Prologue

Five years ago

Jasper sat behind the wheel of the old pickup. He had “borrowed” it from a junkyard on the south side of town, the white peeling paint of Hank’s Scrap and Salvage marking its side. He didn’t know who Hank was, but he doubted he would miss the vehicle for too long. He would bring it back as soon as they were finished. The privileged wealthy of Albury’s northside wouldn’t notice the vehicle parked alongside all the other equipment at the new building going in on their block.

These houses were all less than twenty years old, but that didn’t stop the habitual tear down and complete redevelopment of these huge lots for the elite of the city. God forbid they found a house they liked and gave it a fresh coat of paint. No, these people needed to start from scratch every time.

Marcus and Joe were squeezed in beside him. They had a tight ride over the freeway, but Jasper had insisted. It would attract way too much attention if one of them was laid out in the bed of the truck. Joe had finally relented to reason. As the tallest of them, his knees were jammed up against the dash, and he had grumbled the whole way.

Jasper couldn’t exactly blame him. It was a hot and humid August, and even though the sun had set long ago, the heat still pressed down on them. They were crammed into the cab with no air conditioning and the windows rolled up. Jasper wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. 

Marcus leaned forward, trying to get a look around Joe’s hulking frame. There was a long drive of manicured hedges and trees that disappeared into the darkness. “You sure this is the place?” 

Joe nodded, “Yeah. You can see it from the top of the scaffolding. It’s about a quarter mile back.”

Marcus cracked his knuckles, “Light work.” 

Joe snorted, unimpressed. Marcus managed to piss off most people eventually, and he and Joe sometimes butted heads. But tonight, Joe held back. They had a job to do, and they were all working to keep their focus.

They had met Joe while working on a job site. Jasper and Marcus had moved out here from their hometown less than a year ago, hatching this plan to make a quick buck and get the hell out. Albury was a huge city, but it was rare that they ran into anyone like them. But a shifter always recognized another shifter, and they had hit it off with Joe, who was just a few years older than them. 

After months of grinding away as laborers on construction sites, they finally got comfortable with the finer details of their plan. It was Marcus who let Joe in on it. Jasper hadn’t been sure they could trust someone they had just met, but Joe had the connections they needed. It wasn’t long before the three of them robbed their first house.

This was their sixth job. And Jasper was starting to think that maybe they were pushing their luck. His cut was already enough to go back home and put a down payment on the old Anderson land, and that was good enough for him. Get his own slice of land away from his parents, and finally get a little freedom to build his life. 

“Let’s go.” Jasper said. 

They slipped out of the truck, and instead of heading down the manicured path, they headed towards the construction site. 

Jasper could see easily despite the dark, one of the perks of his kind. They had already looked for security cameras the other night, but still he checked again. After working on similar projects, he started to notice that the set up was usually the same from site to site. But out here in the suburbs, they didn’t have much security at all, just a couple lights on motion sensors.

They skirted around them, the range only good enough to detect motion within fifty feet of the house. But they weren’t going to the house. They hugged the perimeter until they got deep into the lot. They stopped under an ornamental tree, the low branches offering good cover. 

Thunder rolled overhead, the humidity full to bursting. Rain was in the air, even a human could smell it. Marcus growled, “Godsdammit, our clothes are going to be soaked.” 

Jasper tugged his shirt over his head and threw it at the base of the tree. “Can’t be helped.” 

He dropped his pants and took a few steps away from the others. He reached for his shift, the heightened senses of his bear form coming to him easily. The rain in the air was all encompassing, and he could already sense when the first drops would hit the earth. The thunder reached his ears, telling him that the edge of the storm was less than a mile away.

He stretched, his muscles growing and reshaping. Shifting was like a sigh of relief after sitting in one place too long. His body grew, the hulking and familiar weight settling into him as he stood on massive paws. He was easily four times the size of his human form, and the strength in his limbs felt raw and intoxicating. Shifters were stronger than most in their human form, but shifted, he felt unstoppable.

The brown fur of his bear form scraped against the branches, and he rubbed against the tree to scratch a sudden itch in his side. He stretched the pads of his feet, the claws familiar as his weight pushed into the earth. He shook himself once and took off into the underbrush to cut across into the lot they actually needed.

A massive wolf and a lynx followed closely behind.

The mansion was dark. Jasper went to start the first part of their plan. He tracked down the garbage cans and began tearing into them, his giant paw ripping off the lids and dumping the contents onto the driveway. If anyone was home, the ruckus usually sent the house into an uproar. It was unusual to see a bear in this part of the state, but not unheard of.

After several minutes, the house stayed dark. He circled around to the front. By now, Marcus had probably already jumped up to one of the upper balconies. As a lynx, he could clear about twenty feet without much effort, his shifter's strength adding to a lynx’s natural abilities. An unlocked french door was pretty easy to open even with paws.

Jasper’s ear quirked at a sound from the bushes around the side of the house. He padded over carefully to check it out. Sniffing carefully, he detected the musky scent of a fox. He sniffed again. Fuck. He knew that fox.

He ran into the brush, and sure enough, Cameron was crouched in the underbrush, watching him with narrowed eyes.

Shifters couldn’t work magic or cast spells, but there was wild magic inherent to their kind, allowing them to communicate telepathically with other shifters regardless of their form. They could even communicate with other animals, but it was much more limited.

“What the hell are you doing here?”

“I should ask you the same question.” Cameron said icily.

A black panther slinked out of the darkness and sidled up next to Cameron, “Where is Marcus? What has my idiot brother done now?”

Jasper grimaced, his canines bared in surprise. “Dex. Why are you guys here?”

Cameron cocked his head, his words like acid, “Let me think. A string of strange burglaries are being talked about all over the state, even in Baston. And the only clues they have are claw marks and animal prints, and it just so happens that my friends moved to Albury a month before the burglaries began. Why do you think we’re here?”

