Beauty Sleeps (Fairytale Shifter #2)(23)
“For whatever you want to give, Gwen. I think we’re both on the path to babies, and together we can run this place if we train the right people.”
“Oh my God, what if our babies are mates?” The thought pops into my head, and I can’t stop myself from squealing. The plans for running the bakery leave my mind completely.
“I should’ve known your mind would go right there,” she laughs, and I can’t seem to stop bouncing on my feet at the idea. We’re both going to have little ones running around together. I was so happy when Ruby moved to town and Dom found his mate, but part of me was jealous. I wanted that, too, and now everything is sliding into place better than I could’ve imagined.
“As much as I would love to talk about all of our babies mating, my feet feel like they might explode. I’m going to head out when Dom gets back. He’s just popping into the police station to drop some stuff off, so he’ll be here any moment.” She rises to her feet, pulling off her apron and tossing it onto the prep table next to my purse. “Who are the new hires?”
“Winnie and her stepsisters.” I knew I had to hire within the pack, or Dom would have had a major issues about it.
I have to fight a growl at my own words. When I called to ask Winnie if she wanted to train at the bakery, I somehow got roped into having her stepsisters there, too. They aren’t really Winnie’s stepsisters—they’re wolves and she’s a bear—but she grew up in the same house as them for the past few years, so I guess they’re almost like stepsisters. Those two are bitches in every sense of the word. I’ve been noticing a lot how they treat Winnie lately. But maybe this could work. I can keep a better eye on them if they’re here.
I smell him before I see him. Turning, I see X standing in the back doorway of the bakery. A look I can’t quite make out is on his face. His hair is wild like he’s been running, and he seems a little out of breath. He isn’t charging in, picking me up, and throwing me over his shoulder. I also catch Dom’s scent, who I now notice is behind my mate.
“So we’re out of here.” Ruby chirps, breaking the odd silence coats the room. X moves out of her way, letting her out the back door. She goes to Dom, and he gives me a half-smile before he pulls Ruby into his arms, mumbling something about her feet.
X continues to stand there, and I wonder if that’s his plan. Just to come to work with me every day. It’s something that seems pointless if I’m busy. I’d tell him he probably has better things to be doing, but I know that would be a waste of breath. He’d argue there isn’t anything he’d rather be doing.
“Good morning,” I say in the sweetest voice that just earns me a grunt. I give him the stink eye and try again. “You don’t think it’s a good morning?”
“A good morning would’ve been me waking to the same breakfast I’ve been having for the past few weeks.” His words are laced with bitterness, and we both know the breakfast he’s talking about isn’t bacon and eggs. No, it’s me. I’d missed that too when I’d silently slid from our warm bed this morning.
“My room is upstairs, and I have—”
He’s on me before I can finish. He easily throws me over his shoulder, something he does more often than not. He gives me the response I thought he would the moment he found me. Seems someone is finally learning a little patience. ‘Little’ being the key word.
“Old room,” he growls, making me smile. I playfully bite his jean-covered ass, which is directly in front of my face. He tosses me onto the bed before covering me with his body. “Old room,” he repeats, wanting my confirmation.
“Well, it would be if you’d let me pack my stuff,” I remind him. This is something I’ve been telling him we need to do. He kept saying he could do it, but all I can envision is my favorite shoes and bags thrown carelessly into a box, then duct taped up. Nope, not happening. I love those shoes and bags.
“Fine. We’ll do it now. And then you’ll come home?” I hear the hope in his voice, and I’m a little taken aback by it. This was not how I thought this would go. I didn’t foresee my brute of a mate asking me anything when it came to not being within reaching distance of him. Something’s up.
“You’re acting odd.” I eye him suspiciously, but he gives me nothing. “What if I say no? We’ll pack after I’m done with my shift today?”
“Okay, I’ll wait.” Shocking. He’d stand like a statue in the corner all day. I could see it now. He’d growl at every male that tried to talk to me. Hell, the bakery would be bankrupt in a month. Even when the mating heat passes, I know Xavier will still be more possessive than most males. It’s just who he is. He’s more animal than man. Logically, he knows no other shifter would want me, but he doesn’t care. He sees every male as a threat.
“No, you come back at three.”
I see him fight himself. “This will make you happy?” He searches my face, and I just smile up at him.
“It will make me happy that you trust me.”
“I can’t keep you caged.” He says the words like he’s repeating them from another source. “You’re so full of life. It’s unfair, no matter how much I want it. I just thought I had more time.”
His words surprise me. Then I remember he walked in with Dom, and I’m guessing he had a talk with my mate. Dom seems to be the only other male in the pack he trusts.