Page 60 of Fake It ’Til You Mate It

A shiver courses down my spine. It’s only been a few hours, but I swear: I’ll never get tired of hearing him say that.

We leave shortly after that. I completely forgot that Max parked in front of the bakery. At the time, I didn’t think we’d end up spending the night. Now? Anyone who got up early and traveled down Sycamore Street knows that the sheriff kept his car here overnight.

Shifters gossip worse than little old ladies. Possessive predators can be just as bad. I wouldn’t be surprised if, by the end of today, all of Moonburrow knows that Max and I are mates. His wolf will want to show me off, and I look forward to it… as long as we can close this case first.

I feel a pang when we leave through the front door, locking Dough You Believe in Magic up behind us. This is the time of day that I should be getting my first customers. I even see Betsy hopping down the street toward me, as though this is her destination. Possible. I’d expected her to come by yesterday when the news about Abigail broke, but they seemed to be friends. Maybe she didn’t know yet. Maybe she did, but she was grieving and didn’t need an eclair.

She waves at me, hurrying up. Normally, I’d make small talk. But, normally, I wasn’t worried about going after a wolf and a witch. Since Betsy is neither, I wave back before reaching for the passenger side door.

It’s okay. I’ll make it up to her at the next prey circle meeting. Who knows? Maybe I’ll provide the snacks next time.

I reach for the passenger side door—but Max is already there, holding it open for me.

I flash him a grin as I sink into the seat. My chivalric mate nods, closing the door for me, and prowling around the front of the car to get to the driver side.

CHAPTER 17

RIORDAN

I knew there was something up with the big guy.

He smelled weird, but he’s nice. I don’t think I’ll bite him.

Yet.

— gus

Twenty minutes later, Max is pulling up to the Alpha cabin. Because I can sense he needs to do this, I wait until he opens the door for me. A sliver of relief coupled with affection flitters down the fledgling tie that bloomed into being as soon as we admitted we were mates.

It’s so easy to look at the Alpha not knowing that I was his and blame the scent-dampener charm. I’m no angel. I did that on purpose, applying it like perfume everyday religiously. I was a coward. Prey shifter, yeah? I was afraid that he would reject me so I didn’t give him the chance.

But there’s something more to it. He’s an Alpha. Maybe when I was just enough prey shifter in Moonburrow, it was easier to overlook me while I was wearing the charm and running a charmed bakery. As soon as we started spending time together, though, it should’ve been obvious… and, in a way, it was. We went from being strangers to mates in less than a week, with him kissing me long before I washed off the scent-dampener.

Something was messing with Max. I didn’t know what, but I’d figure that out, too. If only for his peace of mind and mine, I would.

First, though, we needed to fill Riordan in on what happened.

Max opens the door to the Alpha cabin, stepping aside to let me in. Good thing, too, since a ten-pound orange torpedo comes bounding at me the moment I walk inside. Gus does figure eights around my sneakers, chittering the whole, swishing his tail as though scolding me for staying out all night with my new boyfriend.

No. Not my boyfriend.

My mate.

I laugh in delight. Bending low, I scoop up Gus, hugging him to my chest. I know that Max said that he was sending Riordan to keep Gus safe. That warmed my heart more than I can say, and I’m so glad to see that Gus is alright.

Following Max’s lead, I carry Gus into the living room. I remember walking past it yesterday to get to the guest room. Today, we got in as a trio.

Riordan is waiting for us there. There is a love seat on one side of a squat coffee table. To its left, and up against a window, there’s a sofa. Riordan is leaning back in the love seat, one arm stretched along the back, his ankle resting casually on his knee.

Max nods at him. I give him a small wave.

He breathes in deep, eyes going wide as he realizes that we’re wearing each others’ scent.

Unfolding his legs, he starts to rise. “Luna damn it. When you didn’t come home, I was worried, little bro, but I guess I shouldn’t have been. Congratulations⁠—”

Max shakes his head. “I appreciate it, and I can’t wait to introduce Honey to you and Mom and Dad as my mate”—um, what?—“but that’s not why I told you to meet me here.” He had stuck the scroll in his back pocket when we got out of the car. Taking it out, he tosses it to his brother. “This is.”

It takes Riordan less than a minute to make sense of the document signed by Talia and Leo, detailing the contract or services and the orders he placed through her. Just like me, Max, and Roxy, he instantly agrees that this is a smoking gun. At the very least, Leo is up to his fuzzy ears in the creation of the shifter poison. Add in Abigail’s unfortunate murder and it becomes clear to all of us that he definitely played a part.