Page 9 of Warrick (Rocky Mountain Pack #1)
Aspen
Between running the bookstore and Chase’s Sentinel responsibilities, we haven’t had any time to spend together.
Chase’s role in his pack is similar to what we call our pack Beta.
Second in command to his Prime aka Alpha, as well as being the deputy of our town, he is generally either working for the Sheriff’s department or for his leader.
Outside of the texts we send to each other throughout the day, we have otherwise been doing our own thing.
I love he showed up today at the exact time that Warrick was doing…
whatever it was he was doing. I really can’t wrap my head around that one.
It’s been four years, almost five at this rate, that we have known that we were mates.
He has never once shown an interest in me or in completing our mating, so why now?
The dating situationship between Chase and I isn't typical since we don't do all the usual date things like him picking me up, paying the tab, or romantic gestures that lead to more. We really are more like friends who spend time together to give each other the attention, compassion, caring, and devotion that you would seek in a relationship. It works rather well for both of us. He knows about Warrick and everything that he has done up to this point. Just like I know, Chase hasn’t found his mates yet, even though mating in the mountain lion pack is a bit different from ours. We haven’t really gone in depth with it, he always seems so secretive about the whole thing.
Almost as if outsiders aren’t supposed to know.
All he told me is that it’s similar to ours in the sense that we have fated mates, but instead of only one person being fated to him, he has two.
He also just casually mentioned that it will be two females, as if that is completely normal.
Maybe one day I will pull more information from him about it, especially if I’m going to try to help him find these said females.
When Chase came by earlier, it was to ask if I would be available for a date tonight, but since I had new stock that came in, I told him I could do a dessert date.
So, here we are going to Scoop, There It Is, our very own version of Cold Stone Creamery.
I love you can design your own types of ice cream by blending together different flavors.
The bell above the door chimes as I walk into the 80s retro style ice cream parlor.
Sally, the owner, really went all out with the bold colors, geometric shapes on the walls, and the checkerboard floors.
You would think it would hurt your eyes to look at, but she successfully achieved a cohesive look without overwhelming the customers.
There are round tables littered throughout with metal and black chairs around them.
It’s such a fun place, especially with the throwback jams coming from the jukebox in the corner.
Sally’s head pops up when the door closes behind me. “Aspen! How lovely to see you! Where is that cute mountain lion that always seems to be one step behind you?”
It’s not often that people will mention our shifter sides, but Sally is a bighorn sheep shifter.
Having a shop down here is great for her.
It’s rare that we see their species, as they dwell in the caves in the mountains.
Literal cave dwellers. I’ve heard stories that they have their own town deep in the mountains and each family has their own house inside.
“Uh, he should be here any minute. I just finished up at the bookstore, so it didn’t take me long to walk over here.”
My fingers run across the table tops as I make my way to the ice cream display.
She has all the base flavors you could dream of and some funky flavors like “nacho cheese” and “beef.” I don’t want to ever know what the beef one tastes like, but she said that the lion shifters like it, so who am I to judge?
“Did you want to start your order while you wait on him?” Sally asks, as I look over the options.
Honestly, I get the same thing each time, so I’m not sure why I bother. But, I do like to see if she has something new to try.
“Do you have anything new?” My finger rests on my chin as I look over her chalkboard menu above her head. “What is ‘The Gray Stuff’?” My nose is scrunched in disgust just at the name of it.
She lets out a laugh. “Do you remember in Beauty and the Beast when Belle is at the dinner with Lumiere and Cogsworth? She is asked to try the gray stuff? Well, everyone has always tried to figure out what exactly it is. So, this is my take on what I think the ‘gray stuff’ is. Do you want to try a sample of it?”
“Uh…I guess,” I say hesitantly. It’s cute and all, but it doesn’t even sound appealing.
She takes a small wooden spoon and scoops out the smooth, gray matter.
It has almost a pudding look to it and doesn’t look like anything like ice cream.
She holds the spoon out over the top of the display case to where I can grab it.
I draw the spoon to my face and take a whiff.
It has an almost tropical scent to it, with a hint of coconut and pineapple.
I don’t allow myself to think about it for too long and stick the spoon in my mouth.
It feels like what I think Hawaii would taste like, exploding in my taste buds.
The coconut pairs well with the pineapple, and there is a hint of orange juice.
The bell chimes again as Chase comes inside.
“There you are! I thought I would have to drag you out of the bookstore, so I went there first. Thankfully, I found it all closed up.” He slides in next to me, planting a gentle kiss on my temple.
“What you got there?” He looks at the spoon and then at my face.
“Sally has a new flavor inspired by the ‘gray stuff’ in Beauty and the Beast. She encouraged me to try it.”
Chase looks through the display case down to the container of the literal gray stuff sitting there. His nose scrunched just like mine did.
“It tastes like Hawaii, something I doubt the one in the movie did.” I eye Sally suspiciously.
She simply shrugs her shoulders like she knew that but wanted to have fun with it.
Chase holds his hand up to prevent her from even asking. “No, thank you, Sally. I think we’ll both take our usual.”
She gets to work on our order while Chase leads me over to the table.
After we are seated, he looks at me with concern written across his face. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Sighing, I shrug my shoulders. “I don’t know why he was there.
Outside of him demanding that I give into the mateship, I don’t know what came over him.
We have known about this for, going on, five years.
It doesn’t make sense to suddenly decide that he wants to do this.
And then to have the audacity to show up and demand I do it? I just don’t get it.”
Chase runs his hand across the tabletop to grab my fidgeting hands.
“I know that you are thrown off by him showing up, but I don’t think it was a rash decision.
We both know that he doesn’t have a shortage of women to entertain him.
