In the kitchen Dante, Greta, Marcus, Trick, Grace, Lydia, Selma and Hope sat at the table, laughing and joking. It looked as though Selma and Hope were having a separate conversation, unsurprisingly. They had made themselves pretty unpopular with their refusal to accept Taryn. After refilling his mug Trey asked, ensuring his voice was casual, “Where’s Taryn?”
“Out,” replied Dante.
“On another run with Tao?” Although she was latent, she was just as fast as any shifter.
“No, she went into town.”
Trey had to have heard wrong. “What was that?”
“She went into town.”
Dumping his mug on the counter, uncaring of the scolding hot coffee that had splashed onto his fingers, he demanded, “Where? With who?”
“She and Tao went for pizza,” said Greta, her voice full of implications.
Selma dived on that. “He’s a very attentive bodyguard, isn’t he? You have to admit, they look real cute together. Right, Hope?”
“Oh yeah, real cute.”
“Shut it,” snapped Trey, surprising most people in the room.
“She didn’t tell you she was going out?” asked Marcus.
“No, she didn’t,” Trey managed to grit out, pissed off that she had ventured out without a word and jealous that she had asked Tao to go with her rather than him. He switched his attention back to Dante. “Why didn’t you stop her from going?”
“Why would I have stopped my Alpha female from leaving pack territory? And how exactly would you have expected me to stop Taryn from doing that or anything else?”
“When did she leave?”
“Calm down, Trey, what’s the problem?” But Dante knew exactly what the problem was he always saw too much.
As the sound of laughing coming from outside the caves met their ears, Marcus nodded. “That’s probably them now.”
Trey stalked toward the main door, clenching his fists. Almost yanking the damn thing off, he opened it to find Taryn and Tao practically stumbling up the stairs as they laughed so hard at something they were keeled over. The sight of them looking so happy and comfortable with each other sent another surge of jealousy rushing through him.
Eventually they looked up and saw him. He could guess that his expression was thunderous because Tao immediately lowered his eyes.
Taryn, on the other hand, presented him with a smile.
“Well hello,” said Taryn brightly as she went right on past the ass she had mated with and strode into Bedrock.
“What the hell did you think you were doing leaving pack territory without telling me!” he bellowed as he followed behind her. Slowly she turned and appraised him from head to toe. Not with fear or even apprehension, but like someone would scrutinise a bug.
“Did you forget to take your pills again?”
“I’ve been in my office believing you’re safe, and you’ve been in town hanging out with Tao!”
“Yes and we had a lovely time, thanks.”
“If you’d have said you wanted to go somewhere I’d have taken you!
Why sneak off?” When instead of answering him she just stared blankly, he persisted, “Taryn?”
“Oh sorry, I was just busy picturing a gag in your mouth.”
“This is serious! The new Alpha of Roscoe’s pack hasn’t been here to finalise an alliance which means there’s still a possibility of retaliation over his death. Then there’s the fact that although your dad might not come here and challenge me, you can bet your little ass he’ll take you given half the chance.”
“Did the UFOs tell you that when you removed your foil hat?”
“I’m not being paranoid!”
Taryn snickered. “What you’re being is an overprotective asshole who didn’t like it that his mate didn’t say ‘pretty, pretty please, Master’ before leaving pack territory.” Fed up with him, she retreated to the living area and, sighing, plonked herself onto the reclining corner of the sectional sofa. “I am so stuffed.”
“You won’t want a coffee then?” said Grace with a smile.
“I’m not that stuffed.”
One by one, people began to pile in. Other than Trey who stood near the door, arms folded, snarling. “I’m think I prefer him in Cujo mode,” she muttered to Tao who was beside her on the sofa.
“Been out all afternoon with another male,” drawled Greta. “Didn’t I tell you she was a hussy, Trey?”
“Hey there, Mistress of the Dark Arts, how are you?”
“If I’d known you guys were going for pizza I’d have asked to go along,” said Cam.
Taryn smiled. “Not to tease you or anything, but it was absolutely gorgeous. Deep Pan base, extra cheese, pepperoni -” “Now that’s not fair.”
“You know,” began Dominic, wearing that impish smile that meant he was about to deliver another of his cheesy lines, “I’m a lot like Domino’s Pizza, if you don’t come in thirty minutes, the next one’s free.” Everyone groaned, trying to hold back smiles.
“Here you go,” said Grace as she handed Taryn a mug of coffee.
“Oh you’re a gem.” She sighed dreamily as Marcus leaned over the back of the sofa and began massaging her shoulders.
“I take it this is what everyone means about it being uncomfortable when newly made mates are separated for a while?” prodded Trick.
Taryn sighed inwardly when she saw that Trey hadn’t moved from the doorway or dropped his scowl. He looked unbelievably pissed, but he also looked a little lonely. As much as he had annoyed the hell out of her, Taryn had the urge to soothe him. Extending her hand, she said, “Come on, Flinstone.”
He looked at her hand, looked at her face and then stormed off. With a sigh, she dropped her hand and shrugged. But she wasn’t as aloof about it as she appeared to be. Would it really have been that horrible to sit with her for a while, to spend a teeny weeny amount of time with her and his pack?
Apparently yes it would have. And apparently she hadn’t played the aloof female as well as she thought.