Page 36 of The Bear's Chosen Mate
Lara lifted a brow but didn’t say anything.
He opened and closed his mouth a few times, glancing over his shoulder as if looking for backup.
Amber cleared her throat to get his attention.She glared sternly.“You have a problem?”
It was entertaining to watch the guy, who had to be six foot two and outweighed Amber by at least one hundred pounds, straighten as if he’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
He shook his head vigorously then took their order, stealing away rapidly as if he were worried Lara would jump up from the far side of the table and shake him.
Or worse, Amber.
Lara tugged her hat down a little further and slumped in her seat.“Sorry about this, guys.We should’ve picked somewhere a little more neutral to meet.”
“There’s no rule that says you’re not allowed here,” Amber said quickly.
Kaylee backed her up.“I agree.And honestly, I don’t think you could’ve got us to meet you anywhere else, because Diamond serves the best chicken wings in town.”
A soft smile curled across Lara’s face, and she sat up a little straighter.“Thanks.I appreciate it.More than you know.”
She picked up her drink and held it in the air before making eye contact with Kaylee and Amber in turn.“To making new friends.”
Kaylee clinked their glasses together.“To not truly knowing what we’re doing but moving forward anyway.”
A soft laugh escaped from Lara, and she raised her glass again.“Yeah.There’s a lot of that going on, as well.”
The music was loud, and there was enough action on the dance floor that pretty soon it became clear no one was taking that much of an interest in the fact that Lara had entered untypical territory.
The three of them spoke quietly about the secret issue Kaylee had uncovered.Lara shared what she could but had to shake her head when asked specific questions about the rumoured takeover.
“I haven’t been back in town for long enough to dig into details.After years in Toronto, coming back and resettling into the pack is taking some time, but I’ll get there.”Lara glanced between them.“I thought it would be good to meet you two and try to establish a link in case I need to act quickly.”
“It was a good idea,” Amber agreed before eyeing Lara closely.“I’m glad you’re willing to talk with us, but I’m a little confused about why.Don’t you want your family to be number one?”
A sad expression drifted over Lara’s face.“You know how people say blood is thicker than water?”
The two of them nodded.
“You ever actually read that quote in its entirety?”Lara asked bluntly.“The real meaning is a doozy, and a good philosophy.I love my sister, as annoying as she is, but trust is more important than whose family I was born into.I don’t blindly supportanyoneif they’re wrong-minded.Which means if my sister is cheating, lying or otherwise screwing around with peoples’ lives, I want to know so I can make it right.”
Amber caught Lara’s hand and squeezed her fingers.“I’m sorry.”
“Me too.I’m not one hundred percent sure, though.Hopefully this is all a rumour and I find out all the whispers are completely legal and aboveboard.”
“We’ll help how we can, but we’re also glad to get to know you.Outside of intrigue and that kind of thing,”
The woman smoothed her silver-white braid for a moment before firmly lifting her gaze to meet theirs.“That makes me happy.I meant it earlier—I’m looking forward to having new friends.”
Impulsively, Kaylee reached across the table and squeezed Lara’s hand.“If you ever need to talk, call.”
“Me too,” Amber insisted.“Although if it’s about shifter stuff, I’m good with a search engine, and not much else.”
“I don’t know.You’re pretty decent for a human,” Kaylee teased.
Amber stuck out her tongue.
Lara was the one who brought up the unmentionable topic, turning to Kaylee with a smile.“So, did you end up mated with your bear?”
“How did you hear about that?”Kaylee asked.
