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Meg Ripley

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Meg Ripley✨Shifter Romance Author

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“Clear yourself!” Verna barked, her dark, fiery eyes staring at Jessica as she entered the apartment.<br /> <br /> Nurse Jessica Anderson had been reaching into her bag, ready to check Verna’s vitals and do a quick assessment, but paused with her hand halfway inside the zipper. “I’m sorry?”<br /> <br /> “As you should be, coming in here without taking precautions. Clear yourself!” The old woman pointed a sharp finger at the door.<br /> <br /> Precautions? Oh. Jessica understood. “Would you like me to take off my shoes? It’s not a problem at all.” She gestured toward her feet.<br /> <br /> Verna slapped her bony hands down on the arms of her chair. “The universe only knows where you’ve been and what you’ve picked up out there! I won’t have you bringing negative energies into my home. And don’t tell me you don’t have any because everyone does. Probably have some nasty spirits clinging to you, too.”<br /> <br /> This woman was not talking about germs. Jessica’s eyes had adjusted to the dim light now. She spotted an array of crystals on the mantle among the framed family photos. A small circle of wood carved with a grid pattern sat on the end table, and several candles were arranged carefully on it. A short stick of twisted wood with stones wired onto the end rested nearby, appearing to be some sort of wand. She was starting to understand.<br /> <br /> “I’m so sorry, Verna. Would you mind telling me what I need to do to clear myself? I’m afraid I haven’t done it before.” So much for a smooth appointment. This day was just getting better and better.<br /> <br /> “You walked right past it when you came in the door.” Verna pointed again. <br /> <br /> Turning around, Jessica went back the way she’d come. The side table near the door held a large abalone shell, and a bundle of pale leaves rested inside it. <br /> <br /> “Light that sage until it starts to smoke,” Verna commanded. “Then pass it all around your body. You can’t just do it, either. There has to be some intention behind it to clear yourself of anything that no longer serves you.”<br /> <br /> 𝑀𝑎𝑦𝑏𝑒 𝐼 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑚𝑦𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑑𝑎𝑚𝑛 𝑗𝑜𝑏. Jessica held back a snicker as she slipped her bag off her shoulder to set it down.<br /> <br /> “Sage that, too!”<br /> <br /> “Okay.” She kept her voice light and airy, something she had plenty of practice at even when times were less than ideal. Jessica picked up the box of matches next to the abalone shell and lit one. She held the flame to the sage, moving it around a little. It didn’t seem to be doing much, and she was just about to risk her neck by asking Verna for advice when the end of the bundle burst into flames. “Shoot!”<br /> <br /> “Blow on it, but gently.” The old woman was keeping a keen eye on her from her armchair. “You let it burn for too long, but it can’t be helped now. Hell, maybe you needed the extra smoke.”<br /> <br /> Jessica’s hand was shaking as she held up the smoking smudge stick. “So I just pass it around me like this?” She waved the thing back and forth in front of herself.<br /> <br /> “All over. Get your bag, too. Behind you. Over your head. You didn’t get low enough. Get your feet.” She issued orders every two seconds as the thick plume of smoke started to fill the tiny apartment.<br /> <br /> “That’s probably good, right?” Jessica coughed. The smell was so strong. Her nose wasn’t as sensitive as it would be in her wolf form, but it was still far too much. She waved the smoke away from her face, but there was so much that she couldn’t really get away from it. And now what the hell was she supposed to do with this thing? Her instinct was to douse it in the kitchen sink, but at this point, she didn’t want to do anything without Verna’s permission.<br /> <br /> Verna narrowed her eyes, and for a moment, Jessica wondered if she was trying to see whether or not any negative energies were still hanging around. “Just press the burning end into the shell and leave it there.”<br /> <br /> “Um, okay.” Jessica did so, but she still didn’t like it. “Isn’t there something I should do to put it out?”<br /> <br /> “It’ll go out if you press it down long enough. The shell represents the water element, after all.” <br /> <br /> Jessica jumped as a shrill alarm blasted through the living room. <br /> <br /> “It’s that damn smoke detector!” Verna pointed at the ceiling. “Wave the smoke away from it!”<br /> <br /> Jogging over to the small device, Jessica flapped her hand at it. “There’s too much. I’m going to open the door.”