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“Are you going to enter the Games?” Leah asks, sitting on the counter in the bed and breakfast, feet swinging back and forth, heels hitting the cupboard door each time with a bang.
I look at Rex, who continues to make coffee, either blissfully unaware of how annoying that sound is, or Leah’s constant babbling has rendered him deaf.
“Will you stop that?” I snap, pointing to the cupboard, and she frowns, looking down at her socked feet, only now realising she was even moving at all.
“Can you tell me where Bodhi is?” she asks, stretching out an arm and accepting the offered mug from Rex without turning to look at him, in turn passing him a homemade pastry. “Actually, no, I want to change my question. Can you tell me what he’s doing? That’s way more exciting.”
“Who said I was going to answer ANY of your questions?” Amused that Leah thinks she can badger confidential information out of me. Maybe most people, but she’s met her match here.
“Is he minding anyone famous?” Her eyes light up at the prospect. “He’d be perfect for that, because he wouldn’t even know who they are and he won’t talk and bother them.” She has it all figured out, but unfortunately for Bodhi, the job he’s on is nothing as exciting as that.
“I don’t care what he’s doing, I just want to know if he’s coming back anytime soon.” Rex meets Leah’s eye and his expression softens; he leans in and presses a gentle kiss to her lips. “Because, even though he doesn’t say much, I always felt better when he was here.”
Leah gazes adoringly up at him. “I don’t need a bodyguard anymore, remember? You’re back. And you do a better job of minding this body than anyone else could.”
Shaking my head, I set down the full mug Rex just poured for me and close my eyes, willing myself to dredge up some patience from somewhere. Natalie’s making me spend time with everyone to make up for my rocky first impression.
Leah’s not making it easy to pretend I’m a nice, calm person.
“I don’t think he’s coming back, yet. He’s already expressed an interest in taking another assignment straight after this one.” I pause, not wanting to discuss Bodhi’s personal business, but also wanting to make sure everyone knows that he’s okay. “He’s enjoying doing something a bit different, something that fits his personality and skills.”
Read: he gets to stay quiet and hide out on his own for long periods of time. And avoid looks of sympathy or questions about what’s going with his father.
“Bodhi could win the games.”
She’s right, he could.
“Not everyone wants to run a pack. I thought you, of all people, would understand that.” I gesture to Rex who’s looking at her with a curious expression on his face.
“Do you want me to enter?” he asks, a strange gleam in his eye. “Because if that’s what you really want…”
Climbing up onto the counter top on her knees, Leah silences him with a long kiss.“No pack. I’m greedy, I don’t want to share you with anyone.”
Leah practically purrs at him, and he grabs her face for a deeper kiss. Jesus. These two are too much.
With a beaming smile, Rex accepts her words and picks up a tray laden with mugs to bring outside. “Tell him we said, ‘Hi’. If he changes his mind, he always has a job here.”
Nodding, I watch as he heads outside to deliver the life-saving elixir to the table of women currently trying to psych themselves up for another day of hiking and camping and downright torture.
“What do you think of Killian?” Leah asks casually, and I hesitate, wanting to pick my words carefully. He’s been spending time with everyone, especially Mum, trying to fill in the blanks about his past as best he can.
Except for one thing.
“He still hasn’t told us where our grandfather went, or whether he’s still alive. Until he tells us everything, I can’t trust him.”
Leah sighs and slides off the counter to stand in front of me. “Did this whole debacle not prove to you that, sometimes it’s not your secret to give? Maybe he’s protecting himself, or someone else, by keeping his mouth closed. Please try to accept that, and give him a chance.”
Grumbling about earning trust and chances, I drink my coffee instead of answering properly.
Leah rolls her eyes but smiles at me, exasperated. “I don’t know how Natalie puts up with you.”
“Right back at you, sis.”
* * *
If you want to find out more about the long lost Killian, and just where he’s been hiding all this time, order The Alpha’s Return now!
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