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Chuckling, I watch as she puts her hair up and can see just a twinge of blush run across her ears, but I decide not to tease her about it. Now that I know she’s at least interested in me too, I feel silly that I didn’t notice her reactions before. Jane is right; it’s obvious that we’re intrigued by each other if nothing else.

“I’m just saying, carrying you bridal style would have been fun.” I say with a wink. I can see how hard she’s trying to make sure she reaches the others in one piece. It’s adorable.

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I beam up at Caden when he says I did well, adding a skip to my step as we exit and head for the car. ”Oh, that’s what the shopping is for.” I say, feeling a little dense that I didn’t pick that up earlier.

“I’ll bite anyone who gives you a hard time.” I tell Avery with a toothy grin from beside Caden. “You just give me their name and I’ll make sure they stop bothering you.” I’m not actually going to go around biting people, but I know how rough it can be having a preconceived notion floating over you.

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”Oh goddess. Let's not give your father another reason to keep calling me his daughter-in-law,” I say.

We finally reach the others and I'm bouncing on the balls of my feet as I watch them spar.

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I nod and kiss the side of Nero's head. Their biting comment brings a smile to Avery's face and he seems to settle.

”Alright, let's go,” he says and gets into the back. I turn and face Nero and pull them in close.

”How would you like to come to dinner tonight with me and an old friend of mine?”

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I chuckle, amused by her reaction. I desperately want to wrap my arms around her as we watch Janet and Kat spar, but I’m worried that’ll come off as too much. I settle for lightly wrapping an arm around her shoulder instead.

“Any bets on who will win?” I ask Cass, looking down at her. Kat is tall and relatively athletic, but Jane plays dirty and uses her short and curvy stature to every advantage. I’m just glad that they’re keeping their trash talking PG-rated - there are some families with kids here after all.

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Even if I can’t emotionally connect well to others, I’m happy to see that I can help a little. A startled squeak comes out of me when Caden pulls me close to him and I grin, wrapping my arms around him as well. I look up and beam at Caden. “Yes please!” I chirp. “Someone got me all these clothes and I want to show them off.” I flash him a cheeky wink.

Honestly, I just like being with Caden, no matter the circumstance. A small part of me that I’m in denial with is scared that I’ll have memories resurface and Caden won’t be there to help me through them, but I shove that to the back of my mind for now. I just want to be with him, that’s all.

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I find myself naturally leaning into Nic as we watch Jane and Kat. I don't even notice. I'm so focused on monitoring Jane and Kat’s movements for a few minutes before I make my decision.

”It could go either way really, but if Jane keeps her cool, she'll win,” I state. Playing dirty is all well and good but having balance and precision is best. That way you can time things better.

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”Good. I'm sure they'll want to go out after, too. We could still go to the bar tonight if you are feeling up for it. It would be a good way to get some Intel as well,” I state. I open up the car door for Nero and wait for them to get inside before I call to make a reservation at a restaurant. It's not as high class as the one I took Nero to but the food is delicious and all sorts of people go.

After that, I get into the car and head to the nearest drug store. They have everything from pharmaceuticals to groceries. We'll find what we're looking for if the perfume is as cheap as Avery and I think it is.

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I chuckle, enjoying that she’s picked up some of the personality traits these two have. “It’s pretty rare for Jane to lose her cool - she’s the department head for the emergency room after all.” U tell Cass as I Jane taunt Kat. “Luckily for Kat though, she’s works for the defense attorney’s office, so not much throws her off either.”

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“I’d like that.” I tell Caden with a grin before getting in the car. I follow the men into the drug store when we arrive. I couldn’t smell what Caden and Avery could, but if they found the perfume here, I could get a whiff for reference. I prance about as we head inside.

“So, did we notice if there were anything specific about the perfume other than cheap? Like, floral, fruity, or ‘manly’ in scent?” Men’s scents and names for things were always so stupid - besides, leather and wood scents weren’t just for men anyhow.

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”Is she really?” I look back at Nic. I forgot about the height difference again and I have to look up. It's then when I realize how close we are and I flush and quickly look away. Then Nic tells me who Kat is. I shake my head in amazement.

”So head of emerg, a defense attorney, and a sorcerer. Nic are you attracted to women of power?” I ask teasingly.

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”Floral,” Avery and I say at the same time. We grin at each other before we split up. I rest my arm over Nero's shoulders as we walk. In an effort to keep them from running all over the store and just to touch them.

”It smelled like artificial flowers. Just this overpowering tingle. Like they are trying to mask their own scent.” I pull a bottle off the wall and shake my head before I move to the next.

I can’t help but snort at that. “I mean, girlboss and all that, sure, but I wouldn’t say I’m attracted to those two.” I chuckle, shoulders shaking with laughter. “Jane and I were top of the class in pre-med so we become friends through our competitive sides taking over. I peer down at Cass with a smile. “If she says she was the top student, it’s not true. Don’t let her lie to you.” I wink before continuing. ”And then I met Kat through Jane. I think Jane said she met Kat at a gay bar or something one night.” I shift our positions a little so I can rest my chin on her head as we watch the two.

