“You’re as bad as Rudy.”
His amusement died instantly. “Who’s Rudy?”
“My roommate.”
“A man?”
“A friend.” I finished my coffee and set it aside. “You ready?”
Rather than wait for a response, I rose. This roller-coaster banter we had going was making my head spin. Work was so much easier.
“Should we head to the clinic?” he asked, pushing to his feet.
“I was thinking we could just take a walk, actually. Stretch your legs with low impact movement.”
“A walk,” he repeated. “Through town?”
I shrugged. “Is that a problem? If you get tired, we can just turn around.”
He hesitated, and I could see the tension. “No problem. Let’s do it.”
On the sidewalk, I was careful to keep a healthy distance between us. Concentrating on not accidentally brushing his hand, I almost jumped when East spoke.
“I’m not going to bite.”
I looked up and found him eyeing me in amusement. His hair had fallen over his forehead, making him look every inch the teenaged boy I remembered. My heart lurched and I looked down again.
“I’m just gauging your mobility.”
“Uh-huh.”
Before I could dig myself further, East’s hand slipped into mine.
I stiffened. “What are you doing?”
“Now you don’t have to worry or wonder if you’ll accidentally brush against me.”
I opened my mouth, closed it again.
Tingles ran through my hand and up my arm in a reaction that made me feel seventeen all over again. But I didn’t pull away.
“East, you’re my patient. We shouldn’t—”
“What if I need you for support? My knee’s feeling very unsteady, Doc.”
His eyes glittered.
Oh, he was enjoying this.
Unfortunately, my heart couldn’t take much more. Not when I knew how this story ended.
“Do you remember when I first told you I was a wolf?” he asked.
I cut him a sharp look. “You mean when you showed me you were a wolf.”
He laughed. “It’s not my fault the change happened right around the same time we started thinking about sex.”
“I thought I had it bad with PMS mood swings.”
“You remember that day?”
“Of course I do.” My cheeks heated as the memory replayed.
“One minute, we were making out like normal teenagers. The next, I was literally pawing you.”
I rolled my eyes at his terrible pun. “Not exactly where I expected it to go.”
It wasn’t lost on me that Travis had shifted near me, and I’d run in terror. Yet, when Easton had done the same, there had been zero fear. Easton Raines had always made me feel safe.
“You were so cool about the whole thing. I still can’t get over how easily you rolled with watching your boyfriend half-shift into a four-legged predator.”
I shook my head. “You were a mess. Wouldn’t come near me again for weeks.”
He frowned. “I didn’t want to risk hurting you.”
I squeezed his hand, inexplicably needing to comfort him. “You didn’t.”
At least, not physically.
“You’re the only girl I ever told,” he said after a moment.
I looked over in surprise. Maybe I shouldn’t have been shocked he’d held back that part of himself. People in this town knew enough to at least accept the idea of supernaturals, but the rest of the world had no idea. Still, it sounded lonely, knowing he hadn’t been able to truly be himself in a decade. “Well, I’ve kept your secret. If that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Thanks.” His smile was sad. His gaze far away now. Still troubled. Or tortured. “What I meant is you’re special, Cat. Always were. Seeing you here again is a reminder of that.”
My belly jumped at his words. As much as I wanted to hear them, I knew I couldn’t let us go down this road. “Look, East, I think you and I—”
“Cat?”
I cringed at the sound of my name coming from behind us. Or, more specifically, at who said it. Fleetingly, I wondered if I could just pretend not to have heard. But East was already turning. And then, my name came again.
“Cat.”
Louder this time. Determined. No avoiding it now.
I turned, bracing myself as Travis strode up.
“What do you want, Travis?”
“I went by your office,” he said, his tone accusatory. “They said you took the morning off.”
“I’m with a patient,” I said simply.
Travis’s sharp gaze flicked to Easton and then straight down to our joined hands. His eyes narrowed.
East’s hand in mine tightened.
Great. A pissing contest.
But I didn’t pull my hand away. Not when doing so would feel like an admission of guilt.
“Can we talk?” Travis asked, ignoring East completely.
“I think we’ve said everything there is to say.”
“I disagree.” His voice took on an edge that reminded me of that night.
My hands went clammy at the memory of the vase he’d sent flying at my head. Then Travis’s face as it’d twisted in fury. When I’d screamed at him to get out, he’d begun to tremble. His skin had turned to fur in patches. And his hands had grown claws.
Then he’d—
“Listen, I think the lady’s made it clear she doesn’t want to speak to you.” Easton’s voice was a calm, controlled warning.
Underneath, I could hear the steel.
Travis glared at him. “The lady can speak for herself.”
“And she did,” Easton said. “You just aren’t very good at listening.”
“Who the fuck are you, anyway?”
“I told you. He’s my patient,” I cut in.
“Yes, this all looks very professional,” Travis snapped.
Easton let go of my hand and slid an arm around my waist, pulling me close. “The truth is Cat and I are old sweethearts. In fact, we’re having dinner tonight so we can catch up.” He leaned in. “Pick up right where we left off, eh, kitty cat.”
The old nickname was a joke between us. Unfortunately, our third wheel didn’t know that. I swallowed hard as Travis fought for control, his nostrils flaring with every angry breath.
East tensed, and I knew the moment he realized what Travis was—and what he was trying hard not to become right here on the sidewalk in broad daylight.
“Easy,” East said quietly. “Exposing yourself here would be a mistake. One you might not live long enough to learn from.”
“I don’t know who you think you are,
