least he could do was act like he appreciated it. He knew he hadn’t done a great job back at the diner, but he hadn’t known what to say. Still didn’t.
Although stunned, he’d known Miles’s words were truth the moment they came out of her mouth. Skepticism was one of his favorite pastimes, but there was no room for doubt as far as his curse was concerned. It was like a heavy log had been lifted from his shoulders and tossed away, only to be replaced by some other burden. Not a curse, but a debt. He didn’t know what he could possibly give her besides his protection, and really, he had no choice in that.
He needed to stick to her like glue until his scent stuck. That could take days, or even weeks, but once she took on a bit of his essence, no Cougar in his right mind would approach her because she’d smell
taken
. She’d smell like a Foye, and Foyes didn’t lose fights. That didn’t stop people from picking them, but most thought twice. He’d worry about the other ones later.
“Listen,” he said, turning to her in time to catch her flinch.
Gods, she does that every time I open my mouth.
He kept moving backward, checking behind him on occasion to not run afoul of one of his hometown’s charming little sidewalk sinkholes. “I need to follow up on the situation from last month and see if I can shake down any new leads about where the Sheehans might be hanging out.”
She nodded slowly and rotated one of her pearl studs, not meeting his gaze. If she had been Cougar, he might have found her averted gaze disrespectful, but he was used to it. He sure as shit wasn’t going to chastise her about something half the glaring did.
“You still think they’ll come back after their part in hurting Ellery?”
They rounded the corner onto Third Street, and he turned to face forward. “I don’t know,” Hank said. “Part of me feels like they’re stupid enough to try it—to expect that bygones will be bygones and that we can forgive and forget.”
“Cougars don’t hold grudges?”
“We hold them just fine.” Better than anyone, in Hank’s case. “The thing is, the Sheehans have been in our glaring for almost as long as the Foyes, and there are some vocal members of the group who would suggest that we put aside our differences for the overall well-being of the group.”
She didn’t say anything, and that
why, why, why
part of his brain made him look down at her. She was chewing the inside of her cheek and staring at the uneven sidewalk they’d navigated. Maybe she just didn’t have anything to add, which was fine. He didn’t really expect her to, but he didn’t like feeling ignored. It made his animal side mouthy and reckless, and he couldn’t afford to lose control with so many Cougars watching his every move.
He stopped her in front of Mike Sheehan’s veterinary practice and turned her to face him. “I’m just going to check in and see how much of a runaround the staff will give me.”
She nodded, yet again, not bothering to meet his gaze. The needy cat in his head that wanted to be stroked and coddled was angry at the snubbing. He wanted to be paid attention to, and the man Hank was ruining it for him. Hank rolled his eyes. The cat would just have to deal.
The receptionist let out a long, chesty sigh the moment he opened the door. Of course she knew him, and not just from his repeated visits. Katrine was in the glaring, and the Delacroixs were another old family in the area. Fortunately, they’d never made any outright overtures that they wanted someone other than a Foye in the alpha role. They were more passive in their disrespect.
“He’s not here and I don’t know where any of them are,” Katrine said preemptively. Her gaze tracked past him to the doorway Miles remained in. Katrine scented the air and furrowed her forehead. “Who’s that?”
Hank ignored the question. “You can’t really have me believe you’re still carrying on business as usual after a month with the good
Although stunned, he’d known Miles’s words were truth the moment they came out of her mouth. Skepticism was one of his favorite pastimes, but there was no room for doubt as far as his curse was concerned. It was like a heavy log had been lifted from his shoulders and tossed away, only to be replaced by some other burden. Not a curse, but a debt. He didn’t know what he could possibly give her besides his protection, and really, he had no choice in that.
He needed to stick to her like glue until his scent stuck. That could take days, or even weeks, but once she took on a bit of his essence, no Cougar in his right mind would approach her because she’d smell
taken
. She’d smell like a Foye, and Foyes didn’t lose fights. That didn’t stop people from picking them, but most thought twice. He’d worry about the other ones later.
“Listen,” he said, turning to her in time to catch her flinch.
Gods, she does that every time I open my mouth.
He kept moving backward, checking behind him on occasion to not run afoul of one of his hometown’s charming little sidewalk sinkholes. “I need to follow up on the situation from last month and see if I can shake down any new leads about where the Sheehans might be hanging out.”
She nodded slowly and rotated one of her pearl studs, not meeting his gaze. If she had been Cougar, he might have found her averted gaze disrespectful, but he was used to it. He sure as shit wasn’t going to chastise her about something half the glaring did.
“You still think they’ll come back after their part in hurting Ellery?”
They rounded the corner onto Third Street, and he turned to face forward. “I don’t know,” Hank said. “Part of me feels like they’re stupid enough to try it—to expect that bygones will be bygones and that we can forgive and forget.”
“Cougars don’t hold grudges?”
“We hold them just fine.” Better than anyone, in Hank’s case. “The thing is, the Sheehans have been in our glaring for almost as long as the Foyes, and there are some vocal members of the group who would suggest that we put aside our differences for the overall well-being of the group.”
She didn’t say anything, and that
why, why, why
part of his brain made him look down at her. She was chewing the inside of her cheek and staring at the uneven sidewalk they’d navigated. Maybe she just didn’t have anything to add, which was fine. He didn’t really expect her to, but he didn’t like feeling ignored. It made his animal side mouthy and reckless, and he couldn’t afford to lose control with so many Cougars watching his every move.
He stopped her in front of Mike Sheehan’s veterinary practice and turned her to face him. “I’m just going to check in and see how much of a runaround the staff will give me.”
She nodded, yet again, not bothering to meet his gaze. The needy cat in his head that wanted to be stroked and coddled was angry at the snubbing. He wanted to be paid attention to, and the man Hank was ruining it for him. Hank rolled his eyes. The cat would just have to deal.
The receptionist let out a long, chesty sigh the moment he opened the door. Of course she knew him, and not just from his repeated visits. Katrine was in the glaring, and the Delacroixs were another old family in the area. Fortunately, they’d never made any outright overtures that they wanted someone other than a Foye in the alpha role. They were more passive in their disrespect.
“He’s not here and I don’t know where any of them are,” Katrine said preemptively. Her gaze tracked past him to the doorway Miles remained in. Katrine scented the air and furrowed her forehead. “Who’s that?”
Hank ignored the question. “You can’t really have me believe you’re still carrying on business as usual after a month with the good
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