I smile at her before taking my leave.
Outside, Richard leans against the front wall. He smiles when I appear from inside. “Wanted to chat with you, but it gets a little stuffy in there.”
“Not to mention Catherine’s agenda,” I say with a wry grin.
He chuckles as he shakes his head, glancing through the front door. “Never thought I’d see the day.”
Like always, I sense my alpha’s intention without him needing to use full sentences. “What’s happened?”
He sighs and crosses his arms. “Walk with me to the post office. I’m picking up some packages for Lola, and I could use your arms. She’s sent a bunch of clippings from plants in Santa Alaya for the gnome garden. She’s going to offer them to Bellami to see if he’d like to incorporate them.”
I turn to walk up the sidewalk with him. “What else?”
His second sigh goes deeper. “This one’s more of a probe into your life. You’ve been quiet lately. Are you alright? I know youand Lou went on a date, but I’m getting that as hearsay. It was a mistake for me not to tell you about Lola and me early on. Please don’t make the same one with me. I want to be here to support you, however I can.”
A smile tugs my lips upward as the post office comes into view. “The date was wonderful. But it wasn’t just Lou and me.”
“Oh?” Richard’s brows head skyward. “Do tell…”
I suspect if he’s heard the gossip, he already knows what I’m about to say, but still…
“Well…” I run both hands through my hair, considering how best to break the news. I’m about to tell someone I’m dating a male, when I’ve never dated males in my entire life. “Dirk was there too.”
Richard smiles. “Mmm.”
I shoot him a quizzical look since he doesn’t seem shocked in the slightest. “How could you possibly know?Ididn’t even know he was interested in me in that way.”
Richard’s smile goes thoughtful. “I’ve been around a long time, Connall. And I sensed it was a realization you needed to come to on your own. But I’ve been watching Dirk for a while, even before you told me of your interest in Lou. He’s always watched you, always been distracted by your presence. He’s not as secretive as he probably thinks.”
“So much for my ability to read people well,” I gruff out. Moons above.
“You were distracted too,” he jokes, grabbing the door to the post office. “And I’m gonna make my woman pay up the second we get home, although as much time as she spends with the girls I suspect she already knows about all of this…” his voice trails off at a huge pile of boxes in the corner of the post office.
A harried-looking pegasus clerk waves at the huge pile. “All you, Richard. Sign here please and get these out of my post office! They’ve been here all day, and more keep coming!”
I laugh, staring at the pile. My queen certainly doesn’t do anything by half measures.
Neither do I. Which is how I know what my next step is in this mess with Amatheia. Once I drop these boxes off at Richard and Lola’s, I need to see Dirk and Lou.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
LOU
That evening, I’m sitting in my room at the Annabelle examining my nearly healed thrall bites when a soft knock breaks through my thoughts. I wave when I see Catherine standing in the doorway. She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes as she pushes the door open. Dirk and Connall stand behind her, wearing matching worried expressions.
I shift off the bed and pad toward them. Catherine enters the room and steps to the side to make way for…well, I guess, my boyfriends? Gods, I forgot to tell them I told her about us over breakfast yesterday, so she has the full scoop.
“What’s going on?” I look between the trio, a suspicious tingle traveling down the backs of my legs.
Connall takes another step forward, reaching out to brush his knuckles along my jawline. “I want you and Dirk to move into my place until we figure out what’s going on.”
I glance at Dirk, then around at Catherine, and finally back at Connall. “Surely that’s not necessary. I mean?—”
Dirk joins Connall, wrapping one arm around my waist. “We want tae keep you safe, my beauty. We’d both feel better having you at Connall’s place where one of us can stand guard.”
I snort and cross my arms. “Stand guard? For real?” I glance around the males at Catherine, but the look on her face tells me she agrees.
She tucks her hands in the long sleeves of her dress. “It makes sense to me, Lou, if you’re comfortable. Please don’t feel that I want you to leave Annabelle and me, but?—”