Jasper’s ears flattened against his head. Cameron never lost his temper, but he was pissed now. Which is exactly why Jasper and Marcus didn’t tell him. And they definitely never would have told Marcus’s older brother Dex, who’s moral compass would have never even considered theft as a solution to their family’s troubles.

Thunder rolled overhead once more, and then a faint flash of lightning announced the arrival of rain. It hit the leaves overhead, and the soft beginnings turned into a deluge. The sound and the smell flooded Jasper’s senses, but the wind changed briefly, and the three shifters stilled as a new scent reached them. 

“Magic…” Cameron hissed. 

A howl ripped the night. A warning from Joe that Jasper needed to run, tinged with pain.

The hackles on Jasper’s back went up. The three of them agreed that if anything went wrong, it would be every man for himself. But fuck that. He ran towards the house, knowing that Dex and Cameron would be close at his heels. 

Climbing up the front steps felt unnatural after months of hugging the dark, but the scent of magic grew as he neared the door. Without hesitation he barrelled into the door, his shoulder connecting and sending the wooden door jolting out of its frame with a reverberating crack.

The scent of magic clogged his senses, almost overpowering all else. It made his head fuzzy, but he barrelled on towards the source, knocking aside furniture with his lumbering form. Another howl reached him, this time from Marcus.

Dex slipped ahead, his lithe form sprinting to reach his brother as quickly as possible. They barrelled down a long hall, reaching a narrow staircase that Dex and Cameron sprinted up quickly. Jasper grunted, the walls brushing his sides as he climbed. The scent of blood reached him as he cleared the last step.

At the top of the stairs was a wide room that took over nearly the entire second floor of the huge house. The dark polished floors reflected candlelight and shelves lined the walls, filled to the brim with books and jars. In the middle of the room, a huge circle with demonic runes marked the floor. In the center was Joe, still in his wolf shift. His teeth were bared in a snarl, blood pooling around him as he struggled to get up. A huge gash bled from his neck. 

A warlock was upon them, his hands glowing with magic as he held Marcus and Joe in the circle. Marcus snarled and howled, crouched low in front of Joe as he tried to break through the ward that held them in the circle.

Jasper cursed. In the days they had spent researching this place, it had never occurred to any of them that it might be the home of a warlock. Warlocks were powerful magic users that grew their magic by making deals with demons. And by the smell of this one, he was old and powerful. They had royally fucked up. 

The warlock’s tall form was cloaked in shadow in the candlelit room. He wielded his magic to distort his face and form, it was hard to place what his actual appearance was. Dex leaped at the man without hesitation. The warlock raised one hand at Dex, a flash of light sending him flying into a bookcase. The wall shuddered as his body slammed against it. 

Jasper roared and threw himself forward, but Cameron darted in front of his legs and forced him to slow his pace. It was just in time for him to miss the silver spear that suddenly came flying towards him from across the room. He faltered. The warlock had more tricks than just his magic, and Jasper had almost run blindly into one of them.

The warlock yelled and the room filled with light. Jasper felt his body shudder, muscles shaking as nausea overcame him. His shoulders quaked, and with a sudden gasp, he was back in his human form. His bare knees and hands pressed into the cold floor as he fought for breath. 

He looked up. They were all in the circle now, forced out of their animal forms. The tang of blood hung thickly in the air, and Jasper looked over with alarm. Cameron was bleeding now, the blood seeping through his fingers as he pressed against a wound in his chest. 

Jasper reached for his shift, but the call of the bear felt distant and unreachable. A new terror pounded in his heart. He knew warlocks were capable of dark magic, but he hadn’t considered that one could cut him off from his shift. It felt so wrong, so impossible. He couldn’t believe it even as he reached again. He strained for it, struggling to feel any connection to his primal side. It was a sick, disjointed feeling, as if he had suddenly lost access to one half of his body.

The warlock held them, his power unfurling around him and still blurring his features. His voice grated, more demon than human as it vibrated around them. “You abuse your gifts to try and steal from me?” He laughed coldly, the sound sending the hair on Jasper’s arms standing on end. 

A low murmur started to fill the air around them. The murmur grew to a buzz of ancient words that he didn’t know the meaning of. The words filled  his ears, the sound suddenly piercing. He covered his ears and groaned in pain, his friends likewise began curling up against the grating sound of the warlock’s spell. 

The warlock’s voice seemed to speak inside his head, the sound thudding against the back of his skull. “A curse on you all…may your human forms never see the light of day. You will lose yourselves slowly, until your humanity is gone and only the beast remains.”

Another flash of light blinded him, and then all went dark.

Chapter One: Ruby

Present day

Ruby gave her hair one last spritz of hairspray when she heard the front door of her small apartment open. She heard the familiar rattle of her roommate’s keys, and called out for her, “You got a fancy package today!”

A disinterested grunt was Autumn’s only reply. 

Ruby tossed the hairspray into the basket with all their combined hair stuff. Her olive skin looked sallow in the horrible yellow light of their bathroom, but her eyeliner had come out perfect for once. She sauntered out into the other room. The tiny space managed to call itself kitchen, dining, and living room. Ruby was grateful that Autumn already had the furniture when she moved in. She knew that the couch must have come into the apartment somehow, but she couldn’t imagine how it would go out if Autumn ever decided to leave. 

“Oh,” Autumn smiled at her as she shrugged out of her jacket, gesturing to her hair. “Very Brigitte Bardot of you.” 

Ruby patted her dark hair to remind herself that she hadn’t gone full beehive. Her hair had taken longer than usual, she was finally getting used to having bangs again. She pursed her red lips, “It’s not too much?”

Autumn shook her head, her sleek strawberry blonde hair slipping off her pale shoulder, “Not at all. You look great. Going out tonight?”

“Just a closing shift with Sophie.” 

