Page 26 of The Return
“No, but feel free to tell me all you want.”
He pulled me into another kiss, and I fucking melted.
I doubt anyone would notice if we were a little late.
CHAPTER8
JONAS
The day startedout at a brisk pace, and seemed to pick up steam as the morning progressed. I did my best to help in the kitchen, putting tins of batter into the oven, pulling the buns out, then icing them the way Corey showed me. I had just pulled a tray of muffins out when the kitchen door opened and Corey came in, his eyes wide.
“There’s a line out the goddamn door,” he whispered harshly.
“Yeah, wolves have really good hearing, so it’s a fair bet most of them heard that.”
“I’m already freaking! You’re not being helpful at all.”
I set the tray down and went over to where Corey was on the verge of hyperventilating. “What’s really wrong?”
“I can’t screw this up. I just can’t.”
“And you won’t. This is the same group you’ve been serving for the last six years. The same faces, the same stories, the same wolves. Why would you be so freaked out about—is this still about me?”
He peered up at me, his eyes heavy-lidded from lack of sleep. “You told me how important the Alpha was, and now people are going to see you working in a coffee shop.” He snorted. “That’s hardly groundbreaking stuff, dude.”
I wiped my hands off on the apron I’d been wearing, leaving behind a trail of flour and frosting. “Come with me,” I told him.
Without waiting, I marched through the door. He wasn’t wrong. There were people beyond the sidewalk. I stepped up, and everyone looked expectantly at me. “Okay, we need to get some things straight. Who is here to buy coffee, and who is here to see me working? Show of hands? Coffee drinkers?”
A lot of people acknowledged that’s what they were there for.
“And those who came to see me?”
Another round of affirmations.
Then I had a thought. “And who came to see my mate?”
This time nearly every hand in the place went up, more than a few waving eagerly.
“You’re all freaking him out,” I told them. “He’s just been told that he’s my mate and that he’s got a job to do in the pack. I get you want to meet him again, especially since he’s going to be stepping into his new role.” The door opened behind me, and Corey peered out. “I’ll tell you what. If you were at the pack meeting last night and you’re not here to buy a coffee, go on home. We will set up a meet and greet for the weekend. If you want coffee, line forms to the left. And if you weren’t able to make it to the pack house last night, I’d like to again introduce my mate, whom you already know. He’s the same Corey you’ve dealt with for years. Now, stop scaring him and get going. Unless you want coffee or pastry.” I grinned. “I’ll have you know, I helped with the baking, and it turned out damned good, if I do say so myself.”
Suddenly the line to the left got way longer than it had been. Everyone wanted pastries and coffee. Corey, to his credit, took a breath and waded in again, taking orders, then helping Deirdre in pulling coffees and wrapping baked goods for people to take with them.
“I have to get back to work. Don’t tell my boss I said this, but he can be a real hardass,” I called out. I kissed Corey on the neck, then went back to the kitchen. Each time I carried a tray to the front, the crowd had dwindled. Now there were only a few sitting at the tables, and Corey was helping Deirdre wipe down the ones that had been vacated. “You doing okay?” I asked, sliding a hand to his shoulder.
“Busiest day ever,” he breathed out.
“Yeah, I should have warned you. The pack will circle, wanting to be near you. For the first few years, my mom had the same thing going on. You’re something unique, and that fascinates them. We’ve never had a male Alpha Mate before, and from what my father taught me about pack history, you’re the first who’s ever been a true mate.”
“You keep throwing all this stuff at me,” Corey complained.
“Hey, I’m giving it to you as I remember it. This is new for me too. I’m sorry.”
His lip curled up, like he was trying to avoid grinning. “Gimme a kiss, and I’ll forgive you.”
I slid a hand around the back of his head and pulled him to me. “Anytime.”
He whimpered when I pressed our lips together. It was a sound of sweet surrender. As I considered once again putting Corey over a table, the door opened, letting in the warm breeze. I looked up as two men I knew entered the coffee shop. I’d just gotten him to settle a bit, but this was going to change everything. Corey was about to have a fit.
