Page 22 of The Devil on my Chest

“Did you leave in the end, or…?” Rocky asked.

“I think my leaving fell into the not having a choice category,” Mal said. “They stopped sharing their food with me. I wasn’tany use. I wasn’t going to father any pups. I wasn’t as strong as everybody else. I couldn’t hunt like everybody else. When I left, I thought I would die, but I didn’t.

“But my opinions about who I was were formed while I was in the pack. Then I met you and learned that I could be better, that I could be different. When we started traveling with Ra and Simon, that idea that I could be more persisted. You guys gave me the space to be who I was or who I had the potential to be, and I’m really proud of the person I am now.”

Rocky squinted at him, making a face. “Does that mean…nope. I’m not sure what you mean.”

“I’m saying you’re right in that if we’d known we were mates sooner our lives would’ve been different, but I’m not sure if it could’ve been better. We were so young, and you’ve got to admit, you were a headstrong idiot, and I was a timid little mouse back then.”

Rocky dug him in the ribs with his elbow. “Don’t you let Darwin hear you say that. You know darn well he’s very proud of his mouse status and he can be fricking vicious.”

“You’re not wrong about that, and there’s nothing wrong with you spending a few minutes and wishing things had been different between you and me. But don’t dwell on it. I think we’re really lucky. We’re both still breathing and there have been times it was debatable that we would. You and I have been friends from the moment we met. We created a family with our friends, and now we live in a supportive community where we can be ourselves. Life doesn’t get better than that.”

“Speaking of a supportive community,” Rocky said. “I’ll bet you five bucks Mrs. Hooper has a house for us by the time we get back to Arrowtown.”

“I’m not taking that bet,” Mal laughed. “I know she will have, and it will be exactly what we were looking for.”

Chapter Fourteen

“Hey, have you ever had some love action on a plane?” Rocky couldn’t help it. He was bored. The plane taking them back to Arrowtown was fascinating for all of five minutes and while Mal curled up in his seat reading on his phone, Rocky wanted to “do” something. “I’ve heard it can be a lot of fun.”

“For us maybe, but not the plane staff.” Mal tapped his screen, turning another page. “But yes, Rocky dear, seeing as you asked, I have had love action on a plane at least once a week for the past two years, oh, and twice a week during the festive season. Why do you ask?”

“Wait… What?” Rocky almost fell out of his seat. “You have not. You…you…the only time other than this that you’ve been on a plane was when we were traveling to New York in the first place.”

Mal glanced up from his phone. He looked slightly exasperated. “If you knew the answer then why did you ask the question? Is this your attempt at seduction – in which case it needs work - or are you bored? Because I’m thinking the benefit of that first trip over this one was I had a sedative for you. Read a book or answer some messages or something.”

“Being in a plane makes me edgy.” Rocky looked out of the window. All he could see was clouds. “It’s not a natural way to travel.”

Sighing, Mal put his phone in his pocket and his hand landed on Rocky’s arm. “What’s wrong? I can feel something going on through our bond. This isn’t just a wolf shifter’s dislike of airplane travel. What’s worrying you? Don’t you want to go home?”

Turning away from the clouds, Rocky studied his mate’s face. The caring was evident in his eyes. Flicking a glance at a steward who was busy with something up by the cockpit, Rocky leaned closer and whispered, “How many people do I have to apologize to? In town. You know. Because of my cake addiction.”

“You don’t have to apologize to anyone,” Mal whispered back. “I know it might be a dent to your alpha ego, but the people who love and care for you know that you weren’t in your right mind when you were doing shit things. You were under a curse, a horrible one. You can’t be held accountable for behavior caused by that.”

“Are you sure?” Rocky wished he could be as certain about things as Mal was. “I don’t remember a lot of it toward the end there. Are you sure I didn’t smash a kid across the face just so I could steal their muffin?”

“No children were harmed, or even inconvenienced, by your need for cakes.” Mal kissed his bicep. “You broke into Fergus’s bakery, that was the only criminal thing you came close to doing. Ra and Cam have already fixed the door and the window you smashed when you were trying to escape Cam and get to the cake. But it was all fixed before we even arrived in New York.”

Rocky frowned and tilted his head. “Why would I break into the bakery if it was closed? Fergus never has any food in the display cabinets there. He sells out every day. Was just the smell of the shop driving me crazy?”

“Fergus had finished a special occasion cake. I can’t think what it was for right now, but he had displayed it on the counter, ready for pick up the following morning. It was sheer fluke Cam had gone to the bakery, getting something for Fergus, and got you out of there before you got to the cake. So that’s what I mean. Noactual harm was done except maybe to my ear drums. You were desperate to get to that cake before Doc got you sedated.”

Mal shivered, and Rocky realized despite his mate’s happy tone, that night had been difficult for him.

“I’m so sorry, Mal. It’s never been my intention to hurt you ever.” Rocky lifted the arm rest between their seats and pulled his mate against his chest.

“You were forgiven before we got on this plane,” Mal said, wrapping his arms around Rocky’s neck, his head heavy on Rocky’s chest. “At least it’s not something you’re likely to do again, is it?”

“Considering I don’t remember it the first time, nope.” Rocky kissed Mal’s hair and murmured into it. “Is there any chance other people will just forget about it? They will, won’t they?”

“Nope, I don’t think they will.” Mal was giggling. “Our town is a small place. The night the sheriff went mad under the effect of a curse and broke into the bakery will rank up there with the story about the time Darwin bit a man’s balls to save his mate, Deputy Joe killed his uncle who was terrorizing sheep, and Fergus got thrown out of the window by goons in his house.

“In fact, your story will probably rise to the top of all the mad things that happen in Arrowtown because your story has a special ingredient - a mysterious curse element attached to it. Cam’s regulars will spend the next year discussing the ins and outs of that over their pints every day.”

“Oh, no,” Rocky groaned. “I’m going to have to give up my job, aren’t I? We are going to have to move out somewhere remote, where no one can laugh at us and then you’re going to make me pick up a spade and work in the garden, aren’t you?”

“You can be so silly sometimes.” Mal slapped his chest. “Our friends love us. You do a good job as sheriff, and everyone loves what you do to keep them all safe. If you don’t believe me, you’ll see soon enough,” he added as his phone dinged and he reached for it.

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