Page 5 of Thankful for You
“I own the place now,” I replied, gesturing around the bakery. “Inherited it from my mom. Been running it for the past few years.”
He nodded, his gaze sweeping over the room like he was trying to absorb everything at once. “It smells… incredible.”
It did, of course. My magic made sure of that. I infused every treat with a little extra—love, joy, comfort. Whatever my customers needed. But now, with Griff standing there, his wolfish energy making the air thick, I wasn’t sure what my magic was trying to do. Or if I could control it.
I cleared my throat, trying to focus. “What brings you back to Charcoal City? Thought you were long gone.”
Griff’s eyes flickered with something unreadable, and for a second, the casual mask slipped. “I was. Came back for… some business. Just passing through.”
I didn’t believe him. Griff had always been good at keeping people at arm’s length, but there was something different in the way he said it. Like he was lying to himself more than to me. But I didn’t push. Not yet.
“Well, if you’re hungry, you’re in luck. We’ve got the best pies in the city.” I motioned to the display case, trying to keep the conversation light. I could feel my magic still sparking at the edges of my control, and I couldn’t let him see how much his presence was affecting me.
He leaned in, his eyes scanning the pastries like he was genuinely considering his options. “Pies, huh? Got anything with meat?”
Of course. A wolf shifter would want something more substantial. I nodded. “I’ve got some meat pies in the back. Give me a sec.”
I turned to head back to the kitchen, but the moment I moved, the magic inside me surged again. This time, it wasn’t just sparks. It was like a lightning bolt shot through the room. A loud crack filled the air, and I whipped around just in time to see a few sparks fly toward the nearest light fixture. The bulb exploded, sending shards of glass raining down in the corner of the room.
“Shit!” I yelped, grabbing a towel to try and shield myself from the mess. Delilah let out a startled laugh from behind the counter, clearly used to my magic going haywire.
But Griff—he didn’t flinch. His gaze stayed locked on me, those stormy gray eyes now watching me with a mixture of curiosity and something else. Something darker, more primal.
“Trouble controlling your magic?” he asked, his voice low, but I caught the teasing edge to it.
I shot him a look, my cheeks heating with embarrassment. “It’s… complicated.”
He chuckled, and the sound sent an unexpected thrill down my spine. Damn it, why was he affecting me like this? This was Griff, the guy who used to tease me about being too serious, the same shifter who was always too cocky for his own good.
But now, standing this close to him, with my magic practically sparking out of my fingertips, I realized something had shifted between us. Maybe it was the years apart. Maybe it was the fact that we were no longer kids.
Or maybe it was just him. Griff wasn’t the same boy I’d once known. He was… more. More dangerous. More alluring.
More everything.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to focus on the task at hand. “Let me just get you that pie,” I muttered, turning on my heel and heading toward the kitchen.
But before I could take more than a few steps, I felt it again—that pull. The one that felt like it was yanking me straight back to him. I hesitated, my fingers twitching as I felt the magic rise up again, unbidden, uncontrollable.
“Hey.” Griff’s voice was softer now, and I could hear the concern threading through it. “You okay?”
I turned back to him, caught off guard by the genuine question in his eyes. He wasn’t teasing anymore. He was… worried.
“I’m fine,” I lied, the words tumbling out too quickly. “Just… the usual chaos around here.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push. Instead, he took a step closer, and I swear the air between us crackled again, like our very presence was setting off sparks.
“Iyonna,” he said, my name coming out low, like a warning. Or maybe it was something else.
Before I could answer, another spark shot from my hand, zipping through the air before hitting the metal rack next to me. The entire thing rattled before clattering to the floor, sending pots and pans flying.
“Damn it,” I hissed under my breath.
Griff took another step closer, and this time, I didn’t back away.
“You sure you’re okay?” he asked, his voice steady, but I could hear the tension underneath it.
I met his eyes, and for a second, all the years we’d spent apart fell away. All I could feel was the pull between us, the way my magic hummed in response to him. I didn’t understand it, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to.