“Hmm. You bribed one of the wolves to get food for us so you could pretend you cooked?”
She pursed her lips at him. “What gave me away?”
He pointed to a carry-out box she’d forgotten in the far corner of the counter. He picked it up and sniffed the empty box. “Sausage?” he asked.
She pointed toward the dining room. “It’s breakfast-for-dinner fromTails & Syrup.Kind of like our thing, don’t you think?”
He grinned and pulled out a chair for her. “Yup.”
He sat beside her and helped himself to the feast she’d laid out. Pancakes, toast, waffles, bacon, ham, sausages, hash-browns, home fries, and a few other things.
“It’s way too much food, but I didn’t know what you preferred,” she explained.
“This is great, trouble. Basically, what I usually order. Jasper probably let the cook in on your plan.”
“Ah. Right. So now everyone will know that there is a woman in your cabin.”
“Everyone already knows.”
“They know I’m your mate,” she pointed out.
He nodded tightly and took a big bite of pancake. “I had to tell the enforcers, and there is literally nothing I can do to stop the rumor mill. I took a day off, and…”
“Three towns full of people immediately knew what that meant?” she offered.
“Something like that.”
“Shifter lives are wild,” she laughed. “But I’m happy to be here. Thanks for keeping me safe.”
“You know I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“Because I’m your mate, and you’re in love with me.”
“Lilliane,” he warned. “You’re trouble.”
“And how was your day saving my life? Productive?”
“Very.”
“Are you gonna tell me what the plan is?”
“Nope. You don’t need to know. It’s being handled.”
“I don’t like it.”
He shrugged. “You don’t have to like it. It’s about time someone takes your safety seriously and protects you from things that would hurt you.”
“Is that why you’re keeping your distance? To protect me from you?”
He was quiet for so long that Lilliane thought he hadn’t heard her question. When she repeated it, he still remained quiet.
“Am I gonna have to guess what you’re thinking again? I’ve got a great track record, you know. I guessed the whole mate thing.”
“This is different.”
“Is it?” she argued. “I don’t think so. We know each other.”
He motioned to the dinner table. “Do we? You got all this to make sure you got what I like.”
