Page 92 of Ruthless Alpha Beast

“Oh, really?”

“Should I throw something at you next time instead?”

She sighs, her smile is teasing.

“It’s just the way you shifters sneak up on people so quickly. I think it’s a supernatural thing, it’s like I can never see you coming.”

“Hmm,” I muse. “A supernatural thing, or maybe a you’re-still-researching-at-midnight thing.”

“Well, there’s so much to read!”

She looks exhausted. Never have I considered reading to be an athletic sport until now.

“If I tell you to go to bed, you won’t listen, will you?”

“Have I ever listened?”

“Fine,” I concede. “But you might want to get to bed ahead of your big evening tomorrow.”

What big evening?”

“You have plans.”

Now she drops her book, she looks at me this time, trying to hide her smile.

“Is it another hunt?”

This girl and her hunts. You’d think she wouldn’t be so excited about them by now.

“Not a hunt.”

“What is it then?”

“I’ll tell you if you go to bed.”

She rolls her eyes. “I’m not falling for that.”

I shrug. “It’s a surprise.”

“Fine,” she huffs, still concealing a smile. “But I’m not going to bed.”

I can tell that she’s tired and will probably be going to bed anyway. But being the stubborn human that she is, she’ll likely wait to go until after I’ve left.

“See you tomorrow, then.”

She theatrically sighs. “See you tomorrow, Jasper.”

After five minutes or so, I hear Tara sigh again, put down her books, and creek all the way upstairs.

***

There’s been a tense energy in the air all day. Not a bad tension, but it’s definitely there. A curious tension, if anything.

Tara had been asking me where I was going to take her all day.

I don’t think she does well with surprises, and it’s amusing as hell. Pretty cute, actually.

“Just give me a clue,” she said in the morning while eating her breakfast.