Page 2 of Wedding the Werepanther

A sigh of relief escapes me. Things really, really need to go well today. All three of the appointments I set up for yesterdaywere no-shows. The one today is my last shot. It’s not as if my small town has a huge pool of people needing a place to live—or at least not humans. I wonder if wood nymphs like to live in houses. The ones who run the flower shop Oopsy Daisy seem like the calmest type of fae to potentially live with. I sure as shit couldn’t handle hyper pixies or annoyingly gorgeous panther shifters.

No, I refuse to think abouthim.

I blow a stray lock of purple hair out of my eyes and smooth my hands down today’s slogan tee. Most of mine are kinda sarcastic, but this is one of the nicer ones, withGirls just want to have gamecircling a game controller.

The faint purr of a car engine vibrates through the air, and I hurry across the entry, open the carved mahogany door, and run down the steps. Humid air washes over my face as the day warms toward the full heat of a New England summer afternoon. Sunlight dapples the grassy lawn, filtered by the tall trees bordering the yard. Twin bursts of red flash from the end of the long driveway as the person leaving barely taps the brakes in their hurry to flee.

“Dammit! Why?” I throw my arms wide. “This house is flipping adorable.”

“It really is,” a deep voice says as a wide smile appears in midair on the front walk. The rest of Shadow slowly forms around it. He’s annoyingly handsome and knows it, with brilliant green eyes, dangerously sharp cheekbones, and flawless light skin that sets off long, inky black hair that shades to silver by the tips.

The grin grows wider as he stalks toward me. My head tips back as he gets close, which isn’t something I usually need to do, since I’m almost six feet. Awareness shivers over me. I’m a big girl, but the werepanther’s larger, with wide shoulders that carry a good bit of muscle and a feeling of coiled power.

“I hear you’re in need of a roommate,” he purrs, his voice velvet sin.

Suspicion crashes over me, and I fling an arm toward the disappearing car at the end of the drive. “Did you do this? Did you scare them away?”

“Who, me?” He tries to look innocent, but innocent is about the last word that could ever describe him, so he doesn’t pull it off.

“You did!” I poke him in the chest, his disturbingly firm chest. Nope! Not noticing how muscly his flipping muscles are! “How could you? I need—” I choke off, all my worries over losing the house too raw to share with someone so callous.

“What do you need?” In a blur of motion, his hand traps mine. His thumb rubs little circles over my knuckles.

Shivers race across my skin. Since when are my knuckles sensitive? I yank my hand free and grit out, “I need a roommate, preferablytworoommates.”

“I will be all the roommate you need.” His green eyes meet mine.

“You?” A snort of disbelief escapes me. “Do you have the money? Do you even have a job?” It sure doesn’t seem like it with the way he’s always around whenever I go into town, following me, smiling at me, standing too close…

“I am cat sith.” He straightens, his shoulders flaring wide. “The only fae able to walk the shadow roads. We are the messengers of Faerie. Trust me when I say money is of no concern.”

Trust him? The smirking guy who seriously knows he’s gorgeous and doesn’t take anything seriously. How the hell can I trust him? “Is this all some kind of game to you?”

“Of course it is.” He leans closer, his voice dropping to a seductive purr. “One I plan to win.”

I can’t even with this shit. This isn’t a game—it’s my life, my home. I spin and march away from him, but the second my foot touches the first step, the front door slams shut.

“Victoria,” I mutter. But the house is right. I can’t afford to be choosy.

“Interesting.” Shadow glides up beside me, his clever eyes studying the house. “I sense magic.”

“What kinda magic? Fae magic?” I mean, I’m pretty sure it’s my magical powers that animated the house, but that could be wishful thinking. I’ve always loved fantasy, and the thought of being a real witch feels like a dream come true. But if I’m being realistic, it’s much more likely this is some kinda Faerie magic. Fae fill my small town. Pixies run the pizzeria, gnomes cartwheel down the sidewalk, and annoyingly sexy werepanthers turn upeverywhereI go—or at least one of them does.

“I don’t think so.” Shadow’s sinfully long fingers caress the banister post.

Victoria’s front door swings partially open with a soft sigh.

“Are you kidding me with this?” My hands fly up into the air. He’s flipping seducing my house!

A deep chuckle rolls from him, all velvet and chocolate and wicked promise.

The door opens wider, the curtains fluttering in the windows like a coquette batting her lashes. Victoria, you slut.

The werepanther gives the banister one final pat, his green eyes finding mine. “This is your magic, and it’s fascinating.” Before I can reply, he bounds up the stairs and into the house, calling out a hello.

By the time I make it inside, Victoria’s already talking to him, the photos sliding back and forth.

Welp. There’s no denying it now. I blurt, “The house isn’t haunted.”