29. Chapter 29 - Chayce
Chapter 29 - Chayce
W e have been moving through and around town all day. It has been a very cold, blustery day, making me thankful for the internal heat my dragon creates. As promised, all of the alphas are here, and each brought several of their people. With the amount of manpower we have, I am optimistic we will find something soon. The last thing we need is a rogue shifter or whatever they are. This scenario has the potential to become a proverbial keg of dynamite as the town residents defer to their animal side in order to preserve our way of life.
“Chayce, it’s almost dark,” Crispin says, drawing me out of my spiraling thoughts. “What do you want to do?”
Checking my watch, I decide to call it a night. Letting out a sharp whistle to get everyone’s attention, Crispin and I wave them in.
“Thank you, all of you, for coming out today and helping,” I say, keeping my voice louder than usual so that the large crowd can hear me. “We are calling it quits for today. Let’s meet here at seven tomorrow morning. That should give us an extra hour of daylight to work with.” The group starts to disperse with mutters of “good night” and “see you in the morning,” while others give an absent-minded wave of acknowledgment.
A few groans reach my ears, and I suppress a smirk about the early hours. In the end, this should all pay off and help us find our thief and trespasser.
Driving a little faster than normal, my dragon is pushing me to get home to our mate. A grin takes over my face at the thought. It falls just as quickly as memories of Regina’s irritated glare just before I walked out the door this morning. Slamming my hand on the steering wheel, I realize I forgot to grab flowers and curse myself.
Barely having the truck in park and shut off before I hop out, my footsteps are rapid. Just before reaching the door, the smell of oregano and garlic reaches my nose, causing my stomach to rumble in appreciation. Stepping into the kitchen I spot Regina at the stove. Turning around with a plate in hand, she smiles at me.
“I had to improvise on dinner; hopefully, you like it,” she says, biting her lip.
“If it tastes as good as it smells, that won’t be an issue,” I tell her honestly.
She takes the plate over to the table and sets it down. Following behind her, as soon as she turns around, I pull her into my arms, burying my nose in her hair.
“Hi,” she says softly. “Was your day okay?”
Instead of speaking, I lean down, capturing her lips with mine. Reluctantly breaking the kiss and stepping back slightly, she tries to break from my hold.
“The garlic toast is going to burn if I don’t get it,” she says, placing her hands on my chest, trying in vain to push me away. “Have a seat.” Regina moves back to the stove.
Doing as told, I pull out a chair and sit down, my mouth beginning to water. Memories run through my head as I try to remember the last time someone else cooked a meal for me, other than going to the restaurant or grabbing takeout. The sound of a chair scraping across the floor brings me back to the present.
Grabbing a slice of garlic bread off the plate in the center of the table, I take a large bite before setting the remains on the edge of my plate. The sound of clinking silverware on the plates is the only sound in the room as we eat. The silence is surprisingly comfortable.
‘Sorry,” I say after finishing over half of my meal. “I never answered your question,” I say, pausing to take a drink of water. My shoulders sag in defeat. “We didn’t find anything today, not that I expected to. Hoped to—definitely—find something,” I say out loud, sagging back into my chair and heaving a heavy sigh. “Tomorrow, we are starting at seven instead of eight. With luck, the extra hour of daylight will yield better results than today.”
“Sorry that you didn’t have a lot of luck today,” Regina says softly. She seems like she has something on her mind. My eyes stay fixed on her face, waiting her out as we continue eating.
After several moments without her saying anything else, I broach the subject.
“What is on your mind?” I ask bluntly.
Her gaze meets mine, and she nibbles on her bottom lip in thought.
“You don’t need to be shy,” I tell her. “Say what you want.”
Regina’s shoulders sag in relief at my words.
“I spoke to both Rafferty and Emmalee today,” she says, pausing again, almost as if she is waiting for me to get angry that she spoke to her best friend and brother.
“What is going on with both of them?” I question, keeping my tone casual.
“Emma is going to be here in about ten days, give or take. Raff is going through my stuff. He is going to pack clothes, more than anything, for Em to bring with her,” Regina tells me as a smile spreads across her face. “Emma is determined to find a man here.”
I suppress a groan. If word gets out to the single men in town, they will be lined around the corner to meet this girl. It will take me and all three of my brothers to watch over these two women—I just know it.
We finish eating in silence and then clean the kitchen together, falling into a smooth rhythm. As soon as we are done, Regina heads upstairs as I make sure the house is locked up. Upon entering the bedroom, I find Regina already in bed, eyes closed. Stripping down and tossing my clothes in the laundry basket, I get a quick shower before climbing into bed behind her.
The weight of the day and our lack of sleep last night has sleep claiming me almost immediately.