Cole
“And remember, don’t tell Maya about those burgers we ate yesterday,” Cole said. “She’s on a diet so I promised I’d go on one too, you know, to show solidarity.”
A frown creased Nash’s brow. “What does she want to go on a diet for? She’s not overweight.”
“Beats me. She said her jeans are getting tight on her.”
“And she’s got you on a diet, too?”
Cole sighed. “We’ve eaten salad every night this week.”
A look of disgust bled into Nash’s expression. “Dude, you’re a wolf shifter, not a frigging bunny. You’re not meant to eat rabbit food.”
Cole shrugged. “It makes her happy.”
“What, that you’re starving?”
“I’m not starving,” Cole retorted. “I ate three burgers yesterday, she just doesn’t know about them.”
Nash shook his head and shot Cole a look of pity. “I’d like to see any woman try to tellmewhat to eat.”
Cole snorted. “Yeah, right. We’ll have this conversation again,afteryou’ve met your mate.”
“Bring it,” Nash said. “I’m a bear shifter, not a pansy. The day I let a woman tell me what to eat will be the day I… Oh my God! What is that smell? Has Maya made those honey covered buns again?”
Cole rolled his eyes. “You’re so predictable.”
“Maya, are you feeling okay?” Cole heard Aria, Maya’s employee, ask.
Cole was through the bakery door in two seconds flat. “Maya, what’s wrong?”
But Cole was too late.
His mate had already disappeared through the door at back of the store. He looked to Aria for an explanation. She shrugged.
“Maya’s ill,” she said. “She’s been looking a bit green around the gills all morning. She went to throw up. Again.”
Cole started to walk behind the counter so he could go and check on his mate, but Aria blocked his path, her arms folded across her chest.
“I don’t think so,” she said.
Cole blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Trust me, you do not want to go back there right now.”
“Yes, I do,” he said, asserting his authority by putting a bit of alpha power in his voice.
“No, you don’t,” Aria said. “I know women and trust me, the last thing any woman wants when she’s feeling ill is the man she loves to see her that way.”
Cole gritted his teeth. “She’ll want to see me.”
“No,” Aria said. “She won’t.”
Damn, this chick was good. She wasn’t backing down from Cole’s glare even a little. Maybe he was losing his touch. He was still thinking of a way to get around Aria without using brute strength when Maya appeared in the doorway.
“Hey,” she said.
Cole frowned. “Wow, you look terrible.”
