Chapter 12
Angie
Six months later…
The bell over the door to my shop dinged, and I didn’t have to look up to know it wasn’t a customer. Sparks ignited in my chest as the bond tugged playfully, and I had to pause my work and take a deep breath.
Bev glanced over her shoulder from where she was perched with her back to me in the tattoo chair. She narrowed her eyes with an exasperated huff. “Y’know, it was cute at first, but I really wish you would stop sighing like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like this is an episode of Bridgerton and you’re going to pass away from yearning.”
I laughed, turning my attention back to the design on her upper back. “I think I’m starting to regret introducing you guys to streaming. Cindy won’t stop rewatching Doctor Who.”
“At least there’s something to do around here.”
“I’ll never understand how someone who can turn into an animal gets bored. I would shift all day.”
“And do what? Run into half a dozen sappy romantics like you that are convinced they’ll find their fated mate somewhere in the woods?”
It was true that Glacier Run was starting to feel a bit crowded with all the new shifters joining the pack. Word was spreading that our alpha had found his fated mate, and now every shifter and their single grandma was convinced they would find theirs if they were in his pack.
That wasn’t the only reason newcomers were flocking here. Rhett explained that changing packs used to be nearly impossible unless you wanted to join the next closest pack to yours. Now shifters had options, and Glacier Run was a good one. More businesses were popping up in town every day.
Mine was one of them.
I finished the details of a floral vine on Bev’s tattoo, smiling at my work.
Dustin was the first to sit in my chair, but Bev wasn’t far behind him. At the rate she was going, she would have more tattoos than me soon.
I held up a mirror so she could see the design. “What do you think?”
“I love it. When can I come in for more color?”
I studied her skin. Shifters healed incredibly fast. I was stunned the first time I watched skin knitting together on a Rhett’s finger after a paper cut.
Even so, I wanted to make sure the parts I couldn’t see were healed too.
I cleaned and covered her tattoo. “Let’s give it four days.”
Bev stood, pulling a hot pink tank top over her head. The half-sleeve I started for her was on full display, and I smiled with pride.
“See you next week!” She tucked her purse to her side, blowing a kiss to me on her way out.
Rhett sauntered past her, eyebrows at his hairline. “Should I be jealous?”
“Maybe. She’s very fond of me.”
He waited while I removed my gloves and sanitized my space, leaning against the wall with a paper bag in his hand. I finished quickly, feeling a growing sense of urgency the longer he stood across the room.
Finally, it was done, and I flung myself into his arms, kissing him like we’d been apart for weeks instead of hours. Tingles erupted where his hand cupped the back of my neck, and a feeling like static electricity zipped across my lips.
“Hi,” I whispered.
“Hi,” he said back. “How was your day?”
“Perfect. How was yours?”
“Uneventful.”
I pointed at the bag in his hands. “What’s this?”
“A little birdy told me that today is our six-month anniversary. I didn’t realize anniversaries were celebrated in six month intervals, but I got you a gift just in case.” He handed me the bag.
I peered inside, giggling when I saw a box of hot cocoa mix and two cups of instant noodles. He was so disappointed that night when we finished sealing our bond—about ten times—and that was all he had to feed me.
Now, it had become one of my favorite memories, and I couldn’t wait to relive it.
Affection poured down the bond from him as he watched my face light up. I didn’t know whether I would ever get used to that.
“You ready to head out?”
“Actually, I have an anniversary surprise for you too. Do you trust me?”
“Of course.”
“Take off your shirt and get in the chair.”
Rhett frowned, but he did as I asked. My hands shook a little as I cleaned the skin at the base of his neck.
“It took a while to get this right. I bit a lot of weird stuff before I found a way to take a good imprint.” I lined up the stencil and pressed it to his skin.
His head snapped up, the wolf shining gold in his eyes.
I stroked his chest. “Calm down, big guy, we haven’t even gotten to the good part yet.”
I could feel tension and excitement pouring off the wolf as I lifted the tattoo machine up. “I’m ready,” he growled.
It took me less than an hour to finish. When I was done, I held up the mirror to show him the brand new tattoo of a mate mark on his neck.
“I tried to match the color to mine.”
He stared into the mirror, expression unreadable. The emotion from the bond was jumbled, and for a heartbeat I was worried he didn’t like it. Every inch of Rhett’s tan skin was perfect. This was his first and only tattoo.
Thick arms snaked around me, yanking me into his lap. He kissed all over my face, lingering on my lips before moving his way down my neck and finding the mate mark. I shivered when his teeth grazed it.
“Do you like it?” I asked.
“It’s perfect. Just like you.”
“Nobody’s perfect.”
“You are,” he purred, sliding his hands beneath my shirt to caress my skin. “Now come home with me so we can celebrate our anniversary the right way.”
After some squirming, he released me, and I hurried through my closing routine.
We stood on the sidewalk of Main Street as I turned the key to lock the front door.
It wasn’t really necessary, since there was no crime in Glacier Run, but it would protect me from a jump scare when some curious shifter walked in without an appointment.
My gaze caught on the door of the new cafe across the street as it swung open.
“Do you think my sister will be okay?”
Rhett followed my line of sight to where Bev was strutting inside with an extra sway to her hips. He growled softly, muttering something that sounded like, “Incorrigible asshole.”
He had a big vocabulary, and he was very good at painting it more colorful.
With a sigh, he took my arm, leading me down the sidewalk where his SUV waited. He opened the passenger door for me, handing me the paper bag and saying, “I think these things have a way of working themselves out.”
I smiled, stealing a kiss before he could close the door behind me.
“I think you’re right.”
Thanks for reading Stray!