“Whatever you need is ok, Little Lion. I just came over to see what you wanted for dinner.”
She blushes and fuck she’s adorable. But she doesn’t answer and just bolts from the room back down the hallway. I slowly walk after her, intent on seeing more of that blush, or causing it to get deeper. Yet when I walk into the office she’s sitting at her desk with a pen and it looks like drawing on her computer screen…weird screen though.
Oh hey tentacles…and…well.
That is certainly, um…detailed.
I turn away from the screen as her keyboard clicks and pull a sketchbook off the shelf. It isn’t flush with the others and that draws my attention. I open it expecting flowers, or still life fruits, maybe rough figure drawings.
Nope…Dicks. So many dicks.
And putting that back.
I turn to see her staring at me, her mouth a little o of surprise and her face bright red.
“A lot of people commission not-safe-for-work art. I practice…er. I need reference material and practice drawing specific anatomy. If you had just picked a different book…I have hands, feet, poses…”
Her voice tapers off and she is staring at her feet. Her next words are so soft I have to lean down to hear them.
“I’m not a freak, I just need a job. This pays my bills and lets me work from home. It’s a way to support myself. I don’t…I’m not a pervert I just….”
The first tear hits her bare foot, and then my arms are wrapped around her.
“No. No, no one said you're a freak. Well, ok I am sure people online do because people online are anonymous assholes. But we do what we have to do to survive, yeah?” I put my fingers under her chin and gently lift her face to mine.
“I’m so proud of how you take care of yourself, Candice. You’ve been through so much, and you just keep going.” I wrap my arms around her, trying to offer comfort that I don’t know if she wants, but I need to give. She remains stiff in my arms, and I’m about to let go when she finally relaxes against me.
“I just…nobody knows what I do. None of my clients know me. I have acquaintances online who know a little more about me, but mostly I have to hide everything, and I was worried that if you found out, you all would think I was some kind of pervert or a freak.” I can feel her tears soaking into my shirt as I hold her and sway back and forth.
“And then this morning, with Gabe, I felt like I was being dishonest. I like you all, a lot…like more than it makes sense to. But I also felt like I was lying to you, like, technically yes, my degree is in graphic design. But mostly I do commissions. They pay better, and I don’t have to meet clients in person.”
Her voice is muffled against my chest, so I lift her up to put her face in my neck and fold myself into her office chair. It’s a pretty tight fit and the canister lets out a hiss before sinking to the floor. I rub her back and purr for her.
I suck at words, never knowing what to say, but this...this I can do. Swaying back and forth, purring, and rubbing her back, I lose track of time–until Joseph knocks on the doorframe to her office.
“Hey, Candice. I got your new back door deadbolt installed, and rekeyed, so it should work with the key you already have for the rest of the doors. I left my card on the counter, so just let me know if you need anything.” Candice mumbles something into my chest and I nod to Joseph, who lets himself out. I swivel around and see we only have an hour until the guys’ll be getting off work, so I pull out my phone and send them a text to let them know where we are. Leo has sent me back a long list of items I’ll need to order for Candice’s pet to stay at our house, and I continue to rock with her while I do some shopping on my phone. Once I have it all ordered, I brush her hair back from her face.
“Little Lion, Little Lion, what should we hunt for dinner?” I sing-song in hopes of getting a smile out of her.
The eyes that meet mine are red and puffy, but no longer leaking. “You mentioned lasagna the other day?” it isn’t exactly a statement.
“I did love, and I will make that for you soon, but there’s no time today. What’s your favorite food?”
She looks thoughtful. Itisan important question. “Pizza?” Another not statement.
“Ok, then how about we go to the store and get stuff to make a pizza bar? I don’t know what you like, but Xan is one of those pineapple on pizza freaks, so we will need to do multiples regardless. But Idolove him, so if you could not judge him too harshly, I’d appreciate it.” This, at least, gets a smile.
“Is it safe? I mean, I don’t go into the store unless I have to…and I haven’t used de-scenter today.” Is it safe? Nobody is gonna fuck with my Little Lion while I am around.
I kiss her on the nose. “You smell enough like Gabe, and now me, nobody’ll mess with you.” I leave out the part about how good I am with a filet knife, and she climbs out of my lap to go get her shoes. I stand and stretch, pulling my phone out, again, to message the dinner plans to my pack. There is a surly response about my driving from Gabe, a message to be careful from Xan, and some more iguana information from Leo. At least he’s taking this seriously. I stuff my phone back into my pocket before peeling the tape off my omega’s computer camera, or at least off the lens area, and then watch her scurry around the house looking for a lost shoe while wearing her iguana.
Chapter 20
The trip to the store was uneventful. It was kind of strange, we got all the stuff we needed for pizza, then Jacks suggested hitting the ice cream aisle to make a sundae bar to go with the pizza bar. But every time we would go to a different area, it would clear out. Nobody got close enough that they would be able to smell my omega scent, and with Jacks behind me, I always feel safe.
Shit, Jacks is like walking Prozac.
Hell, they all are. Every time I’m around one of the pack, I just feel my whole body unwind. All the tension, the anxiety, the panic, all slowly draining away like someone pulled a plug. I still worry a lot, about pretty much everything, but I haven’t had an actual panic attack since the vet's office. And even though it wasonly for a few hours earlier today, I can’t remember ever sleeping that well.
