Madisyn winced. “Wronging a mamba seems … well, suicidal, really. Admittedly, my kind aren’t very tolerant creatures. Still, I’d say pallas cats are a little less dramatic in the way we seek vengeance.”
A nearby girly scream pierced the air.
“Why. Won’t. You. Die?” yelled Regan, slamming her sister’s head on a machine.
Yasmin swiped her claws at Regan. “I’m going to rip off your face!”
Makenna smiled at Madisyn. “A little less dramatic, Mads? Really?”
“That doesn’t count,” said Madisyn, her cheeks heating. “It’s only because they’re siblings who are close in age.” She rushed over to her daughters and separated them.
Makenna chuckled. “I love those girls. Hey, Corbin, you still taking Dawn to the movies tonight?”
The grizzly frowned. “Why?”
Aspen laughed. “You always get so self-conscious and weird whenever anyone asks about you and Dawn. Don’t worry, we’ve all agreed to pretend that we don’t know how much you like her.”
He only grunted.
Right then, Bailey casually walked out of the staff room and approached their group. “I’ll swear you live to spoil my fun, Havana.” She shot a haughty look at Ginny, who stalked off with her friends—Havana couldn’t tell whether the girl had found her purse or simply given up searching for it.
Corbin put a hand on the mamba’s shoulder. “Look, I know Jackson’s betrayal stung, and I know it stung worse that he cheated on you with someone you so strongly dislike. But, considering you’ve punished her in several ways over the past month, could you not just let it go?”
Bailey flicked something off her tee. “Forgiveness is for losers.”
“Neither Jackson nor Ginny are worth the emotional energy you’re giving them right now,” Corbin insisted. “You’ve made your point to both of them, and I’m pretty sure they regret crossing you. Take pity on them.”
“Pity is for losers,” said Bailey.
“Just leave it be, Corbin,” Havana advised.
Madisyn returned and puffed out a breath. “Sorry about that. The girls are going to behave themselves now. Oh, hi, Camden.” She smiled at the approaching male.
He merely nodded before passing Aspen a takeout cup. “Got you that vanilla shit you like.”
Aspen’s mouth curved as she took the latte. “Aw, thanks.”
“Didn’t you get us anything?” Bailey asked him.
“Thought about it,” he said. “That was as far as I got.”
Bailey shook her head. “Tigers are just rude.”
He gently tapped Aspen’s earlobe. “I’ll see you at six.”
The bearcat’s brow furrowed. “You will?”
“We agreed we’d have dinner at the steakhouse tonight.” He sighed, looking away. “How quickly she forgets me.”
“I remembered,” Aspen claimed. “I was just testing you.”
He snorted. “Yeah, right.”
“Die, Thing, die!” shouted Yasmin, throttling her sister.
Madisyn cursed. “This is not cool, kids! Not cool at all.”
CHAPTER SIX
As a familiar female stepped out of the coffeehouse up ahead, Tate’s cat bared a fang and sat up straight. Wearing a deer in the headlights look, Ashlynn froze. Tate had heard she’d returned last night, but this was the first he’d seen of her. If she was anyone else, he’d have paid her a brief visit to welcome her back to the pride, but she’d have sensed that the welcome was false—there seemed no point in insulting either his intelligence or hers.
She’d changed a little since he last saw her. She’d dyed her reddish-brown hair a bright blonde; it used to hang down her back but was now styled in a blunt bob. She was slimmer. More toned. Carried herself with more confidence. The piercings in her eyebrow and lower lip were a surprise, and both suited her.
She made a pretty picture, but his body didn’t react whatsoever—not even to the alpha vibes she exuded. As Tate stared back at her, the only thing he felt was regret that he’d taken a chance on someone whose feelings for him had been fickle at best.
Tate sensed Luke and Farrell go on high alert behind him, ready to intervene at the slightest signal.
She swallowed and tried for a smile. “Hi, Tate.”
He gave her a nod. “Ashlynn.”
She said a quick hi to both Luke and Farrell, but neither responded. As her gaze slid back to Tate, her tongue flicked out to touch her lip ring. “How are you?”
“Good. You?”
“Better now that I’m home. I missed this place. Missed everyone. Congratulations on ascending to the Alpha position, by the way. I’m pleased for you.”
He inclined his head slightly. Forcing himself to be diplomatic, he said, “I’m sure you’ll settle in fine. If you have any issues, contact Luke.” As Beta, his brother was the pride’s go-to person when it came to minor problems.
“Wait,” she said when Tate started to walk away. “I was planning to come see you at some point today. Um, I’d like to talk to you.”
“About?”
“Not pride business. This is personal. Maybe we could have dinner later? There are things I’d like to say. Things I didn’t get a chance to say after … what happened.”
“We said all that needed to be said the night before you left.”
She shot him a pained look. “I didn’t want to leave. My mother said it would be best to give you some time. I knew I’d messed up and that you needed space. I still kept in touch. Or I tried to. You blocked my number and email address, you blocked me on social media, and you returned all my letters without even opening them.”
“I didn’t want them.”
“I got that message.” Sadness glimmered in her eyes. “I really am sorry, Tate. Sorry about everything. Sorry for letting you down and hurting you.”
Letting him down? That was something of an understatement, but whatever. “You already apologized. Twice, actually.” He’d gotten his first apology in the same breath that she announced they were over. He’d gotten another the night she begged him to take her back.
She licked her lips. “I regret that things didn’t work out between us.”
He shrugged. “It just wasn’t meant to be.” Tate looked beyond her and caught sight of Havana heading to the grocery store with Aspen. His pulse jumped, and his cat went from irritated to keyed-up in an instant.
As if she felt Tate’s stare, Havana paused in the shop doorway and glanced around. Yeah, that was his girl—alert as any apex predator. Their gazes locked, and he’d swear his heart squeezed. Her eyes gleamed with … something. Something that made his cat purr. But then she looked from him to Ashlynn, her expression closed down, and she headed into the store with Aspen.
“Is everything okay?” Ashlynn followed his gaze.
An odd elemental urge to hunt and track began to beat in his blood. “I’ve got to go,” he told Ashlynn, his gaze still on the shop.
“Could we maybe have that dinner I mentioned later today? There are things you need to know. How about we meet at the Steakhouse?”