Chapter Ninety-Three
Catherine’s grip on Graham’s arm tightened as they walked into Shepherd’s. It seemed odd for her to enter through the front door rather than the staff door around back. The bar seemed just the same as she’d left it. There were groups of tables to one side, the bar on the other with a space in between for people to mingle and dance. There were private rooms for groups to rent out and balcony seats above which were hardly ever used. Tonight, however, she noticed a dozen or so Blackmoore men scanning the crowd from those balconies.
Graham escorted her around the room. He accepted congratulations for his new position while Catherine received positive words about her joining the pack. Rebecca and Jensen seemed like a normal unit, standing together arm and arm like Graham and Catherine. Rebecca gave her a warm hug and Jensen kissed the top of her head.
When speaking with the other lycan alphas, Graham kept a firm hand on her hip as though he were ready to yank her away at any given moment. Morgan, thankfully, was missing from the festivities and couldn’t dampen the so far festive event.
Throughout the evening, Catherine kept her hand on Graham’s chest, fighting back the flares of protectiveness or jealousy that threatened to bubble up. It seemed despite his marking her, many of the men in attendance were still willing to throw her a slightly inappropriate compliment or let their gazes linger a bit too long on her body. She felt Dane’s hot gaze on her at all times and if it weren’t for her gift, she’d have an alpha killer for a mate.
“My baby boy!” Mary exclaimed, dragging Graham’s hostile gaze away from the lycan alpha.
“Hey mom, you look gorgeous,” Graham said with a smile. He kissed her cheek and she managed to get his face in her hands.
“I’m so proud of you.”
“Thank you.”
Mary let go of his face and her eyes swept over his outfit. “Where’s your bowtie?”
Catherine choked on the water she’d been sipping. While they made their rounds, the tie around her thigh rubbed against her. Every once in a while it would rub her sex just enough to elicit a small gasp or a flutter of her eyelashes, none of which went unnoticed by her smug mate.
“Hm, I can’t quite recall.” He glanced down at her. “Catherine, do you know where it is?”
“No,” she answered quickly.
“Are you sure? Cause I seem to remember having it earlier when…”
Catherine clapped her hand over his mouth. He gave her a devilish smile, only visible through the glint in his eyes.
“You know what?” Mary said, holding her hands up. “I don’t want to know. You two have fun, I’m going to go chat with Rebecca.”
Mary walked off but Catherine continued to cover his mouth. “I need a drink.” Catherine released his mouth.
“As you wish,” he held his arm out for her and she looped her hands around it.
Graham walked her to the bar and helped her into a stool. He chuckled slightly when she sat on her bruised cheek and had to squirm to find a comfortable position. He ordered her some tequila.
“What’s up,” a male voice said behind them.
Catherine turned and beamed. “Toma!” She jumped out of her chair to hug him. She stepped back and held his shoulders before looking over her own to Graham. She was shocked he didn’t interfere with their physical contact. Instead, he seemed to be surveying the crowd.
“Phew,” Toma said, waving his hand in front of his nose. He pushed Catherine back. “You lycans are ridiculous.”
Catherine’s face flamed again. She glanced around, wondering if everyone could smell her mate on her and had just been nice enough to not say anything.
“Sorry,” she apologized as he sat in the stool beside her.
“What are you apologizing for?” Graham asked, brow furrowed.
1/3
Chapter Ninety-Three
“You, you beast,” she growled playfully.
A glass of tequila manifested in front of them. Graham took a sip and after a few seconds handed it to her. Catherine looked over to Toma who didn’t appear to be his cheerful self. He was dressed nice enough in a dark suit and thin black tie, but his jacket was wrinkled and the tie hung loosely around his neck She couldn’t recall ever seeing him anything other than his signature leather jacket. He was holding his head up in his right hand as he stared dejectedly down at his drink.
“You okay Toma? Where’s Mable?” Catherine asked.
Toma growled causing Graham to step instinctively closer to Catherine. “She’s out there,” he said, gesturing aimlessly toward the dance floor. “With her
mate.”
Catherine gasped and looked more carefully at the couples in the room. She spotted Mable on the arm of a tall, very lanky man with dark hair and caramel skin. Mable smiled blissfully up at him while he caressed her cheek. Catherine’s heart dropped and she glanced back at Toma.
“Oh, Toma, I’m so sorry,” Catherine whispered.
“Whatever, fucking fated mates,” he cursed.
“Who is he?” she asked.
“One of Dane’s gammas,” Graham answered, having seen the same as Catherine.
“Dane? His pack is on the other side of the country.”
“Yep,” Toma said, popping the ‘p.’ “She plans to move there with him.”
“Seriously?” Catherine asked. “When did they even meet?”
“Yesterday,” Toma sighed. “She was supposed to come over to my place and stay with me ahead of this stupid ass party. She came to the grill so we could hang out and there he was,” he whispered with feigned romance, “staring wide-eyed from across the room.”
“Sorry, Brother, that’s rough,” Graham chimed in, patting Toma on the shoulder.
“Thanks,” Toma said, slamming the rest of his drink back before motioning for Jenny to bring him another.
“Hey guys!” Natalie squealed. She ran over and grabbed Catherine in a hug. Both girls shoved each other away and fanned their noses. Catherine could scent Theo all over Natalie. Normally there was always a trace of him on Nat’s skin, but tonight it was more potent and it didn’t take much to figure out why. Natalie clearly thought the same of Catherine.
Both women shook their heads in unison. “Animals,” they both said at the same time.
“What’s going on?” Theo asked, stepping up behind Natalie and wrapping his arms around her waist.
“Catherine and I were just discussing how ridiculous the two of you are,” Natalie explained.
“Ridiculous? Or smart?”
“Ridiculous,” Natalie, Catherine and Toma answered together.
Theo shrugged and turned his head to look at Graham who continued to study the crowd. “Lucas says he needs to talk to us. He’s over there with Jensen.”
“Why?” Graham asked.
Theo lifted one side of his mouth and Catherine knew without asking he was telling Graham through their mindlink. Graham sighed and scrubbed his face. He reached over and turned Catherine so she was facing the mirror behind the bar. He placed both hands on the bar beside her and rested his chin on her shoulder. She met his eyes through the reflection.
“You will stay here until I come back for you,” he ordered. “Twenty feet, remember?”
“I’ll be right here,” she assured him.
“Thank you, Baby. I’ll be right back,” he whispered in her ear. He kissed her exposed shoulder and then shoved himself off the bar. He and Theo walked off to where Lucas and Jensen waited.
