Page 31 of Midnight Mate
“Is his name actually Rudy Rascal?”
“Stage name,” she said, smiling ruefully. “He moved here after college to work for the theater program.”
“I didn’t know the Falls had a theater program.”
“It’s still small, thanks to the minimal funding from the town, but Rudy’s fighting for more of a piece of the tourism pie. He fills the seats, and the revenue makes the city happy, so . . .” She shrugged.
“You’re proud of him.”
“He’s amazing.” Her unfiltered affection did something strange to my belly.
Not jealousy, at least not in a way that made my wolf feel threatened. Had anyone ever said that about me? Cat had. Once upon a time.
“What about you?” she asked, and I blinked, refocusing on the conversation. “See any old friends yet?”
I sat back. “Ran into Angus Moore last night. Had a beer.” I didn’t mention how it ended.
“How’s he doing? I haven’t seen him since things got busy for me at the clinic.”
“Seems good. We didn’t spend too much time on the nitty-gritty.” I lowered my voice before explaining, “He’s setting up an appointment with the witches.”
“The witches?” Her expression went blank.
“For my knee.”
“Oh.”
There was a beat of silence between us.
I knew where Cat stood on magic. She knew about it, of course, like many of the humans in this town. Just like she knew what I was. Had always known. I’d been too explosive back then to hide my beast from her, and she’d surprised me by accepting my wolf more easily than I could have imagined. But being human came with a certain amount of wariness and distrust for the supernatural. After all, we were, by definition, higher on the food chain. Even the witches, with their power, were creatures for humans to fear.
“I’d love it if you came with me.”
I hadn’t meant to say the words, but now that they were out, I didn’t want to take them back either.
“To see the witches?”
“I’d feel better having you there.”
“Would I be welcome?”
“If you’re not, I won’t go.”
“East, that’s ridiculous. If there’s a chance they can heal you, you have to go.”
“Then say you’ll come.”
She pressed her lips together, hesitating. Finally, she said, “All right. I’ll come. I’ve always wondered what it would be like to be a supernatural. Maybe I can live vicariously.”
I grinned; a victory.
Dinner was simple but good. Better than I’d expected for what looked a lot like a tourist trap these days. Midnight Falls was more crowded every year. Good for business, a pain in the ass for locals trying to live a quiet life.
“So, how’s life in the rest of the world?” Cat asked.
“I wouldn’t know. Breckenridge is pretty similar to the Falls. Tourism is a mainstay, and in the winter, the slopes are busier than the streets of New York.”
“Then why settle there? I mean, if it’s no different from the Falls, then why not just come home?” She ducked her head. “Sorry, that was a rude question,” she added.
