him? I can’t do that to him.”
“Anyone who’s watching will know you and Travis spend all your spare time together, so mated or not, it’s not going to matter. And shouldn’t it be Travis’s decision? You’re not doing either one of you a favor by keeping this secret. Brynna, trust me. Once you tell Travis the truth, life will be so much better for you both. There’s no way you’re not fighting your beast. That has to be taking a toll on you. And Travis is all wound up. I know this from being around other unmated humans. The pull they feel is just as strong as it is for Goyles. You’re already practically living with the man, and he has to be going crazy not being able to do the things that come naturally between mates.”
“You mean sex.” It was adorable that Uri was blushing.
Urijah pulled into the parking lot of the boutique where Brynna wanted to browse “Yes. I was trying not to be crude.” Uri cut the motor, removed his seatbelt, and turned toward her. “Brynna, he’s ready. The mate pull overrides any guilt he feels from moving on quickly after Rachel. And don’t throw my thirty-year stubbornness in my face. Just because Travis moves on doesn’t mean he’ll forget the woman. It means you’ll help him with his emotions if he gets melancholy. Do him and yourself a favor and talk to him. Let it be his decision.”
“But he knows all about the mate bond from talking to Trevor. He’s going to feel like he has no choice.”
“Then explain to him he does. Now, come on. I want to look at that shirt hanging in the window.” Uri got out of the car before Brynna could argue further. She spent the next hour trying on clothes while thinking about what Uri said. After she found a few dresses she couldn’t live without, she ventured over to the men’s section where she picked out several new shirts for Travis. She loved seeing him in button-up shirts he left untucked over his well-worn jeans. Her mate had a good sense of fashion, and she knew he would appreciate what she’d picked out. Besides, the printed shirts she chose would look great with his emerald eyes.
Brynna and Uri hit up a couple more stores before stopping to get lunch. Brynna excused herself to the restroom while they waited on the server to bring their order. While she was peeing, her beast bristled, and the hair on her arms stood on end. Brynna reached out with her shifter senses, but there was no one else in the small room with her. Still, she finished quickly, and after washing her hands, she eased open the door and glanced out in the hallway. There was no one there, so she made her way back to the table.
“What’s wrong?” Uri asked as soon as she sat down.
“Not sure. I had a weird feeling I was being watched, but there was no one hanging around the hallway.”
Uri scanned the small café. He wasn’t much older than Brynna, but Urijah was a warrior, whereas Brynna only ever practiced with swords and guns. She could hold her own if need be, but Urijah had fought in battles, both against humans and Gargoyles.
“I’m not sensing anything out of the ordinary, but we should remain cautious.”
“Maybe my beast is just agitated with me.”
“No. Our shifters can be pissy with us, but they would never alert us to danger if there wasn’t a threat. They also wouldn’t fail to alert us just because they aren’t in agreement with our current opinions.”
That didn’t relieve Brynna’s worry. If her Goyle was on edge, there had to be a reason. She wanted to ask if they could get their food to go, but she refrained, knowing Uri would protect her should there be an actual threat.
The server had just placed their food in front of them when a family of four walked in. The youngest child, a girl of about four or five, stopped next to their table, staring at Brynna. “You’re pretty.”
“Thank you. So are you.”
“Come along, Lark. Let the nice lady eat in peace.” The mother smiled at Brynna. While the family was being seated, Urijah followed them with his eyes, his smile wistful.
“When are you and my brother going to start your family?”
“As soon as possible. When we get back to the States, we’re going to start the adoption process. We’re going to start with an older child before