“Store was nearly empty.” Lucian set his bags on the counter, his eyes flicking to Mira with an intensity he probably thought was subtle. “Everything alright here?”
“We watched a movie about killer sharks in a tornado,” Mira said. “It was terrible.”
“Sharknado is a classic,” I protested.
Solomon made a sound that might have been a laugh. Coming from him, that was practically a standing ovation.
Mira stood, stretching, and my shirt rode up on her frame. She’d been wearing my clothes for three days because she still didn’t have new clothes. We should fix that. Probably take her shopping and be a gentleman about it.
But the sight of her drowning in my faded band tee, sleeves hanging past her elbows, makes my wolf want to growl with satisfaction.
“I need air,” she announced.
Lucian’s head snapped up. “Outside?”
“No, I was thinking of breathing the air in the closet.” She crossed her arms. “Yes, outside. Maybe even in town. Among people. Revolutionary concept, I know.”
“Hudson is still-”
“Hiding somewhere, yes, I’m aware.” Her jaw tightened. “But I can’t stay locked in this cabin forever. I’m going stir crazy and I need to see something other than these four walls and your faces.”
“Our faces are delightful, don’t you agree?” I flash her my best boyish grin, dimples and all. The one that usually gets me out of trouble.
Her cheeks flush, and she rolls her eyes to cover it. “Your humility aside, your faces are constantly everywhere. It gets suffocating.”
She had a point. We weren’t exactly subtle about the whole obsessive protection thing. Probably because we were, in fact, obsessed.
Lucian opened his mouth to argue. I jumped in before this turned into a standoff.
“Let us take her to the firehouse.”
Both of them turned to look at me. Mira with surprise and Lucian with warning.
“She can see where we work,” I continued, ignoring my king’s very pointed glare. “Meet some of the crew. Get out for a few hours.”
“Percival.” Lucian’s voice dropped low. He’s using my first name which is telling of his current temper. I decided to gamble my chances, anyway.
“It’s a firehouse, not a warzone. Half the town passes through there on any given day.” I held his gaze, alpha to alpha. The playful energy I usually projected didn’t mean I couldn’t push back when it mattered. “She needs this. You know she does.”
The standoff lasted three seconds. Then Lucian exhaled through his nose.
“Fine.” His jaw was tight enough to crack. “But you’re not leaving our sight. Not even for a second.”
Mira’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“You need protection.”
“From firefighters?”
“From anyone who isn’t us.”
She crosses her arms. “Aren’t you being overdramatic?”
A muscle ticked in Lucian’s jaw. “Is it wrong to worry about your safety?”
“Enough.”
Solomon’s voice interrupted the argument. Both of them went quiet, though Mira was still glaring daggers and Lucian looked as if he wanted to throw something.
