The bell above the front door chimed, and Aster McCabe looked up from the espresso machine, anticipating her boyfriend since she’d been counting down the minutes all morning. They were going away to celebrate their six-month anniversary with a long overdue trip to her family’s cabin located in a remote area in the mountains. There they’d be able to shift and run and hunt together, away from the watchful eyes of the community. With Patrick being new to the den and new to Havenwood Falls, there were some who viewed his attachment to Aster as more of a strategic political move. Being the alpha’s daughter placed Aster and anyone she became involved with under more scrutiny—a fact that she hated. She always felt she was being held to a higher standard than the other members of their den, and her perfect sister, Reeve, had raised the standards even higher. At the thought of her sister, Aster scowled. The last time Reeve had been home was for Christmas, right before Patrick had shown up in town, and they’d fought constantly.

Instead of Patrick, Aster’s boss, Willow Fairchild, walked in cradling her swollen belly—the reason why she’d been showing up later and later for work. A gust of wind followed her in, carrying the sweet fragrance from catalpa trees that were in full bloom. The town square across the street was home to several of these towering trees, which had more fluffy white blossoms than leaves.

“How are you feeling?” Aster asked, deftly steaming milk without even looking at the machine.

“Good. Tired. The baby kicked up a storm last night.” Willow eased into a chair at one of the few empty tables near the front counter.

“I can cancel my weekend away if you’re not up to running the shop,” Aster offered as she handed a latte to a waiting customer.

“No, no. You and Patrick have been planning this. I’ll be fine, and Paisley is able to work some extra hours.” Willow dismissed Aster with a wave of her hand before resting it back on top of her baby bump. With her white-blonde hair and pixie features, Willow looked barely old enough to be pregnant. While her fae heritage gifted her with a youthful appearance, she was really six years older than Aster. After Aster graduated from college in December, Willow promoted her to manager—a timely decision, since Willow found out a month later that she was pregnant.

Shadows under Willow’s eyes, more noticeable because of her porcelain skin, made Aster worry. What if she left and something bad happened? Willow had become more like the sister she wanted, and Aster suddenly felt guilty about leaving. Was it selfish of her to go? She attempted to shrug off the negative thoughts, but it was too late. Willow had already received them. It was hard to hide anything from her boss, one of Havenwood Falls’ most powerful empaths. She sensed emotions from miles away.

“Stop it, Aster,” Willow said. “You worry too much about what other people think. You need to get out of here and let loose—it will do you some good.”

Aster smiled and smoothed her apron, wiping at a clump of flour from a batch of her blueberry scones that won Best of Havenwood Falls two years in a row. Streaks of white powder stood out against the black fabric. “I know.”

Willow’s command was easier said than done. Having grown up in Reeve’s shadow, Aster had years of feeling insecure holding her back. Reeve had moved to Denver and had been gone for more than six years, but the comparisons never stopped. Reeve was high school class valedictorian, she was Miss Teen Havenwood Falls, and she practically walked on water. Guys of all species salivated in her wake. Back then, Aster had been an awkward teenager, and puberty hadn’t been kind. All knobby knees and elbows with carrot-orange hair that stuck out in a riot of uncontrollable curls, she was a far cry from beautiful Reeve. She was even envious that her sister was able to leave Havenwood Falls to move to the city, where she lived a glamorous life. Of course, the Court of the Sun and the Moon, the governing body for supes in town, made an exception for her and lifted the spell that usually made other supes and humans forget their time spent in Havenwood Falls.

“You’re doing it again.” Willow’s voice broke through Aster’s thoughts. “Have you heard from Reeve?”

“Not lately. She’s probably busy planning some extravagant event for some celebrity.” Aster turned around to open the oven door. Heat blasted her skin, and the sweet aroma of blueberries and cinnamon assaulted her nostrils. She grabbed an oven mitt and pulled out a tray of golden-brown scones, setting them on the marble counter to cool. She loved the old-fashioned counter and that she didn’t have to worry about using a cooling rack or hot pad.

