Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Callisto

"Rory said that he wanted you to meet him at the café for lunch. You had such a strong reaction to it and seemed to be so interested that he arranged for Elowen to cook you a vegetarian lunch."

Callisto's head shot up from the book she'd been reading. It was one of Rory's, since she hadn't brought any of her own. War certainly wasn't her favorite subject and she'd learned more than she wanted to know about battle tactics over the past few days of reading. Most of his books were what you'd expect a guy to have—nonfiction, war, history, even some on architecture. She passed over the books on butchering obviously. They looked virtually antique anyway.

She shot Sophia a withering glare. Traitor, she signed, setting the book aside. You know why I had a strong reaction. Because my brother's mate owns that café.

Sophia played innocent, giving her that sweet, who me? look, like she couldn't have possibly schemed this up.

Callisto wasn't going to lunch. She had a thousand reasons why, but first and foremost was the fact that she'd been sneaking out at night for the past six days to do reconnaissance when everyone was asleep.

Getting past a shifter was difficult, but Rory had proved himself to be one of those sleep like the dead kind of people.

She'd carefully observed and memorized the Greenacre guard's routines. They circled the adjoining land between Pinefall and theirs only twice a night, instead working the perimeter more often. She'd anticipated there would be cameras, but so far, she hadn't seen any. She'd worn all black every time. Pinefall had guards too, but they also didn't patrol the adjoining land as heavily. She'd only seen them from a distance, going around four times in a three-hour period—that was the longest she'd stayed out. She'd ventured further and further each time.

She'd insisted that Sophia not come with her. It was harder to hide two people, plus if shit got dangerous, she had the bear to protect herself. Sophia wasn't trained in any sort of hand-to-hand combat, and she was just a human with no animal to shift into to flee or fight. If she was ever caught, she wanted the blame to rest entirely on her. She could save Sophia then, because she'd have some plausible deniability.

There's no way I'm going to lunch, she informed Sophia. It sounds like a date and that's just not going to happen. Plus, what if my brother is there?

"It sounds like someone is doing something nice for you. That's all."

Callisto's brows shot up. Then why aren't you coming? Also… CLAY. She spelled out his name, emphasizing the letters.

"Oh, I was invited, but I declined in favor of you going alone. Rory doesn't close up shop in the day, ever, and I told him I'd go downstairs and keep an eye on things until you're back."

Fuck that.

Yeah. There were signs for all the dirty words too.

Sophia just laughed. "Wear the white dress you had on for the mating ceremony. What was the name of the lady who gave it to you? Josephine? Yeah, I think so. She's the doctor, right?" Callisto refused to nod. "Anyway, she said you didn't have to give it back. It's a nice dress. Probably the only nice thing you have."

All the more reason not to wear it. Jeans it is.

"So you're going?" Sophia liked using an ironic twist when she was vastly amused instead of straight up laughing. "Great."

I'm not going, but if I was, I wouldn't wear a dress. Callisto signed with a scowl. She wasn't going to ask about her brother again. Sophia didn't know anything more about him than she did, or she'd tell her.

"You're going even if I have to throw you over my shoulder and take you there myself."

Callisto snorted through her nose so it made some sound. Highly unlikely given that you're petite as a waif and I'm a virtual giant. Oh, I'm also a bear.

"I don't care. I'll find a way. Rory's making an effort. He's a nice person. You don't have to be mean to him."

It's not about being mean! Callisto exaggerated her signs to show the exclamation mark that other people could portray with the tone of their voice. It's about getting his hopes up for something that is never going to happen.

"Or maybe it's not that at all. He said he wanted to make an effort. Maybe he wants you to try things so you can get the recipe. He feels bad, no doubt, that he slaughters animals all day long and cuts them up and then comes home and cooks them and you don't like that and won't eat it. He can't stop doing it because it's his profession and people here need to eat. Remember what he said in Glendy's store? That everyone here has a job and a purpose and a way to contribute? This is his."

Don't turn it political.

Sophia sniffed. She'd been reading too. She found the books on physical anatomy quite fascinating even if they were on the antique side as well. She picked up the hardcover book which was about as thick as both her fists put together and stuck her face back in it.

There was nothing for it. Callisto already knew she had to go. Sophia would never let her hear the end of it otherwise, and honestly, how could she turn Rory down after he'd made that kind of effort on her behalf? She might as well just walk straight up to his face and flip him the bird. It was the one sign he certainly would understand.

"He said to be there for noon, so you have half an hour. I decided to tell you right before, so you'd have enough time to get ready and get there, but not enough time to talk yourself out of going."

I never talked myself into it.

Sophia couldn't see though, because she was purposely still hiding.

