Lost Time: Time Witch Chronicles, #2

By Penelope Wren

When does the Happily Ever After start?



I had just settled into day to day life with my two shifter fellas. Brody and Indy were pack bonded now, and everything was going perfectly... I mean, save for my mother being her usual horrible self and trying to set me up with non-shifter dudes in our town and dredging up my past mistakes and missteps when I didn't take the bait. But besides that, everything was going great. Until Brody started to fade again. And now, we're headed back to 1962 to try and fix another rip in time. But then, once we get there, I realize I can't access my powers. I've got a Mom-sized mental block keeping me from it. Can I push past my Mom-issues, save Brody, and get all three of us back to the present in one piece? Can I ignore the pull of attraction I feel for yet another shifter? Do I even want to? Only time will tell. And time is something I have in spades.
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Book 2 in the Time Witch Chronicles is a new full-length, steamy shifter romance by Penelope Wren.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penelope Wren
• Release date: Feb 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201727383

Book preview

Chapter One

2017

When the room stopped spinning around us, I opened my eyes.

I started to smile, an involuntary laugh burst through my lips, breaking the silence as I gazed around the familiar room with very familiar furnishings.

Indy’s hand squeezed mine as Brody let go to fall unceremoniously on the sofa.

The daylight streamed in through the window. The morning sun casting its golden glow while I admired the place that had once been mine and Brody’s, but was now home to Indy as well. My old ratty afghan was right where I’d left it after it had fallen from Brody’s shoulders, and the dishes were still soaking in the sink. The browned butter smell from Brody’s abandoned breakfast attempt still hung in the air.

My stomach growled at the memory and I quickly went out to the kitchen in search of something to eat. Now that we were home, safe and sound, I felt famished.

Indy was still holding my hand and neither of us wanted to let go, so he came with me, gazing around the apartment in what appeared to be a combination of shock and awe.

Home sweet home, Brody breathed, his head falling back on the sofa, his hands, not fading any longer, held out in front of him so he could admire the way his fingers wiggled.

Lily? Indy said softly, looking around the kitchen and looking very much the opposite of how Brody and I felt.

My heart immediately went out to him and I stopped what I was doing, which was opening up a pack of round crackers for the peanut butter I’d pulled from the cabinet. I wrapped both arms around his shoulders and hugged him tightly. You know… we never asked you if you wanted to live with us, I said quietly. But we sure would like for you to.

I felt his muscles ease in my hands, just like someone had flipped a switch. He went practically fluid in my embrace. You’re sure Brody’s okay with that? he asked, glancing back at my beau on the sofa. He’d just settled back down after having run to the bathroom for fingernail clippers. He was now happily trimming his nails and leaving the little slivers in a pile on the coffee table.

I wrinkled my nose. The bathroom is for clippings, I called.

Brody stuck out his tongue and clipped the last nail—his pinky finger—before gathering up the rest of them and taking them with him to the bathroom.

I’ll ask him when he gets back, I said to Indy. I didn’t want him to leave those there…

Indy’s smile was soft, but his eyes were worried as he watched Brody cross the floor of the apartment. He walked around like the alpha he was. With a familiarized gait that knowingly spoke of creaks in the floorboards and throw rugs and sharp doorframe corners as he joined us in the kitchen.

What’cha talking about? he asked, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly as he looked at the two of us.

Oh nothing, I said. Indy said he wasn’t sure you wanted him to live here.

He made a noise that sounded like a snort. ‘Course I do. Where else would he go?

He’s got a momma here, I reminded him. A brother.

Don’t you want him here? Doesn’t he wanna be here?

Brody’s voice was taking on that slightly higher pitch it did when he was panicking. Like that one time I was a half-day late and we thought we were gonna have a pup running around to take care of.

Oh, definitely. I definitely want to live here, Indy said quickly, filling in the void that Brody was slowly making bigger with his adorable little panicky voice.

The air in the room settled after that, and Brody walked over to the fridge, pulling out the egg carton from the door. You guys hungry? For more than crackers? he asked, making a concession for the half-tube of Ritz I’d pulled out for a snack. I can make eggs and toast…

I grinned and nodded, pushing the crackers away. If Brody’s eggs were an option, I’d definitely take it.

Indy shrugged and nodded. I could eat.

Brody can always eat, I said with a laugh. I’m guessing all shifters are alike too, super hungry after a shift? I glanced back and forth between the two of them. They nodded in confirmation. Probably should make a run to the store early this week, then… I replied.

Hey look, I’ll start looking for a job soon, Indy promised. I’m guessing food probably costs a helluva lot more now than it used to and—

I was about to wave him off, but Brody got to it first. Hey… hey… He reached over to pat his shoulder. Don’t worry about that right now. You jumped thirty years in the future. Get used to that before you start worrying about our finances. Me and Lil do just fine, just don’t ever ask her momma about it. He grinned good-naturedly, even thought I knew it put a sour taste in his mouth to have to deal with my momma.

I rolled my eyes. My momma thinks we’re living in squalor, I explained to Indy, who took a comical look around the apartment and shot me an incredulous look.