Ruby worked at a coffee shop with their mutual friend Sophie. Sophie had gotten her the job. Once Autumn had introduced them, Sophie had taken her in almost immediately. It wasn’t long before she and Sophie had become friends as well. And it was thanks to Sophie’s pampering that she now had a fresh haircut. Sophie had talked her into the curtain bangs, and she had to admit that Sophie was right about how they framed her face.  

When Ruby had moved to Albury two years ago, she knew no one. She had tried one last time to make amends with her mother, Lanie. But it was no use. They couldn’t stop fighting, and Ruby had enough hurt for one lifetime. She was done with coming second to her mom’s deadbeat boyfriends. Her grandmother had tried her best to mediate between the two women, but that had gone over like an atomic bomb.

So to Albury she went. Starting over in a big city had seemed like a good idea at the time. She had wanted to lose the person she used to be. But starting over was easier said than done. No family, no friends, just going from one shitty job to another and trying to find a roommate who didn’t make her nervous. 

It had been a rough year until she met Autumn. After living in the city with almost no one, overnight she had managed to finally make friends. She moved in with Autumn, then her friends became their friends. She was finally feeling secure for the first time in a long time. 

She couldn’t remember the last time she had a friend to talk her into a haircut. High school was seven years ago already, and even back then she hadn't had much of a chance to really get close to someone before her mom was carrying her off to a new city. 

Ruby grabbed the small cardboard box that had been delivered earlier that morning while Autumn was at work. She shoved it at Autumn, her curiosity getting the best of her. “Who’s Billie?” she asked, eyebrows raised. “Old boyfriend?”

Autumn grabbed the box, her icy blue eyes examining the return address with her brow furrowed. “Billie is a she, and just a friend. One I haven’t heard from in a while.”

Ruby cocked her head to the side. “Well, whatever it is, she sent it overnight and certified. I had to sign for it.”

Autumn made a sound in the back of her throat. She dug a knife out of a drawer and slit the tape along the side of the flap. She popped the lid open. A piece of junk mail was wrapped around a little dark fabric satchel. Autumn stretched open the corded bag and paused. 

The skin on the back of Ruby’s neck tingled. She rubbed it self-consciously. It was a feeling she was familiar with, though she could never seem to place exactly what caused it. It had happened a lot more frequently since moving into this apartment with Autumn, but she just had to blame it on the old drafty windows in their living room.

“What is it?” Ruby asked.

Autumn reached a thumb and finger into the bag and pulled out a thick gold chain. “It’s a necklace.”

She pulled out the rest of the necklace. An old locket swung from the chain. Dark gold, a little dirty, and delicate scrollwork engraved on its face. Autumn bunched the fabric bag into her hand and grabbed the locket. She looked at it briefly, her cat-like eyes narrowed as if she was studying it. 

Ruby looked at it over Autumn’s shoulder. “Whoa. That looks old.”

Autumn nodded, her gaze still on the swaying necklace, “It is.”

“Is it yours or something? Why’d she send it to you?”

“No…” Autumn said thoughtfully. “I’m not sure why she sent it to me. I’ve never seen it before.” She put the locket in the palm of her hand, and after a beat attempted to open it. But the locket was stuck firmly shut. 

“Want me to try?” Ruby asked. 

Autumn handed the locket to Ruby almost reluctantly. Ruby was confused by her hesitation, but when the locket hit her palm, she felt almost a shock go up her hand. Her stomach flipped, making her feel weightless for a heartbeat before it settled down to normal. She pressed her other hand against her stomach and took a deep breath. 

“What?” Autumn asked in alarm.

Ruby shook her head, scrunching up her face. “Sorry, that was weird. I just got dizzy or something for a second there.” The locket was warm in her palm, and she handed it back to Autumn without attempting to open it. Something about the locket made her nervous but she couldn’t explain why. After that strange feeling, she just wanted the locket out of her hands. 

Autumn put the locket back in the little bag and then shoved it into her purse. Autumn’s voice was oddly stiff, “I’ll have to give her a call and see what’s up. She must have found it and thought it was mine.”

“Probably something like that…” Ruby shrugged, her stomach still feeling a little wobbly. She smiled, trying to put the weird moment behind her. Her life seemed full of weird moments. Usually they amounted to nothing but what her mother liked to call “women’s intuition.” 

Her mother was a big believer in that kind of thing. Her grandmother as well, honestly. It was the one thing both women agreed on. Thanks to their Turkish ancestry, they were big believers in nazar, the evil eye. Ruby was less sure, but even she wore a small pendant out of habit. 

Granted, the nazar was also a gift from her grandmother. Wearing it made her feel close to her family, if nothing else. From her experience, acting on superstitious beliefs usually just meant making impulsive, emotional decisions. And the last thing she needed was to be anything like her mother, but she played with the nazar now after the unsettling feeling with the locket.

Autumn’s face relaxed once the locket was sequestered in her purse. She turned to Ruby, also ready to move on with her day. “Want a grilled cheese before you go?”

“Uh, yes please!” Ruby cried. She pushed past the odd moment and sat at their little table while Autumn started grabbing bread and cheese. “Sophie and I might go out after work. You want to join or do you have yoga tonight?”

Friday night was a weird night for a yoga class, but Autumn went pretty regularly. Ruby figured it might be something more than yoga, like meditation or something. Autumn seemed a bit cagey about it sometimes. Not that Ruby was one to judge. She had plenty in her past that she didn’t want to talk about. 

Which is probably why they worked so well as friends. They had a knack for sensing when a subject was taboo, and then they let it well enough alone. Neither of them wanted to bring up whatever secrets they were hiding, and it was a quiet understanding between them. For Ruby, it was pretty much anything that happened before moving to Albury. For Autumn, it was where she went on Friday nights.

“Yea, I’ll be at yoga. I’ll text you if I think I can make it.”

