where she was organizing the clothes she wore the day before. “Here, love, put them in my duffle. Your brush and all, too,” he said, indicating his duffle bag.
“Thank you, I didn’t want to just dig through it without asking,” she said.
Roman made a face and huffed. “Please. Everything I have is yours. There’s nothing you can’t dig through, look through or open. It’s all yours.”
Talie smiled. “No,” she said, walking over to him, and into his arms as she smiled up at him. “It’s ours.”
Roman nodded. “Ours. I like that,” he said.
“Me, too.”
“Let’s go ahead and get on our way. We can grab a cup of coffee and a bagel or something in the lobby,” he said.
“Okay,” she answered, poking her head into the bathroom to be sure they didn’t forget anything as he lifted the duffle bag over his shoulder, shoved his wallet into his back pocket, and his phone in his front pocket. He held the door open and waited for her as she checked around the room once more, examining the floor around the bed and threw back the covers to be sure they didn’t miss anything. “Aha!” she cried out, lifting the small blanket she’d covered with in the car from the tangle of sheets they’d slept in. “I had a feeling we were leaving something,” she said as she folded it and tucked it under her arm.
Roman walked just behind Talie as she led the way to the elevator. “Do your shoes fit?” he asked, as he allowed himself the treat of looking at her — head to toe as he followed.
“Well enough. Maybe a tad too big,” she said.
“I’ll get you more,” he said.
“It’s fine, it’s only about half a size, and I’d rather have a bit too big than a bit too small,” she answered. “I’m so grateful for all you’ve already done, I don’t want you to think you have to do more,” she said, stepping into the elevator as he joined her.
He leaned closer to her and pressed his forehead to hers. “How many times do I have to tell ya? Taking care of my woman makes me happy.”
Talie laughed, and he was so pleased by the sound he vowed to make her laugh every single day.
“I love you,” he said, grinning down at her.
“Love you, too,” she said, smiling up at him.
~~~
After Roman paid their bill and they’d filled up to go coffee cups and taken several bananas and bagels from the complimentary breakfast bar, they headed out. Roman tried again to call Riley, then Maia, and then Lucas.
“They’re still not answering,” he said, tossing his phone back in the cup holder of the console.
“I’m beginning to get worried,” she confided.
“I’m sure everything is fine. If there’s something going on, and it had to do with Darcie, they’d have called,” Roman said, trying to reassure her.
“What if something else happened?” Talie asked.
“I’m sure everybody’s safe, love. They’re like me. They can handle more than the average person can.”
Talie looked at him with surprise on her face.
“What, you thought I was the only one?” he asked.
“I didn’t really think about it,” Talie answered.
“Richie, the guy that was with me the day we met?” Roman said.
“Yes,” Talie answered.
“He’s a shifter… black Panther. Riley, my friend that came with me to your attorney’s offices… he stood as my best man,”
“He’s a shifter, too?” Talie asked.
“He is. Golden Panther. He’s our Alpha.”
“Alpha, like boss?” she asked.
“More like, the head of our Pride. Pride is a family, or at least ours is. We’re all different beasts for the most part, but Riley is our leader. Keeps a watch over us all. Makes sure we all have what we need and are doing well. If we get into trouble, he’s there to stand with us and help us out in any way he can.”
Talie nodded slowly, realizing he’d been there with Roman because Talie had been in trouble. “And that’s why he came with you to Ohio… to get me out of trouble.”
“Exactly. But not just out of duty, he really cares. He’s not like any alpha I’ve ever met or heard of. He puts his Pride members before himself. Always, every time anything comes up, he puts us first. He took me in not knowing me other than I was a friend of Travis’s.”
“Travis?” Talie asked, trying to follow his explanation.
“Travis is another shifter. He’s a Tiger, just married his mate, too, and gonna have a baby. Anyway, I was a friend of Travis’s