but he was frozen. He didn’t know how to start. She put a hand to her face and gasped at the pain, and Casey’s instincts kicked in. His mate was injured; he needed to tend to her.
The bobcat let out a startled squeal as Casey swept her up in his arms, and started carrying her into the pizza parlor, princess style.
Deanna was going to object, but her bobcat shushed her with an almighty wail. His big, strong arms around her body just felt so comforting, and so right. A part of her never wanted him to let her go, so instead, she just curled herself into his body and went with the flow.
She was pleased to hear his satisfied groan as she pressed herself against him. She put her hand on his neck and breathed in his scent. Lord, it was glorious . She had an overwhelming urge to lick his neck, and sink her tiny fangs into his skin.
Deanna clutched at the bear in her hand, trying to control herself. Wait, bear?! She felt a jolt of reality and remembered her family.
He carried her into Pizza Moon, and the room went quiet.
Hans sneered. “Fuck, Casey, what have you done to her?”
Casey growled at him, making the older wolf raise an eyebrow.
Melanie stared at them for a few seconds. “Umm, why don’t you go on back to the office?”
Casey nodded his thanks. He started striding to the office when the bobcat pulled on his collar.
“Wait, I need to get this to my sister.”
She pointed to the table in the corner, and Casey took her over there. She squirmed in his arms, wanting to be put down, but he only tightened his grip.
Dennis stood up, a look of shock on his face. “Oh my god, what the heck happened to your face?”
“It had a fight with a door… and lost. Don’t worry, it’s fine, I’m fine.”
Dennis glared at Casey. “Well, at least let me take a look…”
Casey stepped back.
“No, I’m fine, really, it’s not broken.” She knew what it felt like to have a broken nose; when she was 13 she intervened in a fight between her friend, a porcupine shifter, and a lion shifter who was bullying him. She came out with a broken nose, but that was nothing compared to the lion… Not that she condoned violence, of course.
Deanna tossed the bear to her brother. “Here, sorry, I might have got a little blood on it.”
Dinah wiped at her eyes and grabbed the bear, hugging it to her chest. “Thank you, Dee.”
Dennis opened and shut his mouth like a fish. The rest of her family looked at her, and the wolf carrying her, with open mouths. Dennis was about to say something, but she was swiftly carried away. She tried to smile reassuringly at her family, not an easy thing to do with a rapidly swelling nose.
Casey ignored the curious looks of the other patrons, in particular he completely avoided the obnoxious Mrs. Martin.
The only thing he cared about was making sure his mate was safe. He felt a little twinge of uncertainty; he realized Darcy was actually his mate’s sister-in-law, but that didn’t matter. For one thing, he’d made his peace with Darcy. And for another, he could care less whether his mate was related to a thousand Darcys. All that mattered was she was his, and he had found her. And he wasn’t planning on letting her go.
Casey maneuvered his way into the office and carefully deposited his mate on a chair. He turned and locked the door, before walking over to small bathroom. Ilse, Hans’ mother, had a shower/toilet/basin installed years ago, it was handy for anyone who wanted to wash-up after their shift. She had no idea how handy. Over the years, numerous people had thrown things at Hans, such as pizzas and soda after he lost his temper with them. The shower had gotten a lot of use. Although he suspected, from the scents, that Hans and Melanie used the shower together for a different reason.
He soaked a washcloth and brought it out to his mate. Gently, he began cleaning the blood from her face.
She wrinkled her nose. “Why did you lock the door? Who are you keeping out?”
A muscle in
The bobcat let out a startled squeal as Casey swept her up in his arms, and started carrying her into the pizza parlor, princess style.
Deanna was going to object, but her bobcat shushed her with an almighty wail. His big, strong arms around her body just felt so comforting, and so right. A part of her never wanted him to let her go, so instead, she just curled herself into his body and went with the flow.
She was pleased to hear his satisfied groan as she pressed herself against him. She put her hand on his neck and breathed in his scent. Lord, it was glorious . She had an overwhelming urge to lick his neck, and sink her tiny fangs into his skin.
Deanna clutched at the bear in her hand, trying to control herself. Wait, bear?! She felt a jolt of reality and remembered her family.
He carried her into Pizza Moon, and the room went quiet.
Hans sneered. “Fuck, Casey, what have you done to her?”
Casey growled at him, making the older wolf raise an eyebrow.
Melanie stared at them for a few seconds. “Umm, why don’t you go on back to the office?”
Casey nodded his thanks. He started striding to the office when the bobcat pulled on his collar.
“Wait, I need to get this to my sister.”
She pointed to the table in the corner, and Casey took her over there. She squirmed in his arms, wanting to be put down, but he only tightened his grip.
Dennis stood up, a look of shock on his face. “Oh my god, what the heck happened to your face?”
“It had a fight with a door… and lost. Don’t worry, it’s fine, I’m fine.”
Dennis glared at Casey. “Well, at least let me take a look…”
Casey stepped back.
“No, I’m fine, really, it’s not broken.” She knew what it felt like to have a broken nose; when she was 13 she intervened in a fight between her friend, a porcupine shifter, and a lion shifter who was bullying him. She came out with a broken nose, but that was nothing compared to the lion… Not that she condoned violence, of course.
Deanna tossed the bear to her brother. “Here, sorry, I might have got a little blood on it.”
Dinah wiped at her eyes and grabbed the bear, hugging it to her chest. “Thank you, Dee.”
Dennis opened and shut his mouth like a fish. The rest of her family looked at her, and the wolf carrying her, with open mouths. Dennis was about to say something, but she was swiftly carried away. She tried to smile reassuringly at her family, not an easy thing to do with a rapidly swelling nose.
Casey ignored the curious looks of the other patrons, in particular he completely avoided the obnoxious Mrs. Martin.
The only thing he cared about was making sure his mate was safe. He felt a little twinge of uncertainty; he realized Darcy was actually his mate’s sister-in-law, but that didn’t matter. For one thing, he’d made his peace with Darcy. And for another, he could care less whether his mate was related to a thousand Darcys. All that mattered was she was his, and he had found her. And he wasn’t planning on letting her go.
Casey maneuvered his way into the office and carefully deposited his mate on a chair. He turned and locked the door, before walking over to small bathroom. Ilse, Hans’ mother, had a shower/toilet/basin installed years ago, it was handy for anyone who wanted to wash-up after their shift. She had no idea how handy. Over the years, numerous people had thrown things at Hans, such as pizzas and soda after he lost his temper with them. The shower had gotten a lot of use. Although he suspected, from the scents, that Hans and Melanie used the shower together for a different reason.
He soaked a washcloth and brought it out to his mate. Gently, he began cleaning the blood from her face.
She wrinkled her nose. “Why did you lock the door? Who are you keeping out?”
A muscle in
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