I wonder if the change is different for female wolves than it is for males. Or if the two men just think Nicky would be more open, talking to a woman.
Either way, I’m left with one burning question.
Where is her mother?
The little family walks back to their table on the other side of the diner as Roderick slides in beside me again.
“Sorry. Pack business never ends.” He gives me a rueful smile.
And my chest feels lighter for it. I’m not resentful that the members of the pack have a claim to him. Not when heacknowledges that it may be an inconvenience. What always bothered me about Cory’s beta status in Bear Valley was that he not only expected me to be overjoyed about his power, but to also act as his constant hostess. Without notice or consulting me.
As long as Roderick makes clear he’s aware of how it might affect me, I feel seen. I feel respected. I’d never ask him to shirk his responsibility. I only want to maintain my own identity, separate from his alpha-ness.
To reassure him, I squeeze his thigh under the table.
“They seemed nice.” I bite my lip, trying to stifle my curiosity. But, damn it, I really want to know. Aware of the extraordinary hearing most of the diners possess, I lean in until my lips almost brush his ear. “Nicky’s mom?”
When I pull away, it’s to find the smallest grimace at the corner of his mouth.
Roderick leans in, copying how low I asked my question. “Human. Had a fling with Wayne. Got pregnant and didn’t want to raise a wolf cub. She left.”
Only a handful of words, and yet one of the saddest stories I’ve heard.
Meeting his eyes, I offer a commiserating grimace.
And I wonder if he’s missing his own mother.
Our food arrives, and Roderick digs in. Luckily, despite the massive amount he’s shoveling into his mouth, my companion isn’t a messy eater. No, if anything, he’s a sexy eater. Sitting next to him gives me a clear view of his jaw as he chews. The way the muscles tense and roll. Just a small hint of the strength that imbues every inch of his body.
“You’re staring,” he says as he cuts into his pancake.
“I’m enjoying the view,” I respond.
His gaze flicks to mine, eyes turning black again. And once more, I’m proud that I don’t even have the urge to flinch.
Although I do jump when a presence sits heavily in the bench seat across our table.
“I have business.” The man doesn’t even bother introducing himself.
Roderick gives no indication if this bothers him or not, but he doesn’t let it pass. “Juliet, this is Boris. Boris, this is Juliet.”
The man—who I suspect is another werewolf—grunts.
Apparently, Roderick and me sitting on the same side of the booth gives the impression the alpha is open to holding court. I didn’t mind Wayne and Nicky stopping by, but something about this wolf rubs me the wrong way.
Maybe it’s the fact that he doesn’t even glance in my direction. Like I’m as important as the salt and pepper shaker on the table.
Well, if he’s going to ignore me, then I’m not going to let his intrusion stop me from enjoying some of the fluffiest scrambled eggs I’ve ever beheld. Grabbing the bottle of hot sauce, I add a few shakes of the spicy topping before forking up a mouthful.
“What’s your business?” Roderick asks, leaning back in his seat and laying his arm behind my shoulders again.
Boris raps his knuckles on the table. “I mean to take a mate.”
Good thing I swallowed my food already or else I might have choked. That word,mate, it triggers something in me. And instinct to fight or flee.
Maybe eyes turning black don’t send me over the edge anymore, but I’m disappointed to realize I’m not anywhere near cured from the darkness in my past.
“Really?” Roderick’s voice is void of emotion. At best, he sounds mildly curious. “Who?”
