All the locals we’ve met are here, along with my sister and her pack. I give her a hug, which she returns in earnest.
“This one is for our new two gorgeous residents,” Rory says over the mic.
Both of our packs look at the man with irritation in their eyes. Lain’s however, depict murder and I hold his hand as Rory sings Shawn Mendes‘Treat You Better.
Birdie and I both bust out into laughter. Meanwhile our mates don’t find it nearly as funny.
“Aw. You know you have nothing to worry about. I’d never belittle myself with a mediocre tour guide. Only the best for me,” I say to Lain, and he puffs out his chest.
“Damn right.”
“I’m about to kick this dickhead out,” Greer says from across the bar.
All the while Alan is singing along with the song and looking between Birdie and I. We find it hilarious, our guys not so much.
Callum comes out from the back, dropping off my favorite appetizer he makes for me. Smoked salmon on oatcakes.
“Oi, where the fuck is that on the menu?” Alan asks, and Callum just glares at him, giving me a kiss on the head. “Tell you what, luckily you two are bonnie cause the service around here has gone to hell.”
“Be nice, Alan,” I tell him.
“Of course, honey,” he says, taking a sip of his whisky.
“So…any reason why you two are torturing each other and not bonding?” Birdie asks.
“He’s waiting for me to give him the green light,” I tell her, and she arches a dark brow at me.
“And you haven’t? Are you going to Chicago before bonding with him?”
“Oh, please Maisie, do not make the rest of the town suffer while you’re gone. He’ll be such a moody cunt if you’re unbonded and traveling,” Graham says.
I’m still not used to how much the word cunt is thrown around in daily conversation here. It can be a term of endearment and a negative thing, which is equally confusing.
“We’re not pressuring you in any shape or form,” Birdie says, poking Graham in the side for misbehaving.
“Of course, sweetheart”
I take a sip of my wine and glance at Greer behind the bar. God, he’s still as handsome as ever. He leans against the bar, grabbing my forearm and rubbing the skin there.
“Ginny just clocked in, you know?” he says.
“What do you mean?”
Greer smiles at me. “I mean, Callum could step away from the kitchen. He has a key to the Heather Beag.”
I blink at him. He feels mischievous and hopeful down the bond.
“The moment you tell him you’re ready, he’ll do whatever he needs to, Maisie. You walk back there and tell him you want his mark, he’ll toss you on top of his station and take you there.”
“I’ll be calling the FSS if that happens, unless it’s an open to the public sort of thing,” Alan says and both Greer and I turn to the dirty old man. He just shrugs as we stare at him and I turn back to Greer.
“What are you so nervous about?” Greer asks.
“I’ve just been agonizing over the where and what of things. You and Lain were easy with how you wanted to bond. I know Callum doesn’t need anything romantic, but I kind of want to do that for him too. He’s…well, you know what he’s been through. No one has ever chosen him in the way he deserves and I want to give him that.”
Greer leans over the bar, grabbing my face and planting a quick kiss on my lips.
“I love you, you know that?”
