The Mating(60)
“Just be careful, okay? I’m sort of getting used to you, and I don’t want to have to start breaking in a new mate.”
Kane smiled briefly at her teasing. “Thanks a lot.” He rolled over and faced her. “You did well tonight, Elise. Staying on the phone, then getting hold of John. You were really compassionate to Marla, too.” He brushed a strand of hair from her forehead. “That’s one of the things I like most about you.”
Elise felt all warm and mushy inside from Kane’s praise, but shrugged in response. “I didn’t do that much.”
“I still appreciate it.” A yawn escaped him, even as he brushed the pad of this thumb over her lips. “I guess I’d better get some sleep. Tomorrow looks to be pretty busy.” He reached over and turned out the light, then pulled Elise to his side.
*****
The next few days passed in a blur of activity. Elise had picked up her car and started her job, working a three-hour shift to help with the lunch crowd. Marla was now staying at the house, too nervous to return to her apartment and unwilling to go to work until the bruises faded. Kane left early each morning and came home late at night, busy heading up the search for Ryne. Each night he returned looking exhausted and even more frustrated, quickly eating dinner before burying himself in the office to catch up on the day’s work. A few nights he even went on patrol, hoping to catch Ryne sneaking about the property, but nothing came of it.
Elise found herself reminiscing about the ‘good old days’ of the previous week when she and Kane had had time to themselves. Her mate was so tired at night that he fell into bed and was sleeping before his head even hit the pillow. There was no companionable cuddling or toe-curling sex. And while he did put his arm around her if she snuggled up close, Elise doubted he was aware of what he was doing. Even when he was awake, Kane seemed preoccupied and spent what little free time he had chatting with Marla. The topics ranged from reliving childhood memories, to trying to think of where Ryne might be holed up, to offering the woman comfort and assurance that he wouldn’t allow her to be hurt again.
At first Elise had sat in on these conversations trying to contribute, but soon concluded that her presence was superfluous. It irritated her, but since the attack Marla was being so pleasant that Elise felt she could at least let the woman have an hour of Kane’s company each night. While it did mean he had less time with her, Marla had experienced something traumatic and probably needed a bit of extra attention for a while. Also, Elise didn’t want Kane to think of her as a nagging, jealous mate. She trusted him and—she crossed her fingers—she supposed she could trust Marla too.
While being attacked was never a good thing, it certainly seemed to have had a positive effect on Marla’s personality. She was quieter, a bit withdrawn, and hadn’t said anything snarky since arriving. In fact she went out of her way to be polite, offering to do various chores around the house. Even when talking to Kane, she was keeping a respectful distance rather than hanging on his arm. Elise felt herself relaxing around the woman and even Helen had to admit that Marla wasn’t being her usual nasty self.
With Kane working so much, Elise was more than happy to have her new job to keep her busy. Being out talking to people was fun and the work wasn’t too hard; her biggest challenge was keeping the orders straight. She admired the other waitresses who hardly had to write down anything.
After her shift ended, Elise usually wandered the mall for a little while, always stopping at Bastian’s Art Gallery to admire the picture of Kane that she’d seen that first day. It was still on display in the window, the astronomical price making a quick sale unlikely. She didn’t mind that no one bought the photograph, though. It was like her own little secret. While everyone around her saw a wolf, Elise saw her mate and since he was working so much lately, it was one of the few times she did get to see him.
It was with great surprise then, that she noticed the picture missing one day near the end of the week. At first, she wondered if they had just rearranged the displays, but a quick inquiry told her that it had been sold to a collector who focused on art featuring wolves. Elise was disappointed that the picture was gone. She didn’t have a photo of Kane and from the sound of it he was not a willing subject. Possibly Marla, having been close to Ryne at the time, might have a copy and Elise could scan it on the computer. Making a mental note to ask her at dinner that night, Elise continued on her way.
*****
The meal was almost over when Elise remembered the photo and introduced the topic. Since Marla hadn’t returned to work yet, Elise thought she’d be pleasantly surprised to learn of the sale. There’d likely be a commission in it for her, as she was probably acting as Ryne’s sales agent.