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He was man enough to admit he might have gone a bit overboard with the toppings. Usually, he only focused on tomatoes, lettuce, and sour cream because that was all he and Nevaeh used on it. He didn’t ask Doc what she liked on her tacos, so he made another run to the grocery store to pick up onions, peppers, guacamole, salsa, and a variety of other things.
Rex hadn’t told his daughter about his date, but he suspected Mama Hen or one of the Ol’ Ladies had heard and filled her in. Nevaeh had chopped up the onions and peppers and had put the other toppings in small, easy to access containers before she left to head back to school.
As he looked down at the tray, he smiled. Damn, he loved that kid. She was good right down to her soul.
He set the tray on the table in the center and asked, “Would you like pop, wine, a beer, or something stronger?”
Doc smirked up at him. “Pop is fine. Maybe something stronger when we’re done eating.”
“Your wish, my command,” he said and lifted two cans of pop from the tray. After handing one to her, he took his seat and set his can next to his plate.
They made small talk as they put their toppings on their lasagna, and Rex took note that Doc liked guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, tomatoes, and peppers. He filed that bit of information away for the next time he made it for her. Nevaeh had beat it into his head that he needed to manifest what he wanted, so that was what he was doing – manifesting more dinner dates with Doc.
He used to think that manifesting stuff was bullshit, but it made his daughter happy when he played along, so he did. In the process, he noticed that he was more optimistic and things seemed to go smoother for him. That was enough for Rex to make it a standard practice in his life.
After all the bullshit they went through a few months back, he was willing to do anything to bring good into his life and the lives of the people he cared about.
He watched as Doc used her fork to cut off a bite and lifted it to her full lips.
After she chewed the food, she let out a moan and swallowed. “That’s… good.” She looked over at him. “Seriously. It’s simple but… really good.”
Rex smiled around the bite he was chewing and nodded. After swallowing, he said, “Comfort food.”
“Exactly.”
For the next few minutes, they focused on eating their food and didn’t say much. He didn’t realize how much her opinion of their favorite food would mean to him until she let out that moan. That quiet sound sent his body in several different directions.
His cock took notice and imagined her making that noise while he was deep inside of her. His wolf started panting and pacing, excited that they had pleased their mate. His pride swelled at her acceptance. One small noise from Doc, and Rex was all over the place.
Jolene
After dinner, they carried all of the dishes and leftover toppings into the kitchen and Rex went to work rinsing the dishes and putting them in the dishwasher. She offered to help, but he just prepared and handed her a short glass with a couple fingers of whiskey and ice, and gave her a kiss on the cheek, before he went back to the dishes.
“I am capable of doing dishes.”
Rex grinned and slid a plate into the dishwasher tray. “I think you’re capable of a good number of things, but this is kind of a one-person job. How about this… you hit me with those questions swimming in your beautiful eyes while I take care of these?”
Jolene sipped her whiskey and watched the muscles in his arms flex and release with his ministrations. “Okay. So you’re a wolf shifter? Is that the right terminology?”
He nodded, his long blond and gray ponytail at his nape shifting with the movement. “Yes.”
“When you’re a wolf, are you… do you…” She cleared her throat. “Do you think like a wolf or a man?”
Rex finished rinsing out a pan and loaded it next to the plates. “I think like a man, for the most part. My instincts are heightened, but I’m still able to think logically. I know who people are and understand words. When I’m in human form, I can feel my wolf inside of me. Its desires and reactions are in my head, but they are more in the background.”
“So… like it’s part of you, but not?”
He nodded again. “The most important part is that you know that you are never in danger with me as a man or a wolf. Even injured or anxious, I would never hurt you.” He shut the dishwasher and turned to face her, his ice blue eyes staring into her soul. “You never have to worry about that with me or anyone in the Howlers or the Claws.”
She gave him a nod, mostly because he seemed to need it. His shoulders visibly relaxed after she did. It was obviously important to him that she felt safe around him.
“What else do you want to ask?”
He poured himself a glass of whiskey, then he led her to the living room, bringing the bottle with him.
Settling on one side of the sectional with him, Jolene sipped her whiskey as she considered what to ask next. “Mama Hen mentioned that it has something about the origin of the shifters having to do with gods. She didn’t have details, or at least, she didn’t share them.”
She watched as he settled and put the bottle down the coffee table. Facing her with one leg up and bent on the cushion in front of him, he replied, “We didn’t know the origin story untilveryrecently.“ He paused and studied her, but she wasn’t sure what he was contemplating until he spoke again. “If I tell you these things, I need you to promise that it stays with us. There are some people who believe shifters are monsters who need to be eradicated. Because of that, there are some things that we have to keep as quiet as possible. Not to mention, some of this is really the secret of the gods, and it kinda feels like sharing the business of others.”
