as she looked at Ivan and shook her head.
“Did you forget?” Penny asked quietly as they went into the kitchen.
“She didn’t tell me,” Logan insisted.
“Are you sure you weren’t too busy dreaming of kissing your mate to take in the information?” Ivan asked as he indicated the napkins on the counter. “These should have been in the restaurant ten minutes ago.”
“We’ll take them through.” Logan opened the swinging door that led directly from the kitchen to the dining room. His expression was unreadable.
Penny picked up a box containing pristine white napkins and carried them through. “Do you want me to set them out on the tables?”
“Yes, please.” Logan followed her through the doors, he started laying out the knives and forks into their correct place settings, working quickly while she followed him with the box of napkins.
“Did Sophie tell you? It’s been a strange couple of days. Maybe you forgot.” Although Logan didn’t seem the kind of guy who would forget something that quickly, even if his mind was fixed on other things.
Logan looked up and shook his head. “No, I wouldn’t forget something like that.”
“Not even if you were preoccupied with thinking of your mate?” she teased but he wasn’t in the mood for teasing.
“No, not even then.” He set out the next table ready for diners and moved onto the next, his speed and accuracy incredible. Another unique shifter ability and one she would never match. How would she ever find a job in town if she were up against all these supernatural beings?
“What about the talisman?”
Logan stopped dead, his hand on his pocket where he’d put the talisman. “What do you mean?”
“You don’t know what the talisman is for, right?”
“Yes.” He went back to work but at a slower pace as he listened to her theory.
“What if the talisman is to blame?” She shrugged. “I thought I’d seen it before.”
“Yes.”
“Well, my mom was a bit of a mystery. Helena and I never knew who my dad was, and my mom never spoke about him or her life before Helena was born. Maybe she couldn’t remember it.”
“You think a similar talisman stole those memories? And this talisman stole my memory of Sophie telling me that Melanie was not coming to work this evening?” He shook his head firmly. “She didn’t tell me.�
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“You would think that she didn’t tell you but maybe she did, and you just don’t remember.” Her theory was not popular with Logan.
“No. That’s not what happened.” He glanced out of the main door toward where Sophie was working at her desk.
“That would mean that she lied. Why would Sophie lie?”
“Because I told her I had found my mate.” A knife clattered against a fork as he dropped it down onto the table. With an exasperated sigh, he picked up the knife and put it in its place.
“Why would that news make Sophie lie?” Penny already had a good idea. It seemed that the emotional reactions of supernatural people were pretty much the same as for normal humans. “Oh! She likes you.”
Logan finished the last place setting and straightened up. “So it seems.”
“You didn’t know?”
“No.” He raked a hand through his hair and color tinged his cheeks. “Reading people and their emotions doesn’t always come naturally to me. And I thought since she knew that I was a shifter she’d know I could never have romantic feelings for her. She knows about fated mates.”
Penny gave a short laugh. “People don’t think like that. Not where love is concerned. That’s the beauty of it, we act irrationally.”
“Shifters don’t.”
“Sophie isn’t a shifter then, I guess.” Penny gave the receptionist a sidelong glance. “What is she?”
“A witch. Some of her ancestors helped found the town, I believe. She’s from old magic.”
“Not the kind of person you would want to get on the wrong side of.” Penny groaned inwardly. The last thing she needed was to get on the wrong side of anyone, let alone a powerful family with magic at their disposal.
“They would not approve of her lying.” Logan waited for Penny to finish and they went to the kitchen together.
“Who is lying?” Ivan looked up from the stove where he was frying the fish before placing it on a baking sheet and smothering it in a light sauce. The fish was placed in the oven to warm.
“Sophie. She didn’t tell me about Melanie not coming in this evening.”
The White Wolf of Wishing Moon Bay Page 11