My truck died.
Not dramatically, like smoke and sparks and fire oh no.
It coughed, hiccupped like a hungover leprechaun, and then just… quit.
I sat there on the shoulder of Highway 9, drumming my fingers against the wheel.
"Perfect," I muttered. "Immortal druid, centuries of power, but still can't keep a Ford alive."
The wind outside howled across the empty stretch of road, dragging the scent of rain and whiskey-soaked earth with it. My magic twitched under my skin restless, like it wanted out.
"Don't even think about it," I warned it. "We're not summoning lightning again. Last time we fried a cow."
As if in response, the sky rumbled.
I groaned, pressing my forehead against the steering wheel. "You just love proving me wrong, don't you?"
A flash of light cut through the drizzle headlights. A truck slowed, its tires crunching gravel as it rolled up beside me.
The door opened, and out stepped… trouble.
Tall, tanned, and wearing a flannel shirt that did unholy things to his shoulders.
He leaned down to my window, rain dripping from his dark hair.
"Need a tow?" His voice was deep, easy, and stupidly charming.
For a second, all I could do was stare. My brain, usually packed with spells and sarcasm, short-circuited.
"Uh… maybe?"
He smiled the kind that wasn't fair, the kind that promised heartbreak and bad decisions.
"I'm Callum," he said. "Tow driver. Mechanic. Sometimes miracle worker."
"I'm Tierney," I blurted. "Bartender. Witch. Occasional disaster."
His eyebrow shot up. "Witch?"
I winced. "Did I say witch? I meant… witch-adjacent. Like, spiritual but without the crystals."
He chuckled, eyes glinting. "Good. Crystals make me nervous."
Callum hooked the chain under my truck like he'd done it a thousand times, muscles flexing just enough to make me forget how to breathe properly.
And as he climbed back into his cab, gesturing for me to follow, I swear something shimmered in the air around him.
Not magic.
Not exactly.
But something familiar.
---
Next Chapter Tease:
🔥 The Circle finds out. Larry starts barking prophecy. And Tierney learns that Callum isn't just a mortal with a nice smile… he's a problem wrapped in destiny.