Page 100

“I’ll eat this batch. It was more of a practice run,” Theo said. “I’m making more for you. I think I got the toaster figured out now.”

Smoke had started to seep from the appliance, and Fee wasn’t holding out a lot of hope on that front.

“Uh…” She pointed and Theo sprang into action.

“Shit,” he muttered as he popped the toast. Burnt again. He put in a fresh slice and stood hovering over it. “I’m going to get it this time.”

Fee bit down on a smile.

After several more practice runs, she had a perfectly toasted piece of bread on her plate and a smiling Theo sitting across from her.

And somehow that piece of golden-brown toast told her everything she needed to know about Theo. If you were lucky enough to be loved by him, he would stop at nothing to take care of you. He’d been loyal to his pack to a fault. He’d stayed friends with Fee for years despite the risks. He’d jumped into this search for Lena, even though he really didn’t have to.

“Dig in,” he said, and she swallowed the emotions building in her throat.

She’d promised herself before she drifted back to sleep that once she was awake and fed and properly caffeinated, she would have a serious conversation with Theo.

She would be honest.

She would be clear about what she wanted in a relationship.

She would be a very mature nymph.

But after hiding and lying and pretending for so long, it was hard to speak the truth. It stuck in her throat right next to her breakfast.

Luckily, or not, it was hard to have time alone in the midst of a werewolf pack. Before she’d even finished her toast, a knock on the door disrupted her big plans for mature honesty.

Oh, well. Mature honesty would have to wait.

“Morning,” Ryder said as Theo opened the door. “You okay?”

“Yeah, why?” Theo gestured for Ryder to come in out of the cold.

“Uh…” Ryder’s gaze slipped to Fee, sitting with her legs tucked up under Theo’s sweatshirt. He seemed to have several questions about last night, but he didn’t ask them. “No reason. Your text … it was kind of an abrupt change of plans.”

Theo grabbed his phone from the couch, looking over what Fee had sent his friend last night. His brows rose slightly in surprise.

She’d just said Sorry bro, changed my mind. That sounded like Theo, didn’t it? Maybe the pink heart she’d included had tipped Ryder off.

“Right. Sorry about that. Something … uh … came up.”

His eyes kept flicking to Fee’s and he was fidgeting and making himself look guilty as hell. No wonder he’d never wanted to cross this line before. He would have been absolutely terrible about keeping it a secret.

“Okay, sure…” Ryder said. “What are you burning in here?” he asked, his face scrunching up at the smell.

“Breakfast.” Theo grinned. “Want some?”

“Tempting … but no thanks.” Ryder glanced at Fee’s half-eaten piece of toast. “Nell’s making bacon and eggs if you want something more edible.”

“No food with a face,” Theo said with a shrug.

Ryder blinked in confusion. “What?”

“I don’t eat animals,” she explained, clearing her plate. “But thanks anyway.”

The werewolf seemed to be at a loss.

“Okay, well … do you want to go see if we can track down Knox today?”