Page 66 of Facade

Getting out the big guns, Nadine gave Heath her best Big Sister Glare. The look, which had to rival that of a mythical basilisk, had never failed to get a confession out of him. Heath felt compelled to spill every secret and transgression from minor to major.

Yearning to confess made it more difficult to resist. Having to keep his mouth shut was incredibly difficult. Nadine, Brady, and Roger would be thrilled for him, and want to meet his mate.

Heath had a better understanding now of how complicated and frustrating this must have been for Jace. At least the shifter had been able to confide in his family, who already knew Clarke, and that she had gotten a position at Mars. Heath couldn’t do that.

Nadine, Roger, and Brady already liked Clarke. Heath knew all three of them would respect and support her decision to impersonate a man, and get a job at Mars. They would keep her secret, and help search for Charlie.

He wanted to share the wonderful news that he was bonded, but hadn’t discussed that with Clarke. It wasn’t his place to reveal her secrets without her permission and approval.

No longer the mischievous boy who had snuck worms, frogs, and bats into Nadine’s bedroom, Heath told himself he had nothing to feel guilty about. He had to stay strong. He was an adult now, and would not cave under pressure.

Being the focus of four suspicious stares, because yes, Heath was including Daisy the raccoon, had him figuratively sweating. He was more unnerved by this interrogation than he’d been while in cuffs at the mercy of a supposed stranger the night before. In the end, he chose retreat, making an excuse about needing to stop at the hardware store.

The penetrating glances of three evolved humans and one disturbingly intelligent raccoon tracked Heath as he strode briskly to his car. He was smart enough to know that he hadn’t fooled any of them. Family lunches would need to be avoided until he could speak freely.

Reluctant to make a liar of himself, Heath did go to the hardware store. He purchased work gloves, nails, and some hinges. Then he drove to a craft supplier for sketch pads and pencils.

At home, he unloaded the supplies as Rascal investigated every bag and box. Leaving the pencils and paper in the living room, Heath got back to work upstairs.

When his parents called an hour later, Heath pretended to be busy, texting that he’d call them in a couple of days. It was cowardly, but the best way to prevent saying more than he should. He suspected that Nadine had put them on the mission of extracting his secrets. Heath didn’t trust his willpower in the face of parental persuasion.

Throwing himself into the renovations was therapeutic. The labor settled Heath’s mind and made the time pass quickly.

Creating the group chat when Jace sent Clarke’s number was fun. Heath didn’t love Agent X for her, but it was temporary. He wouldn’t risk a feminine nickname.

Jace had Princess Primrose, which was adorable. That was personal, though, incorporating their history, and fond memories. Heath would come up with something eventually, that had meaning for the two of them.

Ever since the classroom attack, Heath had thought of Clarke as Desk Jockey for obvious reasons. That barricade had been impressive and inspired. But anyone he worked with who chanced to glance at his phone during a conversation, would realize who the name referred to.

Heath’s phone rang, and he checked to see who was calling before accepting it. Seeing that it was Jace, he swiped to answer.

“Yeah, did something else come up?” Heath asked. They had just confirmed their plans for Sunday less than an hour ago.

“Clarke has at least one more mate. Our marks are connected on one side, and open on the other,” Jace said bluntly. But tact was a foreign concept to him, so Heath didn’t take it personally. “You should be aware of that, but she might not know how to approach it with you. I realized that Clarke couldn’t call you last night, which is when she told me, and probably wouldn’t today, even having your number now.”

“That makes sense. We hardly know one another,” Heath said. “I can see why she would hesitate to mention a third mate to me immediately, and might feel awkward calling.”

In her shoes, Heath would feel the same. And what a loaded topic. Hey, I know we just bonded, and you thought I was a man three days ago, but you’ll have to share me with another guy at some point, as well as Jace. Yeah, under the circumstances, he wouldn’t have called either. There was no way to drop that truth bomb with diplomacy.

“Clarke worried about my reaction. It will be the same with you. You have eighteen hours to get comfortable with the concept,” Jace said in what was more an order than a suggestion.

Heath chuckled, knowing that Jace was giving him the heads up, and time to come to terms with that reality for Clarke’s sake rather than his. But that was as it should be. Jace wouldn’t tolerate Heath upsetting her.

“Don’t worry about me, 007. I had already guessed that Clarke would have at least three mates. Her physical power is ranked at nine-point-seven. Having her first vision at the age of six, especially considering how it was prompted, indicates that Clarke’s psychic ability could be even stronger,” Heath said.

As far as he was aware, ninety-five percent of evolved humans with an ability that was ranked at ten or higher had a minimum of two mates. And that was for individuals with only one power. Since Clarke had two, it was practically a guarantee that she would have three mates.

“Good,” Jace said, and hung up without another word.

The irascible shifter had clearly exhausted his tolerance for dialogue with anyone other than Clarke. Laughing, Heath set his phone down, and went back to hanging drywall.

On Sunday, Heath found himself anticipating having company. With his house being an ongoing construction project, he rarely had people over. He was accustomed to being alone, with Rascal his only companion.

On the rare occasion that someone popped by unannounced, Heath tended to be annoyed, and keep the visit short. Rather than feeling invaded Friday night, though, Heath had enjoyed having Clarke and Jace in his space. It felt natural.

After harvesting herbs and vegetables from the garden with Rascal’s dubious assistance, he made a salad, and put it in the refrigerator to chill. Then Heath went foraging for wildflowers, returning with a large bouquet in a profusion of colors. Frowning when he realized that he didn’t own a vase, Heath put the flowers in a blown-glass pitcher. It would have to do.

He had decided to broil pork chops for lunch. Grilling them might be tastier, but Heath wanted Clarke to have the freedom of leaving the masculinity charm off for as long as possible. She might feel the need to wear it if they cooked and ate outside.