Page 10

Kieran

We’d spent the day working on a job, but I couldn’t have told you what we did.

My mind wasn’t on the task, something Mack reamed me out for.

Instead, my eye was on the clock, and the minute it turned half past one, I was packing up my tools.

Mack was left to explain to my dads that we’d be back tomorrow to finish things up, making up some excuse about needing some materials to get us out the door.

To here.

The car park was almost empty now, the lunch rush gone.

My stomach was hollow and feeling all fluttery, and that wasn’t because I hadn’t stopped to eat the leftovers Tor had packed for us.

Eating, drinking, and breathing all seemed like superfluous things to me and the bear, until I got out of the car and went marching up to the front door of the cafe.

“We’re…”

Harper looked up from where she was sweeping the floor. Her hands grasped the handle tighter and that had me remembering something else.

Dream walking: the act of entering your fated mate’s dreams, particularly before the mating bond snapped into place, was not something every bear shifter could do.

I was damn pleased I could. Falling into that dream, into Harper, had me taking a step closer.

Tracing the line of her shoulders in her loose white T-shirt, those legs that seemed to go forever.

She settled her weight onto one hip and then smiled.

Fuck…

Women did it every damn day, but if you’d asked me to cite even one of them, I couldn’t. My feet moved without thought, the bear shoving against the bond, until I reached out and plucked the broom from her grip.

“We’re closed,” Harper said finally, her cheeks flushing.

“And the clean up crew has arrived.” Tor wheeled the mop bucket over. “Mack?—”

“Go and wait in the car until this car crash is over?” he snarked. “No problems.”

“You gonna let a woman stack all these tables and chairs on her own?” I growled.

“Fine.” Mack walked over to the nearest table, stacking each chair noisily. “After I’ve packed up all the tables and chairs, I’ll go and wait in the car.”

“Got some help, have you?” The older woman from this morning appeared, shooting me a sly smile. “Maybe we’ll get out on time for once. Geoff!”

“What?” a muffled voice from the kitchen said.

“Get your arse into gear and I might let you control the remote tonight.”

“Woo hoo!”

“So are you guys auditioning for a job here or something?” Harper asked. “Fair warning, Sharon mostly employs young women to get the guys in the door.”

Yeah, I’d worked that out. The filthy comments some of the guys made this morning had my control over the bear fraying.

“No, but maybe…” I swept the floor between us, getting closer and closer. “We could go to the pub afterwards and have a drink? Maybe grab a counter meal?”

She stiffened, and that had every sense going on high alert, so I tracked the way her eyes dropped down to my lips and stayed there. Harper moistened her own and then forced herself to smile.

“What, like a date?”

“Like an opportunity to talk.”

If she heard what I had to say and didn’t go running, then it could become a date. Tor’s mop slowed as he eyed the two of us, obviously listening into the whole exchange.

“Oh-kay?” If I was in fur and she was a rabbit, I’d have said she was just about ready to bolt and every muscle would’ve been locked down, ready to explode.

Harper wasn’t prey, though. She was my fated mate and I needed her to know that.

“Yeah.” Suddenly she seemed very nonchalant.

“I guess we can do that.” Her hand clapped over her mouth as she let out a big yawn.

“Just can’t stay out too late. I didn’t get much sleep last night. ”

That had me smiling and Tor along with me. Her eyes darted, taking in our responses before she scuttled away.

“I’ll just… sort out the sandwich bar.”

And so we worked. All the focus I’d lacked today on the job came rushing back in.

I swept the floor clean, picking up every crumb, every dust bunny, and then Tor came along and mopped until the floor was sparkling.

Mack had threatened to go outside, and yet he lounged against the windows beside the front door.

“At least these ones are useful,” the older woman said, nudging Harper in the ribs. “Better than that last fella. What was his name?”

“No idea.” Harper grabbed her bag and then started heading for the door. “Catch you all in the morning!”

“Lovely to meet you…” I said, putting the broom back by the front counter.

“Sharon,” the woman replied, then shot me a stern look. “And you look after our Harper.”

“Trying to,” Tor replied, wheeling the mop bucket over.

That had Sharon’s eyes widening, but before we could answer her polyamorous questions, we made for the door, following Harper out into the car park. Mack was already in our car, the engine idling.

“We could go to the Red Lion,” I said, nominating a pub not far from here. “Beer’s cold and the meals aren’t too bad.”

“Beer sounds good,” she replied. “Food?” Her hand moved from side to side. “That’s always hit or miss after work. Being around the kitchen all day often leaves me feeling kinda blah. So I’ll meet you?—”

“Around the passenger side.” Tor plucked the car keys from her grip and then looked at the cars left, finding Harper’s beat up little sedan with ease.

“And then we’ll have a talk,” I said. I didn’t wait for her response, instead turning to get into our car lest I blurt it all out now.

That she was mine and Tor’s, and even Mack’s.

That the wolf would pull his head out his arse, even if Mack seemed reluctant to admit that.

That there never was a woman for me before her and there wouldn’t be one afterwards.

That I’d spent my whole life waiting to find her.

Instead, I settled into the passenger seat, taking one long breath then another, trying to keep the bear down.

He trusted me to seal the deal and yet he wanted to come out and snuffle her, feel her hands scratch behind his ears.

“You alright?”

Mack could be an arse sometimes, but he was a decent guy deep down. He shot me a concerned look now.

“Only the biggest day of my life.” I tried to smile and failed. Then I saw Tor easing the car out onto the road. “So let’s get this done. We’re heading to the Red Lion.”

“You got it,” Mack replied.

I was out the car the moment we arrived, to see that Tor and Harper were already inside.

The smell of sour beer hit me as soon as I stepped inside, the rattle and burble of the poker machines intrusive.

I wove my way through the people standing around, finding the seating area and them.

Tor was already talking to her, leaning forward, a broad grin on his face, and that had me moving faster.

Was he already talking about the mate bond?

This felt completely rushed and thirty years in the making, all at the same time.

Mack called out my name, but I didn’t stop until I reached their table.

“Harper…” My hands wrapped around the back of an empty chair and I was dimly aware that the metal was dimpling.

Claws, fur, started to appear as the bear pushed forward.

She was mine, ours, and I just needed her to know that.

“That was us in your dreams last night.” Her eyes were wide, but not with awe, not with amazement.

Her scent soured as I picked it up: fear.

Didn’t seem to keep my mouth shut, though.

“That’s because… you’re our fated mate.”