Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39596 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39596 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 198(@200wpm)___ 158(@250wpm)___ 132(@300wpm)
Xavier didn’t need to be told where the intruder had stood. He walked directly to that spot and closed his eyes. Callan knew he was using his magic, knew that sometimes spell use left traces of magic that a sorcerer could read.
The air around them grew thick, and the tiny hairs all over his body stood on end as Xavier did his thing. Lonnie’s eyes were open impossibly wide as he stared at the sorcerer with his mouth open.
He was using powerful magic if they could feel it like this. Callan was a little envious. He had his own powers, but Xavier carried something infinitely deep—a connection to something, like maybe the very source of magic itself. He’d never met anyone else with Xavier’s power.
It took several minutes, and when Xavier finally opened his eyes, they were more black than usual, like his pupils had overtaken the irises. “Your intruder is a wizard.”
“A warper wizard?” Callan asked.
Xavier nodded. “He’s using a spell to hide his signature, which tells me he feels he has reason to hide who he is. Callan said you think it’s one of your students?” he asked Lonnie.
“Just from what the notes have said.”
“Show me.”
Once back in the living room, Lonnie pulled the notes from his briefcase and handed them to Xavier. Xavier took them out of the bags and ran his palm over each one.
“He’s good at masking his tracks. There is nothing on these.”
“If it’s a student, I’ll be able to scent him now when I’m close.” Callan sensed Lonnie’s frustration, so he laid his arm around the man’s shoulders, smiling when Lonnie cuddled in close. “You have classes tomorrow?”
“Full day,” Lonnie said with a nod.
Xavier tucked his hair behind one ear, still looking at the notes. “Whoever he is, he’s escalating, so Callan, you’ll need to be vigilant. I can also bring in Finn, if you’d like. He can better sense these wizards.”
“Is that necessary?” Lonnie asked. “I’m not sure I want someone else in my home.”
“It could end up being necessary. This wizard is hyper-focused on you and your life. That makes him dangerous. But we can wait and see if Callan can pick up on his scent first.”
“Let’s do that.” Lonnie shivered, making Callan tighten his arm around him.
Xavier didn’t stay long after that, and once he was gone, Callan could tell that they’d lost the earlier mood entirely. Lonnie’s lips were pinched into a tight frown as he started to pace.
“I hate this,” he said when he stopped in front of the television and threw up his hands. “And I don’t get it. What about me would bring this out in someone like that?”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m a chubby school professor. Not even that good-looking. I don’t do anything special outside of my job. I’ve never flirted with a student in my life, either.”
“May not be a student.”
His shoulders slumped. “That’s true. I’m wracking my brain, trying to think of where I could have run into an actual wizard.”
“They are everywhere. Could be anyone.”
Lonnie looked at him, features drawn and pale. “Yeah, Callan, that’s what’s scaring me so badly.”
Chapter Fifteen
Callan
Nothing happened over the next week, and Callan grew more frustrated every day because he had not caught that scent again. No more notes arrived, and since Lonnie was too scared to sleep in his bedroom, he’d been sleeping on the couch with Callan staying in the recliner.
They hadn’t kissed again, and Callan had held off giving his third courting gift. It wasn’t the right time. Not with Lonnie more restless than usual. His movements were more jittery, and he’d been rambling more than usual, his sleep so fitful he awakened often to sit up and look around the living room. Callan made sure to calm him each time, but seeing his mate so agitated and unnerved bothered him so much, he was finding it hard to not resume courting. He wanted to give Lonnie something else to focus on. But something told him it wasn’t the right time.
The stalker’s complete silence bothered him. It felt like the calm before a storm.
On Friday night, he and Lonnie were about to settle in for the new show they’d been watching, this one called Bleach. It was very different from the last show, but Callan had been enjoying it. Though he found watching Lonnie’s face during it was even more enjoyable.
Lonnie had left the room to grab something out of his bedroom when someone pounded on the front door.
Callan briefly closed his eyes because he knew exactly who was out there. He shouldn’t have told Rafe where he was, but his brother had been insistent, and since he posed no threat to Lonnie, Callan had caved. So he had no doubt Rafe, Nathanial, and Bartholomew were the ones pounding on the door.
He got up to answer, growling at them all. “This is my job. Can’t just show up.”