Burned (Keeper of the Flame) (21 page)

“Oh,” I breathe. No wonder this is so hard
for Ryan. “Has he ever shifted before?”

“I think maybe once or twice. He said it
hurts.”

My chest aches and I rub a fist over my
heart. I open the back door and look around. “That’s terrible.”

“It gets easier the more he does it‒but Ryan
doesn’t want to do it.”

“What should I do?” I ask.

She sighs on the other end. “Wait. Give him
some space. Hopefully he’ll change back soon and it’ll be
okay.”

It doesn’t sound like the best solution, but
it probably is.

“Hey,” Cheyenne says before I can hang up.
“We should get together and make a plan for tomorrow.”

Tomorrow. Right. When Logan expects me to
start helping him again.

“You’re right. I’ll wait here a while for
Ryan first.”

“Good idea.”

I end the call and shove the phone in my
pocket. Movement by the shed catches my eye. I clench my fingers
around the handle of the door when I see something race by. It’s a
fox.

My lips part. It meets my eyes, staring at me
so long I whisper, “Ryan?”

The fox runs behind the shed again. I want to
go after it, but I can’t do that to Ryan. Not if he doesn’t want me
to see him. Why would he turn into a fox?

My shapeshifter history is lacking. I need to
brush up. I head inside to get ready. The house is still bare
enough it hardly looks like anyone lives here, but I’m getting used
to it already. I like it.

The fact that Ryan and his crew made it what
it is helps.

I start brewing coffee and decide on a
shower. The water is warm. I close my eyes and let it run over my
face and down my back.

Tomorrow. Tomorrow I have to face Logan again
or he’s going to be really angry. And I have no idea what to do.
What to say to him. I can’t do the spell because it will put a lot
of people in danger. But I also can’t hide from him forever.

When I hear a noise in the bathroom, my eyes
whip open.

Ryan appears at the door to the shower,
naked. “Mind if I join you?”

I’m too surprised to say anything but,
“No.”

His lips curve, giving nothing away. “No you
don’t want company or no you don’t mind?”

“I don’t mind,” I say, reaching for him.

He steps inside and closes the door behind
him. His arms come around me, pressing me against his chest.

“Are you okay?” I say against the curve of
his shoulder.

“I’m fine.”

I try to pull back to see his face, but he
holds tight. His hands slide through the water on my back, reaching
to cup my buttocks.

“Ryan,” I say, an ache in my voice. “I want
to help. I‒”

“You can help by distracting me.” He leans
back, eyes meeting mine. “Distract me. Just this once.”

I nod, hating the desperation I see on his
face. I touch his cheek, the stubble rough against my palm, and
kiss him. My tongue slides against his, frantic to go deeper, close
enough we’re almost one.

Skimming my hands down his sides, I reach
between us to grip him. He’s hard and smooth. He presses one hand
against the wall, his breath whooshing out. I continue to slide my
fingers back and forth, wanting to take his mind off of what just
happened.

The flames are low and quiet, enough that I
can almost completely ignore them.

“Willow,” he says, voice ragged.

I slide faster until his body clenches. He
drags me to him, crushing me against his chest as his arms tighten.
His heart hammers against mine and his lips find my cheek, my
shoulder, skim down to my chest, and he empties himself.

“Thank you,” he whispers, mouth against mine
again.

I nod, holding him close in a hug.

“I didn’t want you to see me like that,” he
says.

“I understand.”

He cups my cheeks between his hands. “Do
you?”

“I stopped myself from being with anyone for
so long because of the fire. But I trusted you and you helped me. I
want you to trust me, too.”

He kisses me softly on the lips. “I do trust
you. I just need some time.”

I swallow my disappointment. I can give him
time. As long as Logan doesn’t hurt me or kidnap me again, I have
all the time in the world.

Ryan’s hands are slick on my body. “Next
time,” he murmurs, finding the soap and running it over my
shoulders. He turns me around and rubs it on my back.

“Next time, what?”

“It’s my turn to distract you.” I glance over
my shoulder and his eyes are cloudy with desire. “I’ll give you
everything you want. And I’ll take it nice and slow.”

I shiver and turn around, surprised to find
him hard again. “Slow is good.”

He slides his arms around me once more and I
forget the fox and the fire, and lose myself in his kiss.

