Page 14 of Code Mages & Empty Pages (Frostfire #2)

Dawn

O n Saturday morning, we tucked Ruffles into his wicker basket and climbed into Luc’s car.

He drove with care, which only made my nerves prickle more.

I murmured quietly to Ruffles, who I held on my lap.

I scratched his chin through the bars and promised him that we weren’t going to leave him there.

“It’s just a check-up, sweetheart. We’ll be home again soon. ”

Ruffles purred as if he understood every word, which made me smile despite myself. “He’s so clever, isn’t he?”

Luc squeezed my knee. “He is. It’ll be fine, Roe.”

I wanted to believe him, but my stomach was tied in knots. “Can we do something nice for lunch after? Maybe one of my safe foods?”

Luc’s face softened. “How about that pasta salad you liked from our picnic?”

The thought of it brightened something inside me. “Yes, please.”

He chuckled. “I’ll pick up what we need on the way back.”

A lump caught in my throat. “How do I deserve this, Luc?” My voice was quieter than I meant.

He glanced over, trying to read my face. “What do you mean? You’ve had a rough few weeks. You’re exhausted and your comfort…” Luc hesitated for a moment. “It matters to me.”

His ears twitched, and I could tell he meant it, even if it embarrassed him to admit. I blinked fast and tried to fight back the tears. “I always feel like I’m too much.”

Luc’s hand tightened around my knee again. “You’re not! I want to help, if you’ll let me.”

We lapsed into silence as the car wound through the outskirts of Kirkmuir. When we pulled into the shelter’s parking lot, the air outside was thick with barking and howling. My heart squeezed for all the animals inside.

“I feel so sorry for all of them,” I said softly. “No wonder Carson helps out here.”

As if my words had summoned him, Perky Carson strode across the courtyard, his hair perfect as ever. The man looked far too glamorous for a Saturday at an animal shelter.

“Oh, hello, Mr Carson.”

He flashed a bright, toothy grin. “Morning! Please, call me Perky. We’re all on a first-name basis here.”

I nearly winced but managed a polite smile. I’d rather bite my tongue off than call anyone ‘Perky,’ but I played along.

“It’s always so wonderful to have new volunteers here.”

“Oh,” I said but Carson talked over me. “This is so wonderful of you.” He dabbed at his eyes with a blue handkerchief embroidered with Christmas baubles. “I’ll have to tell Samuel. We’ve been desperately searching for more people to help here at the shelter.” Luc nudged me with his elbow.

“Oh, yes, uh, Luc and I found your website, and we said it would be such a worthwhile thing to do.”

“I agree.” Perky beamed at us. “Right, I am off. We have a cleaning emergency in the dog house.” He winked at us and left.

We gaped past him for a long moment, then the alarm I’d set went off. “Our appointment! We need to go,” I told Luc who grabbed Ruffles’ basket from the back seat. My heart did a little somersault in my chest when he apologised to our cat for making him wait.

“Hi, Dawn, Luc,” the vet greeted us when she opened the door to her office to let us in.

“Hi Cass,” I greeted her, but her focus had already shifted to Ruffles.

“Hey, Ruffmaster? How is my boy?” she crooned and scratched his chin through the bars. “Let’s get you out of that mean basket, okay?”

Luc caught my eye and pressed his lips together.

He slipped his arm around my back to pull me close for a moment.

“Don’t say it, Comte,” I whispered. He knew exactly what I meant. Cass McGregor used the same sickly sweet voice with Ruffles as I did.

Our vet glanced back at us, narrowing her eyes as if surprised to see us so close together. I took a step to the side.

Maybe public displays of affection make her uncomfortable?

“He’s been settling in so well, right, Luc?”

The tension she’d carried in her shoulders eased.

“Yeah, he’s great. We love him.” He closed the gap between us again, unable to keep his distance.

Oh, Comte. What are you doing to me?

“It makes me so happy to hear that.” She smiled at us, then quickly checked Ruff’s eyes, ears, and maw.

“I’m just checking if he’s fit enough for his shots,” she explained.

“But you’re good, aren’t you, pretty boy?

Could you make sure he stays on the table while I grab my things?

I’m a pair of hands short. My assistant is sick so it’s just me. ”

Luc left my side and stroked Ruffles’ fur so he would stay put. He also held him steady while Cass gave him the injections.

“Are you okay?” He asked me when he caught my eye.

“Yeah, just a bit queasy. I’m not a fan of needles unless they’re for knitting.”

“That was it, anyway. You can put him back into his basket.” She gave us some instructions for the rest of the day, to keep Ruffles inside and to wait for a bit before he eats.

