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Within an hour, I was back at the manor and making a healthy breakfast. I kept my iPad next to the stove as I chopped up veggies and cooked them in an egg scramble on the stove. I scrolled through the emails that had come through in the few hours of sleep I’d managed.
As I ate, I reviewed my schedule, sighing at how tight some of the meetings were. What I really wanted was to direct all my energy toward the murder and pack business. Because out of everything, that was the priority at the moment. I couldn’t drop the ball on anything else, though. It was just something else to be added to my never-ending list.
I shut off my tablet and sipped at my coffee in blessed silence. My gaze constantly wandered upward, as if I could see my little wolf through the ceiling. She was so tempting that I debated whether I should wake her, offer her breakfast, and sit with her for a little bit. Tori had a way of calming me. Focusing on her also gave my tired mind a break from my duties.
Draining the last of my coffee, I decided to leave her alone. Respecting her space would be essential to both of us. For one, I didn’t trust myself to keep my hands off her, and two, she didn’t trust me, period—something I was determined to change. I didn’t know why I needed her trust so badly. It would be a challenge, but I had a feeling it would be my greatest accomplishment.
After cleaning up the kitchen, I jogged upstairs to get ready. I dressed in one of my standard suits and checked my watch. It was almost time to meet with Clawson.
Taking the stairs two at a time, I returned to the kitchen. Just as I was grabbing my tablet and cell phone, Tori wandered in, yawning widely and looking adorably groggy. My libido jumped into overdrive at the sight of her messy bun and baggy pajamas. The innocence of her sleepy actions made me want to hug her tight and curl around her in my bed.
She was sexy no matter what she did, but I wished I could see this “just out of bed” look as often as possible.
My wolf started growling, and it took me a moment to control his raging libido. It didn’t help that mine was raging right along with his. He snapped at me for not stepping forward and scooping her into my arms. I couldn’t help but imagine her being my mate, but it was purely wishful desire on my part. If we were fated mates, she’d be reacting to me in the same manner.
Her delicate hands rubbed at her eyes as she mumbled a good morning. I glanced at the clock. Shit, I was late for my meeting with Clawson. Well, he’d have to get over it. After all, I wasn’t usually late. But time alone with Tori was something I’d take full advantage of whenever I had the chance.
“Good morning. Would you like breakfast?”
She leaned against the counter and scoffed. “I’m already indebted to you enough. You don’t need to add a food bill to the list.”
I started chuckling and shook my head. I’d never been around someone so adamant against taking anything from me and using my wealth for their own gain. It was exhilarating but incredibly frustrating at the same time. Tori was the one person I wanted to spoil with anything and everything she could possibly need or want, and so much more besides. Yet, she wouldn’t take it. Even a simple breakfast was too much for her.
“I’m working at the diner today. What’s the game plan? Any fake fiancée things I should plan on for the day?” she asked. “And we should get together so I can tell you everything I know about the hunters.”
She had a point. We needed to make sure we were on the same page. The more affluent families in town would have something to say about Tori continuing to work at the diner, but I also knew that this fiercely independent woman wouldn’t agree to stop working. I would have to pick my battles, and this wasn’t one I even remotely wanted to start.
I wasn’t ashamed of her. Quite the opposite. I admired Tori. She could have easily taken on the role of my fiancée and gotten a lot of money from me, but that hadn’t even crossed her mind.
I liked the idea of pointing out to those people, some of whom had never worked a day in their lives, that Tori had an excellent work ethic. She clearly wasn’t marrying me for my money. It’d never been a secret why most of them wanted me to marry into their families, and it wasn’t just for my good looks.
I could also force them to get over their expectations of what my future wife should be like. Because no matter who I married, she wouldn’t be someone who didn’t earn the right to be my luna. She would run the pack alongside me.
My gaze traveled over Tori, taking all of her in. My wolf agreed that she would make a fierce and loyal luna, but I quickly shook my head at that notion. Tori and I weren’t even close to being there yet.
“I’ll meet you after your shift,” I said. “We’ll have dinner at one of the nicer restaurants in town. It’s a safe place to discuss everything. You should wear a nice dress. With my name and credentials, we’ll be expected to hit up the better restaurants.”
Tori yawned again, and I poured her a cup of coffee. The dark circles under her eyes made me think she probably got little more sleep than I had and was just as tired. She had a lot to work through, and I could only guess that her fear of having killed the deputy wasn’t helping. Even though I didn’t think for an instant that she’d killed Hill, Tori was convinced of her guilt.
She huffed but thanked me as she took the mug from me. I tried my best to quash the amusement on my face. As she sat at the table, the tattoo on her wrist caught my attention again. The other tattoos on her body flashed across my mind. They were such a big part of her, I couldn’t help but like them all.
“Do the flowers have any meaning?” I leaned against the counter across from her as she sipped the coffee.
Her patented shrug made another appearance. “They’re heather flowers. My mother’s name was Heather.”
“Was?”
It hadn’t occurred to me that she was on the run without family to return to. How short-sighted of me. It made sense, though. If she had a family, wouldn’t they protect her? Provide for her? Wouldn’t they have kept her hidden so she wasn’t out on her own?
The questions started rolling around in my head, and I wanted to know the answers. But the steel wall came over her face and body again. I sighed. These peeks behind the steel curtain were something she would give me only occasionally, so I vowed to relish each time she softened around me.
“I just wanted to tattoo some flowers on my wrist, like a lot of normal girls out there.”
She did those herself? I uncrossed my arms and put my hands on the counter behind me. Tori obviously didn’t want to discuss her mother, so I went the other route.
“You tattooed that yourself? Did you do all your tattoos?”
She put the mug on the counter and lifted her leg to rest on her thigh like she was doing a standing tree pose against the counter.