~ ~ ~

“A protection spell,” Cheyenne says.

She’s perched on the edge of her desk in the
library, reading through a list she made before we arrived. Ryan’s
arms are folded and he’s staring out the window.

“Protection for what?” I ask.

“For you. Either something specific that will
follow you everywhere or something for your house, so you can stay
there.”

“He already can’t come in,” I tell her,
sighing. “But I can’t stay in my house forever. The instant I come
out for any reason at all, he’s going to be there.”

Ryan turns to look at me, eyes dark and
frustrated. “A spell for you. Something like your necklace, but
stronger.”

I brought my Book of Shadows and there are
protection spells, but most of them are temporary. The strongest
thing I’ve found so far is the amethyst. “So if I just cover myself
in crystals, I should be fine.”

He doesn’t smile.

“Come on, Ryan, we’re trying to figure this
out.”

He turns back to the window. “I’m not going
to be good company today.”

“Then why don’t you go?” Cheyenne pulls off
her glasses and rubs them on the edge of her shirt. “Go get some
work done, distract yourself, and meet us for lunch so we can tell
you our plan.”

“We don’t have a plan,” I say.

She smiles. “We will.”

When I walk to Ryan, he nods. “I should. I
should get over to the site for a while.”

“I’ll walk you out.”

He inclines his head and I walk with him
through the front door, into the sunshine. His shoulders are tense
when he looks around, gaze traveling each side of the street.

I get chills even though it’s warm. “What is
it?”

He returns his attention to me.
“Nothing.”

“Is it Logan?” I ask, my shoulders tensing
now, too. I still have one more day‒I wish he’d leave me alone.

“No.” He takes my face in his hands, eyes
meeting mine fully. “No, Willow. It’s fine. I was just…making sure
I didn’t see anything.”

“Like what?”

He sighs, hands lowering to my shoulders. “I
saw a fox in your backyard. That’s what triggered the shift. I
couldn’t stop it.”

“Oh. I’m sorry. I didn’t‒didn’t know it could
happen that easily.”

He clenches his teeth. “It shouldn’t. But I’m
not used to shifting. I didn’t think I’d ever have to get used to
it.”

My stomach clenches. And it’s my fault. He
wouldn’t have to deal with this if I hadn’t come to Shadow Hill. Or
if I’d left in the first place.

“Don’t think that,” he whispers.

“What? How do you know what I’m
thinking?”

“I know what you’re feeling. Guilt. I can
feel it, too. And it’s not your fault.”

I don’t answer, just nod.

“Willow.” He sighs, pulling me against him,
lips brushing my cheek. “I’ll stay. I can go to the site
later.”

Over his shoulder, I see someone standing
across the street. Logan. I straighten and shake my head, trying to
ignore him. “No.” I smile at Ryan. “It’s fine. Get some work
done.”

He glances over his shoulder, frowning. But
Logan is gone. “You sure?”

“Yes.” I step back. “Go. We’ll plan.”

“Logical plans,” he says. “Something that
helps‒not more things that will put you in danger.”

“There’s a bigger picture here. It’s not just
about me.”

He shakes his head. “You’re important in
this. It’s not going to help if you get hurt.”

“We’ll figure it out,” I assure him. I start
to turn back to the library, but he catches my arm.

“Not yet,” he says.

He presses one hand flat on my back, holding
me to him. His fingers are warm through my shirt, strong and steady
even after what happened to him this morning. His breath mingles
with mine when he leans in. His other hand traces my cheekbone.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you,” he
says quietly in my ear.

“It won’t.”

His lips brush across mine, just a tease. I
push closer and fuse my mouth to his, drawing strength from him.
His fingers slide into my hair and tighten there for a brief moment
before he releases me.

“Just a few hours,” he says.

I nod, stepping back. “A few hours.”

He turns and walks to his truck.

A chill races up my spine and it has nothing
to do with Ryan’s kiss. I almost retreat to the library. But I
squeeze the stone on my necklace and say, “I know you’re
there.”

Logan strolls around the building, hands in
his pockets. I have no idea how he got over here so fast, but now
he’s right in front of me.

He smiles. “You’re getting awful friendly
with the shifter.”

My jaw clenches and I resist the urge to say
something back.

