LITMIR.BIZ

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Earl shook his head.

      Apparently, Ted couldn’t take it anymore. “Sexual powers, you idiot,” he said, unable to contain his glee. “And we’re counting on you to let us know if it’s true.”

      Rance had to suppress the sudden, strong urge to punch the guy in his face. All of them, in fact. Poor Jade. He couldn’t help but wonder where all this had come from if no one had gotten near to her.

      “Does Jade, er, know about this legendary power of hers?” he asked, jaw tight. “Is she aware what y’all are saying about her?”

      “Y’all?” Earl shook his head. “You ain’t from around here, are you?

      “No, obviously I’m not. You didn’t answer the question. Does Ms. Jade know?”

      Earl shrugged. “I don’t know. This is a small town, so I imagine she might.”

      Damn. Rance had to look down at his hands to hide his fury. “I’d like the check, please,” he said. Getting into a bar brawl wouldn’t do anything to help his position in this town. “And don’t ever let me hear you talk about Jade like that again.”

      The walk back to his motel wasn’t enough to dispel the turmoil inside him. Despite knowing the rumor had to be complete and utter nonsense, even the thought of it fueled his already deep desire for Jade.

      Frustration coiled inside him. He wanted to claim her as his. Part of him already had. And truth be told, a lot of it was sexual. Jade Burnett’s beauty attracted him. His inner beast roared, reminding him of his earlier resolution to change and let his other self run free.

      Perfect. Exactly what he needed to do. As long as he took precautions not to be seen. His kind was not only rare, but largely misunderstood among other shifters.

      Increasing his stride, he continued on past the intersection where the business part of town gave way to residential. The well-kept houses were fully restored and beautifully landscaped. As he passed one house with colorful flower gardens, he could smell the heady scent of lilac.

      For some reason, this made him think of Jade, with her clear green eyes and uncertain smile. No wonder she seemed a little standoffish. People spreading wild rumors about her would have a way of messing with her self-confidence.

      Yet despite all that, or because of it, he couldn’t keep himself from picturing her naked underneath him, her perfect skin gleaming in the moonlight.

      Aroused and furious, he picked up his pace, heading toward a wooded tract of undeveloped land he’d seen when driving around. As soon as his feet left the pavement, the sound of the fallen leaves crackling underfoot began to soothe his restlessness. He inhaled sharply, pine and earth and wood, continuing on, in search of a meadow or a large enough clearing to accommodate him once he assumed his other form.

      Finally, deep within the forest, he found a meadow. The overgrown wild grass rustled in the light breeze, and above, the black night sky twinkled with a thousand stars. Rance made a slow turn, listening, scenting, just to make sure no creatures other than wild ones roamed near. The last thing he needed was for an errant pack of wolf shifters to see him.

      Even though the wolves and the dragons were allies, until their Pack council found a way to announce the existence of his kind, he and all the few others like him had been asked to keep everything low-key.

      Sensing nothing other than an owl in one of the nearby trees and a rabbit cowering under a bush, he stripped off his clothing. He dropped to all fours and initiated the change. He couldn’t wait to soar into the air, rushing toward the stars. Flying felt so weightless, and the distances he could travel in a few hours, brought its own kind of freedom.

      Except flying could be dangerous. His heart sank as he considered his choices. Then, with a rush of excitement, he realized what he’d do instead. The cliffs overlooking the water weren’t too far away. The vastness of Forestwood Lake beckoned. There, he could dive deep into the water, unseen by anyone who walked the land. For his kind, swimming felt akin to flying, except for the necessity of holding one’s breath.

      And if he happened to run into the local lake monster, even better.

      * * *

      The unsettled feeling had come over Jade during the night, startling her wide awake at 3:00 a.m. Lying awake in her bed, desperately wishing for sleep, she’d seen shadowed images. A beast of some kind, flying. At first, she thought Libby was making contact—her charge had done that before—but this felt different. As if someone or something was watching her, hearing every breath, feeling every stuttering pulse of her heart. Her necklace even felt warm, but that could have been because of her rising bodily heat. Now every nerve ending along her skin came alive as she waited, wondering what she was supposed to do.

      When she finally fell asleep, she saw his face again. Rance. In her dream, she reached for him as he came in for a kiss. The instant their lips touched, she knew...

      Because she shied away from the knowledge, she’d startled awake again. This time, her clock read five-thirty, which meant she could get up and shower.

      Once she was dressed, she snagged a cup of coffee and carried it out to the front porch like she always did. Settling in the large wooden swing, she took a sip and watched the sky lighten as the sun readied itself to come up over the horizon.

      Today, she fully expected Rance Sleighter to make an appearance. Her entire body heated as she pondered what she’d do if he tried to kiss her. And then, she wondered if she’d be disappointed if he didn’t.

      Inside the house, all was silent and still. Her entire family still slept. Her mother, Amber, didn’t believe in getting up before sunrise and Pearl and Sapphire were teenagers. Enough said.

      This morning in addition to opening up Dogs Off Leash, she’d be helping out her mom by opening their store, Jewels and Essence. Over the weekend Amber and Opal had each taken turns, since they’d given their healthy-oil classes to twenty-two attendees who’d signed up in advance. That part of the business had really taken off. While interest in aromatherapy had blossomed worldwide, Jade had a feeling the popularity of theirs had a bit to do with the way the townspeople believed she had magic.

      Opal and Amber weren’t bothered by this. In fact, they capitalized on it whenever they could. Pearl and Sapph rolled their eyes and giggled whenever the topic of magic came up.

      It appeared the only one bothered by the rumors and gossip was Jade, the so-called sexy witch. When she’d first learned of the tales of her sexual prowess, she’d been mortified. And then, the embarrassment had settled into a simmering anger, which made her retreat from any attempts at dating. Of course, it didn’t help that she’d recently turned twenty-nine and, with thirty looming on the horizon, was more than ready to settle down and have a family. With the ridiculous expectation looming over her, all any of the men in this town were interested in was seeing if it was true.

      Recently, she’d signed up for an online dating service and was careful only to go out with men from one of the neighboring towns, where they’d have no idea who she was. So far, while she hadn’t met anyone she couldn’t resist, none of the men she’d dated had any preconceived ideas about her. That had been a relief.

      She yawned and checked her watch. Time to finish her coffee and get inside and eat. Her first clients would be dropping off their dogs at 6:00 a.m. sharp.

      When she’d decided to open Dogs Off Leash, her mother and grandmother had scoffed. Her aunt and uncle had rolled their eyes and her sisters couldn’t have cared less. Only Grandpa Sam had clapped her on the back and told her he thought she had a fine idea. Since Grandpa rarely spoke to anyone since the dementia had taken hold of him, Jade considered his words a high compliment.

      In the year and a half since her doggy day care had been open, business had been brisk and increasing in increments. She’d taken her profits and reinvested in the business, adding on to the fenced dog play areas and hiring additional staff.

      Even better, she loved her business. Every morning she greeted the day with a smile on her face, eager to get to work. Raised

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