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Neil: I was held up with some pack business. I'm on my way to the bakery now.
Me: Okay, just got off. I'll meet you outside.
I sighed aloud as I hit send and slipped my phone into my purse. Heather eyed me carefully, taking off her own apron and packing up to leave.
"Do you want me to wait with you? Or go with you,even? I've heard that Neil can be a little on the... difficult side, you know? When he's disappointed or upset."
“I’m sure it will be fine. We've only talked about going out for the past few days. It's not like this news is going to devastate him or anything. Besides, I’m going to take my own car, so if things go wrong, at least I can make a quick getaway.”
I intended it to be a joke, but Heather didn’t smile, instead nodding stiffly.
“I’ll keep my phone on me in case you need some backup,” she said.
Neil was already waiting outside, arms crossed with a slight scowl on his face.
"Sorry about being a little late," he said, straightening up when he saw me. He opened the passenger door of his truck and gestured for me to get inside.
"I think it would be better for us to drive separately, Neil. That way, after lunch, you don't have to take me back here,” I said. It wasn't a lie, but I knew I wasn't being smooth about it, either. Neil must have thought so, too, because he cocked a brow at me.
"Everything alright?" he asked.
"Yes, everything's fine. Where do you want to have lunch?"
“Well, first, I want you to get in, and then we can talk about lunch.”
I chewed on my lip, unsure of what to do.
“Hey, Ella. I just remembered that Marissa needed you to cover her shift this afternoon. Do you think you can stick around for a little bit?”
Heather appeared on my right, as if materializing fromthin air. Neil turned his attention to her, his eyes frosty.
“Unfortunately, we have plans,” he said.
I smiled at Heather and gave her hand a quick squeeze. "Sorry, I can't today, but I'll text you after I have lunch with Neil and see if you still need me to come in."
Heather sighed but nodded and told us to have a good time.
I watched her walking away, weighing my options. The ride home afterward might be awkward, but if I refused to ride with Neil, he would be in an even worse mood.
"Fine," I said. "Let's go." My wolf whined and paced, unhappy to be alone with the other male.
Ignoring her, I buckled my seatbelt and asked again. "So. Where are we going for lunch?"
"I wanted to take you back to my place. Alpha house," Neil said, looking behind us as he pulled out of the parking spot. "Jeremy is out of town, and I want you to see the inside. We won't have to live there after our mating ceremony, but in some ways, it is easier for me to be onsite in case Jeremy needs me for something."
I let out a slow breath. I guess having this conversation couldn’t wait. "Listen, we need to talk about all this, Neil. I don't think...I mean, I think I need to see where things go with Gabe before I think about pursuing something with anyone else. I thought for sure we weren't going to be a good fit for each other, but since he's been here, things have changed." I paused. "Plus, I don't think we would be right for each other anyway. I'm really sorry I wasted your time."
At first, I thought that maybe Neil didn’t hear me, but when he parked in front of Alpha house, it was clear thathe heard every word.
“Ella, I’ve said this before, and I guess I need to say it again. The kind of thing that we can have is pretty special. I’ve searched all over for a female who desires a more traditional relationship, but I never expected to find you here, inside Dark Claw, all along. We can break the bond you have already and live a happy life here. You can continue working at the bakery, and you’ll have a mate who cares about you. And better yet, who understands you and what you need. Gabriel, as nice as he is, can’t give you that.”
I started to protest, but he cut me off. "Fine. I get it. You love Gabe or whatever. Just come inside and have the lunch I prepared for us."
I gave him a weary look but nodded. If he had gone to all the trouble to actually cook something, the least I could do was eat it. My wolf whined, torn between following the orders of the beta and just wanting to go see Gabe.
I followed Neil up the walk and inside. I looked around as he hung up my coat, surprised to find a well-appointed foyer and sitting room. The place looked really nice for housing two single males.
“Were you expecting pizza boxes and beer cans?” Neil teased.
