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Gabriel left with Lucas, and they traveled on foot in their tiger forms to the informal campsite. They crept and snuck through the dark forest that surrounded pride territory, their exceptional night vision leading them through the denseness.
As they walked, Lucas poked and pried into his head telepathically about his cafe date.
“So? Are you really not going to tell me anything about it?”
Gabriel snarled, but it was in a playful manner as they padded through the woods.
“This is not the time nor the place, Lucas. Keep your head on straight."
“I think it's yours that isn't straight,”Lucas toyed with his alpha.“I noticed the second I saw you. You’ve got it bad. She might as well have your balls in a sack already.”
Gabriel gave Lucas a perky shove, the beta cackling in his mind in response. Lucas was the only person who could tease the alpha in such a way. They had been best friends since they were cubs. Lucas had a magical way about him that lightened the mood on any gloomy day, and that was something Gabriel held onto when the grimness of life took hold.
They soon arrived at the campsite, where two members of the pack had observed a multitude of humans. It was a small opening in the forest that was only about twenty feet wide, the canopies of the evergreens having parted to let the spill of the moon guide their way.
There was nothing there but a bit of trash and ground that had been imprinted by stakes that held up five or six tents.
“Have a good sniff,”Gabriel ordered.“Let’s see how long ago they left."
Lucas did as he was told, exploring the outside of the site and terrain within the forest while Gabriel explored the trash and impressions that had been left. He picked up the average amount of what humans tended to leave behind without much care for the earth around them. Sodden lemon wipes, neon glowing cheese stick packages, a few spots of urine, and soiled remains. It really wasn’t anything unusual.
Lucas sauntered back to Gabriel, shaking his big tiger head.
“Nothing out of the ordinary. They may have done some foraging. There are bits of excrement not far out. But nothing fishy.”
Gabriel nodded, then gazed at the site he had just scanned. He was a detail-oriented man who was heavily relied on by his pack, but he still felt the exploration of the grounds was a waste of time. He wanted to get back to ruminating about Lily and what could be done to woo such a spectacular woman into his arms.
“Take one more look. Be tenacious."
Lucas did just that. And they once more found nothing suspicious. Merely the presence of dirty humans who believed that the planet was their garbage dump.
They regrouped and reported their lack of findings. Gabriel decided it must have just been a normal camp outing. It was certainly odd that they would come so close to the pack territory, but humans could be oblivious beings. They decided to head back and report to the pride in the morning.
As they trailed through the forest, Gabriel continued to mull over his excitement about Lily. The surrogate agency had been successful for many shifters, and he was counting on it for himself.
She was likely going to move in if she wanted to agree to the surrogacy, which also filled him with wonder. Was he finally going to get everything he wanted from his shifter life … a mate, children, a whole family?
Yet he knew he had to keep the fact that she was his mate quiet for the time being. He couldn’t go in guns blazing the way his tiger wanted. He had to do what was practical and agreed upon first. He would lead her into his world with tenderness rather than with force.
They continued on, finding their way back to the settlement. They said their farewells, and Gabriel returned home without his mother this time. He felt wiped out, not only from the extensive walk but also from the date with Lily. She was already draining him of his vital resources, but he adored the feeling.
He wasn't going to sleep that night. He knew it in his core. So he spent the night rearranging art pieces in his house, envisioning what Lily would look like when walking past them, laughing her beautiful laugh, resplendent in a flowing summer dress.
Gabriel was falling, and he was falling hard. He felt like a man possessed as he ran about his estate, but he was enthralled and grateful.
It was all finally happening.
FIVE
LILY
Lily’s hands stopped as they held the key in the lock.
She stared at dried paint built up under her fingernails. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry after the day she’d had.
Yes, she loved being a teacher, but some days were just so much harder than others. Mentally, if not emotionally. It was only Wednesday, and already, today had been both.
Lily rolled her shoulders back to shake off her negativity.