“Give us a head’s up if you bring a certain boy with you…”

Autumn shot her a look, eyes flashing, but the corner of her mouth was turned up in a smile. “I’m not bringing Brann.” 

“Why not? He’s nice.”

He also used way too much of her good body wash in the shower, but other than that he was friendly and treated Autumn well. He and Autumn had been on again and off again so many times that Ruby wasn’t sure what their situation was.

Ruby was half convinced that Autumn was a little ashamed of Brann. She guessed he must be a bit nerdy because he mentioned magic to her once. She wasn’t sure if he had meant the card game or Houdini, but Autumn had given him a pointed look that made him awkwardly switch topics.

Autumn shook her head, “He’s not that nice.”

Ruby laughed, “I knew it! You guys are hooking up again.” 

Autumn shook her head again. “No. Not anymore.”

“That’s what you said the last time. And then I came home, and poor, innocent me was just trying to get my pajamas when I got a full view of Brann’s dick.”

Autumn chortled, unrepentant. “How was I supposed to know that you didn’t understand what a scrunchie on the doorknob means? It’s a pretty classic sign at this point.”

Ruby pressed her nose, “Didn’t go to college, thank you very much.”

“You do now!” Autumn reminded her. 

Ruby had just started classes at the community college thanks to Autumn and Sophie’s encouragement. Well, a little more support from Sophie than just encouragement.

Sophie had the kind of family money that most people dreamed of, but unlike most trust fund kids, Sophie was extraordinarily down to earth. She was the first to admit that her family’s money allowed her to live a certain lifestyle. Her only vices were shoes and salon services, and she worked at the cafe part-time to stay grounded and give her days structure. Sophie had a tendency to give extravagant gifts when it moved her. For Ruby, she had been moved to get her a shiny new laptop once she had registered for classes. 

“I’m not living in a dorm. And I’m definitely the odd one out. Everyone is either nineteen or fifty-nine. I already had two kids asking me to buy them alcohol.” She slapped her hand against the table, “See, I’m twenty-five and I’m calling nineteen year olds kids. It’s weird.”  

“It’s a two year program, and then you’ll be free of the kids.” Autumn turned and set down a perfectly golden brown grilled cheese before her. “Now let’s go sit down, we have time to watch exactly one episode of Love Paradise before you go to work.” 

Ruby grabbed her plate, “Yes, finally! I’ve had to wait all morning to see this episode. Let’s go!” 

The closing shift at the cafe was usually pretty dead, and a steady rain throughout the evening meant it was even more quiet than usual. She and Sophie had taken turns staffing the counter and working on the cleaning duties. Chances are they could get out early tonight, and that meant getting to the bar early to snag a couple chairs.

Ruby wielded the broom, getting into the back corners under the tables. She was tempted to get down there with a rag, but she didn’t want to crawl around on the floor if they were going out after work. 

Sophie had finished restocking the cups under the counter, and looked at her with one dark eyebrow quirked. Her brown skin was glowing even in the dim light of the cafe. She flicked her silver hair over her shoulder. “I can see that look in your eye, Rubes. They don’t pay you enough to care about the state of the floors.”

Ruby swept up the dirt from the corner as best she could. “There’s a loose baseboard down there that someone kicked up weeks ago and it’s still hanging there. Do you think Justin ever reads any of our emails?”

Justin owned the cafe and several others. He was one those business guru types that casually left out their parent’s monetary contributions from their success stories. Normally his absence from the cafe was a blessing, but every now and then Ruby wished he would put a little money back into the business. But with this cafe being in the older part of town near the university, he let a lot of the needed repairs slip by in favor of pouring the profits into his buildings in the posh side of town. 

Sophie snorted, “Of course he doesn’t. He only calls if the deposit is late.” 

The bell on the door dinged. A middle-aged couple walked in, laughing at each other as they wiped the rain from their faces. The balding man pulled off his glasses and wiped them on a well worn sweater, while the other pulled an old fashioned handkerchief out of his pocket and began wiping the rain from his face.

The taller of the two, his hair graying at the temples, looked over at the counter where Sophie was standing. “You’re not closing are you?”

“Not for another thirty minutes. Can I get you something?”

“Well, we just got stuck in the rain and hoped to dry out for a minute.”

The balding man tucked his glasses back on his face and said in a hushed voice to the other man, “We should really buy something if we’re going to drip water all over their floor.”

The tall man looked at where Ruby was sweeping, his concern evident as he protested to his partner. “They’ve already started cleaning up for the night…”

Sophie interjected, “We still have regular and decaf ready. And hot water if you’d like tea.”

“I would love some hot coffee to-go.” The balding man beamed at Sophie.

The tall man looked at her sheepishly. “I’ll take a  decaf.” 

“Coming right up.” Sophie spun into action.

Ruby realized she had stopped sweeping and had been staring at the couple. There was something about them that made her feel suddenly and deeply lonely. She looked away and resumed sweeping intently, as if she could brush away the dark gloom that had settled over her. 

If Ruby’s mom had taught her anything, it was that men were trouble and relationships were ultimately doomed. Ruby had never known her birth father, and her mom never talked about him. But she could only assume that he had gone the way of every one of her mom's relationships. 

Her mom had spent Ruby’s life chasing men up and down the east coast. The relationships always started with butterflies and excitement, her mom newly convinced that she was the happiest she had ever been having finally found “the one.” Well, that man would eventually and inevitably become just one of many. Her mom once again nursing a broken heart, sobbing as she packed them up to get a fresh start somewhere else.

So Ruby had no pretensions to finding True Love, she didn't believe in The One.  Love like that made you make bad decisions and ultimately fizzled out. Leaving you a more hollow version of yourself. She had seen it over and over again with her mom.

If she felt that spark, that first sense of intoxication, it usually sent her running the other way. But every now and then, she wished she had someone. She had dated off and on over the years, and sometimes she felt like she found someone that she could have companionship with. But those ended too, because it was hard to have a girlfriend who would never give herself completely. She understood that, so she had been starting to wonder if she should get used to the idea of being alone.

