Page 31 of Fae Devoted
He pointed to a nearby hallway with a white sign on the wall markedrestroomsin bold black lettering.
“Um, thanks.”
She took care of her business and was on a mission to find Jacob’s favorite brand of pepperoni sticks when she smelled them.
“Hello, pretty she-wolf.”
“Hey,” Johnnie replied, barely glancing at the pair of unmated Ferwyn males standing at the end of the aisle. Although she-wolves couldn’t decipher levels of dominance, the duo’s single status may as well be a neon billboard flashing above their heads.
Dammit, she didn’t have time to deal with these two.
Striding to the refrigerated section, she grabbed bottled waters, a peach-flavored iced tea for herself, and a high-caloriedrink for Jacob. If overly delayed, she wouldn’t put it past her beta to leave the truck’s tenuous safety to check on her.
“Need help?” the taller of the shifters asked, gesturing to the growing pile of snacks in her arms.
“I got it,” she said minus her usual friendliness. Dumping her haul on the counter, she turned and almost ran into the first shifter’s clanmate.
“You alone?” His nostril flared, and his eyes lit with masculine interest.
Giving him a wide berth, Johnnie reached into the glass warming trays and chose four wrapped burritos, adding them to the rest of her purchases. Leaving his question unanswered, she slid the chip end of her Visa into the card reader.
“I’m Brandon Fuller, and this is my Groverman Pack brother, Michael Townsend,” the tall one again. “Clan Remington, East North Central.”
“Joan Long, Walker Pack. Clan Walker, East South Central,” she reciprocated the formal Ferwyn introduction in Jacob-speak, utilizing the bare minimum of words required without being rude. Hoping they’d take the hint, she collected her purchases and thanked the cashier. The poor man’s scent sharpened with anxiety. She wouldn’t be surprised to find him gripping a gun underneath the counter, for all the good it would do if the shifter males decided to attack.
“Nice to meet you, Joan Long,” the one named Michael said. “Are you searching?”
Searching, for a truemate he meant.
Johnnie nodded instead of voicing the lie and increasing the scent of her deceit. There wasn’t another adequate excuse for her to be outside Clan Walker’s borders, and they knew it.
“Are you staying in town?” Brandon asked as she made a beeline for the exit. The shifter sped past her and held the dooropen. “Our Alpha has a guest house with available rooms if you need a place.”
She couldn’t help softening her tone at the males’ hopeful expressions. “Thank you, but no. I’m traveling farther north.”
Brandon and Michael appeared to be in their late twenties, but Johnnie sensed they were at least sixty, which was still considered rather young in the shifter world. Yet every unmated Ferwyn, no matter the age, wanted to find a truemate. Some never did.
“Oh.” The acceptance of the lost opportunity to fulfill the dream evident in the droop of his broad shoulders.
“You the truck?” Michael asked, not giving up as easily as his clanmate.
Apart from Jacob’s massive vehicle, there was a single car in the lot, and a middle-aged woman stood beside it pumping gas.
“Yup, that’s me,” she said, pleased to have avoided the sticky situation with relative ease.
“Here, let me carry that to your car.” He snatched the groceries away.
“I’ve got it.” Her compassion and optimism fled when she tugged at the bag, and he didn’t let go. “I need to get going.”
“Sure.” Michael transferred the cheap plastic sack to one hand and cupped her elbow with the other, firm in his intent to escort Johnnie to her vehicle. He took a step toward the truck but came to an abrupt halt when she dug in her heels. “Joan?”
She couldn’t let them near Jacob. They’d smell him the second the door opened.
“Did you forget something inside the store?” Brandon asked.
Panic seized Johnnie’s mind, and unsurprisingly, spilled from her mouth. “Cat!”
“Cat?” Michael frowned and cocked his head.
