Chapter Twelve
Juni felt lips on her cheek, dragging her from a warm dream. She smiled and opened her eyes, seeing Asher sitting on the side of the bed and leaning over her. His pale eyes stared deeply into hers, a softness creasing the corners as he brushed some hair off her cheek.
“I have to go,” he murmured.
She blinked, trying to wake up a little more. “Okay. Thank you for last night.”
He smiled. “I had fun. I want to do it again.”
She snorted. “Yeah, well, wait until you have to watch WALL-E eight more times. You’ll be quoting the movie before you know it.”
“Hey, why don’t you and Clover come to The Unicorn for lunch?”
“Um, it’s a bar.”
“It not just a bar. We do lunch there, too.”
Should she? Alpha Jericho told everyone to stay indoors, but ... she really wanted to see him. Besides, maybe it would be good for Clover to get out. “Are you sure it’ll be okay?”
“Yep,” he said. “Majority of my customers are human, and I’d really like for you to come by.”
“Okay,” she agreed. “See you at ... noon?”
“Yep, noon is good.”
He leaned over and gave her one more lingering kiss before pulling back to smile down at her.
Then he winked, and rose, leaving her house.
Juni stared up at the ceiling, replaying the night in her mind.
Every moment she spent with Asher, the harder it would be to say goodbye.
Asher wasn’t the settling down type. A self-proclaimed lover of women. She was in so much trouble.
****
“Are we really going to a bar?” Clover asked, wide-eyed.
“Asher said they serve lunch, but technically, yes.”
They walked hand in hand down the street, and the closed signs in various shops made her anxiety spike.
Alpha Jericho had made the announcement that everyone needed to shelter in place, and she was now second-guessing her decision to have lunch at The Unicorn.
The few shifters walking on the sidewalk, who had obviously disobeyed that rule, wore masks and kept a wide berth around others.
When they arrived at Asher’s place, she looked down at Clover’s awed expression.
“This is so exciting!” she squealed, jumping a little in that excitement. It made her feel a little less anxious.
“Just remember, you must sit at the table and not go running around,” Juni told her. “This is a place of business.”
“I won’t,” Clover promised. “I like Asher. Are you two going to be married?”
Juni shoved down the burst of happiness that thought gave her. She didn’t want a mate, right? Besides, he wasn’t the type of man to be content with one woman. They would have fun, for however long they lasted, and then she’d tuck the memories inside her heart and move on.
“No,” she replied softly.
“Why not?”
What could she explain to a nine-year-old girl? “I don’t want a mate.”
“Why not?”
Juni decided to be truthful. “Remember when we sat on the trailer steps after Ezra died?”
Clover nodded.
“You said you never wanted to fall in love, and I agreed with you.”
“I remember.”
“It’s like that.”
“You don’t want to be like mom,” her sister surmised.
Juni glanced down at her. “Yeah. You’re pretty smart, aren’t you?”
Clover looked down and kicked a small rock out of the way. “Do all mates act like Dad? Do boys always hit girls?”
“I don’t think so. I don’t think Alpha Jericho hurts his luna. If all men were like that, I don’t think there would ever be pups.”
“Do you want pups?”
Juni shook her head. “Not really. You’re my pup now.”
She stopped walking and looked up at her with wide eyes. “I’m your pup?”
“Yes. I will raise you and teach you all you need to know, and the things I don’t know, I can ask Keegan.”
“Or Ms. Circe? She’s smart.”
Juni smiled. “Yes, I’d ask her too.”
“Okay. I’ll be your pup, but I’m not calling you mom.”
“That’s fine. I don’t want us to forget Mom.”
They reached The Unicorn and she opened the door, stepping back to allow Clover to go in first. Juni was surprised to see how many people were eating, and she looked for a place to sit when Asher suddenly appeared next to them.
“I’m so glad you made it,” Asher said, smiling. “Hi, Clover.”
“Hi, Asher,” she greeted. “This place is neat!”
“Thank you.” He smiled. “I have a table reserved for you.”
He took hold of Juni’s hand and led her to a table near the windows.
He held out a chair for her, and Juni liked his chivalry.
Maybe a human mate wouldn’t act the same as a shifter mate.
Maybe she could depend on him. She hadn’t been fully truthful to Clover.
She believed she was falling for Asher, and deep in her heart, she’d admit that she wanted him as her mate.
Only, she wasn’t sure if she could move on from her past. What if she fell for him, and he ended up hurting her?
Juni didn’t think she would survive that type of betrayal.
“Now, Clover, I have a very important question to ask you,” Asher said to her sister. His face was dead serious.
“What is it?”
“Do you want a hamburger or pizza?”
Clover burst out laughing. “May I have a cheeseburger?”
“Done.” He winked and then looked at her. “What would you like?”
“I’ll have the same.”
He lifted her hand and kissed the back of it. “Coming right up.”
With a wink, he left, heading toward the kitchen area.
“Maybe he’d be a good mate,” Clover said, running parallel to her own previous thoughts. “I don’t think he’s like Dad.”
“You’re right, I don’t think so either,” she agreed. “But don’t get your hopes up. Asher doesn’t want a mate either.”
“Why not?”
How should I frame this? “There are types of people in this world that are content to be by themselves. Asher is one of them.”
Clover mulled that over. “So, he’ll just stay a boyfriend?”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Juni said. “We’re friends, and one day, he’ll have other friends and will leave us to be with them. Do you understand?”
Clover thought for a moment then nodded. “You mean, he doesn’t want to have a girlfriend.”
“Correct.”
“That makes me sad,” she said. “I like him.”
Juni smiled. “I like him too, so we better enjoy him while he’s still friends with us.”
After that, Clover didn’t ask any more questions on the subject.
Asher came back with a tray filled with two plates piled with a cheeseburger and lots of fries and two soft drinks.
Since he had a business to run, he didn’t linger, but she watched him mingle with the guests and she noticed that he acted the same with them as he did with her.
Which only emphasized she wasn’t anyone special.
Honestly, it hurt, but it was good she discovered that now, because she could paint her feelings for him into corners she knew how to get around.
When they were done eating, Juni placed money on the table and rose. Asher was nowhere to be found. She took Clover’s hand and they left The Unicorn. They’d only gone a few feet when she heard her name.
“Juniper!”
She stopped and turned to see Asher hurrying toward her.
“You left without saying goodbye?”
“Oh, it looked like you were busy and we didn’t want to be in the way,” she replied.
He cradled her face with his hands. “You are not in the way. Ever.”
Juni wished he wouldn’t do stuff like this.
Say and touch her like he cared. Like they were starting a relationship.
The logical side of her brain was telling her to end it with him.
Lock it all away and return to some small semblance of self-preservation, but the other part was the one that controlled her heart, and it was screaming at her to soak it all up.
“Can I come by this evening?” he asked.
“You really want to do that?”
He frowned. “Of course. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t.”
“Okay,” she whispered.
With a smile, he bent his head toward her but stopped and glanced down at Clover. Instead of her mouth, he kissed her forehead.
“See you later.”
She nodded, and they started walking home again.
“Are you sure he doesn’t want a girlfriend?” Clover asked. “’Cause he was gonna kiss you.”
“No, he wasn’t.”
“Juni and Asher sitting in a tree,” Clover started singing, and this time, she had a name to put with hers. “K-I-S-S-I-N-G.”
“Stop it,” she said, but there wasn’t any heat in her words. Clover repeated the song, this time even louder. “Oh, my god. You’re such a brat.”
Clover sang all the way home.