Page 43 of Roman
“Tate, could you start filling the trays for the displays? Lewis has been busy already, and although Sean is busy back there, it’s more than he’ll be able to get finished alone,” Konrad said.
Tate nodded and then quickly left. I looked back at Lewis. “I’m happy you’re here. I guess that fixes the fact that I can’t use my magic. How long have you been here?” I asked.
Lewis wrapped his arm around mine and started to pull me to the back. I glanced at Roman before I let myself be pulled from my mate. Sean coming from the back room with a tray filled with donuts broke our momentum. He smiled, then looked up, and his smile grew. “Hey, Professor Nelson. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
I needed to sit down. It was entirely too early for all of this activity. I looked at Lewis with a pleading face. “Would you mind getting me a tea? Do you have tea?” I asked and then thought better of it. “Of course you do. I need a tea, Lewis.”
Lewis’s eyes widened before he nodded and then held out his hands. In them was a mug of exactly what I needed. I took the mug, and at the first sip, I sighed and closed my eyes whileletting Lewis lead me over to a chair. I was thrilled my childhood friend was here. But what had all of that been between Tate and Roman?
“Roman? Please tell me you and Tate don’t have a history,”I said through our bond. I sat in the chair that Lewis directed me to. As I did, I met Roman’s intense gaze. He shook his head.
“I have never seen Tate before today. I don’t know what all of that is, but I promise you, I’ve never had any sort of history with him. You already knew I’d taught Sean last semester at the local college.”
I took another sip of tea and nodded. That was all I needed. When I opened my eyes again, Lewis was standing next to me, holding out a plate. On it was a pair of apple cookies, and I couldn’t help but squeak in excitement. I looked up at my friend, who smiled down at me.
“You know…for the baby.”
I rolled my eyes but took the cookies. There was no way I was going to say no to them. Roman was suddenly in front of me, kneeling down so we were on the same level. “Are you all right?”
I took a deep breath. “Yeah. It’s…a lot. And it’s been an odd morning.”
“I’m sorry, Beau. I thought someone from the council had reached out to you,” Konrad said. “I’m going to find out what happened.”
I looked up at the dragon omega and shook my head. “There’s no need. It’s all fine. I just…Lewis is the biggest surprise. I’m doing better, but I’m still a bit off because of the pregnancy.”
Konrad stared at me a moment before nodding. “If you need anything, just let me know. I’m happy you’re back,” he told me before he walked away. Seconds later, he was back, but he simply grabbed Lewis and pulled him to the back kitchen with him—leaving me alone with Roman.
“Are you certain you’re all right? We can go home if you aren’t ready to be back.”
I smiled at Roman. I would have cupped his face if I could, but one hand held my tea and the other the plate with the cookies. “I’m good. It was just a lot, and…” I glanced at the door.“I don’t know. The look Tate gave you threw me off. I believe you though.”
“I can find out what’s up with that. He’s a lion shifter, an omega, and it’s possible his feline was simply responding to mine since I growled at Lewis. I should probably apologize to your friend.”
I snorted. “Naw. No need. He’s like that though, so you’ll have to get used to him being bubbly.” I leaned in and kissed Roman because why not? He was my mate, and I could do that.
“If you say so. But at any time, if you need to leave, let me know, and we’ll go home.”
I nodded. I could do that. But I had a feeling that with Lewis here—something I honestly wasn’t upset about even a little—I wasn’t going to have a whole lot to do. I held my tea out to Roman, who took it, freeing up my hand so I could eat my cookies. It had been a while since I’d had any, and I was definitely looking forward to eating the treats.
Chapter 17
Roman
“You’re nervous.”
I looked over at Calum and nodded. “A little. I want to make a good impression, and honestly, my other side is a bit on edge since Beau is so far away from us,” I said quietly as we walked into the Humanities and Sciences building. He was the one who had put in the recommendation for me, something I was incredibly grateful for since he honestly hadn’t known me until Beau and I moved in next door to him and his own fae mate, Asher. Even then, he still didn’t know me. He was going on what Master Edison had told him, I was certain.
“It’ll be fine. And we only need to be here for the first-of-the-semester paperwork. It’ll be an hour tops, and then we’ll be on our way back to our mates,” Calum said.
I knew he wasn’t wrong. Beau and I had our bond, which was a huge relief because if I was being honest, I wouldn’t have been able to be here with Beau pregnant if we hadn’t been able to make that connection. Beau was perfectly safe and surrounded by friends at the bakery, and he was on Treasure Ridge. If the paranormal council wasn’t safe, I didn’t know where was.
“Do you like teaching here?” I asked.
“It’s different. I miss all of the digs I used to go on, but Asher and Isla are more than worth setting down roots. That and the fact that my parents and one of my brothers are here, it makes it even more worth it.”
I stopped and stared at the fox alpha. “I probably should have been more neighborly and at least visited once to thank you for the recommendation. But I apparently am terrible at that. But I have to ask, who is your brother?” I was trying to think of all of the fox shifters that were around, and I couldn’t think of any that were old enough to be Calum’s sibling.
Calum offered a smile. “Benjamin. He works for the council as?—”
