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Lucas took a sip of his iced tea and agreed enthusiastically.
“I know what you mean. My pack isn’t exactly functioning swimmingly either, but I do have experience with hunting down the proper type … if you will.”
Bria’s look slowly slid back up to meet him, and he had to admit, she was charming. She was an older version of Eliana, with a lull in her energy that could only be understood through multiple weights of grief. He empathized with her and, thus, was sincere about the help he wanted to supply.
“Will you sequester males within the area?” she asked plainly.
“Yes. There is no point in going outside the pack; that would only create resentment, and we don’t need a leader being resented right off the bat.”
Lucas realized that Bria was the person whose trust he had to earn the most. She seemed to be coming around to him, possessing a sense of humor, and feeling the oodles of respect he radiated toward her was certainly helping him. Everything about Lucas was genuine, and most shifters were able to read that from his energy.
“That is a load off, honestly. It makes sense that we shouldn’t create resentment.”
Lucas sipped at his drink, keeping time with the conversation in his mind’s eye. She smiled at him sweetly, which was when he knew it was time to start the practical matters.
“So I think it would be best if you gave me the names and addresses of the male wolves in the pack, so I could contact them myself. I will then give them an assessment and report back to you if that suits you?”
Bria’s soft expression disappeared into confusion, then evolved into amusement. Lucas had taken out a pen and paper and was looking up at the woman, the mother of the one that he already couldn’t stop thinking about.
He raised his eyebrows with innocent puzzlement.
“Was it something I said?”
Bria waved her hands in front of her face, chuckling. She had a natural warmth about her that Lucas enjoyed.
“No, no, I’m sorry,” she said, laughing. “It’s just that we aren’t very formal around here. I think it would be best if my daughter, Eliana, showed you around the island, and you can become acquainted with the men who may be suitable.”
Lucas didn’t want to show it, but his heart had picked up the pace, likely thumping at nearly a hundred-plus beats per minute. He was sweating under his armpits and groin at the thought of being around Eliana. He placed his pen on the notebook, sat up straight, and tilted his head innocently.
“Wouldn’t you need your daughter around to help out with the restaurant?” he said.
Bria shook her head, a mischievous look casting over her gaze.
“I have many servers here. She usually just shows up to help out when it is busy, but this is a priority. I think the two of you will get along.”
Lucas’s wolf groaned inside him, and he had to bury it again, deep. There was a twinkle of knowing in Bria’s eyes, a playfulness that only a mother could exude. She knew something, and she wanted Lucas and Eliana to be well acquainted.
It was incredibly irritating to feel the excitement battling with his practical reasonings. He wanted to be around Eliana, of course. His body yearned for it like food and water.
“I see. Well, if that is something that works for both of you, then we have a deal.”
Bria clapped her hands together, which made some of the customers look over. But she barely noticed, pushing herself up nonchalantly.
“You should both get started then. Or do you have to get to your hotel first?”
Lucas had his things dropped off at the place he was staying, and he didn’t want to lie to the woman he genuinely liked. He shook his head, then gazed down at the menu for a moment.
“My things have already been dealt with, thank you. But I would love to eat something beforehand if that is all right?”
Bria swelled with excitement, then pointed at a sandwich that was at the top of the menu. She said she would have it made for him as soon as possible, then left the table with a pep in her step.
Damn it. She knows.
Bria was also a shifter, a veteran who trusted her intuition as much as she trusted her own sense of smell. She must have noticed something about him when he walked in the front door. She could have even smelled the attraction on him. It was burning as hot as fire inside his chest.
Lucas was glad he thought to use food to delay their meeting. He had to gather himself and calm down. He couldn’t be mumbling around a beautiful woman. What kind of ass would he look like then?
He had a job to do, and it was an important one. The pack was suffering, and they did need a real alpha to take on the role as their leader. He couldn’t let his affection for a scalding hot woman get in the way and risk tarnishing his reputation.
