“Does that happen a lot?”
She shook her head. “No, we’re usually very much in sync, but me saying that you might not want to see me again upset her.She wants me to let her take control so she can bind you to us before you get away.”
I looked in her eyes, and maybe it was a trick of the morning light, but I could swear I sawsomethingstaring back at me. Something not quite human.
“I’m not going anywhere right now,” I said softly. “Be patient.”
I could tell by the way Cassie sagged back in her chair that my words helped.
“What do you have to do before your game tonight?” she asked.
“Mandatory yoga class,” I answered. “Then we’ll watch game tape and strategize for how we beat Vancouver. They’re one of our biggest rivals.”
“Okay, I’ll follow you around under the guise of writing my article,” she said. “Then after the game we’re going out with the wolf, correct?”
I rolled my lips in to keep from laughing, Eleanor’s words last night about Cassie wanting to make sure she didn’t steal me away suddenly making sense.
“Eleanor and I have been good friends for years, but she doesn’t have a single lesbian urge,” I said. “Believe me, if she wanted to make a move on me, she’s had plenty of time and opportunity over the years.”
“It’s in our nature,” Cassie explained. “All supes feel possessive when an unmated being is around our mates, at least until the mate bond is completed and we know our mates are locked down.”
“So if you and I officially become mates, you won’t feel jealous anymore?”
Cassie winced. “No, I totally will, but it will be less intense than it is now, especially if you’re around someone else who’s mated.”
“Y’all really are governed by animal instincts, aren’t you?” I teased.
“You have no idea.”
Cassie
“Why don’t you join us instead of watching?”
I glanced over as the yoga teacher the team contracted with waved her hand at me.
“It kind of ruins the Zen if someone is watching class,” she continued, stepping closer. “Besides, you look tense.”
She touched my shoulder, gently pushing it downward from where it had crept up near my ears. I heard an irritated little huff, making my eyes go right to my mate. Ruby was glaring at the hand on my shoulder.
Aww, my little mate was jealous. That made me feel kind of warm and fuzzy.
“Okay, I could use some relaxation,” I agreed. “I’ll stay in the back, so I don’t disturb the team.”
“Perfect,” the teacher practically purred.
Subtly I inhaled, verifying that she was a feline. Probably a tiger shifter, I guessed.
“My name’s Jeannie, give me a wave if you need anything. Anything at all.”
“Yeah okay, thanks.”
I positioned my yoga mat behind my mate, not at all sad that the position gave me a prime view of her ass with every downward dog. Despite her slightly aggressive personality, the teacher was actually really good. She led us through a relatively challenging flow before shifting to extended stretching focused on the legs, hips, and core -- the perfect workout for professional soccer players – her voice smooth and calm.
I had to admit that by the time we got to the resting pose at the end I was feeling significantly more relaxed. I’d forgotten how much I liked yoga. At Sapphic Security we did a lot of strength and cardio, but we’d all benefit from some gentler practices as well. Maybe I’d suggest that when I got back to the office after this job wrapped up.
“How was your stretching?” Jeannie asked, coming right over to me after she wrapped up class. She arched her back slightly, giving me a better view of her ample cleavage. Maybe it was myimagination, but I could swear she’d pulled her leotard down lower on her chest.
“It was good, really good, thank you.”
