Page 15 of Fetch Me A Mate
"Take care of the book," Lucien said, returning to his chair. "And take care of the inn. That place has been the heart of this town longer than most of us have been alive. It deserves better than half-measures."
"I know what it deserves."
"Do you?" Lucien picked up his pen, but his eyes remained fixed on Rowan. "Because that inn isn't just a building that needs fixing. It's a home. Diana's home now. She's putting everything she has into making it work."
The implication hung in the air between them. Rowan felt his wolf stir restlessly, responding to what sounded like a challenge to his mate's territory.
"I'll do right by her," he said quietly.
"See that you do." Lucien's voice carried the subtle authority of his panther. "Don't break the inn, Rowan. And don't break the woman who's trying to bring it back to life."
Rowan left the bookstore with Henderson's Guide under his arm and Lucien's warning echoing in his ears. The walk back to the inn gave him time to think about patterns and choices, about the difference between running away and standing still.
Diana was waiting in the lobby when he returned, her hair twisted up in a messy bun and dust on her green sweater. She looked up from the clipboard where she was sketching furniture arrangements.
"Find what you needed?" she asked.
He held up the book. "Should cover everything we're dealing with. Moira put a charm on your project plan too. For success."
"That was thoughtful of her." Diana's smile was bright. "I like them both. They really care about this place."
Rowan thought about Lucien's sharp words, the protectiveness beneath the challenge. "Yeah, they do."
"Coffee?" Diana gestured toward the kitchen. "I just made a fresh pot."
"Thanks."
She disappeared into the kitchen, returning with two steaming mugs. Rowan accepted his gratefully, the warmth seeping through the ceramic into his palms.
"How much more can we get done today?" Diana asked, settling into the chair across from him.
"Depends on what the electrical inspection shows us. Might be simple rewiring, might need a whole new panel." He opened Henderson's Guide to the section on circuit analysis. "This'll help us figure out what we're dealing with."
Diana leaned forward, studying the technical diagrams. Her shoulder brushed his as she pointed to a particular illustration.
"This looks complicated."
"It's not too bad once you understand the logic." He turned the page, acutely aware of her proximity. "Old systems just follow different rules."
She hummed that soft sound she made when she was thinking hard. The note seemed to resonate in his chest, his wolf stirring in response.
Caffeine,he told himself.Just caffeine making your pulse jump.
His wolf laughed at the lie, stretching languidly in the space behind his ribs. The animal knew better, had known from the moment their fingers first brushed over the tape measure. This wasn't caffeine or proximity or the simple pleasure of good company.
This was recognition. This was home.
This was exactly what Lucien had warned him about.
Rowan closed the book and stood abruptly. "I should check the exterior work while there's still light."
Diana looked up, surprised by the sudden movement. "Of course. Need help?"
"I've got it." He headed for the door, needing distance from her warmth and the way she hummed when she thought. "Thanks for the coffee."
Outside, he breathed in the cool autumn air and tried to convince himself that Lucien was wrong, that patterns could be broken, that maybe this time he could be the man who stayed instead of the wolf who ran.
But his hands were already shaking as he picked up his tools.
