Page 40 of Tempest

He’d kind of thought things would change between them after that, and they had… to a certain extent. Cash definitely touched him more—a light brush against his neck here, a grab of his ass there—but they hadn’t done anything intimate since the couch, and it was making Ore wonder whether he had read thesituation wrong. It seemed like Cash and his panther enjoyed having Ore around, and he’d definitely enjoyed the blowjob—especially the part where he’d finished on Ore’s dick and then rubbed his come into his skin.

There was something growing between them, something that Ore and his eagle really liked and wanted to explore more of, but other than the extra touching and occasional scenting, things hadn’t changed that much. Ore had waited the last two nights for Cash to make some sort of move, to press Ore into the mattress and really get his scent into Ore’s pores again.

But the damn cat would just lay there like always, one arm draped casually over Ore, and fall asleep like it was nothing.

Maybe Ore really was reading the situation wrong?

But then he remembered the way Cash would purr for him sometimes and stare at him with eyes full of heat and longing. He had a feeling it wasn’t that his big panther wasn’t interested, but somethingwasholding him back, something beyond his own feelings.

He told Ore the other day that he hadn’t had a serious relationship in a long time, so he didn’t think it was a recent breakup hampering things. It could be because of what had happened with his parents, he supposed. They hadn’t really talked about it since the night he had told Ore about how they’d abandoned him like the pieces of shit that they were. That could definitely mess a person up—though he wasn’t sure why it would affect how he felt or what he did with Ore.

The other reason—one that would be even more difficult to overcome than childhood trauma—was the possibility that it didn’t matter how Cash felt or whether or not they had any sort of chance of a future together because it didn’t change the fact that Ore would be forced to leave as soon as he was able.

And maybe once Ore got his memories back, he’d want to, but the more time he spent with his protective Enforcer—andthe couple of people he’d met that seemed nice, like Saint and Robbie—the less likely it seemed that he had some better life out there just waiting for him to get back to it.

Even if he had a nice life—a great job, family that was missing him, friends he enjoyed hanging out with—did that mean hehadto sacrifice what he’d found in Silver Oak?

He knew the pack was only cat shifters, but… surely they would make an exception if someone mated with a non-cat.

Right?

“Everything’s going to be fine,” Cash said, giving Ore’s thigh a pat and jarring him out of his thoughts.

For a second, he wasn’t sure how Cash had known what he’d been worried about, and then he realized he was referring to Ore’s concern about coming with him to the lake. He shook off his depressing thoughts and focused on their plans for the day.

“It’s just that I don’t want anyone to get upset that I’m there,” Ore said, picking at one of his fingernails and gazing at Cash’s strong profile.

“No one’s going to get upset,” Cash assured him. “And if they do, I’ll deal with it.”

Ore bit the inside of his cheek to hold back his response. It wasn’t that he hadn’t really appreciated the way Cash had handled Billy. He’d made thatveryclear, he thought. But the fact was, Cash shouldn’thaveto handle his own packmates on Ore’s behalf. He shouldn’t have to defend him against them either. The last thing Ore wanted was to make Cash’s life and job as an Enforcer more difficult.

If his presence really was going to be that troublesome, maybe heshouldleave.

Goddess, he really, really didn’t want to.

“Besides,” Cash continued, unaware of the dark turn to Ore’s thoughts, “it’s mostly just the cubs and then a handful of adults.”

Ore cocked his head. “Like… all of the cubs in the pack come?”

Cash shrugged. “All the ones that can walk on their own, yeah. Especially when the weather’s nice. In the winter, we don’t get to swim in the lake, but we usually either go for a run in the woods or play on the playground, something to give their parents a few hours of peace and quiet.”

Ore’s heart lurched, and he wasn’t sure if he was going to have a heart attack or swoon. Goddess, the man was a big softy. He could be so serious—even a little grumpy sometimes—but then he did things like hang out with the pack cubs so their parents could have a break.

He wanted to throw himself against Cash and show him just how much he loved his softer side. Somehow, he managed to hold himself back, gripping the seat belt where it crossed over his chest.

“And you go every week?”

“Yeah, I enjoy spending time with the cubs. They’re a lot more fun than most adults.” He shot Ore a wry grin as he stopped at a stop sign in the dead center of town.

The place was so small it didn’t have a single stoplight, and—Billy Mittin notwithstanding—Ore really did like it. It felt… peaceful and safe, the way it was isolated, giving protection from other packs and humans. The pack could just be themselves there—run in the woods, swim in the lake, shift when and wherever they wanted.

When they had been in town the other day, Cash had pointed out some cubbies that had been set up in a few locations around town and throughout the territory, so if somebody wanted to shift, they could store their clothes and not have to just leave them lying on the ground.

The whole place was set up for a pack full of shifters, and it seemed special to Ore. He had a feeling there weren’t a lotof places like this, though he knew, based on the bits and pieces he’d heard when Cash had been talking to some of the other Enforcers, there were worries that the pack was becoming stagnant.

In Ore’s opinion, that could help him with his case for staying, but he wasn’t sure if it would be as easy as pointing out that his addition would count for positive growth, so he’d kept it to himself.

“It’s sweet that you do this,” Ore said softly.

---