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I sidle up to Caden when he puts his arm around me, appreciative of his touch even if I know it’s to stop my gremlin excitement from going crazy. “So… old lady rose lotion kind of smell?” It’s a common scent I liked to use for torturing in Hell - it garnered some good reactions from the damned souls. The memory isn’t as fun to think about with my perspectives now - sure, my torturing of souls was much different than most, but I still did things that weigh heavy on someone just now developing a conscious.

I grab one with a cheetah print pattern design and hold it up for Caden to check, needing a distraction.

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I find myself smiling while Nic tells me a little more about himself. I laugh when he tells me Jane wasn't top in the class, implying that he was.

”And why should I believe what you say?” I ask. I'm still focused on the girls sparring until Nic moves to stand behind me. I lose focus for a moment, just thinking about how close Nic is and how I misread the signs earlier. ”Do I make a good chin rest?” I ask teasingly.

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”Sort of,” I say with a chuckle. I take a sniff of the one Nero gives me and I shake my head. ”Closer.” We keep moving up the aisle until we reach Avery again. He seems stuck on one. I wander over with Nero and he hands it to me. I take a sniff and I nod.

”That's the one,” I say. Now we just have to find out who sells it and how common it is. Hopefully we could narrow it down more.

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I grin, chuckling a little. “The best in fact. As for believing me, I’m a terrible liar so you’ll know right away if I’m fibbing.” I tell her. Kat manages to catch Jane by surprise and knocks her into the foam pit. The two finally notice us and join us where we’re spectating from. A couple of kids have been waiting patiently for their turn and quickly take over the beam.

”How do we feel about a game of chicken?” Jane agrees right away with no hesitation. Kat and I agree to be the supports, with Jane riding Kat. I lift my head off of Cass and pull away a little to see her face. ”Will that be okay?” I ask quietly so only she hears.

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I grin in victory of our success of finding the right scent. “Oh, well we’re here I should get a phone.” I mention to Caden, turning a little to look up at him. “I can go grab one while you two check out if that’s easier.” I say. It’s not glamorous, but burner flip phones have served me well enough so far.

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I enjoyed Nic sharing with me. It almost felt like a date.

I look at Nic and give him a once over. I'm not looking for anything in particular and I point my finger at him. ”If I crush you, no haunting me,” I say. I had enough ghosts in my life. I didn't need anymore.

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I glance back at Nero and pause. A slow smile spreads across my face at the idea of them having a phone. ”Do you want something for a short amount of time or do you plan on keeping it for awhile?”

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Now that makes me laugh fully. “Scout’s honor, I won’t haunt you.” I promise with a crooked smile. The kids who went after Jane and Kat have already finished and moved on to the next thing, so I take a step away from Cass and take a squat. “Hop on spider monkey.” I tease. Who knows if she’s seen the Twilight movie and will get the reference, but it’s a ridiculous line that lives in my head rent-free.

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I’m a little terrified at the expression Caden is making. “Um… yes? I dunno, I had the last phone for like a couple decades with no issue, but it didn’t agree with your pool.” I realize I had told him I only had the house phone before. ”Oh! I’m sorry I lied about having one to you before… I was still a bit wary of you and Cassi.” Feeling guilty, I look down at my feet, scuffing the floor with my toe.

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I sigh and put my hands on Nic’s shoulders and boost myself up. ”You know vampires don't actually sparkle, right?” I hold onto Nic as best I can and hold out my arms. ”Don't drop me.”

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I laugh and title Nero's chin up. ”As you should have been. The reason I ask is that if you plan on having a phone for a longer term, I'd like to get you a good quality one. Internet, high quality camera, the ability to share photos, that sort of thing. Cameras are important in today's day and age, especially if you plan on monster hunting.”

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“Cass, how old are you?” I try to say in a very serious tone, but end up laughing instead. Easily standing up with her on my shoulders, I hold onto Cass’ thighs for stability. “Also, don’t worry - I won’t let you fall.” I assure her, taking the foam staff that Jane is offering me and holding it up to offer to

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I peer owlishly up at Caden, ears a bit warm from shame. “That sounds expens- wait, sorry, I forget who I’m talking to.” I chuckle sheepishly. “Alright, spoil me further, I guess.” I relent, beaming up at him. “Also, don’t pretend the camera would be for monster hunting.” I wink cheekily at him.

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”Old,” I respond and try not to laugh. I take the staff from Nik and take a deep breath. If I was doing this by myself, I'd have no doubt that I'd win. With Nik being my balance and me being the muscle, I wasn't sure. It was a more even match now I thought.

I looked over at Kat who was on Jane's shoulders and smiled. ”Alright, any rules?”

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I grin and wrap my arm around Nero's waist. ”I didn't want to assume. I am a gentleman after all.” I said and kissed Nero's cheek before I released them. ”We'll go to another store for the phone. I want to talk to the staff here to see if this perfume has been bought in the last month.”

