pinken and she swallows hard. “I was thinking we could work on it together. With your pack involved and the one responsible being a werewolf, I thought it would be better if–”
“If you had backup. Smart thinking, must have inherited from your dad.” I shoot her a wink and I get another roll of her eyes. But the smile tugging her cherry lips is warming my heart. “My pack would be happy to help, whatever you need.”
“I have some files, would you like to go over them with your pack and get back to me?” She stalks to her bag without looking back and I’m left to follow her.
“Why don’t we pick up your horse and some of your stuff so you can spend some time here while we sort all of this out?”
Her eyes widen at my request but before she can throw words of denial my way, I add, “Tobias is going to spend a few days here as well. He’s been doing a great job, and since we’ll be actively searching for this fucker, I’d say it’s smart to stay together and have your horse looked after as well.”
Her mouth opens and closes and I can see the turmoil in her eyes but it really is the best option.
“Fine,” she huffs. “But no funny stuff. I meant what I said, no mating until I can shift.”
“No sex until we’re a few weeks into our relationship, you mean? Like human standards, dating before getting hot and naked.” I smirk, not caring one bit I’m teasing her with the way she’s acting.
“There’s nothing wrong with developing feelings and getting to know the person you’re meant to spend the rest of your life with. It’s like an arranged marriage: there is no choice. Except feelings might be involved due to the attraction caused by our bond, but my brain needs to play catchup.” Her voice changes into a hard snap when she adds, “Do you have a problem with that?”
“Hey, don’t get snappy with me. I’m the one who straight up mentioned what your hesitation is. I’m not judging or fighting; I’m accepting and bringing it into our discussion.”
“I’m not hesitating,” she grumbles and her shoulders sag. “I know what we have is real and special.”
I reach out and cup the side of her face. “Let your brain play catch up, Ophelia. There is no rush, there’s only us. We don’t have anyone else who dictates our every move. And yes, my suggestion of you moving in here while we’re working this case is also my intent to be close to one another. The whole dating thing might be overrated, but getting to know each other involves spending time together. You moving in allows us that time.”
She leans into my touch and whispers, “Okay.”
Fuck, yes. First step goes a long way. Even if we take the long road, we’d still be heading the same way together…and I can’t wait to see what the future has to offer us.
CHAPTER FOUR
– OPAL –
“Just look at them,” I tell Tobias as we’re both leaning on the fence to watch Night and Luna take sharp turns as they chase each other through the pasture.
Tobias shoots me a huge grin. “They love each other and their names match too. Luna and Night.”
I return his grin. Tobias makes it sound so simple and yet it is. Some think the path of life is mapped out, leaving you to fill in the blanks and add some color. Each little step along the way guides you to monumental moments where you feel the sense of belonging and righteousness.
This for me is such a moment. Earlier in the day Figor asked me to move in for the time we spend working on the case. There were many emotions running through me, but I have to admit the days after I met him were very unsettling. Because how on earth can you miss someone you just met?
I had to dive into work in an effort to pull myself together enough not to seem like a lovesick puppy and run to his doorstep, begging for him to take me in. I’ve never felt the kind of longing and desire toward a man. Until Figor. And he’s a werewolf for crying out loud.
Werewolves are known to be loose cannons. My family has been hunting them down to bring order for decades. Yes, I know most keep themselves in line but if a supernatural goes havoc, the usual suspect is a werewolf. Imagine