Page 15 of Midnight Rain

“Someone has to potty,” Austin said against Cormac’s chest.

Reluctantly, Cormac let go of his mate. “Do you feel up to a walk?”

“I’d loved one.” Austin opened his door and got out. “I forgot to bring her leash.”

Cormac smiled, trying to lighten the mood. “You mean she actually has one?”

Austin smirked. “Yes, she actually has one.”

Cormac cut the SUV off and got out. “Has she ever walked in the woods off leash?”

Austin rolled his eyes. “I lived in the city. The closest she got to a forest was a cluster of trees across from the Walmart.”

“Hand her here.”

Austin handed her over.

Cormac lifted her up to eye level. “If we let you walk on your own, do you promise not to try and be one with the squirrels and make this your new home?”

Lila whimpered, indicating that she really had to potty.

“You’re not going to seriously let her run around on her own, are you?” Austin shook his head. “What if she doesn’t come back?”

“She adores you. She’s not going to leave you.”

“But there’s wild animals out there. What if she gets ticks?”

Cormac liked how much Austin cared for her. “Have you given her flea and tick treatments?”

“Her vet has.”

“Will you trust me?” Cormac held on to Lila, refusing to put her down until Austin said it was okay, even if that meant getting peed on again.

“After what I’ve been through, I should say no, but for some insane reason, I do.”

Austin felt their connection, even if he didn’t know why. Cormac wasn’t sure how he was going to tell the human that they were mates and he was a cheetah if Austin was so emotionally fragile.

“Don’t you dare run off,” Cormac said as he set Lila down.

She ran around, sniffing everything before she finally did her business. Cormac and Austin waited while she tended to her needs.

“Do you want to know something crazy?”

“What?” Cormac asked.

“I told my mom what was going on. She said I was overreacting and that I needed a girlfriend instead of living in a fantasy world.”

Cormac forced his growl back. “She didn’t believe you?”

“She believed Jaycee was my friend, but she refused to admit that gay men exist. That’s what she was referring to as fantasy. In her mind, I just need a woman because, apparently, having a girlfriend is the solution to any problem.”

“I don’t even know what to say to that,” Cormac said. “Is she Paloma’s sister?”

“Sister-in-law.” Austin watched Lila, as if afraid she’d bolt. “The two are total opposites.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, where’s your dad?” He wasn’t sure why he’d asked considering he didn’t want to answer Austin if his mate wanted to know the same thing about his dad.

“He got tired of my mom’s shit and left ten years ago. They fought all the time. My dad was a good guy, despite him leaving. My mom just wore on him to the point he couldn’t take it anymore.”

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