“Aster, you have carved out your own life here and landed an awesome job with the coolest boss ever. Oh, and you have a hot piece of man meat. Who knows, soon you could be sporting one of these.” Willow patted her baby bump dramatically, making Aster laugh.

“No! Hell no! I’m not ready for that.” Aster shook her head in denial, her ponytail swishing along her back with the movement. Her once carrot-orange hair had darkened to a light auburn, and the longer she grew it, the more the curls relaxed. These days she had grown to appreciate her locks, but had to keep them pulled back. No one appreciated hair in their scones. While she disagreed with Willow on babies, she did agree with her about having an awesome job.

Aster surveyed the shop, taking a moment to admire all of her hard work over the past year. Paintings from local artists hung on the red brick walls, adding color to the space. At Aster’s suggestion, Willow had added flower boxes to the large front picture window, and the wildflowers that bloomed were a cheerful greeting to anyone walking by outside. Several hanging plants inside, along with Willow’s crystal collection, added a quirky vibe. Overall, the effect was relaxing and inviting. Combined with the good coffee and food, Coffee Haven was a favorite among locals and visitors.

“Well, it’s going to happen one of these days, because you’re a catch. Why do you think eighty-five percent of our customers are male?” Willow winked, because at that moment Patrick walked in the door. “And all of them are hot for you. Feelings . . . I pick up on these things, you know,” she said and tapped her temple.

“Who’s hot for you, besides me?” Patrick said with a growl. He stalked across the shop and around the counter, pulling Aster into his arms. She sank into his warmth and breathed in his musk. He rubbed his cheeks against her hair, an instinctual way of marking her with his scent. She tilted her head up, and he slanted his mouth over hers, sending the message to any male in the coffee shop that she was taken. This sent a shiver through her, though she never would have admitted the whole display of male dominance turned her on. Of course, Willow picked up on it and started to giggle. Aster flipped her off behind Patrick’s back, which made Willow laugh even harder.

“You ready to go, babe?” Patrick asked when they separated.

“Yes,” she responded breathlessly. “My bag is upstairs.”

One of the perks of being manager of the coffee shop was the apartment upstairs, which Willow rented to her at a reduced rate, since having a mountain lion shifter living upstairs was added security. Aster untied her apron and tossed it in the hamper under the sink.

Just as they were preparing to leave, the bell above the door chimed. Aster turned to see who was coming in and froze in place. What the hell was Reeve doing here? There her sister stood, wearing simple jeans and a black T-shirt, but still managing to showcase every curve. Her hair looked like she had just had it professionally styled; auburn waves framed her heart-shaped face. While Aster was momentarily stunned, Patrick was not, and she watched in disbelief as he prowled toward Reeve.

“Patrick?” Aster called, and she reached for his arm, but he shrugged her off. “Patrick!” she said louder, and he looked back at her briefly with a dazed look in his eyes.

He blinked once, slowly, before focusing on Reeve again. Aster stared in disbelief as she noticed Reeve’s dreamy expression and how her sister tracked Patrick’s every move. Then she realized what was happening, and her stomach dropped to her toes. She’d seen this before, when their brother Braden met his wife, Kaitlyn.

“Oh, shit,” Willow said from behind the counter, and Aster looked at her. “I’m so sorry, honey.” Her bright blue eyes shone with sympathy.

Willow’s confirmation hit Aster like a punch in the gut, and she bent over as if in physical pain. She couldn’t breathe and couldn’t process what was happening. Reeve wasn’t even supposed to be there in the first place.

“Unbelievable!” she screamed. “You always get everything. Why?”

She couldn’t bear to look at them anymore as they scented each other and began touching every inch of exposed skin, oblivious to anyone else around them. With a sob, Aster stormed out through the back of the shop. As soon as she was in the alley behind Coffee Haven, she stripped off her clothes, shifted into her cat form, and took off for the woods on the outskirts of town. She didn’t care that running through town as a mountain lion was frowned upon or that there would be consequences. All she cared about was running far away from her sister before she did something stupid, like gouge her eyes out with her claws . . . or kill her.