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She smooshed her adorable lips together and picked at something on her nightgown. “I think I would like that. Can I bring my cat?”
Edward chuckled and out of the view of the screen patted my knee. She wanted to come here. Meet us. Get to know us.
Go get mate.
My bear chose that moment to state his intentions. It was rare that he spoke to me so clearly, but if this female was what I thought she was to us, then he had every right to scream the words.
“You can absolutely bring your cat and anything else you would like. We have plenty of room.”
We told Monroe that we would make the reservations for her to fly here, and she said she wanted to keep her apartment until we saw how things would go between us. We would, of course, pay her rent for her since she was making the sacrifice to come to our home.
As soon as the call ended, I found myself missing her.
“Should we put her in the guesthouse?” I asked my best friend. “To give her some privacy?”
He shook his head. He had grown unusually quiet since she hung up. “No. She stays in the main bedroom.”
“Are you sure? We built that for our mate and us to share.”
I was measuring his take on Monroe. We never let anyone use that bedroom.
“Exactly. You book the flight. I’m calling Amy to come and help us get everything she might need.”
I nodded, laughing. Yeah, he and I both were goners. “First class, Ansel. Nothing but the best,” he called out already on his way to his study. We had preparations to make. Our mate would be here soon.
Chapter Nine
Edward
Over the years of travel and encountering a variety of personalities and cultures, I had learned patience for others and acceptance that some were not as concerned with being on time as I was. Usually, we made a point as a matter of respect.
Today, we’d left early enough we had time to stop for dinner and pick up some flowers before retrieving Monroe.
“The flight is on time,” I said, pointing to the board inside the airport. We lived on the outskirts of a small city but, on the weekend, this tiny airport bustled with travelers and those waiting and saying goodbye to their loved ones.
“Good. Let’s go wait by the gate.”
The thirty minutes we waited for her plane to arrive seemed excruciatingly long. Nothing compared to between the time the plane landed and when she came walking through the crowd toward us.
When I saw her, no one else around us, not even time, existed.
Every cell, shifter and human, inside me ignited. She wore a simple white shirt and jeans, her blonde hair pulled over one shoulder. I couldn’t wait to bury my hands in it. As she neared, she stopped walking, making the river of people behind her go around. Her face lit up with a sunshine smile, and she waved. I waved back but almost as quickly, something changed in her demeanor. Her smile dissolved into a flatness. Her hand dropped and balled at her side.
“What was that, Ansel?” He would’ve seen the same thing as me. We were nothing if not observant.
“I don’t know. It was like she was happy to see us and then realized she wasn’t supposed to be. My bear didn’t like it one bit.”
Monroe closed the distance, finally coming out of the passenger-only area to stop in front of us. “H-hi,” she choked out.
“Monroe, it’s good to finally meet you in person,” Ansel said. He opened his arms but waited for her to accept. She returned his hug with a laugh and then moved to give me the same honor. When she wrapped her lithe arms around my neck, my bear perked up at her scent. I couldn’t describe the notes or even liken it to anything I’d encountered before, but I felt like a burst of spring had taken over my senses. No flower I’d ever scented, and yet it was floral. No specific spice, but it made my mouth water.
My bear was elated. Truth was, he had recognized her as ours the first time we saw her face and then again when we talked to her on video.
“It’s good to meet you both. And this is Mavis.” She held up a small pink crate. Inside was a small orange-and-white cat who, surprisingly, didn’t hiss at us.
The only other things she carried were a backpack and a purse. Ansel took the backpack from her after a few weak protests by Monroe. “My other bags are in…area C?” she said, glancing at the notifications on her phone.
“Let’s go get them. Do you need to use the restroom or get something to eat?” I offered.
