Chapter 18 – Locheran #2
I hold up my free hand to tick off the list she gave me.
“Favorite place: Banff National Park in Canada. It deserves more credit than it gets. Dexter for the TV show, but only the first few seasons. Favorite movie: Speed, because I love Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock. Modern band: M83. But Igor Stravinsky was a badass who was ahead of his time. Food: I’m simple, and I could eat New York pizza all day, every day.
And my favorite colors are fiery red and yellow. ”
Farrah scrunches her nose. “Red and yellow? Why both?”
“Because it’s the color of your hair. The color you were born with and the one you feel safe in.”
She rolls her eyes again. She’s never really annoyed by me because every time she does the move it’s with a smile.
I expand on my color choices. “Red and yellow because I’m cursed to the night, yet every time I fall asleep, I dream of the warmth of the fiery sun and a smile that lights up the darkness.
My dreams are the only time I feel loved and wanted.
It’s the only time I didn’t feel alone. Now I’m certain it was you in my dreams all along with your red hair and sunshine smile. ”
Farrah groans. “Loch, you can’t keep saying these beautiful things to me.”
My cheeks ache with how much this woman makes me smile. “Why not, my little mouse?”
She fiddles with her nearly empty water glass. I stand and grab it for a refill. Once done, I set it in front of her then kiss her forehead, inhaling her sweet scent as I do—it’s my favorite thing.
“Because you’re all but professing your love to me and it’s been a week. I can’t—”
Her voice breaks, and I open my arms. She leans into the hug, halfway out of the stool.
“I’m not rushing you, Farrah. I will never push you to do, or say, something you don’t want to or are not ready for. I told you, I’ve waited a thousand years for you. I can wait a thousand more.”
She huffs a laugh against my chest but doesn’t respond, so I keep talking.
“Supernatural beings are more open to the pull of a fated mate bond. We spend decades—centuries—hoping for it. We feel the magic of it more than a human would. So, it’s easier for us to accept.”
Our serious conversation is cut off when Potato jumps onto the counter and starts sniffing around our sushi.
“No. Nope. Absolutely not,” I say, releasing Farrah to stand and grab the chonky cat to set him on the floor.
“Aww. Don’t be mean,” Farrah says to me.
“Mean? The cat is the rude one!”
“I let him on the counter sometimes. It’s fine.”
“Fine? He puts those paws in his toilet!”
“Thank goodness sanitary wipes exist. Wait...” Her cheeks fill with color, and she nibbles on her lower lip. She wants to say something, but she’s nervous about it.
“Out with it,” I tease.
“I was just wondering why you’re disgusted with Potato on the counter when...”
“When?” I urge.
I could dip into her thoughts, but I’m having fun making her squirm. She’s getting incredibly flustered, and it’s such a lovely look on her.
She sighs. “I just assumed that because you’re a monster... Don’t you like to ingest blood and…”
I raise a brow. “And?”
She sighs. “I don’t know. I just assumed most monsters eat humans.”
A maniacal laugh escapes my lips because I was NOT expecting her to say that. “Is that a lie your family told you?”
“So, it’s not true?”
I purse my lips. “Some monsters eat humans, BUT…” Her eyes widen. “Gargoyles don’t, at least not anymore.”
“Anymore,” she whispers in awe.
“It doesn’t matter! My point is Potato is not allowed on the counter.”
I shake my head mumbling cat people, and Farrah stands to slap her knuckles on my chest. Her eyes scan the room to find her cat.
“Awe. Look at him. He’s embarrassed. Apologize! Right now.”
Potato stares at me, eyes narrowed. He’s not embarrassed at all. He’s mad that I made him get down and now he’s plotting my murder.
“He’s not planning your murder,” Farrah says with a snort.
I take two fingers, pointing them at my eyes then at Potato. He responds with an aggressive lick of his chest before returning to his plotting stance.
“I think this was our first fight,” Farrah says, smiling.
“That was hardly a fight.”
Her grin shines brighter as she places her palms flat on my chest. “Are you sure? Because if it was a fight, then we can have—”
“Make up sex,” we say in unison.
I point down the hallway. “Bedroom.”
She turns to leave.
“Wait!” She pauses, raising a brow. “You didn’t tell me your favorite color, food, music, movie, tv show, and place you’ve traveled.”
She smiles and looks up at the ceiling, tapping her finger on her chin.
Holding up her hand to tick off the list like I just did, she says, “The Grand Canyon because it’s the only ‘touristy’ place my parents ever took us that didn’t involve a hunting mission.
TV Show: Friends minus the fatphobia with Monica.
Movie: Now and Then because I had a crush on Devon Sawa as a teen.
Music: Lady Gaga because she’s amazing and doesn’t give a shit about what people think about her and is comfortable in her own skin. Food: lasagna.”
She clamps her mouth shut, blushing.
“Favorite color?” I ask.
She shifts on her feet, clearly hesitant about saying it.
Finally, she sighs. “Blue.”
“Blue? Like the color of my hair?”
“It’s always been blue. Maybe you’re the reason why.”
She gives me a nervous smile, then tries to leave again, but I stop her.
“Oh, and Farrah,” I say. “Clothes on. I want to undress you.”
This time when she turns, I smack her ass. The bond purrs in response.
When I glance over my shoulder, Potato is back on the counter, inching towards our leftover sushi.
“I’m going to kick your ass, little man.”
Since I’m not sure if cats can eat sushi, I box up the leftovers and put them in the fridge. I pull out a can of tuna, dump the contents on a paper plate, and set it in front of the feline.
“You’re welcome, Hashbrown.”
He butts his head against my arm, and I jump back. Then I laugh because I remember reading about head-butts being a good thing with cats.
Something about marking his scent on me. I think. I don’t know. I’m trying to learn as much as I can about these creatures since my mate seems to adore them.
And okay. Fine. I suppose Potato is cute. Even if he still creeps me out a little.
I leave the cat to feast and go to my adorable little mouse.
Time to solidify the bond.