Page 34 of Pretty Little Kitty

The porch door opened and a middle-aged woman stepped out, pulling the front of her robe tighter around her robust frame.

“Mable’s skittish, young man. She can’t hear and tends to bite when she feels threatened.”

“Eso es porque te malinterpretan, preciosa,” Suero said softly. “Todos quieren acariciarte, sin importar tus límites.” That’s because they misunderstand you, darling. Everyone wants to pet you, no matter your boundaries.

“Eres la primera persona que se ha dado cuenta de eso.” You are the first person who has noticed that. She walked down the steps, still speaking Spanish. “I’m Sofia. It’s so nice to meet someone who understands special needs in canines.”

“Suero.” He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling the heat rise to his cheeks. “And this is my partner, Kia.”

“Pleasure.” She smiled at Kia.

“He, uh, doesn’t speak fluent Spanish, ma’am,” he replied in English, fighting the urge to offer pet services.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Kia.” Her smile was warm and kind. Slowly, Kia lowered his twig… then grinned.

“Nice to meet you. Nice dog.”

She glanced at the stick but said nothing.

Suero gave Mable one last pat on the head. “We should get going. It was, um, a pleasure.”

“Adiós, Suero. Puedes venir a verla cuando quieras.” Goodbye, Suero. You can come see her whenever you want. Then, switching back to English: “A pleasure, Kia. Maybe next time leave the stick behind.”

“No promises,” Kia said with a smile, earning a sideways glance from Sofia.

She took Mable into the house as Suero and Kia continued their walk.

“So, um… about what just happened.” Kia popped his lips, swishing his twig to make a soft whooshing sound.

“I wouldn’t have let anything happen to you.” Suero slid his hand into Kia’s, needing that physical link. “Sorry if I went a step too far.”

“That’s nice.” Kia glanced at him, then looked away. “Thanks for apologizing. But I was kind of talking about how you… I don’t know.” He twirled his stick again, more distracted than defensive. “You froze in front of Sophia. Does that happen often? Or did her robe embarrass you?” Another pop of his lips. “Just curious.”

Suero kept walking, chewing the side of his lip, still stewing over how Kia had apparently forgotten the conversation they’d had about his humiliating maternal-figure complex.

“Oh!” Kia stopped mid-stride, twig dropping to his side. “That’s what you meant when you said you turn into a puppy around moms?”

“Could you just drop it?” Suero muttered, already loathing that Kia had witnessed the full display earlier. The last thing he needed was his elegido turning it into a therapy session.

Kia stepped in front of him, palm pressed against Suero’s chest, eyes narrowing. “First of all, I already told you, it’s not pathetic.”

“Says the guy who doesn’t humiliate himself in front of middle-aged women,” he grumbled, still wishing his mate would just let it go.

“Humiliation?” Kia’s head jerked back, eyes narrowing. “Did you have to sneak out of your house when we left? Does your pack snicker behind your back because your uncle controls every aspect of your life?”

Pain flashed in his eyes, tears threatening to spill. “So please, don’t talk to me about humiliation. I’d gladly trade places with you.”

He threw his stick down and stormed off, leaving Suero standing there feeling like a complete heel for snapping at the one person who actually understood.

Shit.

He broke into a trot, heart thudding with every step as Kia stormed down the street ahead of him. His mate’s shoulders were rigid, fists clenched. Suero barely registered the people on porches or the sound of a lawn mower in the distance. All he could see was his mate walking away, and it gutted him.

“You don’t even know where you’re going,” he called, trying to keep his voice steady.

“Away from you,” Kia snapped over his shoulder. “The world doesn’t revolve around you, Suero!”

The words hit harder than they should have.

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