Then she would see a couple who seemed like they were linked together forever by some inexplicable force. Their happiness and confidence palpable as they passed the sugar or shared a scone. It left her feeling small and sad.

“Earth to Ruby?” Sophie waved a manicured hand at Ruby, and looked at her with growing concern.

“Huh?” Ruby said.

“I’ve been talking to you. Where’d you go?”

“Sorry, I zoned out.”

“Uh, yea. I think you swept that corner well enough. Something bothering you?”

Ruby looked back out at the empty cafe. The rain had already lightened up, and the couple had left. “Don’t you ever just wish…” she sighed. “I hate to even admit it. I’m just so tired of being alone.”

Sophie groaned. “Ugh, that couple got you, huh? You know they’ve been together for twenty years? I can’t even imagine. They own one of those adorable little antique stores down on Third.” 

“How do you get everyone to tell you their whole life story?”

She winked one hazel eye at her, then laughed. “I don’t know. But really, couples like that, they’re the exception. Not the rule. Most of the time, relationships will leave you with nothing but an unexpected credit card bill and about twenty four hours of nail biting until your STI screening comes back.”

Ruby gave her the laugh she was looking for. “Was that what happened with Tristan?”

“Tristan was the one who used my name to get into a club, and then walked out on a 500 dollar tab. Nils took my credit card. But lucky for me, he's an idiot and I got a fraud alert when he tried to buy a ticket back to Norway. And then his Instagram stories sent me straight to the doctor’s office.”

“How do you find these guys?”

“They are everywhere! If you'd go to a party with me, you'd see for yourself.”

Ruby shook her head. “Somehow, I don't think seeing it first hand would end up going too well for me.”

“True, those fuckboys would eat you alive. Best leave them to the cold-hearted, like myself.” Sophie threw back her shoulder, and posed, a little smile peeking through. Ruby let her joke, but she knew that Sophie wasn’t as cold as she pretended to be. 

They had known each other for a year now, but working together for six months had allowed Ruby to see another side of Sophie. Sophie had that easy confidence and charisma that had many customers fawning over her from a distance. Not many had the gall to actually try and ask Sophie out. And those who did had suffered a variety of fates ranging from a polite refusal to public embarrassment. 

From what Ruby had seen, Sophie only embarrassed those who deserved it. Like the guy who had leaned over the counter and whistled at Sophie to get her attention, then asked her out with such a confident smirk that Sophie had ripped into him loudly and dramatically. 

“Is Autumn coming tonight?” Sophie asked. She had pulled out her phone, swiping idly as she prepared to send Autumn a message. “Or do I need to bully her into coming?”

Ruby shook her head. “Autumn has her yoga-thing tonight.” 

Sophie sighed, “Who does yoga on a Friday night?”

Ruby shook her head. It had been a long standing curiosity that Autumn had failed to enlighten either of them about. But that was just Autumn. Ruby smiled, “We can drink on her behalf.”

“You know it.” Sophie tucked her phone away and began closing up.

That was one thing that Ruby would never change. Sophie and Autumn. If she had to be grateful for anything, her toxic mother had at least pushed her onto the path that had brought her to friends.

Who needed men, anyways?

Chapter Two: Jasper

Jasper stared at the glowing neon sign of the Broadside Tavern. The old brick walls were dark with age and probably still had coal dust lingering in the cracked clay. It was considered a classic bar in the city, but he had never been there before. He sniffed the air again. Amid the rain and all the scents it stirred up, he could detect the faint and familiar smell of magic.

He rolled his broad shoulders under his baggy T-shirt. Despite the rain and the dropping temperatures of fall, he still had no need for a jacket. He’d have to start wearing something soon just to blend in, otherwise people would probably start to look at him funny. Classic shifter problems, his kind always ran a little hot. 

“Hey, man.” 

He didn’t need to look to know that Cameron had walked up beside him. Jasper nodded at the bar. “You smell that?”

His friend paused. “Oh yea. You think there’s an artifact in there?”

“Or someone who’s been near it.” 

“Either way, one step closer.” Cameron elbowed him in the side and flashed a grin. His dark red hair was swept out of his face, pale amber eyes twinkling. It didn’t take much to get Cameron excited, and Jasper could already see the mischievous look on his face.

“This is a lead, Cam. We’re not here to mess around.”

Jasper sniffed the air again. It was not just any magic. The warlock’s magic was unmistakable. Even after five long years, he still recognized its metallic scent. Five miserable years bound by the warlock’s curse.  And by their stupid decisions. Despite the mess that he had gotten everyone into, they had all managed to stick together.

Well, almost all of them. But he couldn’t think about Joe right now. 

Cameron scoffed and rubbed the stubble on his jaw. “It’s Friday night! We can work and have a little fun, eh?”

“Just stick to the usual tactics.” 

Jasper brushed a loose bit of hair back behind his ear. He had tied his blonde hair back but a strand had come loose. He really just needed to buzz it all off. But there had been more pressing matters. He cracked his knuckles and shoved his hands into his jeans before crossing the street. 

Cameron jogged ahead of him, his hair flying. He reached the door first and slung it open. They almost had to crouch to get under the door frame. It was an old building. There was no bouncer at the door, and they ordered beers at the bar without anyone asking for ID. 

The place was off the beaten path, but busier than he would have expected it to be. The bar was loud with the hum of conversation. All the barstools were full, and some were standing with drinks but thankfully it wasn’t packed. The place was dark, the music wasn’t too loud, and they were playing a weird old sci-fi movie on the televisions. 

“Check out this guy.” 

Jasper almost looked around before realizing that Cameron was looking at a television. A man in the movie was wearing this wild red and black get up. “Focus, Cam.” 

