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“I’m Tao Matson. I’m so glad you’re here.”
The two men shook hands without incident, although Eliana wasn’t sure why she would expect anything in the first place. Lucas was some random alpha, while Tao, well, he was her former lover and certainly not her mate.
Her wolf growled inside her, and Eliana pushed her away aggressively.
When they parted, Tao motioned at Lucas with his chin.
“Is this your new man?”
YES! YES, HE’S OUR MATE!
Eliana blinked away her wolf’s cries, covering them with a bemused chuckle.
“Oh, Lucas? No, no, no, he’s just here to help with the alpha thing. He’s been a really great help so far.”
Tao nodded, not a hint of envy in his eyes. He motioned to the kitchen, where Eliana could hear the chef cooking up the ribs the restaurant was most famous for.
“Well, I hope you don’t mind if I dine with you. I’m starving from a long trip.”
Tao slammed two hands into his gut, and all three of them chortled with laughter. Tao was always amusing, and Eliana still had a real affection for him. But it wasn’t the mate feeling; the one that her wolf continued to howl inside her whenever Lucas came near.
“Tao!” Bria screeched from the kitchen. “Get in here and help me out, young man.”
Tao chuckled, then told Lucas and Eliana to make themselves comfortable. He stomped into the kitchen like the gentle giant he was and would forever remain.
Lucas stood next to Eliana with his hands in his pockets. His scent was radiant, delicious, swirling into her nostrils like the most pleasantly perfumed gust of wind. When he spoke, it was like her brain was being massaged by the tune of melodic violins.
“I’m guessing that you two have dated,” he said.
Eliana was caught off guard. The man was insanely perceptive, but why did he have to mention anything at all?
She clutched at her purse and stalked toward an empty table. There were only two customers in the restaurant other than them, and they were solo diners who Eliana knew.
“I’m that transparent, am I?” she said, sounding unintentionally flirty.
Lucas laughed, deep and smooth.
“I wasn’t implying that. I mean, it’s clear you two have a past. That must be nice to have around during your time of grieving.”
They sat at a booth next to a window that looked out over the street. Eliana slumped her purse down on the table and leaned against it, not knowing where to fix her gaze before Tao returned.
“It is nice, that’s for sure. Nothing warmer than the arms of the familiar.”
Lucas studied her, and it made her feel naked. His eyes stirred the eroticism inside her mind, especially since they were in public. It all felt so naughty and delightful.
She snarled at him instead, wanting to keep the butterflies in her stomach at bay. “What are you thinking?”
Lucas crossed his arms and looked toward the kitchen. She had an idea about what he was going to say, but once again, she adored the way Lucas put it.
“How old is Tao? Do you think he’d be interested in the alpha position?”
Eliana had thought about it the moment she’d laid eyes on Tao. He was a thoughtful shifter who rarely did anything for himself; the move to California had been the only action he committed with his own desires in mind. Seeing him back meant that it was likely that he had felt a sense of duty pulling him back to the little island town.
But Eliana didn’t want to admit that to Lucas just yet. A part of it made her sad to think that Tao was there for the alpha position, yet she wasn’t entirely sure why.
“I don’t know,” she said, looking away. “That’s certainly something to consider.”
They waited in silence as Tao came to the table with three servings of short ribs and a pile of accompanying celery sticks. Eliana was partly thankful to have Tao there to fill the void, as his personality was nearly as big as his stature.
