Page 31 of Cuddles for the Bear
“Because that’s something Levi never cooks. I have no idea why, but he only cooks red meat. I usually only eat fish or chicken if I go out to eat.”
“I can cook some things,” Wren said, chuckling at Devon’s indignation. “I learned a few recipes for fish and chicken dishes, you know, from before.”
“We need a code name for that time, to make it easier for you to talk about. I’m more of a baker – although since I moved to the Alley, and Gwen’s is so close by, I really haven’t had to do much of it for myself. But I make breads, cakes, and biscuits.”
“That sounds lovely. I’ve not done a lot of that. Oh, do you think if we cooked meals of our own, that maybe your friends would like to come to our house for dinner every now and then? That way Levi and Calvin don’t have to cook all the time.”
“They’re your friends, too,” Devon reminded him. “And yes, we can do that. Devise some menus and invite the others. I know Storm and Pax have done that a few times, although I’m sure Pax magicked up the food for those meals. And Cyrus and Python have done their own version of grilling when Levi and Calvin were out on a job. It would be nice to return the favor.”
“I like that idea.” Wren felt his cheeks heating, and he looked down at the table, swinging his legs under the chair. “It’s nice, doing this.”
“Sitting in a café?”
“Yes, that’s nice, too.” Wren smiled happily. “But making plans to do normal things. Happy things like having friends over for dinner. Making those plans with you. That makes me feel good.”
“It’s just the start, my beautiful mate,” Devon murmured in his ear before leaning back. “Let’s see if you still feel the same way after we’ve done some shopping. That will be a first for you as well, won’t it?”
“Yep. Although…” Wren leaned over and inhaled. Devon’s scent had that sweet tinge to it again. Wren’s body stirred. “We could always go back to the hotel for a nap first.”
“While that is an excellent idea, and I would love nothing more than to spend an afternoonnappingwith you,” Devon said as he stood up and buttoned his blazer. “Unfortunately, shops are only open for certain hours, and realistically, we could nap anytime we liked. Let’s get you a few things, and then we can go back to the hotel, put in a dinner order, and nap while we’re waiting forthe food. We can test out that bed and see if it’s as hard as you think it is. What do you say?”
“I guess it’s a good time to find out if I can shop fast.” Wren got up, too, glad when Devon took his hand again. “Lead the way, my lovely bear.”
Chapter Twenty
The knowledge of what Devon had to talk to Wren about nagged at him like a burr under his skin. It was only thanks to his training that he was able to hide it at all, but every minute he didn’t say something, he knew he was lying by omission to his mate.
Storm had gone through something similar when he met Pax. His family was after his mate – and how fucked up was that. The way the Fates worked boggled Devon’s mind at times. But Storm had been working secretively with Cyrus, trying to keep his mate safe. Pax had been aware that something was going on, and apparently had his own way of getting Storm to spill the truth. That had all worked out in the end.
Wren’s not anything like Pax, though.Devon liked Pax – he was feisty, had no filter, his love for donuts rivaled Python’s obsession with his cars, and he was full of confidence. In other words, Pax was the perfect mate for Storm, the same as Wren was perfect for Devon.
But I’m not being fair to him, and that makes me nothing more than a lump of shit!It was getting more and more difficult for Devon to hide his thoughts with every passing minute.
Their two days in Big Sky were simple and wonderful. During their shopping trip, Wren found a wallet that he liked easily enough, but Devon could tell as they wandered around various clothing stores, his mate’s heart wasn’t in it. Devon bought him a suit just so that he’d have one, which Wren was happy to thank him for, but Devon noted how tense Wren’s shoulders had been when he tried it on.
Wren did buy a pair of boots – black leather with a bunch of shiny buckles. “They hug my legs,” he said, showing them off.“My suit pants can go over them, and they’d look like regular shoes.”
It was on the tip of Devon’s tongue to say Wren could have shoes as well as the boots, but he held himself back.
He did buy Wren a coat. The weather had turned colder overnight, and while neither he nor Wren would feel the cold much, due to their animal spirits, Devon explained that fitting in was important in public, which meant wearing a coat when everyone else did. It was a long pale blue duffle coat with sheepskin lining and Wren admitted the softness was nice. Devon knew Wren wasn’t being deliberately difficult – he was just testing out what his new style would look like.
They were in a thrift store, looking over knickknacks and craft items, when Devon noticed Wren lingering over something for the first time that afternoon. It was a soft pink cardigan – hand knitted by the looks of it and decorated with discreet embroidered flowers around the cuffs. Wren’s fingers were trailing over it, up and down the sleeves and around the neck, although his fingers dropped the moment he saw Devon watching him. “It’s soft,” Wren said, with a bit of a shrug. “I like how it feels against my fingers.”
“It’s cashmere.” Devon briefly touched the cardigan. “You’ve got a good eye for fine things. With something like this, you’d have to handwash it. You’d never want to put something like this in a dryer. The best way to dry it would be to lay it out on a towel and let it dry naturally, otherwise the fibers will tighten, and it’ll shrink.”
He reached for the hanger, taking it off the rail, checking the sizing label. “I’d really like to buy this for you. Would you wear it if I did that?”
“Only at home.” Wren’s cheeks were bright red, and he was looking over both shoulders as if worried about being overheard. “That would be all right, wouldn’t it? If no one can see? I can tell it was made for a woman to wear.”
“You’re going to make Flint so jealous when he sees you wearing this.” Devon grinned, even as he was thinking,I’ll protect my mate’s right to wear this wherever he damn well pleases.The Alley was a good start.“You know he’s going to want one, and I’m fairly sure this is a one of a kind. Oh, look. Should we get this, too?”
Removing the cardigan from the rack had revealed a pale pink waistcoat that was finely embroidered all over the front with red roses on green vines. The back and lining were almost the same shade of gray as the suit Devon had bought for his mate. “This would add a bit of your personality to that rather boring suit, don’t you think?” Wren’s bright smile was answer enough.
Wren trusts me, and I’m abusing that trust.Devon hated the way that made him feel, and his bear wasn’t happy with him either.
By the evening of the second day, Devon’s guilt had reached a boiling point, and he was ready to snap. They were curled up on the bed in their hotel room, ostensibly watching a movie, although only Wren was paying attention to the television screen. Wren had been right about the bed – the mattress was extremely firm, and Devon missed his pillows.
I have to say something. Just spit it out, ask the questions, get those damn answers, and then I can cuddle my mate close, wipe away any tears, and we can move on with our life together. Just do it already!