Cameron took a sip of his beer and hissed under his breath, “We’re acting natural. You gotta relax a little.” 

Jasper glanced at himself in the mirror behind the bar. He was practically scowling, his hand gripped around the neck of the bottle like he was trying to strangle it. He looked away and took a long drink from the bottle. He was far from relaxed, but he did his best to school his features. The last thing he needed was to send the person they were looking for running away in terror. 

He turned and leaned against the bar to get a better look at the rest of the place. Some couples deep in conversation, a group playing darts…there was a door that led out to a smoking patio. The door swung open so many times that the overpowering smell of tobacco was throwing off his senses.

His gaze froze on a woman sitting near the back entrance. Her hair was dark, and bangs framed her face. Even in the dim lighting of the room, he could see the dark red lipstick on her full lips. She was leaning forward, the corner of her mouth lifted in a small smile as she listened to the woman sitting across from her. He felt himself inexplicably leaning forward too, as if his body wanted to be just that more close to her. 

Cameron sniffed. “That one. You smell it too?”

Jasper held back a growl when he realized Cameron’s gaze fell on the same woman. He stopped staring and concentrated on his other senses. Finally, that thread of magic found its way to him again. It was her. She was utterly gorgeous, and he couldn’t decide if that made this better or worse. Jasper nodded. 

His friend smirked at him and said snarkily, “Remember, no messing around.”

Jasper scowled at him. “Whatever, man.”

Cameron threw him a look, and he knew he was about to say something more. But then his gaze fell on the other woman. She had brown skin and silver hair that was in an intricate updo with little curls spilling out everywhere. Her mouth fell open, a tinkling laugh reaching them across the bar. His friend swallowed visibly, an actual blush creeping into his cheeks for a second.

“Keep it in your pants, Cam.” 

Cameron’s expression went back on lock, his mischievous smirk returning. “Right back at you, Jas.”

Jasper walked over to the dark haired woman. She glanced up at him as he approached, her smile fading just a little. He saw her eyes dim as her guard came up. He wasn’t sure if there was something about him, or if any man put her on the defensive. The thought of a man hurting her inexplicably set his teeth on edge.

It took him off guard. Both her defensiveness and this sudden possessiveness roiled in his gut. He wasn’t used to women reacting to the mere sight of him with such suspicion. Normally when he approached a woman at a bar, he got a coy smile and a subtle, or sometimes not-so-subtle, examination of his body. 

Her warm brown eyes watched him, waiting for him to say something. He paused just long enough for Cameron to cut in. 

“Can we join you ladies for a drink?” Cameron asked. He grinned, his shoulders relaxed and body open. Cameron had always been silver-tongued, and the way he approached people set most at ease. He held out his hand. “I’m Cameron.”

The light-haired girl gave him the once over and took his hand. She cocked her head to the side, her eyes narrowed on him. She wasn’t entirely won over, but her curiosity was clearly piqued, “Sophie.” 

Cameron turned to the other woman, holding his hand out. The brunette looked at him, the smile returning to her face. Her smile nearly made Jasper knock Cameron’s hand out of the way. But they shook hands, and she finally spoke, “Ruby.” 

Cameron kicked Jasper subtly as he pulled his hand away.

“Jasper.” He said gruffly, his throat suddenly dry. He shook Sophie’s hand gently, then turned to Ruby. He took her hand, intending to give it a quick shake as Cameron had done. 

As soon as their skin touched, he felt a shock along his fingers, then goosebumps raising along his arms. He let go of her hand awkwardly and resisted the urge to stuff his hand in his pocket. She had touched one of the artifacts, the magic still lingered on her hand.

He cleared his mind. She had contact with what he needed to free himself from this godsforsaken curse, and nothing, not even a beautiful woman, was going to stand in his way. 

Cameron asked, “How’s your day been going? Just get done with work?”

Sophie had been watching Jasper closely through his bungled introduction, but now she turned her gaze back to Cameron. “Just so happens we did just come from work, how’d you guess?”

“It’s that time of night.” He tilted his head, “And I can smell coffee…baristas?”

Ruby scrunched up her nose, an embarrassed laugh bubbling up, “You can smell that?”

“It’s faint, I promise. I just happen to have a nose for it. I roast coffee for Diesel over on Amherst. Ever been?”

Sophie nodded, “I’ve been. The owner and I know each other.”

Cameron beamed. “Oren is an angel. They let me work odd hours so I can have my days free. It really is a great place to work if you’re looking to jump ship…”

Cameron wasn’t even exaggerating about his boss. Oren hadn’t blinked when Cameron had asked for only night hours. Oren was the type who had been through enough themself. They knew when to poke and when to let someone alone. Jasper had only met them a few times, but he had felt this knowing look that made him convinced that Oren knew more than they let on. 

Sophie seemed to agree with Cameron’s effusiveness, and her shoulders relaxed towards him. She leveled a still suspicious gaze Jasper’s way, “Do you work there as well?”

“No, I’m in construction. My boss is not an angel.”

“Neither is ours.” Ruby gave Sophie a knowing look. 

“Anyone I would know?” Cameron asked cheekily.

“Justin Hurst?” Ruby said, cocking her head to the side. Sophie shot her a warning glance that Jasper caught. It seemed Sophie was not ready to let them know where they worked, but Ruby had just let it slip. 

Cameron grimaced. “Yeah, I’ve heard of him.” He nodded to Jasper, “That’s ‘Red Napkin Guy.’” 

Jasper shook his head and rolled his eyes. Dex and Marcus worked at a bar downtown, and this was just one of many stories they had regaled them with over the years. He felt the heat of anger that a guy like that ran a business and had any right to supervise anyone. 

Sophie leaned forward slightly, intrigued. “‘Red Napkin Guy?’”

