Chapter 7 #2
Nia’s throat was tight as she moved to the stairs.
She felt Cole’s footsteps behind her, and she swore she could feel his gaze on her back like a tangible thing.
Was he following her because this was his pack and he wanted to make sure important business was handled his way, or was he coming because he saw it as an opportunity to be alone with her?
Nia wanted both of those things to be true at once.
They stepped into the kitchen. There were still a few other wolves lingering, so Cole slid open the glass door that led out onto the deck.
All evidence of the barbecue from a few days ago was completely gone.
The grill was covered, the chairs were all put away, and not a scrap of trash could be found. Cole ran a tight ship.
Nia waited until he’d slid the door shut behind them before she turned around. She took her phone from her pocket and tried to keep her face as neutral as possible. Inside, her lynx was lurching and clawing. “Did you want to talk to them?”
“I really just need to talk to you,” he said, his voice low.
Her heart thundered. Her blood throbbed in her veins. She watched as Cole ran his thumb along his jaw. What would she do if he made a move? Could she resist him? Did she even want to?
“First of all,” he finally said after a few too many seconds of silence had passed, “I’m impressed with how quickly you figured out what we were looking at when no one else could. It’s hard to believe, and I’m not sure everyone does, but I trust you on this one.”
“Thank you.” She smiled, glad that he respected her opinion, and she was pretty sure it had nothing to do with their bond.
“Also, I think your offer of help is very generous,” he continued, his voice getting a little more hesitant as he went on. “You had information and a solution right away.”
“But?” Nia felt he was genuine in his compliments, but they were only there to make the blow of whatever was coming next a little softer.
He rubbed his hand over his face, and she noticed just how tired he looked.
Had he been wrestling with the same feelings?
Tossing and turning at night as he tried to figure out how long he could handle staying away?
Wondering if he could change his whole life to finally get the one thing the beast inside him had always wanted?
“I appreciate that you want to help. Those dragons down there are definitely an unexpected problem. I’m a little leery about bringing in outsiders, though.” Cole leaned against the deck railing, letting it take his weight.
Nia shook her head. “Beck and Kendrick are outsiders to your pack, yes, but they could be the closest thing to family that those dragonlings have. With so few dragons left in the world, the Alexander clan formed regardless of blood ties. They just want to take care of each other, and as soon as they find out there are some potentially orphaned children who need them, they’ll be here. ”
Cole folded his arms across his chest, showcasing how wide his shoulders were. Nia’s eyes traced his muscles under his shirt, wondering just how strong his arms would feel around her if she could let that happen. She snapped her eyes away, focusing on a flowering bush in the backyard instead.
“I have no doubt that your friends are who they say they are. I don’t think you’d bring up the idea of them coming if you thought otherwise. I’m not even saying they’re a threat to us. It’s just…” He trailed off and scratched the back of his neck. “There’s already some tension in the pack.”
Nia hadn’t seen him so fidgety before. “Because of these babies or because…of me?” she finally finished.
Saying that out loud felt like putting their bond on display, even though no one was around to hear them, but she needed to know.
She twisted her fingers together. Anxiety for the tiny dragons bloomed inside her.
She worried about their future as well as her own.
“You know how we shifters are,” he said quietly, his jaw tight. “Even when we’re not looking for reasons to be worried, we tend to sense them anyway.”
He hadn’t truly answered her question, but in the short time they’d known each other, they’d created a habit of speaking in vague terms. Nia decided to focus on the dragons and not herself.
They were the real issue here. “I believe if we have any chance of finding whoever left those eggs in the mountains or of successfully finding a place for these little ones, we need the Alexanders. They’re the right choice.
” In this, at least, she could be direct.
His eyes slowly grazed across the yard until he was looking at her again.
Cole’s face was unreadable as he pushed off the railing and stood straight again.
“All right. Call them and let me know when they can be here.” He went around her and back into the house, the sliding door whispering shut behind him.
Nia stared at her phone. What had just happened between the two of them, and what was Cole truly worried about? Were there others within the pack that knew what was happening between them? It was all so unfair.
A breeze lifted her hair and brought her back to reality, and she dialed.