Page 92 of A Broody Mate for the Human

Not again.

Raffy stirs again, blinking his eyes open. I make sure to pull my hand away fast and put it on the wheel again, concentrating on the street.

“Back with me, Sleeping Beauty?” I tease.

Raffy just grunts.

“Slept well?” I continue, hoping he will say yes.

“Surprisingly well,” he admits. “I had the usual nightmares first, but then I felt a lot calmer. Best sleep I’ve had in a while.”

My heart fills with relief and joy, happy that he was able to get his well-deserved rest.

“Have you been driving the whole time?” Raffy’s voice sounds slightly hoarse and rough from the sleep.

I nod. “Yes, I wanted us to get some miles.”

“You need to take a break and sleep,” he says quietly. “Let’s stop at the next possible place, okay? Sugar will be happy too.”

I find it cute how he mentions my giant pup, who is happily snoring in his crate, but he’s right. I should stop and take him for a longer walk, and I do feel tired from driving so much. I yawn. “You’re right.”

He raises his brows. “I am?” He chuckles. “Didn’t think I’d ever live the day to hear you say that.”

“Hey.” I pout. “That’s not true.”

Raffy’s gaze softens when he looks at me. “Sorry, Dave.”

“I guess I really need a break.” I sigh. I’m not that prissy normally. Maybe it’s been my experience with Matthew that made me snap at Raffy sometimes, or it’s just the frustration of knowing I’m falling for a guy who might not even want me. “Did you have another dream?” I ask him, merely to distract myself.

“I just…” He sighs. “I’m not sure. But I think I saw my parents.”

He doesn’t sound too happy, and it makes me sad instantly to know he doesn’t have good memories of his parents. “You don’t need to talk about it,” I assure him.

“There is not much to tell,” he admits. “Just… my mom seemed to be fairly nice, but she was no match against my dad.”

“And your dad?” I ask quietly.

“I’m not sure. As usual, my memory is foggy. I was still a kid… telling him about a friend I found. But he got mad and hit me, saying this friend was not good enough for me. That he was of low rank and that I need to have my family’s interests in mind when I choose my friends or even my mate.” His voice trails off. “I was just a child and wanted to play with a friend from school.”

Sounds like his father really sucked. Who knows… maybe Raffy eventually believed in his words, which is why the fallout with his sister happened. He didn’t have it easy, though. Poor Raffy. My eyes catch a sign of an approaching town, and I steer the car off the highway. “We’re going to take a rest here,” I say with finality in my voice.

Raffy was right. I need it, and frankly, I think he needs it too.

It’s a small town with only one bed-and-breakfast there, so hopefully, they will still have a room for us. Fortunately, the landlady is still awake and is happy to accommodate us. She has a room with two separate beds, and she doesn’t even mind Sugar.

“I have an enclosed garden,” she smiles brightly at me. “If you want to, he can play outside for as long as he wants and run around.”

“That would be fantastic.” I beam.

“Do you sweethearts want something to eat?” she asks, shuffling towards the kitchen already. My heart aches a bit for her. I bet she doesn’t get a lot of guests in this area.

“Isn’t it too late?” I ask carefully. “I don’t want to burden you.”

“Not at all!” she says with emphasis.

I look at Raffy, who shifts around uncomfortably before he nods at me. Seems like he really needs his super-Dom outfit to kick his social anxiety in the butt. “We’ll happily take you up on the offer,” I say. “But make sure to put it on the bill.”

“Anything specific you want?” she asks, already going to work. Again, Raffy only shrugs, forcing me to answer. “My friend eats everything. I’m a vegetarian. I’m sorry for causing you problems.”