City of Magic: The Complete Series by Helen Harper (book club recommendations TXT) 📕

I scanned the empty shelves. I wasn’t sure if it was my lot or Monroe’s who had emptied this shop but, whoever it was, they’d certainly done a good job. Virtually everything had been taken.

‘Yeah,’ I agreed, unwilling to waste time. ‘Let’s move on to the next place.’

I was ready to leave. I’d just lifted up my leg to step through the window when Monroe yanked me back. ‘Wait,’ he said under his breath. He curved an arm round my ribcage and held me against him.

‘You don’t have to grab me,’ I said. ‘If you’re telling me to wait, I’ll wait.’

‘I’m not sure you always trust my words, sunshine,’ he murmured in my ear. ‘Sometimes action is required.’ A half beat later, a shadow fell across the street outside. I flinched and pressed against Monroe. I heard him give a soft chuckle then we both waited to see what manner of beastie had decided to show itself.

Prevailing post-apocalyptic wisdom suggested that it was far better to stay away from the creatures that now abounded across the city than to confront them, even when you had magic like I did or an animal form like Monroe’s. We’d lost several citizens in those first days and weeks. It was a while since anyone had died that way, but now most people travelled in groups when they left the safety of their little enclaves. That was less to do with the fact that we were scared and more because of a healthy respect for our new neighbours. Not all of the beasts were carnivorous, not all were aggressive, and it also helped that most chose to venture out only after the sun was down. Even so, it was prudent to take care when out and about. Even the most theoretically innocuous creatures such as mermaids could be vicious.

There was a loud huffing sound, followed by a strange scraping noise, and a white-furred body appeared, moving on all fours. It swung its heavy head towards our motionless figures inside the pharmacy and blinked wide red eyes in our direction. Then it huffed again and shuffled past. I couldn’t tell what it was or what it wanted – but I caught enough of a glimpse of its sharp claws to want to stay the hell away from it.

Monroe and I stayed where we were for several moments after the beast disappeared, thumping its way down the main street to wherever it was going. I didn’t try to pull away until Monroe’s head dipped down and he murmured, ‘You see? You do want my protection after all.’

I hissed under my breath. ‘We’re alone now, you know. You don’t have to play the tough guy.’

‘It’s in my DNA,’ he responded calmly.

I stepped back and examined his face. ‘No, it’s not.’

‘I’m not lying to you, Charlotte,’ he said. ‘And I’m not playing. You might think I’m being an overbearing male who’s never heard of equal rights, but I am an alpha wolf. I can’t always help myself.’ He put his hands in his pockets and looked away. ‘Old habits die hard, no matter what else is going on.’

I softened my tone. ‘I’m saying that you don’t have to put on a show for my sake. I can look after myself and I see you more clearly than you think.’

‘Do you?’ His mouth tightened. ‘A couple of days ago you seemed to think I was coercing you into sleeping with me.’

‘I didn’t think that!’ I protested. ‘Not really anyway. I just…’ Damn it. I grimaced. ‘I was tired. I wasn’t thinking straight.’

‘I’m the guy who let his entire pack die, Charlotte. I’m the guy who lets himself get beaten up for fun. I’m also the guy who will pull you to safety when a furry white monster happens by.’

I crossed my arms. ‘I’m the woman who ended up with magic by default, not design,’ I told him. ‘I’m the woman who is barely holding it together and who has taken on so much more than she can handle that she needs a werewolf to tell her when to have a break before she bites off someone’s head or collapses into a puddle of melty stress. And, yes, I’m also the woman who sometimes mistakes intentions and desires. None of us is perfect, Monroe!’

He gazed at me and I gazed back at him, frustration reflecting like a mirror. ‘You didn’t mistake my desire, Charlotte,’ he said eventually. ‘It wasn’t the time to act on it. That’s all.’

I blinked. Did he mean…?

‘But please,’ he added, ‘explain to me. What on earth is melty stress?’

I laughed suddenly, a brief release of tension that did us both good. We smiled at each other, the flare-up already forgotten and our shaky emotions pushed beneath the surface again. At least for now.

‘We’re a mess,’ I whispered. ‘Both of us.’

‘You got that right,’ he replied.

We exchanged a look of mutual understanding – and perhaps something more. In the end I dropped my eyes. ‘Do you think we’ll find him?’ I asked quietly. ‘Philip, I mean? Trawling through abandoned pharmacies seems like a waste of time.’

Monroe raised his shoulders. ‘Maybe it is. But yes, we’ll find him before anyone else is hurt.’ He grinned. ‘I’m Monroe the werewolf and you’re the enchantress. How can we not find him?’

Sometimes, just sometimes, a bit of overconfidence was needed. Besides, Monroe was right. We were powerful beings in our own right, despite whatever else was going on in our psyche. I thought about that for a second, then I threw out my arms in sudden, exasperated realisation.

‘What?’ he asked.

I rolled my eyes at my own stupidity. ‘I’m the enchantress,’ I said. ‘I know exactly how we can find him.’

Chapter Twelve

‘I can sense magic,’ I told Monroe, with the air of someone who was both superior and knowledgeable. Yeah; I’d have been annoyed with me, too.

‘What on earth do you mean?’

I waved a hand around. ‘Magic is