Page 11 of Wedding the Werepanther

This appears to be something of a ritual for her. How many times does she repeat the practice before finally waking? Something to discover another day. This morning I’ll use the time to do a little research.

After slipping from bed, I dress quickly in a comfortable pair of jeans and a T-shirt, or at least as comfortable as human clothing can be for someone happy to be naked.

Downstairs in the foyer, I exchange morning greetings with Victoria. “If Kayla wakes before I’m back, tell her I’ll return soon.”

Magic swirls in my chest as I call upon my special awareness of the shadow roads and step sideways into a place of gray mist. I think of my destination, and the darker path of the road to Ferndale Falls forms before me as I run, wisps of fog obscuring all other views. In only a minute, an innate sense of location makes me stop. Carefully controlling my magic, I slide halfway between the shadow roads and the real world, which allows me to look and hear what’s happening without being seen.

If we’d ever desired it, the cat sith could have been far more than the messengers of Faerie—we could have been its premier spies and assassins. Yet why would we squander one of our greatest gifts for others? We’ve instead kept the ability as shrouded in secrecy as possible, saving it for our own benefit.

And if I’ve used it to stalk Kayla? Well, that’sdefinitelyto my benefit.

As soon as there’s a break in pedestrian traffic, I step back into a world of sunlight and color right in front of Grounds for Celebration. The protection spell cast over Ferndale Falls keepsnon-magical humans from seeing anything untoward, and the other fae are used to my ability to appear out of thin air, but I still check to make sure my path is clear.

Inside the coffee shop, sunlight streams through the front windows, and golden globes add additional light to the wooden interior stained a rich brown. People fill the numerous small tables and chairs with the buzz of multiple conversations, punctuated by the loud rasp of milk being frothed. The scent of coffee, earthy and rich, pulls me forward. Back in Faerie in my panther form, I never understood why humans were so infatuated with the bitter brew, but I do now.

Caffeine is downright delightful.

“Davina, my lovely.” I grin at the barista, a pretty human with tan skin and long, straight black hair, who wears gorgeously colored outfits. “What do you recommend for me today?”

“My Iced Dirty Chai is amazing.” She points to a blackboard with the name written in colorful chalk. “It’s the perfect blend of espresso and concentrated chai tea with just enough milk to smooth the flavors together.”

“Perfect. I’ll take two.”

Coffees in hand, I stroll down the sidewalk, the Town Hall’s clock tower rising ahead. To my left, a group of tulips races across the town green, filling me with pride. Not even Faerie has walking flowers—this is human magic. And now that I’ve met Victoria, I’m certain the tulips were created by Kayla. My wife.

Goddess, I like the sound of that. If I’m going to make this temporary marriage permanent, I need to seduce her. She’s attracted to me—how could she not be?—but she’s too strong-willed for that to be enough. No, I’m going to have to work for it, which only makes me want to win her more.

The scent of leather and paper surrounds me as I step into I Touch My Shelf.

“Shadow!” Naomi says, voice full of happiness, as she bustles out from behind the bookshop’s wooden counter to meet me. Short and full-figured, my friend has beautiful brown skin and a wealth of dark hair that surrounds her face in a mass of curls. She wears the linen tunic and leather pants of orc clothing, a little touch of Faerie here on Earth.

“I come bearing gifts.” Grinning, I weave my way through tables piled high with books and hold out one of the coffees. “It’s an Iced Dirty Chai.”

“I’ve been meaning to try these.” She snags the paper cup and takes a drink, humming with happiness. Then she eyes me. “You don’t usually bring me coffee, so what are you up to?”

“Can’t I do something nice for my oldest friend on Earth?” I first met her a couple of years ago, when the Moon Goddess took Naomi to Faerie to match her with her orc husband and set her on a quest to reopen the doors of Faerie. Still in my panther form, I was one of the fae who helped her do so, and we fought side by side, saving each other’s lives. Those kinds of bonds run deep.

Since she’s a witch who can teleport, she lives in an orc village in Faerie but still works at the family bookstore here in Ferndale Falls. Naomi’s been great about helping me adjust to this new world.

“Sure, but you still want something.” She points at me. “Your grin is extra grinny.”

“Is that even a word?” I tease.

“Yep.” She leads me past several sets of bookshelves to one of the comfortable velvet sofas that make up the shop’s reading area. Sitting, she pats the cushion next to her. “Spill.”

So I do, telling her all about Victoria and the marriage contract binding Kayla and me together.

“Oh, my god, Shadow!” Naomi bumps my shoulder with hers, chuckling and shaking her head. “Only you could get caught up in something like this.”

“It’s pretty wild, even by fae standards.” My grin fades. “I don’t want this marriage to be temporary. I want to win Kayla over, and that starts with me keeping my word. I told her I’d fix the door that’s supposed to go between our bedrooms, but…” I spread my hands wide and shrug.

“Phone.” She gestures for me to hand it over. As soon as I do, she taps the screen. “Tell me what’s wrong with it, and we’ll find you some YouTube videos to watch.”

“Paint’s peeling off it in big strips. They really have videos about that?”

“Trust me. If you need to DIY anything, someone’s made a video of it. It’s like the non-sexy Rule 34 of the internet.”

“What’s the sexy one?” I smirk.