<br /> <br /> “Ugh! It’s too late,” Verna shouted over the clamor. “It’s going to call the damn fire department on me.”<br /> <br /> Jessica swung the door open, and the draft pulled a small amount of the smoke outside. She waved the door back and forth on its hinges, trying to create a current to clear the place. “Do you have a fan I could plug in?”<br /> <br /> “Mrs. Muldoon, this is Trevor with MediCheck.” The voice boomed through the living room.<br /> <br /> Great. The emergency response system. It was a good thing to have when it was necessary, but Jessica really didn’t need any more witnesses to her embarrassing predicament. Verna was more than enough. The day was now picking up speed as it continued to careen downhill. At least she could tell them it was just a bit of smoke and everything was fine.<br /> <br /> “Is everything okay?” Trevor asked from the speaker on the table.<br /> <br /> “It’s fine!” Verna’s eyes shot daggers at the speaker. “I didn’t need this stupid system anyway.”<br /> <br /> “Mrs. Muldoon, I’ve got a report of smoke in your home. Are you all right?” Trevor tried again.<br /> <br /> “I said I’m fine!” she shouted. <br /> <br /> “The fire department is on the way,” Trevor announced.<br /> <br /> Well, this was it. Her whole career was going straight down the toilet in just one day. “I think you have to push the button for him to hear you.” She pointed at the little plastic pendant that hung from Verna’s neck as she continued with the door. It was helping, but obviously not enough.<br /> <br /> “Oh, this damn thing!” Verna fumbled with the pendant. “It’s no use. They’ll be here in about two seconds anyway. They always are.”<br /> <br /> The wail of sirens came through the room as Jessica continued flailing the door back and forth. “Maybe you can call them again and tell them it’s a mistake.”<br /> <br /> If Verna heard her, she made no move to follow her advice. “That idiot doctor insisted I put the thing in, but I don’t need it. If I set fire to the place, I’ll just call 911 my damn self!”<br /> <br /> The sirens were getting louder very quickly. The fire department was just down the street from the senior living complex, and a giant red fire engine glided into place just in front of Verna’s door.<br /> <br /> Great. Just great. Jessica stepped aside and slid open a window as two firefighters stepped over the threshold.<br /> <br /> “Is everyone okay?”<br /> <br /> “I’m sorry,” Jessica said as she pulled the curtain to the side to make sure it didn’t get in the way of any airflow. “Everything is fine. We tried to tell the dispatcher.”<br /> <br /> The first one had broad shoulders and deep blue eyes. He lifted his chin slightly as he sniffed the air, then cocked his head at Verna and put his fists on his hips. “Mrs. Muldoon, were you burning sage again?”<br /> <br /> Verna scowled at him. “I’ll do what I want in my home, young man!”<br /> <br /> “I’m so sorry,” Jessica repeated. “This was all my fault. I didn’t know what I was doing.” She stopped short of continuing her explanation as she turned to look fully at the man who’d spoken. Did she know him from somewhere?<br /> <br /> The other burly firefighter’s blue eyes twinkled just the same. “You really ought to have people watch a tutorial or something.”<br /> <br /> “Why would I do that when I can get two hunks in my apartment with just a bit of smoke?” Verna snarked. “Don’t you two have a calendar to pose for or something? It’s not like you ever do any real work around here.”<br /> <br /> The first man pressed his lips together in an attempt to hold back a laugh. “I’ll get the fans.”<br /> <br /> Jessica’s mouth gaped as she understood this wasn’t the first time this had happened. In fact, the firefighters hadn’t even come in their full gear. They wore thick, heavy pants and boots, but the jackets and helmets had been left on the engine with the water hose. They’d known as soon as they’d gotten the call that there was no real emergency. <br /> <br /> The first firefighter saw Jessica gawking. He turned and held out his hand. “You must be Verna’s latest victim. I’m Hayden, and this is my brother Pierce. It’s nice to meet you.”<br /> <br /> “Jessica Anderson.” As she took his big, rough hand, Jessica realized she didn’t know this man at all. <br /> <br /> But her wolf certainly did.<br /> <br /> ***<br /> <br /> 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐟 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟎?<br /> <br /> 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐛 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑴𝒊𝒅𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒍𝒇, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞, 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬!<br /> <br /> * * * Read FREE with Kindle Unlimited * * *

Meg Ripley

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