“I remember not too many days ago, you were
getting friendly with me.” He takes another step, close enough he
can reach out and touch me. “But I noticed you didn’t set him on
fire.”

“He’s not using me.”

Logan’s lips quirk. “Is that all it is?
Something so simple and you fall for him.”

“It’s not‒”

“What?” he asks when I don’t continue. “It’s
not what?”

I keep my mouth shut. I don’t have to explain
myself to Logan. It’s more than the fact that he’s not using me.
It’s that Ryan respects me. He didn’t try to influence me to do
anything.

“Have dinner with me,” Logan says.

“What?”

He props his arm against the building, just
inches from where my shoulder is leaning. “I want you to come to my
house for dinner. So we can talk. Without anyone else. Without you
thinking I expect anything. I just want to talk. Explain some
things.”

“Are you serious?”

“Don’t I look serious?”

He does. He looks serious and dangerous. The
last person I should be having dinner with‒especially in his
house.

“I’m not going to your house again.”

I turn to go in the library, but he’s faster
than me, blocking my path. “Please,” he says.

The word makes me hesitate. What can he tell
me that’s going to make any difference?

“It doesn’t matter what you have to say,” I
tell him. “Your reasons aren’t going to make it right for me to do
the spell.”

His eyes darken. “Be smart about this,
Willow. I’m giving you a chance to understand where I’m coming
from. To make this simpler. Less dangerous.”

“I’ll take my chances,” I say. Holding my
necklace in his direction, I ease around him and enter the
library.

“I’m still not sure about this.”

I give Ryan the same look I’ve been giving
him since yesterday morning before I saw Logan again. The look that
says,
We don’t have a choice
.

We don’t. Logan gave me a time limit, and I’m
not willing to test his patience.

I load my satchel with my phone, my keys, my
Book of Shadows, and a plastic bag of vervain that Cheyenne hands
me.

“So, I just put it in his drink and it’ll
work?”

Cheyenne nods. “That’s what the book says. As
long as he drinks his drink.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Ryan asks, arms
folded.

He stands at the counter, ignoring the cup of
coffee I poured for him. He hasn’t shifted again since yesterday
and it felt good to have him here in my house last night, to keep
me from thinking too much about how I’m supposed to somehow trick
Logan today.

To get him weak enough we can trap him.

“I’ll try to get him comfortable, get him
talking about the spell. I’ll try to get him to trust me.”

Ryan frowns. “As much as it pains me to admit
this, he’s not an idiot.”

“I can be convincing,” I say.

“Maybe we should just bring a wooden stake
and attack him.”

I swallow, shaking my head. “I can’t…can’t
kill him. I just‒I want to get him locked up until we can figure
out a solution. This will buy us some time‒hopefully.”

Ryan runs a hand through his hair and checks
his watch. “Okay, when are we doing this?”

“Soon,” I say, glancing at Cheyenne. “Now.
Before he comes here or something.”

“You’re protected,” Cheyenne assures me. “You
drank the vervain, you have the amethyst, and we did that spell. He
can’t hurt you. You just need to get him weaker.”

I nod and turn for the door. Ryan follows me
out. “You sure you don’t want me to drive you?”

“I don’t want him to get suspicious. You
should follow me.”

“Hey,” Ryan says, catching my arm. “Please,
just…just be careful.”

“I will.”

“Not Willow’s version of careful, a normal
person’s version of careful.”

I smile. “Are you saying I’m not normal?”

His hands slide up my arms, cup my cheeks.
“I’m saying you’re headstrong.”

“Reckless?”

“Whatever you want to call it.
Self-preservation isn’t something you have a solid grip on
yet.”

I frown. He kisses me, rubbing his hand down
my back and along my hip.

“I’ll be careful,” I tell him when he
releases me.

“Good. We’ll follow you. We’ll be outside
waiting. I’ll feel it if something is wrong, okay? I can be inside
in seconds.”

It makes me feel better, and I nod again
before waving at Cheyenne and getting in my car. I try to drive the
speed limit on the way there, even though I want to slow down and
think of a new plan. I don’t know if this is going to work. I don’t
know what else to do if it doesn’t. All I know is that my mom is
still not answering her phone and I can’t figure out how to
reactivate a spell I never did in the first place.