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“I don’t think I necessarily made him happy, Elle. I just made him come really, really hard.”
A chuckle burst out of Elle. “God, Havana, I like you. I really do.” She sipped her drink. “You suit him so well. Ashlynn didn’t. Not really. There was just something missing from their relationship. I feel bad for her on one level, because it has to be hard to have your true mate reject you, and watching him imprint on another female had to be just as hard. But she hurt my brother, so for that alone I’d hate her even if she was an angel sent directly from heaven.”
“On the subject of Ashlynn,” began Aspen, “I might just explode if she doesn’t stop glaring at you, Vana. When she’s not trying to kill you with her eyes, she’s striving to get Tate’s attention. Which isn’t working. He’s too focused on you. That’s probably why you’re repeatedly finding yourself on the receiving end of her glare.”
Probably. Havana’s devil kept letting out eerie little growls, done with the skank.
“She’s going to pick a fight at some point—maybe tonight, maybe some other time,” Aspen predicted.
Bailey looked at Havana. “Want me to bite her?”
It was tempting, but Havana wanted to have some fun with her. It would be a good stress-reliever, if nothing else. “Not right now.”
“We can have her thrown out if you want,” Elle offered.
Bailey frowned. “You wouldn’t rather watch that bitch get her ass handed to her by Havana?”
Elle’s entire face lit up. “I’d totally be up for that. But I don’t want your night to end on a bad note.”
Aspen snickered. “For us, ending the evening with a barfight is a common and much-loved practice. Tradition, even.”
“I gotta warn you that Ashlynn won’t be easy to take on,” said Bree. “She’s a strong alpha, and she’s very well trained in combat.”
Pleased, Havana said, “Even better. It’s far less fun to beat someone who’s hopeless at defending themselves. As Aspen said, she may not issue the challenge tonight, but it’ll come at some point.”
If they were anywhere else, Havana might have struck first. But she had more respect for the pallas cats than to start shit in their hangout. She’d defend herself, but she wouldn’t pick a fight here. Which disappointed her devil, and since the animal’s mood was becoming a little too precarious, Havana decided to change the subject. “On a cheerier note … I’m jealous that you have Valentina Devereaux for a mother-in-law, Bree. I think she’s plain awesome.”
The pallas cat grinned. “I agree. You can’t not adore her. I love working with her and her mate, James. They argue over the craziest stuff.”
Bailey leaned toward Bree. “What’s it like being mated to a wolverine? I heard they don’t make easy mates.”
“Oh, they don’t,” Bree confirmed. “He hates being away from me. And I mean hates it. He’d be sitting right at this booth if I hadn’t made it clear that we wanted privacy for girl talk. So he settled over there with Tate, sulking. Wolverines are more protective and possessive than most shifters. It makes me crazy at times, but he’s worth every moment.”
Elle smiled. “It’s so cute how devoted Alex is to her. Especially because he pretty much despises a large percentage of the remaining population.”
“You imprinted on each other, right?” Havana asked Bree.
“We did, thank God.” Bree blew out a relieved breath. “I was worried it wouldn’t happen for us. The imprinting process is a powerful thing, even in its earliest stages. I can’t imagine how hard it must have been for Tate when the threads of it snapped. I admire him for ploughing through that.”
Havana tilted her head. “Why do I feel like you guys keep purposefully going back to the subject of Tate?” Seriously, Elle and Bree had done it over a dozen times.
Elle gave a sheepish look. “Fine,” she said with a sigh. “Bree and I really want you and Tate to make another go of things. I know you want more than a fling—he told me. And I think he wants that too; he’s just holding back for what he believes is a good reason, but I don’t think he’ll manage that for much longer. I get that you want to move on, but I’m asking that you not write him off just yet.”
“You didn’t see what he was like this past week, Havana,” Bree cut in. “It was obvious that being away from you doesn’t work well for him. Like at all.”
Elle nodded. “I truly think he’ll make the jump at some point and offer you what you want, Havana. My big fear is that, by then, you’ll have decided it’s too little too late.”
“You can tell us that it’s not our business if you want,” said Bree. “You’d be right, it’s not. But we both worry about Tate. And we want what’s best for him—we think that’s you.”
