Page 26 of Winter Unleashed
Celeste stood at the counter with her back to me. She was slicing a bell pepper into strips and moving them onto a platter next to the onions she’d already sliced. She turned to me with a bright smile.
“Ember, honey, I thought I’d surprise you with lunch.” Her eyes lowered to the knife in my hand before meeting mine again. Her smile never faltered. “How do fajitas sound? I made fresh guacamole to go with them.”
When she turned back to the chopping board, I crept to the side to grab my phone from the counter. “Uh… I don’t think you should be here,” I said while opening my phone and texting the group I had for Stella, Isaac, and me. As soon as it sent, I slid the phone in my back pocket.
She spun around again. “Why ever not? You’ve never had a problem with me visiting in the past. Did something happen? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. If you don’t count the fact that I can’t remember you ever being here before. Except the day with the cinnamon buns.”
She glanced at the container still full of the leftovers. “You’ve only had one since I left,” she said with a frown. “Did you not like them?”
“They are delicious.” I furrowed my brow in confusion when I abruptly felt the strong desire to eat a cinnamon bun.
“Here,” she said, handing me one on a plate. “Sit and enjoy it while I finish lunch.”
“Um, no thanks. I’m not hungry.”
She tilted her head as she studied me. “No? Are you ill? You’ve never turned down a cinnamon bun before.”
“Shifters don’t get ill. You know that.” I shrugged and tightened my grip on the knife. “I don’t feel like eating it. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that I’m not in the mood for one. There’s a first time for everything.”
She calmly placed the plate on the counter then wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing. “Ember, my dear, you need to eat something. I can hear your stomach growling.” A second later a grumbling sound came from my midsection. “A bun will hit the spot nicely. It’ll tide you over until lunch is ready.”
It made sense. I felt hungry and couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten. Besides the cinnamon and sweet frosting smelled good enough to raise the dead. “Yeah, okay,” I said, picking up the plate and carrying it to the dining room table. “Thanks, Aunt C.”
“Oh, honey, you’re welcome. I’ll get you a glass of milk to go with it.”
I ate half of the bun in one bite. A moan escaped me as it did every time, I bit into one of her baking masterpieces. “I swear, Aunt C, these are so good, it’s like they’re magical.”
As the words exited my mouth, their meaning hit me, and I choked on the pastry. It was like a fog lifted. I couldn’t figure out how I’d gotten to the table or when I’d bitten into the bun.
I grabbed a napkin and spit the chewed-up dough into it. A wave of panic moved over me as I realized I’d swallowed at least half of what I’d bitten off.
Her high-pitched laugh echoed through my house. “It’s too late. You’ve eaten enough for it to take hold.”
I glared at her as it came back to me. “You’re the woman in my dreams. You’re not my aunt. My friends are right, you’ve told me nothing but lies.”
My voice sounded weird. It sounded like I was trying to talk while underwater. I rubbed at my ears, but it didn’t help. Then everything in my line of sight doubled and went blurry. She laughed again, but the sound went in and out like a broken speaker.
“Oh, Ember, you stupid little mutt. You’ll be asleep before your friends get here,” she said. “I’ll be back for you. Sooner or later, you’ll figure out you need me. Until then the suffering I’ve caused you and your loved ones is enough to entertain me.” And with that she disappeared.
I fumbled for my phone, barely getting it without dropping it. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that I’d left the group text open. As best I could with blurred vision, I texted them again:Cinnamon buns.
Chapter Eight
When my eyes opened, I found myself in an unfamiliar room. When I sat up to look around, I saw Liam in a chair staring back at me. The déjà vu was overwhelming, except this time, I was in his house.
“We really have to stop meeting like this,” I said with a nervous laugh. When I lifted the covers this time, I saw I was wearing a silk nightie. My face scrunched up in confusion because I don’t own lingerie. “Uh…”
“Stella dressed you. Again.” He let his eyes roam over my body, and I saw his hands clench into fists. He cleared his throat as he lifted his eyes back to my face. “I think it’s one of hers.”
“I don’t doubt that.” It was at least one size too small. My breasts were spilling out of it, and it just barely covered my ass. “Geesh, I look like one of those chicks on the cover of a romance novel.”
“You look beautiful, as always. But if you’d be more comfortable,” he said, holding out a pajama top. “I can offer you another one of mine.”
“Yeah, sure,” I muttered as I caught it when he tossed it to me. Without realizing what I was doing, I held it to my face. It smelled of him, and I couldn’t stop the next inhale. I smiled and gave him a little nod while lowering my feet to the floor to stand.
“Where are you going? You should rest more. Astrid examined you. She said Celeste used a powerful potion. That you might be drowsy for a while even after you wake up.”