Page 30 of Can't Be Love

Thomas

Chapter 12

Lily refused to go inside with me, worried someone would see us. The last thing I expected to find was her hugging Sydney when I came back out.

“Uh, hey, Syd,” I said, awkwardly. I hated the uncertainty the bond gave me at times, but this would have been a bad situation regardless.

“Hey, Thomas,” Sydney returned without letting go of my mate. When she finally did, she turned and grinned at me. I knew that look—it was the one that always meant trouble. She had seemed genuinely happy for me when I last saw her, but that look told me she was up to something. She rose on her tip toes and kissed my cheek as she walked by.

A loud, angry growl ripped through Lily, shocking us both. Sydney just grinned.

“Dammit, Sydney, you did that on purpose,” Lily accused.

“Just proving my point.” She laughed. “See you two later.”

As she left, I stared at Lily, trying to hide my happiness that she had growled at Syd over me. It was a start at least, some little sign that she felt the bond as strongly as I did.

“So, what was her point exactly?” I finally asked Lily as we got back to the Alpha house and retrieved my car.

“Nothing,” she said, a little too quickly, and I didn’t ask again as her cheeks matched the pink streaks in her hair.

We drove back to my house in silence. I carried the food in when we arrived and held the door open for Lily. She sat on the sofa and I assumed that’s where she wanted to eat. I dropped the bag of food on the coffee table and went to grab some plates from the kitchen. Returning and passing her one, she filled it and began to eat in silence.

I kicked off my shoes by the front door and hung my hat on the rack before joining her. It should have been uncomfortable, but it wasn’t at all. Just having her there gave me peace.

“Was your meal okay?” I asked, as she finished eating and rose to take her plate to the kitchen.

“It was great, thanks,” she said as she washed her plate and set it on a dish towel on the counter to dry before returning to clean up our mess and take my plate, too.

“You don’t have to do that,” I told her, not wanting her to feel she had to wait on me.

“Don’t be silly. It’ll only take a minute,” she said, brushing it off like it was nothing, but it sure felt like everything. “I was a little nervous about running into Sydney, but honestly I’m glad it’s done and over with,” she chatted as she cleaned. “Are you sure it won’t bother you if we stay friends?”

“No,” I said, then grinned at her and couldn’t resist myself. “As long as you remember your way back to my bed the next time the two of you decide to go out and get drunk again.”

She turned around in surprise, wet dishrag still in her hand. I was gloating over shocking her and didn’t notice her wrapping it up until she snapped the wet rag at my leg. It stung, but the surprise attack only lasted a second before I grabbed a towel and began rolling it up, too.

“Don’t you dare!” Lily warned, but there was a hint of humor behind her threat. “You’ll regret it, Thomas.”

The sound of my name so easily rolling off her lips warmed me and only encouraged me to press on. I snapped the rag, just missing her. She retaliated quickly, the sting hitting my upper arm this time.

“Oh, it’s on now,” I told her.

She squealed as I made my attack and bolted for the next room. The chase was on. It made my wolf excited to see the playful side of our mate. I had visions of him happily wagging his tail and yipping in my head.

Lily tore off down the hall. I heard door after door slam shut. I laughed. She was fast, I’d give her that. When I caught up, every door in my house was shut.Two can play at this game, I thought. Taking a deep breath, I called my wolf to the surface. My senses immediately heightened, and I followed the trail of our mate.

Slowly, I opened the door to my bedroom with a grin, but Lily was nowhere to be found. I turned on the lights and looked around. There was no sign of her. I moved to another room, checking each of them. I couldn’t find my mate.

Confused and getting frustrated, I tuned back into my wolf. He led me to my bedroom once again. I walked in and sniffed the air, following her scent up the ladder to my loft, but Lily wasn’t there, either.

A scratching just outside my window drew my attention as I was heading down the ladder. I climbed back up and examined the area closer. The window was not quite closed. My wolf was anxious, fighting to shift. I could feel fur starting to sprout on my hands as I opened the window and looked around.

“About time. You really suck at tracking, don’t you?” Lily said.

I took a deep breath before peeking my head out the window. Lily was sitting on the roof, looking up at the stars in the sky. She patted the space next to her in invitation to join her, so I climbed out of the window and sat next to her. Her proximity began to calm my wolf.

“That was kind of cheating, don’t you think?” I asked.

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