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“Sorry but?—”

“What’s wrong with you? You’ve been like this all week, as though you’re walking on hot coals or you’re expecting something bad to happen.” He placed the computer on the desk. “Your brother isn’t about to burst through the cat door, is he?”

I growled, not a very fox-like sound, it was almost a warning but not to Joss. To whom? I hadn’t a clue.

“Booker’s away for the weekend.”

“You look as you do when you are in your fur, as though you’re about to pounce.”

Are you shining through my eyes?

No. But I want to kill something. Not our mate but anything that moves or comes close.

We were both agitated, and I couldn’t fathom the reason. Joss was right. We’d been behaving like this for days. But our den wasn’t at war, neither of us had dangerous occupations, and I was far removed from whomever had smuggled our shipments off the boats. I lived a quiet life, except when my fox took down his prey.

Joss went to the window and peered outside. “Are we in some sort of danger? I can’t see anyone.”

He was so innocent. If another den declared war, my adorable, oh so innocent human would be the last to find out.

“It’s not Uncle Cyrus, is it?”

That was a joke around the office when Uncle’s assistant announced he wanted a meeting and everyone ducked, thinking he was on the warpath, when in reality, Uncle was a teddy bear, one with teeth.

“No. It’s more my fox than me.”

No, it’s both of us.

“Sorry, my beast called me out on the fib. It’s me too. I just feel very protective of you.”

We’d had this discussion previously when we were walking on the pavement, I was on the side closest to the road. Joss complained, saying no one was going to lose control of their vehicle and run him over. But there were always stories like that in the news where unsuspecting humans had been mowed down because a human put their foot on the gas rather than the brakes.

“Maybe it’s you that’s making your beast anxious.”

I considered that but dismissed it. “No.”

“Why don’t you take yourself off to den land and hunt.”

“No!” That came out too fast and much too loud. “We're staying with you.”

Joss walked across the room and into my arms. Having him so close should have made the world right again, but I was more agitated. I sniffed his hair, and beneath the superficial layer of shampoo, there was his scent. But there was nothing unusual about that.

Except, there was another aroma, a fleeting one that mimicked my mate’s.

“Joss, have you done anything different lately? Used a new bath wash or laundry detergent?”

My heart was beating so loudly it echoed in my ears and my fox told me to turn it down.

“No.” Joss pulled away and lifted my chin. His eyes searched mine, and he shivered because even without a mirror, I was aware my eyes had darkened.

“Garner, you’re scaring me.”

“Oh my love, I’m sorry. It’s the opposite. I'm ecstatic and so is my beast.”

He closed one eye and gave me a look. “Oh yeah, well, instead of terrifying me, perhaps you two asshats can share why you’re so damned happy.

Fuck, I’d made this about me, when I should have centered my mate. I dropped to one knee, and he made a face.

“Now, after we’ve dated and mated, you want to propose?”