Maybe, just maybe, he realized that he wants something more than just a fling.
Something clearly changed in his way of thinking if he showed up for the first time in the bookstore. ”
I glare at him, and he laughs at my expression.
“I didn’t say he did it the right way, because clearly we both know that wasn’t the way to do it. I’m just saying maybe it’s time you both gave into the mateship. Would it be that bad?”
My head drops and hangs. “It’s not just giving in to the mateship, Chase. He's been cheating on me and rubbing women in my face ever since then. How am I supposed to move past that?”
His face softens with understanding. “I’m not saying that you should let him off easy and jump right into his arms. But I know how much you want children and a home.
You and I both know there is only one way that will happen.
Make him work for it. If he is truly that serious about giving this a shot, then make him earn it. ”
“Yeah … I could do that. I’m not sure what I could do to make him work for it. But, I am sure that I can think of something.”
He squeezes my hand. “You don’t have to do anything. Just keep being yourself and he will show you if he is truly ready.”
I smile at him. We might not be truly dating or sexually involved with each other, but this man gets me. He is more than just a friend; he is like my best friend. We let the world believe that we are dating and, in some way we are; but really we are just friends giving each other what they need.
We sit in companionable silence as we eat our ice cream.
Only chatting here and there about different things.
He tells me about the latest run they went on as a pack, since mountain lions have to run at least once a week or their beasts will become restless and more likely to take over.
It’s fascinating to compare the ways of pack life between the two species.
I feel a tug at my chest, which means that Warrick is near. I rarely deal with it because it’s unusual that we are around each other. Pack meetings have really become the only time that I am near him. It’s almost as if we agreed to town being my area and pack lands being his.
“Do I get cuddles tonight or is that off the table because of the whole Warrick thing?” Chase says with a hint of mischief.
A smile spreads across my face as I feel the pull in my chest tug so hard that I know he has to be right outside. Without looking, I tell him, “I am 100% on board to cuddle. If you are done, I say we head out now.”
His eyebrow raises in a question. “Uh, yeah I’m done.”
He gathers up our trash, taking it to the trash can.
Scooting back in my chair, I grab my jacket and wave to Sally as I follow behind Chase.
The tug is only getting stronger as I move toward the door, which can only mean that he is right outside.
Let’s see how much he likes it when I rub a man in his face, like he has all those women.
Pulling my jacket on, I smile at Chase as he holds the door open for me.
“After you, my dear.”
He is such a gentleman. Whichever lucky ladies ends up with him should really cherish this creature.
With all his caring, compassion, and love, he is surely going to make his mates happy.
He pulls me under his arm when that first gust of cold air breezes through our coats.
Nestled under his arm, I allow his warmth to seep into my soul.
“You okay, Aspen?”
Looking up at him, I see the warm glow of his amber eyes shine with love. “Yes, always. Especially when I’m with you.”
It doesn’t take us long to reach the edge of the pack territory. It never does and, sometimes, I wish it would. Chase spins me around to face him. His fingers trail down the side of my face as he sweeps my hair back.
“You are so beautiful, Aspen. You deserve a love like the ones you see in the books you read. If he doesn’t give you that, then he doesn’t deserve you. Chase after that love, and never settle for less.” He leans in and places a soft kiss on my forehead.
A quiet whimper leaves my throat. “Come home with me tonight. I don’t want to be alone.”
He shakes his head gently. “I would if I could, but you know I’m not allowed on pack lands, especially now that your mate's best friend is the pack leader.”
“Silas isn’t...”
He puts one finger across my lips.
“I know Silas isn’t that type of leader, but if he found another man, especially a different species, around his best friend's mate, he would choose Warrick over me. And that’s okay. I would expect him to do that.”
I let out a heavy sigh, the weight of loneliness seeping in. “Fine. I just wish for once that I didn’t have to be alone at night.”
Pulling me into a hug, he wraps me tightly in his arms. “I know you don’t and hopefully you won’t be alone for much longer.”
My head rests on his chest as I listen to the steady beat of his heart.
Maybe I will give Warrick a chance, but I want to talk to Nova first. She could give me some advice about making him work for it.
I just wish we wouldn’t have had to go through all of this. Why couldn’t I have a normal mateship?
“If you want a love like those in your story books, then you already know that love is never easy, quick, or without challenge,” Aisling pipes in.
“I just want to be loved, Aisling. I want to have a mate to come home to, someone to make a home with. Some days, I wish Chase wasn’t a mountain lion,” I say back to her.
“I know, Aspen. He is a great guy. He smells awful, but he is super caring and sweet. Alas, it wasn’t in the cards for us. Warrick will come around. Give him a chance.”
With that, she leaves to go back to the subconscious part of my mind.
“It’s time for you to get to your cabin. I know you are a wolf and all that, but I don’t think these temperatures support long-term standing in them. Especially in our human forms.”
“I know. I just was soaking up as much contact as I could before you left me in my big empty cabin,” I say while pushing my lower lip out in a pout.
He pinches it between his fingers gently. “Quit being so dramatic. We both know that you will put on a murder mystery show and crash out before the first ten minutes of the episode airs.”
I glare at him as I stomp my foot like a toddler. “That’s not true at all.”
He laughs before he turns to head to the mountain lion territory. “Of course not. You would never do that at all.” His laugh rings out around us. “Good night, Aspen.”
I watch for a few seconds as he walks away. The tugging in my chest never lightens up. How I wish I could follow the sensation and have my mate wrap me in his arms.
I might not be able to have my mate, but maybe I can help Chase find his mates. They obviously aren’t here, but how hard can it be to find them? Surely there aren't that many mountain lion shifters that we can’t find her.