“Uh-huh. Total auditory recall. Doesn’t work on things I’ve read, but if I hear it, I can repeat it. And that’s why I was doing the little Alpha lecture. From things you’ve said, it’s obvious you’re used to Takhini dynamics. Canyon operates differently, and if we’re going to work together, you need to adjust your attitude.”
“Not all wolves are the same. Gotcha. Attitude adjusted.”
She shook her head, concern creasing her brow. She took a deep breath then settled with her body turned away. Closing herself off from him, and Evan gave himself shit. He wished he could back up a few steps and avoid the conflict. What he needed was forward motion, not poking her already sensitive edges.
Evan pulled into the parking lot of the tiny, beat-down truck shop, wondering why on earth she’d picked such a dump to stop at.
Amy spoke softly. “Some of my pack are always around here. Please be careful how you move.”
It was a test. He hadn’t expected that, but in a way the challenge seemed a good thing. It meant she was at least willing to give him a chance.
When Shaun had showed up at the cabin, Evan had thought the fragile peace growing between Amy and himself would be shattered. Seeing her exert her dominance over his Beta had been an awesome surprise. A little early in the game, maybe, but the challenge would have happened eventually. Evan had been impressed.
Now it appeared he needed to do some impressing of his own.
Evan held the door for her, waiting as she stepped past. And…he had to do another mental adjust. The inside of the tiny highway café was sparkling clean, the heavenly scent of coffee and crispy-fried bacon strong enough to overpower even the addictive aroma of his mate. “Mmm. Already my taste buds are cheering, while my arteries cringe in fear.”
Amy gestured forward. “Pick us a spot.”
Three steps forward he froze, one foot damn near suspended in midair. The people seated at the table nearest the door had left so rapidly one of the glasses on the table rocked unsteadily before tipping and spilling the leftover contents over their abandoned plates. Escaping from the room with their eyes averted.
Shit. He glanced at Amy who pointedly avoided his gaze.
This is a test, he reminded himself. He had instinctively headed to a place of central attention—a place where his pack mates could find him easily and take comfort in his presence.
Amy’s little hints earlier made him reconsider if perhaps that wasn’t the best choice. He studied the room, checking faces and examining eyes for clues.
Most of the remaining occupants were human. Toward one side of the room, though, a wolf who was about eight years old stared straight at him. Not in fear, but perhaps with a bit of awe.
“How about over there?” Evan asked, the words coming out so quiet he could barely hear himself. Hell if he wanted to freak anyone else into running away.
Amy led him across the room and slid onto the bench next to the boy. “Hi, Dex. How’re things this morning?”
The kid’s jaw hung open as Evan took a seat opposite them, but even as he stared he answered. “Good. Mom says I get a new book today.”
“Nice.” Evan snuck into the conversation. “What’s it about?”
Dexter turned to whisper behind his hand to Amy, the words loud enough everyone in a five-table radius could hear. “He’s with Takhini.”
“He is, but you should still answer him.” Amy picked up the menu and pretended to study it. Her gaze met Evan’s over the top of the paper, a clear warning to tread carefully.
The little guy crawled up on his knees and leaned his elbows on the table. “It’s the final book in the Goligal series. Have you read it? It’s really good. They’re dragons, and they can fly, and they take care of their tree houses, and then there was this fire, and they got moon thieved, and…”
Evan nodded, and continued to nod as information flowed in a nonstop stream for the next five minutes.
“Dexter, I swear someday you’ll wear someone’s ears off telling them about your stories.” The waitress turned to Evan, her smile vanishing between one breath and the next. She backed up toward where Amy and her son sat, protective even as her fear shone out.
“Laney, it’s okay.” Amy laid a soothing hand on the woman’s arm. “He’s with me.”
Laney’s eyes were still panicked, and she licked her lips nervously.
Evan considered ways to ease the tension, but he couldn’t make a rational decision if his life depended on it. Which was stupid, crazy and so unlike him, but for some damn reason, his brain seemed to have frozen between one beat and the next. His mouth might be hanging open, his expression blank for all he knew.
Talking. Maybe talking would be good. “Your son is very smart. He enjoys his books, and I don’t mind listening.”
The woman swallowed hard and nodded, but it was obvious she was very uncomfortable. “The special today…umm. The special…”
“The special would be great. And a coffee, please.”
“Same for me,” Amy ordered. “Cream for both the coffees as well.”
The waitress nodded, then fled.
Dexter’s gaze remained glued on Evan. “Do you like reading?”
“I like that you like to read.”
Good enough for the kid. He went back to drawing something intricate on the pad of paper before him.
Across the table, Amy folded her hands, calmness and serenity pouring from her as she stared at him, her expression unreadable. It was a damn good thing she was calm because that was the last sensation Evan felt. He couldn’t believe how fucked up he was inside.
A meet-and-greet at a café with a woman and her son, and he was tied up in enormous knots as if he were a baby all over again. Evan wanted to slap some sense into himself if nothing else. This wasn’t him. He knew how to deal with people, how to offer assurance and a steady hand to wolves.
But right now he felt totally adrift and lost. Why was Laney so scared? Did the wolves who left at just seeing him think he was some kind of monster?
Stupid, crazy mating urge—it had to be the cause of his emotional chaos that was as unwelcome as it was unexpected.
Amy tilted her head and caught his attention, breathing with deliberate slowness.
Shit. He took the hint and concentrated on relaxing. Three breaths later he did feel better, and he reached across the table to cover her fingers with his own as a thank-you.
Amy tensed.
Dexter stiffened.
Heck, the entire café went deadly quiet, and most of them were humans, for fuck’s sake. There was no reason for anyone to overreact.
“Uh, sweetheart, can you up the positive vibes again?” Evan forced himself to keep looking straight at her instead of swinging to watch his back. He was not about to get into a brawl when she was simply trying to make a point about leadership styles.
Slowly her fingers relaxed in his. “Sorry. You surprised me.”
“Understood.” He swept his thumb over her knuckles. “Looks as if I have a tendency to do that. I hope you get used to it.”
He maintained a grip on her fingers until the coffees arrived. Laney filled their cups as quickly as possible, dropping a bowl of creamers onto the table. But her gaze was focused on their joined hands, and this time when she left, her escape was noticeably slower because she was looking over her shoulder to keep examining the scene.
“You realize my entire pack now knows something is up.” Amy slipped her fingers free to stir her coffee.
“The more alert of my pack probably have heard as well. Well, the ones who are awake. If I know Shaun, he already made some kind of grand proclamation in the pack house.”
“Chicken Little running through the halls screaming the sky is falling? Or maybe warning the dragon-lady is on her way?”