Page 17 of Catnip

Now Coveney was occupying his place, she looked around awkwardly; there were no other chairs around the table. She considered going to the dining room area and sitting on one of the sofas, but something - madness, perhaps - made her think better of it. Straightening her spine, and doing her best to ignore the glances, she went right back where she’d been intending to stand next to Coveney, just like he’d done when she’d been in his place. But he shifted in his seat to allow for some room, and pulled at her hand until she got thehint.

Oh.

She felt her cheeks flush as she dropped onto hislap.

The man carried on eating, occasionally feeding her from his plate, as her heart beat a thousand miles an hour and her mindraced.

She wasn’t used to felines. She wasn’t familiar with the Wyverns. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe they were just that tactile witheveryone.

But she recalled him clearly sayingI don’t touchpeople.

She was probably just being silly. But she couldn’t shut up the voice that whispered that it felt like he was claiming her in front of all hispridemates.

The Intruder

Ava went backto bed after breakfast, and, reluctantly, he left her to it, this time. He just wanted to sit next to her until she was better, but he had another instinct, just asstrong.

After everything she’d said, he needed to make sure she wassafe.

Every member of the pride got paid a salary for their contribution. He used his for clothing, when he needed something new, and a phone, occasionally. That was about it. Over the years, a healthy amount had addedup.

Still, he wasn’t sure how to contact the best private investigators out there, so he started researching it. He would have preferred to do it from his room, as Ava slept in his bed, but, as he didn’t own his own computer, he used the Enforcer office, across the hall fromRye’s.

Somehow, everyone had seen necessary to converge on that very room this morning. And they were looking at him. Or talking tohim.

Nosyidiots.

“What the ever -fucking hell happened to you, man? It’s aliens, isn’t it? Just tell me. I can deal. If there’re body snatchers around, wink twice. I know you’re in there,mate.”

He just rolled his eyes, ignoringDaunte.

“I know I’m majorly pussy whipped, but it’s been less than twenty-four hours, and you’re practically wiping her ass for her. Come on, thisis…”

“She’s probably my fated mate,” Coveney said conversationally, without bothering to lift his head from the computer he was workingon.

He’d guessed as much the instant he’d seen her. Every second he spent in her presence made that theory seem more likely. Finally, feeling slightly annoyed at all the staring, he lifted hishead.

It wasn’t just Daunte; Vivicia and Theo had also stopped pretending to look for something in his files, and were busy catchingflies.

“What?”

“You know how rarely fated mates find each other? I mean, it’s not impossible, but two pairs in one pride would beinsane.”

Insane or not, that was his reality. He wasn’t going to tell her until he was one hundred percent sure, but, right now, everything pointed to that theory. The way she felt so perfect against him. The way he wanted to bend his very soul to accommodate her. Every instant away from her seemed endless, and when she was near he wanted, needed, hercloser.

Oh, and he wanted her. How he wanted her. He hadn’t so much as breathed a word about it, because if he voiced it, if he so much as flirted, or tried to act on it, he didn’t think he could hold himselfback.

He needed to, though. That wound on her side was getting better, but she’d received it just a day ago. A human would have taken a month to recover; she’d be fine by tomorrow. Until then, he couldn’t, wouldn’t think about her luscious little body. Or her perfecttits.

He forced himself to remainseated.

“Maybe that’s because most shifters don’t meet anyone from other communities, or other countries. Still, the wordfatedsuggests that life does set up a chance encounter. It’s just a matter of recognizing it for what itis.”

They seemed to digest that. Finally, Daunte nodded slowly. “Okay, I’ll buy that. Still. You know how long it took Rye to work out that Ace washis?”

Coveney shrugged. “He didn’t analyze the information in front of him right away, is all. I actually guessed she might be his, the second time I saw you together. I figured she and Rye would catch on in their owntime.”

It had seemed obvious tohim.

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