She pauses, and I think I see panic on her face, but when I get a better look, she’s just frowning.
“No, I work from home. I’m just running some errands.”
Errands! I can do errands! I can fetch and carry, and damn it, I will roll over if you let me.
“Do you mind if I join you?”
“Join me?” she echoes. “To run errands?”
“Sure, why not?” I give my most charming grin, and I swear, it works a little.
She huffs. “I’m fine. You can go and do whatever it is you were doing.”
My confidence dives into the cold ocean depths. “Oh.”
She’s not even looking at me. She rushes across the street and catches an old man as he teeters on the sidewalk. Can she not feel it?
“Mr Elgrove, are you okay?”
“I was just coming to find you,” the old man says loudly.
She smiles, and I am besotted. I cross over to them as if I have no willpower to stay away. She pretends I’m not there, but I can feel the way she’s watching me out of the corner of her eye.
“Oh, me? Why?”
“I have some of those marmalades; they need to be taken up to Yolanda and Grigori.” He lets out a moan and pats his bald head. “Sorry, but my arthritis is playing up today.”
His arthritis on his head? I narrow my eyes at the old beta.
“I can take them for you.”
“Oh, you can?”
The old coot knows she’s going to do it, and he’s already rushing back inside his cute little one-story home before I can protest.
He comes out with a massive basket, and I realise his delicate balance issue was all a front. I’m almost offended for her.
She takes the basket, and he smiles and pats her hand.
“Thank you, dear. It’s a good thing you are so useful here in town.”
Cordelia winces. I don’t think the old guy notices. I do, though. Protectiveness rises up in me, and I want to indignantly rip into the old con-man.
“Of course, with all that time on your hands and-”
“I’ll get these to Yolanda right away.” She says the words tightly, as if she’s used to such backhanded compliments.
My temper is surging, but I don’t speak; no, I can’t afford to freak her out. She’s still a massive flight risk.
We make it four steps when a girl with long ginger hair rushes up, her blue eyes shiny as she wrings her fingers. She opens her mouth, glances at me, then back at Cordelia.
“Sebastian is doing it again.”
The words rush out of her so fast that it takes me a moment to translate. That name draws my attention, though. Sebastian. One look, and I was gone. He’s gorgeous and so fiery. The opposite of Katsu, but strong. I wanted to rub on him as badly as I wanted to mark the omega.
“Doing what again?” Cordie asks absently, trying to get a better grip on the basket. I try to take it off her, but she twists away and glares. “I can carry it.”
“He’s riling Mum and the dads up.”