Cameron shrugged his shoulders, “I heard from a buddy of mine that he pays the bartenders extra to serve drinks on a red napkin to the women he's already gone home with. Because he can’t remember their faces.” Cameron grimaced apologetically, giving a small shake of his head in disapproval. 

Sophie made a disgusted sound.

Ruby laughed, “So what, there’s like two red napkins floating around somewhere in the local landfill?”

Cameron and Sophie laughed, Jasper hid a smirk behind a sip of beer.

Cameron pointed to the women’s drinks, “Can I get you another round?”

Sophie glanced at Ruby, some quick and silent signal passing between them before she hopped off the barstool. “Another G and T, Ruby?”

“Please.”

Cameron and Sophie went to wait at the bar, leaving Jasper alone with Ruby. He needed to find out where this woman had been, hopefully narrow down where she might have encountered what he needed. 

Ruby gave him a piercing gaze, “So, what do you do ‘in construction?’”

“Nothing exciting. Grunt work, carpentry, that kind of thing. What about you?”

“Barista, remember? Nothing terribly exciting about that either.” 

He wasn’t too concerned with her work. Her brush with magic probably didn’t happen there, otherwise the scent would be on her friend too. “What about outside work?”

“I don’t have a lot of free time for hobbies. I go to night classes, hang out with my friends. That kind of thing.” 

He had to suppress a groan of frustration. If this all led him to a huge college campus then they might as well be back at square one. 

“Is something wrong with that?” she asked, an edge of annoyance creeping into her voice.

He hadn’t realized he was showing his emotions so obviously. “No, no of course not. Just a pity about you not having much free time…” He let the sentence hang, letting a hint of implication enter his gaze.  He waited for her to blush or smile like most of the women he flirted with did. 

But her face remained still. “Yeah, a pity.”

Fuck. He was striking out hard. He wasn’t the most talkative on his best days. And these past few years had only made his taciturn nature worse. Still, he didn’t usually struggle this much when talking to women. It felt like she had taken one look at him and frozen over. She was uncomfortable, and not knowing what was wrong was making him awkward, his words jumbling in his throat. 

Was it possible she knew he was a shifter? He tried to sniff discreetly to see if there was another scent on her skin. Demons, fae, and witches all had a distinct smell, their magic marking them to their kind. Any magical being would be able to tell pretty easily that he wasn’t human.

He smelled magic on her, but it wasn’t strong enough to be her own. Her scent was musky and warm, like flowers and something else…rose and amber. It made him want to lean in and inhale the scent directly from her hair. He bet her neck was soft and warm, and nuzzling into the arch of her shoulder would probably drive him mad. 

He cleared his throat, forcing himself back to reality. His attraction to her was hard to ignore, but he needed to focus. He reminded himself of her guarded look and stiff posture. Whether she knew what he was or not was beside the point. Something was off, so he needed to stop trying to flirt and just try to have a normal conversation.  “I never went to college, how is it? What are you studying?”

She played with her empty glass, spinning the straw idly. “I just started. It’s alright, I guess? I’m only taking the basic stuff right now. Writing, math…you know, that kind of thing. I’m getting a business degree.” 

With a lurch, something shoved into his back and sent him hard up against the table. The single pedestal of the table wobbled against his weight, and he thought he was about to send it toppling into Ruby. He grabbed the table hard, knocking over his beer in the process and managing to crush the bottle under his palm as he tried to right the table.

He bit back a curse as glass went into his hands. Godsdamn shifter strength. Sometimes they were too strong for their own good. He hadn’t meant to grab for anything that hard, but he had overcompensated in a moment of panic. With the table safe from falling into Ruby, he pulled his hand back and saw blood already starting to pool in the palm of his hand.

Ruby was out of her chair, beer splattered all over her shirt. She looked at his hand with horror, “Oh god, let me see if the bartender has a first aid kit…”

Her path was blocked as a man stumbled between the two of them. He was human and reeked of whiskey. An almost empty glass was clutched in one hand, the other was patting Jasper roughly on the shoulder. He wore a button up shirt, the few top buttons undone. He leaned, oblivious to Jasper’s hand as he laughed, “Hey, sorry dude. Didn’t see you there!”

The drunk man looked over at Ruby, catching her annoyed glance. He looked her up and down, as if examining whether she was worth his notice. His gaze lingered on the beer stains on her shirt, and he reached out and plucked the wet fabric between two fingers. He started laughing, “Didn’t mean to make it a wet T-shirt contest!” 

Jasper felt every muscle in his body tense. The urge to defend Ruby came up suddenly and viciously, even if it was just from some drunk who was being a jerk. He stepped away from the table, his cut hand turning into a tight fist at his side.

He was about to tell him to take his hand off her when a well placed hand from Ruby sent the drunk man stepping back. Ruby was standing next to Jasper, her hand wrapped around his arm as she pressed into his side. It made him freeze to feel her sudden warmth next to him. It was almost enough to unmoor him and make him forget that he was about to punch someone. 

Her hand was still up from where she had gently but firmly pushed the drunk man away. Her lip was curled in distaste, her annoyance obvious as she examined the drunk man. “Do you mind? He’s bleeding.” 

The drunk man’s mouth dropped open, his jaw ticking in annoyance. His knuckles were turning white around his glass. “I’m sure a roughneck like him is used to bigger scrapes than that. Aren’t you, buddy?”

The man was several inches shorter than Jasper, and he looked at Jasper now with blatant animosity. The drunk man’s voice dripped with sarcasm, “Come on man, I’ll buy you another beer. I’m sure I can spare two dollars.”

The way he spoke sent Jasper’s teeth on edge. Cut or no, he could feel himself starting to make a fist again. This man was practically asking to be punched. Jasper had no doubt that he could lay this man out even if didn’t have a shifter’s strength to fall back on. 

Ruby’s grip tightened on his arm. He heard her silent plea to not do anything stupid. He took a breath. He wasn’t about to get into a fight with Ruby standing right there. Still, he couldn’t help himself as he gave the man a once over and made sure he knew how much he wasn’t worth the effort, “Sure, pal.”

