Den and Breakfast: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Honeycomb Falls Book 1) by Cassie Wright Page B

possessive look. Checking that everything is where she left it. I feel another surge of warmth. I love that she's become so invested in Honeycomb Hall so quickly. It makes my own dreams for the place seem that much more real.
    "To be honest," she says, grabbing a mug, "I couldn't sleep. I kept thinking about all the things that need to be done today for Blood Moon's arrival. The cleaning, the cooking. I have to pick up the steaks from the grocers at eleven, and then I couldn't decide - should I season them or not? Do wolves like a light black pepper and garlic flavor, or do you think they want it raw?"
    I laugh as we sit at the breakfast table. "I have no idea. Half man, half wolf, maybe they'll like it either way?"
    Anita sighs. "It's really hard to cook when you don't know what your guests want. I guess I'll figure it out. Do you think it would be a bad idea to hand out little survey cards after each meal?"
    "Survey cards? To the Blood Moon pack?"
    Anita nods. "Yes. You know. 'On a scale of 1 to 5, please rate how happy you were with the amount of blood drizzled over your soufflé.'"
    I stare at her for a moment until I catch a smile pulling at the corner of her mouth, and then we both break out into laughter. "You know, I think you should do it. I'll point my staff at them and threaten to turn them into toads if they fail to fill it out completely."
    Anita smiles, pleased at the success of her joke, and for a moment we just sip our coffee in a companionable way. Then she blinks and looks around. "Where's Blake?"
    My happy mood slides away like rainwater into a storm drain. I look down at my coffee. "He's gone."
    "Gone? But I thought he couldn't leave."
    I nod miserably. "I found a way to set him free. So I did."
    "And he actually left?" There's shock in Anita's voice.
    "Of course. He's gone to become alpha of his pack once more."
    "Oh." Anita's shoulders slump a little. "I could have sworn he'd stay." She gives me a hesitant look out of the corner of her eye. "From the way he was looking at you, that is."
    Just remembering the intensity of his gaze sends a shiver down my spine. I miss him so much already. Nobody has ever made me feel so sensuous, so loved, so beautiful. No man has ever looked at me and seen the woman I believe myself to be. Know myself to be. "Yes, well. What about you? Is there somebody special in your life?"
    Anita gives a little laugh. "Oh, no. There was going to be. But." Suddenly her face grows pale.
    "Anita?" I don't want to push too hard. "What happened?"
    She stares down at her hands. "My father was going to make me marry the son of his best friend." She glances up at me, eyes wide. "Something about an old debt from when they were kids. I still don't understand it. But I hated Gerry. My fiancé. Hated him. He made fun of me. Said all I was good for was cooking."
    "What?" I can't believe it. "And your dad was still insisting?"
    Anita nods miserably. "He said he had no choice. And that as long as I lived under his roof, I had no choice either."
    "You ran away." Anita nods and won't meet my eyes. "And that's why you need this job so badly. You don't have any money of your own."
    She shakes her head. "I have a little, enough for me to rent a room over Mindy's store. That's where I was working odd jobs till I saw you put your notice up."
    I smile and take her hand. "Well, I'm glad you saw it. I can't imagine having any other cook at Honeycomb Hall. You're welcome here for as long as you need work, and then beyond that too."
    Anita's smile is like the sun coming out from behind the clouds. I beam at her, and then we both startle in our seats as the front door crashes open.
    I jump to my feet. Blake?
    I dart into the hall and hear somebody running heavily up the stairs to the second floor. What the hell? I run out into the entry hall and see the huge front door hanging from one hinge. My stomach turns into an acidic knot. Who the hell?
    "Anita, go back into the kitchen."
    "Hell, no." My eyes go wide at the