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“I’m not going to lie. I’m kinda shocked you're here, even more so without a giant shadow behind you.” She eyes me suspiciously, and I don’t blame her. I’m a little shocked he hasn’t shown up to get my ass already, but I did try to mask my scent. If he’s going to follow me around everywhere I go, I can at least make it a little fun and give my mate a challenge. I haven’t had a moment alone in weeks.
Just when I’d go to tell him to back up off my ass because I needed to pee or something, he’d give me this cute little pout. How he pulled off a pout I have no idea, but the reminder has me fighting a smile.
“I might have given him the slip.” At my words, Ruby jumps up from her chair, heading for the back door to unlock it.
“I do not want to buy a new door today,” she tells me, waddling back to her chair.
“Good catch,” I laugh. When X finally catches my scent, he won’t be knocking. He’ll probably just go right through the door like the Tasmanian Devil. I should just open it, but the December cold is seeping into the air.
“And yeah, the training is yours if you really think you can swing it.”
“Just to train them?” I push a little, wondering if I’m out of a job when I’m done with the training. From the way Xavier talked, I won’t need to work. He has a plan to fill me with babies, but until I have a pile running around at my feet, I don’t want to sit at home. Xavier said he has family money in the bank, and he talked about building more houses. I knew when he was giving me this information, it was his way of telling me to keep my ass parked at home because I wasn’t needed by the pack anymore. I’m his pack now.
This might be something that can’t be fully followed. Xavier just wants it to be him and me, but he’ll soon see that the pack would be good for our family. Not only for our children, but for us. Only time will show him that, and I think he’s still so scared of losing me. I gave him his time during our mating, but it’s time to start pressing back.
As much as I enjoy being locked away in our home together, I’m a social person. I always have been and probably always will be. I like helping the women in the pack, because it makes me feel good. The need to lead and to help others comes from my alpha blood. It’s something I knew made us perfect for each other. I can draw him out and, sometimes, he can pull me in.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love how overbearing he can be. It makes me feel cherished, but I also want him to be confident in me. Secure. I don’t like the idea of him worrying that I won’t come back to him, or that I wouldn’t fight to be with him if someone tried to pull us apart. I showed him my response when my brother tried, and I hope that eases some of his fears. After that incident, Stone has been oddly absent in the past few weeks.
“For whatever you want to give, Gwen. I think we’re both on the path to babies, and together we can run this place if we train the right people.”
“Oh my God, what if our babies are mates?” The thought pops into my head, and I can’t stop myself from squealing. The plans for running the bakery leave my mind completely.
“I should’ve known your mind would go right there,” she laughs, and I can’t seem to stop bouncing on my feet at the idea. We’re both going to have little ones running around together. I was so happy when Ruby moved to town and Dom found his mate, but part of me was jealous. I wanted that, too, and now everything is sliding into place better than I could’ve imagined.
“As much as I would love to talk about all of our babies mating, my feet feel like they might explode. I’m going to head out when Dom gets back. He’s just popping into the police station to drop some stuff off, so he’ll be here any moment.” She rises to her feet, pulling off her apron and tossing it onto the prep table next to my purse. “Who are the new hires?”
“Winnie and her stepsisters.” I knew I had to hire within the pack, or Dom would have had a major issues about it.
I have to fight a growl at my own words. When I called to ask Winnie if she wanted to train at the bakery, I somehow got roped into having her stepsisters there, too. They aren’t really Winnie’s stepsisters—they’re wolves and she’s a bear—but she grew up in the same house as them for the past few years, so I guess they’re almost like stepsisters. Those two are bitches in every sense of the word. I’ve been noticing a lot how they treat Winnie lately. But maybe this could work. I can keep a better eye on them if they’re here.
I smell him before I see him. Turning, I see X standing in the back doorway of the bakery. A look I can’t quite make out is on his face. His hair is wild like he’s been running, and he seems a little out of breath. He isn’t charging in, picking me up, and throwing me over his shoulder. I also catch Dom’s scent, who I now notice is behind my mate.
“So we’re out of here.” Ruby chirps, breaking the odd silence coats the room. X moves out of her way, letting her out the back door. She goes to Dom, and he gives me a half-smile before he pulls Ruby into his arms, mumbling something about her feet.
X continues to stand there, and I wonder if that’s his plan. Just to come to work with me every day. It’s something that seems pointless if I’m busy. I’d tell him he probably has better things to be doing, but I know that would be a waste of breath. He’d argue there isn’t anything he’d rather be doing.
“Good morning,” I say in the sweetest voice that just earns me a grunt. I give him the stink eye and try again. “You don’t think it’s a good morning?”
“A good morning would’ve been me waking to the same breakfast I’ve been having for the past few weeks.” His words are laced with bitterness, and we both know the breakfast he’s talking about isn’t bacon and eggs. No, it’s me. I’d missed that too when I’d silently slid from our warm bed this morning.
“My room is upstairs, and I have—”
He’s on me before I can finish. He easily throws me over his shoulder, something he does more often than not. He gives me the response I thought he would the moment he found me. Seems someone is finally learning a little patience. ‘Little’ being the key word.
“Old room,” he growls, making me smile. I playfully bite his jean-covered ass, which is directly in front of my face. He tosses me onto the bed before covering me with his body. “Old room,” he repeats, wanting my confirmation.
“Well, it would be if you’d let me pack my stuff,” I remind him. This is something I’ve been telling him we need to do. He kept saying he could do it, but all I can envision is my favorite shoes and bags thrown carelessly into a box, then duct taped up. Nope, not happening. I love those shoes and bags.
“Fine. We’ll do it now. And then you’ll come home?” I hear the hope in his voice, and I’m a little taken aback by it. This was not how I thought this would go. I didn’t foresee my brute of a mate asking me anything when it came to not being within reaching distance of him. Something’s up.
“You’re acting odd.” I eye him suspiciously, but he gives me nothing. “What if I say no? We’ll pack after I’m done with my shift today?”
“Okay, I’ll wait.” Shocking. He’d stand like a statue in the corner all day. I could see it now. He’d growl at every male that tried to talk to me. Hell, the bakery would be bankrupt in a month. Even when the mating heat passes, I know Xavier will still be more possessive than most males. It’s just who he is. He’s more animal than man. Logically, he knows no other shifter would want me, but he doesn’t care. He sees every male as a threat.
“No, you come back at three.”
I see him fight himself. “This will make you happy?” He searches my face, and I just smile up at him.
“It will make me happy that you trust me.”
“I can’t keep you caged.” He says the words like he’s repeating them from another source. “You’re so full of life. It’s unfair, no matter how much I want it. I just thought I had more time.”
His words surprise me. Then I remember he walked in with Dom, and I’m guessing he had a talk with my mate. Dom seems to be the only other male in the pack he trust
s.
“You do have me, but Ruby and Dom are our friends, and they need our help right now. Just like I’m sure if we need them when our babies come, they’ll be there for us, too.” It’s a step in the right direction. He might not be ready to be a part of the pack as a whole, but this is pulling him in little by little. “I want us to be together all the time, too, but if we are going to have all these babies like you want, then we’re also going to have to learn to be apart at times.”
“I’m fighting my instincts, but I want to give you this, give us this.” Xavier nuzzles my neck for just a moment, then looks back into my eyes.
“One day at a time. I’m not going anywhere. If I’m ever at the bakery or running errands, you can call me and come right to me. I know it’s been a while since you had one, but you can track me with your phone.”
He seems pleased with that idea. “I love you,” he growls, before taking my mouth in a deep hungry kiss.
Thank God we have a little time before Winnie shows up.
Chapter 13
Xavier