“If you need anything, you can always call us. I work here every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, but I have an office in Kirkmuir, too.”

She handed us her card, we paid, said our goodbyes, and left.

On the way back to the car, Luc grinned down at me. “You know, you totally chickened out on telling Perky we weren’t actually here to sign up as volunteers.”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn’t help grinning, too. “He’s very persuasive. I thought you were going to say something!”

Luc laughed, shaking his head. “Maybe next time. Still, I get it. Makes you feel bad for all the pets. Maybe it’s not the worst thing if we pitch in now and then. Could be a little side quest for us.”

His tone was casual, but I could tell it had gotten to him too. He glanced in the rearview mirror at Ruffles, now sleeping in his basket, and then turned to me. “By the way, I’ll be working from home next week. I don’t want to leave Ruffles alone just yet.”

My heart squeezed in my chest. “That’s really sweet of you.”

He just shrugged, brushing it off, but his ears twitched the way they always did when he was flustered.

Or when I suck him off, one of the two.

Monday morning came, and true to his word, Luc set up camp at the kitchen table with his laptop and a collection of half-empty coffee mugs. The house felt cosy with him working from home, but I still had to head into the office alone. Everything felt more overwhelming without him there.

All week, Luc kept me updated about Ruffles, sending texts every few hours. I got photos of him curled up in a sunbeam or updates about what he’d managed to eat that day. Each message made me feel just a little more tethered, and I found myself checking my phone more often than I cared to admit.

By Thursday, I was missing my little makeshift family more than I expected. The office was busier than usual, and the days felt longer. I’d grown used to sharing the commute with Luc and having him near me all day.

Later that day, Mia breezed into our office, cheeks pink and hair slightly mussed. She perched on the edge of my desk, eyes sparkling. “Hey, bestie! Are you surviving without your housemates ?”

I sighed. “Barely. I didn’t realise how much I’d gotten used to having them around.”

The grin she gave me plainly said “Gotcha!” She continued, “I get it. I’d miss him, too,”she added in a low voice and glanced at Desmond, who gave her a fond look from across the room.

I had stumbled upon them snogging by the broom cupboard earlier this week with Desmond’s hands everywhere and Mia giggling like a schoolgirl. The memory made me blush. I focused back on my task list, but the ache of missing Luc lingered.

“Harper’s waiting upstairs,” Mia said, already tugging me to my feet. “Come on, you look like you could use the break.”

Desmond waved us off with a knowing grin. “Enjoy yourselves.”

At Froth & Flurry, Harper was already set up at a table in the back, her cinnamon bun half-devoured. “Almost the weekend!” she sang, eyeing me over her mug. “You must be excited to go home and cuddle your... cat .“ She put great emphasis on the word and wiggled her eyebrows.

“Ruffles missed me,” I said, not bothering to hide my smile and choosing to ignore that I knew perfectly well she meant Luc, not Ruffles.

“Oh, I’m sure he did,” Mia teased, grinning behind her coffee.

“You’re both impossible,” I muttered, though warmth crept up my neck. They didn’t know just how much I was looking forward to a weekend with Ruffles and Luc.

The boundaries between us had blurred even more since we brought the cat home. All week, Luc’s messages, and the little selfies of him and our cat, had made my heart skip. It was silly, but I didn’t care. I was more than ready for a couple days with my two favourite guys.

But when the weekend finally arrived, Luc spent most of his time in his workshop, determined to build a gigantic cat tree for Ruffles.

I adored him for it, I really did, but I couldn’t help feeling a little resentful.

What I wanted was his attention, a bit of cuddling on the couch, and a dozen orgasms.

I ducked out to the shops on Sunday to pick up a few things and returned just as Luc was manoeuvring the cat tree into the living room. He anchored it to the wall so it wouldn’t tip over. He was completely absorbed in his work and oblivious to me slipping in over the noise of the drill.

A flare of resentment sparked in me. Was he ignoring me on purpose?

“I’ll only be a minute, Ruff,” he said, his voice soft and sweet. It was the same tone he used when we were tangled up in bed, coming down from our orgasms. I smirked when I remembered his lecture about Lupinians hating cuddles. Liar . Luc was the biggest cuddle bug I’d ever met.

I lingered in the hallway, not to spy, but to give him this moment with Ruffles.

“Daddy will just fix this mess, and then you can have fun with your new tree, yeah?” he crooned. I melted on the spot, and any lingering resentment evaporated. Daddy? Really? My heart squeezed and I felt a distinct rush of heat low in my belly.