Bearfoot and Pregnant(22)

Ivy nodded. “Yeah, on the phone. He’s worried about you, but now that I look at you in the light, I see my initial assessment is probably right. You must be exhausted because otherwise you look great. Not sick at all.”

She snorted and drowned another biscuit in honey. At this point she wasn’t bothering with any of the other sides. She wasn’t even going to think about how many she had eaten so far. “Thanks. He sounded so clear, though. I thought he was here with you.”

Ivy frowned and wiped her mouth and hands. “No. He was definitely on the phone.”

Must have been on speaker for Cassie to hear him from the bedroom. “So is he coming by?”

“He’s got a lot of work but I think in a few weeks you can expect them to show up here wanting to see how you’re doing.” Ivy grinned and put the dirty napkin on the empty paper plate she’d used. “I’ll probably be up here with them.”

“Awesome. We should all plan something fun to do.” Something that would get her mind off Talen.

“Yeah. Okay, now can we go back to you and Talen?” Ivy shifted in her seat to face her better.

Cassie swallowed the last of the biscuit she’d been eating and sipped on her tea. “What do you want to know?”

“What? What does he look like? Will you talk to him again? And more importantly, did he rock your world?”

“He was dressed up for the event we were at but underneath I could tell he is the plaid shirt and beer kind of guy who works with his hands.” He definitely worked those hands on her. “No, we won’t be seeing each other again.” Not after he sent that other guy to let her down easy. “And yes, he rocked my world, so hard.”

Ivy pouted. “Why wouldn’t you make an effort to see him again if he was so unforgettable?”

“It’s complicated.” Light years complicated.

“What is this, a Facebook status? The man isn’t married, is he?”

It was as good as. From what that guy said he already has a mate picked out or something. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“We don’t have to,” Ivy said, her lips tipping down. “I’m sorry. Let me clean this up and we can watch a movie.”

She nodded and leaned back on the sofa, her mind going back to Talen and his aggressive, dirty lovemaking. The memories assaulted her mind and she felt herself get wet thinking of his face between her legs. This wasn’t good. She needed to go back to work and distract herself from thoughts of the sexy shifter on a planet so far away, it might as well not exist.





SEVENTEEN



Talen waited in Alyx’s office, pacing the confines of the great library. He didn’t know what to do. She’d left. Gone. Sure it had taken him longer than expected to return after the fight in his offices, but he’d expected to return and find Cassie at the castle visiting with Bella and the babies, not gone from the room he’d known she’d been staying at. Nobody answered his questions.

The door to the library opened and Bella marched in. “Hi, Talen. I know we didn’t get much chance to speak at the ceremony. It’s nice to officially meet you.”

He nodded, watching her brow furrow as she spoke. This wasn’t good. “It’s nice to meet you too. Is Alyx not in?”

She shook her head. “He had to take his mother home. He prefers to do it himself. His father has not been well, so it was important she go back and take care of him.”

He lifted a hand and scratched the back of his head, bringing it over his face and finally meeting her gaze again. “Do you know where Cassie went?”

Bella stared at him for a quiet, tense moment and nodded. “I do, but I don’t think you’re going to like what I’ll say.”

“Where is she?” he asked, taking a step towards her and realizing he looked like a lunatic ready to shake the queen for information.

“She went home,” she said, her gaze unwavering. “To Earth.”

Shock froze him and rooted him to the spot. He didn’t understand what she meant. Why would Cassie leave when he’d claimed her? He told her she was his. Fuck, he’d gone as far as brand her, mate her, and leave his mark on her. Why would she leave?

“Was there some kind of emergency?” he asked, hoping maybe something had pulled her away but she’d be back soon.

Bella winced and shook her head. She sat on one of the chairs in Alyx’s office and motioned for him to sit as well. He dropped to a seat, his body cold from shock.

“No emergency. She and Gerri came for only three days. It was meant to be a short trip,” Bella told him. “You look like you’re going to be sick.”