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“She covered a large part of my tuition and my living expenses as well. I love my mom to bits, and I don’t blame her for giving me a push, but I was so burnt out after last semester that I didn’t sign up for the next one.”
“Oh no.”
“Anyway, she found out, got pissed, then sent me here. She said it was to give me a life lesson in how hard it would be to be a baker. She thought it would knock some sense into me, which I guess it did.”
“And yet you’re still here.” I let out a soft chuckle, then smoothed back her hair.
“Still kicking ass as well.”
“Wait, so if this was some weird punishment, what’s Nora been up to?”
“She wanted to help me, but after the first couple of days, I asked if I could do things on my own. You came in on my first day going solo, and while it can be exhausting at times, I’m thankful for the experience. Problem is, Nora’s going stir-crazy at home, which means I need to go back and face my mom so Nora can come back here.”
“Because working together isn’t allowed?”
“I’ve avoided my problems long enough.”
“Regarding your mom, if you get a job and have your own place, what can she do?”
“I don’t know if she’d be malicious enough to push me away completely, but seeing as she’s the only person I’ve got, I’d rather not take that chance.”
I could understand that. “Since we’re on the topic of secrets and being truthful with each other, there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you. It’s hard to explain.” I couldn’t look at her. I felt sick whenever I tried. “I didn’t want to bring it up because I don’t know how you’re going to react.”
“You’re a wolf.”
“It’s stupid. I know. But–”Wait a second.“You knew?” Fire burned my cheeks. “How?” I’d been so careful.
Kate chuckled, then stepped out of my arms. “You always have fur on your clothes but never talk about a dog. Then, on Friday when I visited, I noticed bits of fur around the house as well. It isn’t just that, though. The first time you came in was right after the full moon. I remember because of the long night I’d had with Nora. She was itching to run but didn’t want to leave me on my own.
You had the same traits as her when you came in that morning. Jittery, uneasy, and a bit ravenous as well. You also have a huge sweet tooth that, when handled, calms you down.”
“To be fair, it’s mostly because of you. You’re my sweet.” I cringed at my choice of words but it couldn’t be helped. “You know what I mean.”
“I do, but I still find it adorable how you’re trying to act so chill. Be honest. Is it a passing fancy with me or something else?”
“I–”
“I know what we said before, but I also know how wolf attraction works so…” She regarded me with kind eyes that tugged at my heart.
“It’s more,” I said with a long exhale of breath.A lot more.“I didn’t tell you because I had a feeling you’d figure things out. Like you, I don’t want to push you into anything. I don’t want you to feel pressured just because my wolf does somersaults around my ankles whenever you’re around.”
“You don’t have to hide yourself from me. Wolves and humans are welcome inside Nora’s shop.”
“I realize that, but not all humans agree.”
“I don’t care about the other humans,” she said while taking my hand in hers. “And neither should you. If I bring you peace, tell me. If you want to try and make this work once I go back, I’ll do whatever I can to help. But if it’s too much… if I’m too much–”
“You aren’t,” I said as I studied our joined hands. “You aren’t a burden to me or my wolf. She’s quite fond of you.”
“She is?” Now it was Kate's turn to blush, and damn if it didn’t attract my wolf even more. “Is it just because of the sweets?”
“No, though that probably helps,” I teased.
Kate nodded, then leaned into my shoulder. “Do you think I could see her before I go?”
And just like that, my moment of happiness was gone. Out of all the things she could’ve asked me to do, showing off my wolf was the worst.
“I–”