I lead Nero to the checkout where Avery is already waiting for us, talking with some of the staff. He turns when we approach and nods to me.

”One bottle has been bought. They won't give me the information though.”

I pull out my phone and text the detective. ”That's okay. Costa can do the grunt work from here. We're going to go to the bar tonight. We can do some recon with the locals,” I tell Avery.

We bought the bottle of perfume and headed out. ”We've got another stop to make, Avery and then we'll head home.”

”Sure thing boss.”

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“How long have you been old?” I shake with laughter and try to calm down so that Cass doesn’t worry. When rules are mentioned, I’m first to speak up. “Can I propose no aiming at Nic’s groin? Really we shouldn’t be aiming at anyone’s groins for that matter.”

Jane laughs. “Down Nurse Wu, we won’t touch your twig and berries.”

“My twig and berries thank you.” I say with a small bow of my head.

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I’m smiling as I skip along with Caden to the front and to Avery. I nod my head when Caden says Costa can do the legwork. “It’s the least he can do - I don’t like that we have to do all the work for him… again.” Granted, Cass did most of the research on the Chimera case - I just flailed about trying to make my powers work.

I peer up at Avery as we walk. “So, how long have you worked for Caden, Avery?” I ask, purely curious. I would love to get to know his unique breed of werewolf too, but I figure there would be plenty of time to crack that riddle.

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I simply laugh rather than answer Nic about how old I am. Besides, he already knows. Once the rules are established, mainly no hitting Nic below the belt and avoid faces, we start.

I go off of what Nic does, making my strikes when I can. I'm rather enjoying this. I laugh with every hit, either that I land or they land on us.

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I sit in the back seat again, reading over the bottle of perfume when Nero speaks to me. I look up and blink.

”Um, twenty years or so?” I look to Caden.

”There abouts,” he agrees as he turns a corner. It's weird to be the one in the backseat while Caden drives. Although I rarely drive Caden anywhere.

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Hearing Cass’ laugh makes me smile each time. I easily keep my balance and my grip on Cass as we battle for victory. It’s pretty even until Kat gets a good hit to my gut and I start to double over. Trying to make sure Cass doesn’t get hurt, I pick her up as I’m bending down and tuck her into my body as we fall off the beam. Luckily, the foam cubes work well. “Cass, are you okay?” I ask, holding her in my arms for a moment as the adrenaline wears off. Jane and Kat are doing what I can only assume is a victory dance on the beam. I’m close enough that I can reach them with my arm, so I knock them off to the other side of the foam pit with a laugh.

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I kick my legs lightly as Caden drives. “How’d you two meet?” I ask, glancing between the two of them. If I ask Cass to tell me more about Caden, I feel like she’ll pull the ex-lovers card on me again - which is fine, I don’t mind it so much, I just want to get more info about Caden that won’t make me get my claws out too. “Oh and how’d he convince you to work for him?”

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I yell and laugh as we are thrown from the beam. I was ready to dive in, but as I pitched forward, Nic grabbed hold of me and tucked me into him as we tumbled. I’m surprised he took on such a protective take even though the fall was safe. We land in the pit, squished together by the foam chucks, and I wiggle in Nic’s arms to get my head above the foam.

I watch as he knocks Kat and Jane off, and I laugh. I look over at Nic, my face flush from exertion and fun. ”I’m more than okay,” I assure him.

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I grin lopsidedly at Cass, glad that she’s enjoyed herself so far. My hand twitches to fix her hair and I want to kiss her, but instead I ask, “Hey, now that we’ve cleared up our misunderstanding, can I take you on a date? Maybe dinner?” I hear Jane and Kat making their way out of the pit and towards us. I hope one of them can notice the moment soon so that they don’t interrupt us.

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My flushed face gets redder, and I look away from Nic. I pick up a foam hunk and toss it. ”But I’m so old, and you’re so young. I should really give your dad a chance first,” I joke. I toss another hunk of foam before I look at Nic and nod. ”My personal nurse tells me I should do more things for myself, so yes.”

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”It’s kind of a funny story,” I say with a bit of a chuckle. ”I’m originally from Washington state, but we were across the border in Vancouver, partying for a weekend in the early 1990s when Caden walked into the bar. Every heard turned, and the girls we were talking to instantly got caught up in his presence. I was amazed by the people who gravitated to him. Anyways, we got territorial and destroyed the bar. Caden kicked all of our asses. There were six of us. I was second of my pack then, so I was pretty dominant, but Caden had all our wolves submitting to him. We’d never experienced anything like that — especially since Caden isn’t human. So, we called our Marrok, Bran Cornick, and he demanded to meet Caden. After that, I ran into some trouble with my pack. I was becoming unstable; my wolf was getting more territorial and violent. Bran called Caden in, and he took me in - saved me. For werewolves, when our wolf starts to take over the human, Bran sends in firstborn to…well, kill us. Bran saw an opportunity in Caden though and sent me to him. I’ve been loyal to Caden ever since. He keeps my wolf stable.”