“I knew it,” Reno said. “Something was never right with Ben.”
It had taken others by complete surprise that his gambling was not just a profession but an addiction. And then there was the history with Wheeler that went back to their childhood. A secret between two brothers. The ultimate sacrifice one had paid to protect the other, and the mistreatment many had thrust upon Wheeler. Maybe he had an abrasive tone and didn’t look like the kind of man a person could trust, but he was fiercely loyal and willing to die for his pack.
The revelation of the cage fights had made Denver uneasy. “Can we trust his wolf?”
“Any reason he’s shown us not to?” Austin asked, ending the discussion.
After that, an awkward silence had fallen over the house, one I’d felt whenever I entered a room. It was understandable for a pack to feel disjointed after losing a member, and in a sense, they were in mourning.
So in my usual Naya fashion, I sauntered into the room and gave them my best smile to brighten the mood. I informed them that Wheeler would join us after he finished brushing Misha.
Then Denver chuckled and said, “You sure have him *-whipped.”
When someone tossed a pillow, the tension melted away.
Wheeler would have to come out of that room eventually, but understandably, he needed time. I could be a pushy woman, but this was one instance when I didn’t want to push too hard. Not if it meant losing him.
On the second day after the party, Wheeler left the house for the entire day without telling me his whereabouts. That rubbed my fur the wrong way because we’d promised never to keep secrets from each other.
I never realized until I met Wheeler why they called it falling in love. It hurts. It sometimes takes you by surprise. It scars. But when you find the right person, it doesn’t end. You keep falling in low doses each day you’re with them. It’s in the little things they do, like rubbing your feet without your needing to ask, or waking up to find a pot of coffee brewing and a small heart drawn on the side of the white cup with a black marker.
It gave me something to look forward to—all the days we’d be together and the new things I would discover about the man I chose. Although in many ways, fate had paired us together. The one man who was so wrong for me was the one who fit in my heart so perfectly. Every lock has a key, and all keys have jagged edges and crooked sides. No one is perfect, but we’re exactly perfect for the one person who matters.
Poor man. He’d have to suffer through my opinionated nature, my desire to get a second cat, and my headstrong personality.
So as I stood in the upstairs hall with Wheeler’s hand covering my eyes, my heart was racing. I never knew what to expect with him.
“Okay,” he said. “Open ’em.”
I blinked a few times until the blurriness went away.
“You did not!” I gasped, rushing into the bedroom. I squealed and whirled around with excitement.
“I couldn’t get it all in here, but if it’s too much, I can haul some of it out.”
This wasn’t Wheeler’s bedroom. It was a larger one with a window that overlooked the front yard. A crisp white bedspread covered the mattress, a plush white carpet tickled the bottoms of my feet, and my red chair sat in the right-hand corner of the room. On the left side was Wheeler’s desk and leather chair. It had a rip on the side, and I made a mental note that we were going to have a conversation about that later.
I slowly spun around and jutted my hip out. “When did you do all this?”
He shrugged. “Had to sneak it up last night after you went to sleep. Spent all day yesterday hauling it to the truck. Everything else from your apartment is spread throughout the house; you can figure out what you want to do with it. I talked to your leasing office and told them you moved back home.”
I smiled and brushed my lips against his, standing on my tiptoes. “You forgot Misha’s bed.”
“Nooo, that’s where I draw the line. That cross-eyed cat stays outside.”
I chuckled and we moved toward the door. “She sleeps in here with us. You can either bring in her bed, or she can snuggle on mama’s neck all night.”
Wheeler popped me on the butt. “You’re a handful, Miss Diva.”
“Mmm, that’s what I’ve been told,” I purred.
“But I can still make you blush,” he said sexily against my ear.
I smiled up at him. “As I can you.”
His eyebrows arched. “That so?”
I cupped my hand against his ear and whispered, “I saw what you were trying to hide on my white sofa. I watched you from my bedroom door.”
When I leaned back, his cheeks were aflame.
“Come on, lover.” I took his hand and led him down the stairs. The morning sunshine was past its glory and had faded from a deep orange to pale yellow.
“If you get the cat bed, then I’m putting my license-plate collection on the wall.”
My eyes widened and I turned to face him. “Your what? I don’t remember that in your last room.”