Shrugging, I shook my head. Hey, I dunno. She also isn’t a huge fan of me datin’ a shifter… I said, grinning shyly over at Brody, who was cleaning out my cast iron skillet in the sink. "Wonder what she’ll say when she finds out I’m dating two."

Ehhhhh, she’s just jealous. You’ve got two studly specimens waiting for you at home and all she’s got is kale, Brody said, a bit of the salt and vinegar peeking through his joking tone.

"Hey… we’ve actually got kale! I said, jumping up to run to the fridge. Sure enough, there was the bunch of greens I’d gotten from Momma’s shop. I can make smoothies to go with our eggs!"

Brody made a retching sound and Indy gazed at the vegetable like he didn’t trust it. Like he expected it to leap out of my hand and start wielding the chef’s knife on us or something.

Oh hush, both of you, I chastised, walking over to the other counter top to pull out the blender. You can’t even taste the kale in the ones I make."

"Yeah? I think you can’t taste it because you were raised on that stuff," Brody countered.

I ignored him, walking back to the fridge to pull out the OJ and the container of cut up pineapple I had saved for just such an occasion.

While Brody fried the eggs and toasted the toast, I fired up the blender and made the best tropical green smoothie you could get in our neck of the woods.

I poured it into three glasses, bringing all of them over to the table while Indy rummaged around in the cupboards, finding the plates and silverware fairly easily.

By the time we all sat down, we each had a plate full of Brody’s scrambled eggs, a couple slices of toast each, and the smoothies.

For all his carping and carrying on, Brody downed his in a few gulps, even went so far as to tap the bottom of the glass so he could get the last little bit to plop into his mouth.

He had green mush in his beard, but that was soon taken care of with his napkin.

Indy took a little longer to warm up to the green sludge, but once he tasted it, he shrugged with nonchalance and downed the whole thing. That’s the new fad diet, then? he asked, gesturing to the glass.

No, I said, simultaneous with Brody’s adamant yes.

Rolling my eyes, I started to explain the benefits of kale and how it wasn’t a fad, because it had always been good for you, while Brody mouthed the word ‘hippie’ to Indy and made him choke on a mouthful of eggs.

Serves you right, I countered, rolling my eyes and continuing to eat my breakfast.

Brody and Indy went back for seconds on the eggs, but I was stuffed after my first plate.

Indy shooed me away from the sink, claiming he’d do the dishes since I had blended and Brody had cooked.

That left me and Brody out on the couch together, me wrapped up in his arms as he leaned back against the arm of the couch.

Hey listen, he said softly, fingers grazing my arm. We still gotta go get the car today, it’s my only day off this week to do it before Sunday, so I was thinking… we call Jolene, let her know Indy’s here, and then we can go get it while he’s dealing with that?

I guess that makes sense, I said, frowning slightly. But don’t you think we should stay and be here for him when that happens?

Brody shook his head. Nah, that’s a family thing… and when we all get more comfortable together, and when me and him pack-bond and stuff… we’ll be as good as family then. But for now… I think we should give him a little space… the only people he knows are you and me… I mean, really. Because Jolene and Johnny are completely different people, they’ve lived almost a whole lifetime without him. If we’re around for everything, it’s gonna smother him. We gotta let him do his own thing.

I nodded slowly, thinking that he was maybe wrong, but not wanting to really argue the issue right then. He was at least partially right. We did need to go get the car, and Indy did need to see his family. It might not be pertinent for Indy himself, who had just seen his Mom and brother an hour before, but to Jolene and Johnny, who’d been waiting thirty years for a sight of him, it couldn’t come soon enough. And okay, maybe we didn’t have to be here for that.

I wasn’t happy about it, but I guess I agreed with him.

Indy rejoined us in the living room, wiping his hands on the front of his jeans and glancing between the two of us. What’s new? he asked, apparently sensing an update on the horizon.

Uhh, we were just talking about calling your Momma, I said slowly, watching his eyes for something, anything that indicated that we should stay with him.

My momma? he said, laughing a little. I just saw her. You know, just because I lived at home didn’t mean I was a momma’s boy, Lil.

Well, no… I didn’t think that, I said, glancing over at Brody, who thankfully took over.

It’s been thirty years for her and Johnny, though... he said, trying to keep his voice kind and bright. Reckon they might be wanting to see ya.

Reckon maybe so, now that you put it like that… Indy said slowly, frowning a little. Thirty years... Damn, I’d be in my fifties now…if I’d— He sat down in the arm chair across from us, eyes glazing over as the wheels in his head turned and twisted, trying to make sense of it all.

No, you wouldn’t, I said, reaching for his hand. Look, I ain’t ever seen hide nor hair of ya in my entire life. And I’ve known your Momma for most of it. If you were meant to be here, you’d have been here. But you weren’t. You were meant to… I trailed off, eyes likely glistening as I realized what I was about to say.

I was meant to be with you, he said, glancing over to include Brody in the statement. "I was meant to be with y’all."

I smiled, looking down at my hands as I nodded. Damn straight.

And we’re happy you’re here with us, Ind. Brody’s hand appeared on his leg, squeezing a little. Couldn’t imagine it any other way.

The way Brody said that made me