“Are we continuing your riding lessons, or putting a pin in that while you sort out everything?” I asked Madison while she unpacked her few belongings in her nest suite. The others had all left for their respective jobs, but I had the morning clear.
I was pretty sure the answer would be delaying lessons, but felt compelled to check anyway. Lessons were how I’d been ableto spend time with Madison, so I wasn’t eager to give them up while we explored our potential connection.
“I’ll probably have to change times once I have a work schedule, but I’d like to keep going with them.” She paused, tightly clutching the folded sweater she was about to put in a drawer. “Actually, never mind, I guess I don’t have any way to pay for them right now.”
It took my brain a half second to compute that last bit. “What do you mean, pay?”
“You can’t teach me for free.”
“The hell I can’t.”
“Leo—”
“It’smytime and I get to decide if I’m taking payment for it or not. Consider a lifetime of free lessons a courting gift, because you’re not putting a single dollar into my hands for it.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I’m trying to find a balance and you’re all making it difficult.”
“Balance with what?” I continued hovering in the doorway, too nervous to step over her threshold without a direct invitation. The whole space smelled like her raspberry tarts now that she was letting her scent out. More than anything, I wanted to gather her up in my arms and soothe the furrow between her brows with my purr.
“I let Tyler give me anything I needed and it left me in a really vulnerable position.” She gingerly tucked away her sweater and reached for another item out of the duffel bags, folding it carefully. “I don’t know what a safe amount of acceptance is with you guys.”
Madison had been hurt, all of us understood that, but rather than be frustrated with her, I was simply more pissed off than ever at Tyler. “Would it help to take steps that would ensure you’re safe no matter what happens?”
“What kind of steps? Also, you can come in here, you don’t have to hover.”
The tension in my body collapsed on my first step inside, and I had to focus on not letting my knees go out from under me.
“Take advantage of the free housing and put money aside. You won’t have to spend a penny on essentials with all four of us stepping up. I’m not wealthy with my job, but Alve obviously is, so it’s a good opportunity. You could sell off the jewelry from Tyler you don’t want to keep. Amass a little nest egg you know you can rely on if it comes down to it. As much as I would like to say what happened with Tyler will never happen with us, I know the only way you’ll believe that is through continued proof.”
Madison stared at the garment in her hands. “I want to trust you guys, I promise I do. It’s not even that I don’t…”
I gave in to my desire and wrapped my arms around her, letting my fingers thread through her hair. “I know. I’m not taking it personally.”
It took her a second before she relaxed and wrapped her arms around me in return, her cheek resting against my chest. We were all alone in the quiet of the apartment, and thank goodness for that, because otherwise, I might’ve missed her quiet purr rumbling in response to mine.
“We’ve been speedrunning things,” I said softly, “but we can take it all slow. Everyone has to get to know each other. I’m going to trust that fate knows what it’s doing and that even if it’s not obvious right now, we’ll all end up discovering a comfortable way to coexist. Hopefully with fewer felonies in the future.”
I preened when she giggled.
“I hope for that, too. I don’t know how to date. Maybe I’ve been out of the game for too long.” She melted a little more when I scratched her scalp.
“Considering more than half the pack is in their thirties, I think we’veallbeen out of the game for too long.”
Madison curled her fingers in my shirt. “Why though? I thought you’d have people tripping over themselves to date you.”
“Interest has to be reciprocal.” I sighed. “I haven’t entertained a single possibility since we met. I guess us being scent matches explains why every other person in existence suddenly paled in comparison to you.”
She groaned, burying her face against my chest. “I felt so guilty liking you when I was still with Tyler.”
“You liked me?” I had sort of suspected, but the verbal confirmation was exactly what I needed. “Were the lessons because of that, or because you developed a spontaneous love of horses?”
“It was a convenient excuse to see you, but I really did fall in love with Eclipse, too, and I’d love to keep riding.”
“Well, in that case, why don’t we head over to see him? You don’t have to ride, but he would love the attention, and I’ll get to appreciate the view of you doting on him.”
I earned myself another giggle. “Sounds like a plan.”
“Hello there, beautiful boy,” Madison cooed at Eclipse.
