Her Destiny (Shifted Love 5)
Considering she’d never mentioned anything about being interested in a guy, it very well could turn out that she was destined to be someone’s mate. But I didn’t have time to consider the possibility before everybody else realized Cason and I were there. Aero was the first to come over. Holding his hand out to my mate, he said, “I hope you know how lucky you are.”
Cason released my hand, but before shaking Aero’s, he circled behind me and wrapped his other arm around my shoulders. Pulling me into his side, he growled, “I know that she’s a goddamn miracle and all fucking mine.”
“Hey, man. No offense intended.” Aero held his hands up. “I just meant that fate gave you a great mate.”
“Damn straight,” Bexley agreed with a grin, pointing the knife he’d been using to slice an elk steak at Cason. “And you’d better treat her right or else you’ll have to deal with Aero and me.”
“You never have to worry about that with me. I’ll cherish Peppa each day of our lives,” he swore, making my heart swoon.
His vow must have had the same effect on Thora because she sniffled. “Aw, that’s so sweet. I’m with Larken, I want a shifter hunk of my own, too.”
“What? Working with Bexley and me isn’t good enough for you?” Aero joked as he lifted a sauté pan away from the flame and shook the asparagus that was paired with the elk medallions on the current weekly specials.
I brushed a kiss against Cason’s cheek before pulling away from him to walk over to each section so I could get a better look at the produce. Picking up a cherry tomato, I popped it into my mouth and enjoyed the burst of sweetness on my tongue. “I still can’t get over how fresh everything is.”
“I know what you mean.” Larken tossed a blueberry at me instead of placing it on the tart she was plating. “I always thought farm-to-table was just a trend, but the produce we’re getting from our local suppliers is way better than the ingredients we used at Castagna.”
“Yeah, William would shit a brick if he ever had dinner here.” Bexley set a plated dish on the pass and grinned. “Even with his giant ego, he wouldn’t be able to deny that the menu you’ve created is leagues better than anything he’s ever done.”
“Sure he would,” Aero disagreed. “The man has his head so far up his ass that he would never be able to admit how good Peppa’s food is. Not after he fucked up by pushing her buttons until she had no choice but to leave. I wouldn’t be surprised if he loses that Michelin star you earned him when the guide is published again next year.”
“If that happens, it’ll only be because you guys all came with me,” I insisted, grinning at the thought of how embarrassed my old boss would be if that happened. “His kitchen won’t easily recover from the loss of all your talent.”
This time, Bexley pointed his knife at me. “Enough with the compliments. I like hearing them as much as everyone else, but you trusted me with your kitchen, and I don’t want to let you down. We have a full house out there waiting to enjoy your dishes.”
“I’ll let you guys get to it then.” Walking back to Cason’s side, I slid my palm against his. “While my mate and I head into my office so I can figure out next week’s specials and update my orders with the suppliers so we’ll have everything we need for the new dishes.”
“Close the door if you’re going to get naughty in there,” Larken called just as we entered the office. Cason slammed the door shut behind us, but it didn’t block out my team’s laughter. In all fairness, though, it also didn’t stop them from hearing my moans when my mate decided we needed to christen my desk.
7
Cason
“Holy fucking shit.”
“What?” I’d only been half-listening, but my head jerked up when my mate’s sharp tone registered. I was heading into the kitchen as she continued, “Is there something wrong with the venison?”
Some of my tension eased when I realized it was just an issue with the food, but I still kept moving until I was at her side. I’d been working out of her office for the past week while she ran the kitchen when the restaurant was open. Luckily, the accounting work I did for the pack could be done from anywhere as long as I had internet, so I’d been able to catch up on everything that had stacked up while I’d been out of town while still sticking close to my mate. I’d always been good with numbers, and the pack owned a fuck ton of businesses. I handled all of our accounts receivable, which was why I couldn’t fall too far behind on work. The cash flow was necessary for our town to thrive.