“Riley’s firstborn could also be first alpha,” Roxy says. “So, still a Savage…”
“Erica’s not pregnant yet, is she?” Audrey asks.
I say, “She was gagging over the notion of hard-boiled eggs the other night, so she may very well be.”
But I agree with Ivy. Regardless of what’s going on, it’s clear that change is on the horizon. And I already know it’s the case based on a few comments I’ve heard some of the Young coven witches drop, not to mention the things Grey told me the SCC said when they came here to debrief after Riley and Erica mated.
There’s also what they’re saying about Jase and I having a child that mates with someone important from the Fae realm. But I can’t tell these guys that. I can’t tell anyone that. I could talk about it with Erica, but she probably doesn’t want to, since she likely can’t tell me more of what she knows.
I guess I could talk about it with Jase, but I’m certainly not in the headspace for that. Because talking about a future child thatmustbe born is admitting that we’ll eventually be mated to one another. This could trigger Jase to initiate that. And I’m not prepared to wrap my head around that thought this morning.
I hear awhiningpupsound, which startles me. I look around to see if anyone else hears it and I’m the only one reacting.
This is absolutely the universe making a point to me once again, like nearly every other time I try to push thoughts of me and Jase together away.
I pipe up. “So, the date in a nutshell? He took me to a bookstore for a book shopping spree, took me to dinner at my favorite restaurant, and then he brought me back home. He has the tattoo and he explained that he’s planning to build me a reading nook in his house.”
“Sounds incredible,” Audrey says dreamily. “He remember your favorite restaurant on his own or did he quiz someone?”
I shrug. I don’t know for a fact someone didn’t jog his memory, but I suspect he remembered.
Jase has shown himself to be thoughtful a whole lot over the years. It’s something I always loved about him. Until recently when he went out of his way to be the opposite of that.
“And? Did he kiss you? Did he, did he?” Roxy pushes, slapping the table.
I shake my head and scrunch up my nose.
“So, you haven’t had your first kiss yet. But at least it’ll be Jase. That’s so romantic,” Audrey says.
I give her a meaningful look. “He said the reading nook’s bookshelves will have a rolling ladder.”
Her jaw drops.
I blow out a long breath and say, “He’s taking me on another date tonight.”
“Tonight, he’ll kiss you. For sure,” Audrey advises with a slow nod, like she’s the expert on the subject.
“Maybe he’ll claim you, too,” Leona suggests.
I scrunch my nose again, but a stab of guilt pokes me. Because I didn’t explicitly say I’d been kissed before, but I saw the way Jase’s expression dropped last night when I alluded to disappointing him but not about which fact. And I don’t know why I did that. It’s not like he was being cocky about it like he was back in the beginning of all this stuff.
Ivy asks, “Where are you at? I know you fought it and then that whole motion to stop Jase from claiming you was denied, but he’s taking his time now, courting you, making an effort that’s pretty remarkable for a super alpha, especially considering how things have gone with the ones before him.”
“I’d say,” Roxy agrees.
“Except my super-alpha,” Stacy points out. “He didn’t exactly wait long, but he took so much care and showed so much patience because of what I’d been through. He was amazing.”
“And there’s Brody,” Leona adds. “He’s not rushing things. He knows it’s important to proceed carefully after what his mate has been through.”
“But he’s notsuperalpha. Just regular alpha,” Audrey points out.
“An alpha is still an alpha,” Leona fires back defensively.
Roxy leans back in her chair and says, “Alphas are definitely alphas. It’s not easy for any alpha to hold back.”
“We’ve all heard they can’t fight the rutting urge for long,” Stacy says. “Brody is taking a supplement the coven prepared and maybe Jase is taking the same thing.”
I shrug. “He wasn’t. The coven didn’t dull that urge while he was under those sanctions, but now? Maybe. And I’m wearing a scent muting spray that Dani gave me.”