Page 18 of Midnight Whispers
“What does he look like?”
Griffin chuckled. “If you’re going to keep your relationship on the down low, you are definitely going to need to control your face. It says everything you’re thinking.”
“I don’t know why we’re keeping it a secret. Cass seems to think we should, so I’m following his lead.” Riley took the wrench back from Griffin, putting it back into the toolbox he carried for Griffin. Following Griffin around and handing him tools should bore him, but he’d had a lot of fun. Griffin was easyto talk to and funny, even when he teased Riley about Cass. “Do you think Dad will freak out?”
Griffin snorted. “Oh yeah. And it will land all over Cass. Cass knows that. That’s why he’s being secretive. There’s also something going on with the local pack. Cass seems stressed, and it isn’t just about the murder east of town. Cass might want to keep you out of all that shit too.”
Riley didn’t want to cause Cass problems. “What’s happening with Cass’s pack?”
“It’s your pack now, too. Or will be when you bond.” Griffin shrugged. “Anyway, all I know is Cass has been stressed since the new alpha took over.”
It sounded as though Cass had a lot going on in his life. Did he even have room for Riley?
“What does bonding mean?”
“All the good stuff. Sex. And then you’ll leave your marks on each other.” Sex with Cass would be next-level hot. Full on three-alarm fire.
“Marks?” But Riley knew it had something to do with his glowing hand.
“You better let Cass explain about mating marks.”
They headed up the stairs from the basement of the inn. When they arrived, Zinnie had been nowhere in sight, but as soon as they made their way upstairs, she stood with her arms open, staring right at him.
Riley smiled upon seeing her. He set the toolbox down and hugged her. She smelled like she’d been sitting in a garden surrounded by flowers, eating cookies and drinking coffee.
Griffin resembled her more than he did their dad. She had soft, dark curls that hung down her back. Her hair had a few gray strands through it, but nothing else suggested time was catching up to her. Griffin had her curls. He’d covered them with a cap advertising the Dinsmore’s hockey team, the Lumberjacks.
He had her green eyes. When she held him by his shoulders and studied him, it was as though she were looking directly into his soul. He had an urge to bear his soul as if it were judgment day. Griffin had the same effect on him.
When she smiled and nodded, he took that as a good sign.
“Iven’s letting you rest, I see. That’s good.” He’d sat around doing nothing but sleeping, eating, and talking to his dad. It had been great until they had argued. But that was mostly Riley trying to work through his emotions. It turned out that grieving was hard.
“I did nothing but let him feed me. It was great. But lying around like a sloth for that long was too much of a good thing.” Riley smirked at Griffin. “So far, my day with Griffin has been less than.”
Griffin flipped him off. “Lunch was good.”
Riley’s face heated thinking about Cass, but he chose not to focus too much on that. He wasn’t sure who he could tell about their connection, which neither of them had asked for, but the universe, Fate, or whoever had a hand in making them mates. They couldn’t deny it, at least not to each other. “The whole day has been great. Not just lunch.”
“But lunch was the best part. Admit it.” Griffin chuckled when Riley’s face heated even more.
“Stop teasing each other.” Zinnie patted his cheek and smiled. “I missed you.”
Riley missed her mothering instinct. His mother hadn’t been like Zinnie. At least, not that he remembered. Perhaps she had it when he was a baby.
Zinnie had been the only person who had ever felt like his parent. His relationship with his dad had consisted of a back-and-forth argument that never seemed to end. His dad wanted to help, but Riley refused. That was only just starting to change.
Riley hugged her again. “I really missed you, Zinnie. A lot.”
“Well, now you’re here. We don’t have to miss each other anymore.” Zinnie rubbed his back. “I’m here, honey.”
He met Griffin’s gaze over Zinnie’s shoulder. Griffin winked as if to say connecting them was the day's ultimate goal.
“Mom, do you need help around the inn today?” Griffin asked. He really was a good brother. Riley couldn’t have asked for anyone better. Not only that, but Griffin was his best friend since Riley hadn’t spent much time making friends.
They ended the hug, but Zinnie kept an arm around Riley’s shoulders. “I could put Riley to work.”
Riley would take any excuse to spend time with Zinnie. “I’d love that.” He met Griffin’s gaze. “I was only joking about having a bad day. I’m having fun, I promise.”