The drunk man’s mouth twisted into a frown. He wanted the last word, to be the last one standing when he went back to his friends and told the story. “We gonna have a problem?”

Ruby bristled next to him, her indignation rising. He could feel her about to say something. He wasn’t sure what surprised him more, that she was willing to go to bat for him against some random drunk in a bar, or how much he liked her for it. 

But then Cameron and Sophie were there, the bartender at their heels. A plastic first aid kit was shoved into Ruby’s hands. He wasn’t sure who pushed them away, but suddenly he was following Ruby down a hallway towards the women’s bathroom while the drunk man shouted futily at a much calmer Cameron. 

The fluorescent light of the bathroom was jarring after the dimly lit bar. Ruby was running water from the faucet, her fingertips testing the temperature as she adjusted the taps. She stepped aside and grabbed his arm in one fluid motion, pushing his bleeding palm under the warm water.

She muttered something under breath, “The fucking audacity of some people.” 

The bathroom was small, and the alcove for the single sink even smaller. His back brushed up against the towel dispenser as Ruby squeezed in next to him. He held his breath as her arm brushed up against his chest. She was single minded, focused on the first aid box on the counter as she sorted through what looked to be hundreds of tiny bandages. 

The tension had rolled off Jasper almost as soon as Ruby had grabbed his arm again. He was oblivious to the water washing away the blood as he focused on not burying his face into her neck now that she was just a few short inches away from him. He focused his breathing, catching her scent again in a rush that went straight to his head. 

Gods, what was happening to him?

He had just met her and his heart was pounding just from having her so near. He found himself mumbling lamely, “Sorry about this. I didn’t mean to cause you any trouble.”

She flinched, looking at him with wide eyes. In the bright light of the bathroom, he could see more clearly her olive skin and the warmth of her brown eyes. He swallowed as she held his gaze intently. 

“You have nothing to apologize for. That guy was such an asshole. He was clearly trying to pick a fight. Who does that?”

Jasper snorted, “You’d be surprised. This isn’t the first time someone’s tried that with me.”

He couldn’t be sure why exactly that was. Sometimes he thought it was simply because he was often the tallest man in the room. Other times, it just seemed like bad luck. Who knew, maybe there was something in human nature that made them aggressive to shifters instinctually. Just because most people didn’t know that shifters existed didn’t mean there couldn’t be some weird subconscious shit going on. 

Ruby’s lips turned down in a frown, clearly displeased. “Well, thank you for not punching him. Even though he deserved it. I’d hate to get thrown out of my favorite bar.” 

“I would gladly have taken a punch if that would have kept you from getting kicked out.” Her eyes widened in alarm, and he grinned. “Technically he wasn’t wrong. I have been in worse scrapes.”

She narrowed her eyes at him, but the corner of her mouth lifted in a barely suppressed smile, “A trouble maker?”

“I don’t start trouble-”

“Oh, sure,” she cut him off, her smile open. “But you finish it.” She rolled her eyes playfully and grabbed his hand, “Let’s see the damage.” 

“You’re not squeamish?” Jasper asked.

She shook her head. “It’s never bothered me. I used to watch all those slasher, gory horror films and be the only one who didn’t need to look away.” 

“Surprised you aren’t going to school for medicine or something.” 

“You have to be really smart or really rich to do that, I am neither.”

He had a feeling she was plenty smart enough, but he didn’t think she was searching for a compliment so he kept it to himself. He could definitely relate to money problems, though. It was his lack of money that had gotten him into this mess to begin with. 

She looked at the cut, surprisingly gentle as she prodded him. “I’m just trying to make sure there’s no glass in there. I don’t see anything, do you?”

One of the perks of his kind was quick healing, and as such he was especially in tune with his body. He looked at the cut, but he didn’t really need to see it to know that there wasn’t any glass in there. He was just glad to have a reason for her to be standing so close.

The thought made him pause. He should not be so worried about getting close to this girl. The whole point of even talking to her was because he could smell the artifact on her. That’s what he needed to focus on. Not on how good she smelled or the curve of her bottom lip or the way her hair fell across her forehead…

He suppressed a groan. It was going to be a long night if he was going to keep getting this distracted. There were so many reasons why he shouldn’t take this too seriously. She was a human, for starters. He was a shifter and cursed to boot. Plus she had recently been in contact with the item that might just help pull the curse off him. He didn’t know what to make of that yet, but he was sure that nothing good could come from him trying to eat his cake and her too. Or whatever that saying was. 

She dabbed at his hand with a paper towel before fishing out a big bandage from the first aid kit. As she pressed the big square bandage to his palm, the bathroom door opened.  

They both looked. Sophie leaned into the cracked door, “Bartender says we better make ourselves scarce. That other guy took off but he says he doesn’t want any more trouble tonight.”

“Jasper didn’t even do anything, it was all that asshat.” Ruby hissed. 

Sophie shot a glance between the two of them, her eyes assessing them quickly. Jasper had a feeling that she didn’t miss a thing. “Yea, well…we can go somewhere else. The General is right around the corner.” 

Ruby handed over the first aid kit and took a jean jacket and a purse from Sophie’s arm. Sophie disappeared back into the bar and Ruby shrugged into the jacket. Ruby looked up at him as she adjusted her bag over her shoulder. “You want to come to the General with us?” 

Jasper grinned, “Yes. I think I owe you a drink.” He held his palm up. It might have just been a bandage from a first aid kit, but he was still kind of blown away by her small kindness. Maybe she was just taking pity on him after how hard he had been blowing it a moment ago. But whatever hesitancy she seemed to have towards him was completely gone. Something had changed, and he wasn’t about to let her slip by. He would follow her all night if that’s what it took.

But she just nodded, “Let’s go out the back.”