Callisto signed a series of curses and shoved off the couch. She thought about pulling that book down and letting Sophia know exactly what she thought about her and Rory's romantic plotting, but instead she stormed off to the bedroom to change.

She was only going because there was a slight chance that she'd be able to set eyes on her brother. It wouldn't be for the first time, but at her mating ceremony, it was nearly impossible to pick single faces out of an ever-shifting crowd and then she'd not known what he looked like. Raven gathered great intel, but she never got anywhere close to a job in human form, and carrying a camera as a bird was out of the question. If anyone spotted any sort of tech, they'd know immediately that she wasn't just a regular bird.

She was serious about that, and she was serious about the stupid dress. There was no way she was ever getting into that thing again, especially not after she'd been mated in it and given oaths. It was like anyone else wearing their wedding dress to dinner. Yeah. No.

She had a long-sleeved, black shirt, okay for the day since it was cloudy and temperatures this close to the mountains often made for more moderate summer days. It wasn't like Wyoming where they baked in the summer and froze in the winter.

She put a pair of black leggings on and went for her black combat boots. It was either that or runners and they were bright pink, green, and blue. For this lunch she wanted her outfit to reflect her mood, dark and somber. She braided her hair, scowled at herself in the mirror and snatched her notebook and pen off the nightstand.

I hope you're happy, she told Sophia when she stalked back into the living room.

Sophia saw her coming since she hadn't been reading at all, just using the book to get out of conversation. She gave her two thumbs up and a big grin. "You bet I'm happy. I'll walk you down, since I have to watch the shop. Rory locked it temporarily when he left half an hour ago, but I'll open the door and try and make conversation with whoever comes in. I guess that's a good way to get to know people too."

I don't know how to get close to Clay and Taylee. It has to happen naturally, but it's so hard waiting. If he's not at the café today… She stopped signing. What would she do if he was? She was paralyzed just thinking about it, a nervous sweat breaking out over her body.

"Maybe you should just come out and tell them everything. That would probably be the best way to get close."

Callisto gave good death face because her expressions had to speak for her so much of the time. She gave Sophia a good glare, but she just kept grinning back. Naturally, she wouldn't have expected anything less. Right, she signed. And I'll tell them what? That I plan on doing something so nefarious to their parents that I haven't even decided on what it is yet, but I can promise that no one is going to like it? Maybe I should just go to Sam and Rory and confess that I've been sneaking over there as well and this whole thing was actually about personal revenge and has nothing to do with my clan.

Sophia rolled her eyes. "You could always change your mind. Get to know Clay and Taylee. Hear their point of view on what happened. Though, as Taylee lost her memory, she might not know anything other than what others have told her. Maybe even hear your parents out and Jem too. They should have left you out to die, from what you've heard, but they didn't. They gave you a chance to live."

If it was anyone else, Callisto would have been furious, but she could never be mad at Sophia. Not when they'd suffered the same deprivations and pain and evil when they were both just kids. Not when Sophia had stuck with her, interpreted for her, protected her, and loved her for literally their whole lives.

Callisto let her annoyance be known with another dark scowl before she signed, I can't talk about this now. Someone arranged a wretched lunch date behind my back.

"Have fun, darling. Enjoy yourself. And you're welcome."

Sophia followed her out and down to the shop. She was used to Callisto's moods, and she knew that behind the apparent anger on the surface, there was so much more going on.

Callisto used the back door so she wouldn't have to walk through the butchering area. All the smells got to her. Even if none of that meat was rotten, the damage had been done long ago. She couldn't undo it and she couldn't change her mind, even if it was all in her head.

Sophia unlocked the door just as she walked around to the front and waved her off. Callisto refused to wave back, which only sent a warm flood of laughter trailing after her.

At the restaurant, Rory stood leaning against the porch, like the old timey place with the straight wood fa?ade needed another column to hold up the length of the overhanging porch.

He obviously believed the same thing she did about white dresses and suits, but he'd changed into a fresh red and black buffalo plaid shirt, and he had a fresh pair of jeans on. Even his boots looked polished up and not as heavy as the ones he usually wore. She wasn't the least inclined to be romantic. She felt nothing for her mate. She wasn't touched by this gesture. Her heart didn't skip a beat or anything so silly, but she did find it hard to breathe for a few seconds at the way Rory's muscular shoulders and torso filled out that shirt and the way his jeans hung on lean hips and outlined the hard muscles in his thighs.

He'd said he was nearly fifty when they'd talked that night, so that officially put him in DILF territory.

Why the hell had she just thought that? Also, how was it her fault that her body sparked with attraction. She didn't understand the shivers that shot through her belly.

Rory wasn't the usual rough, gruff, dismissive, suit wearing, richer than god type who wanted nothing more than a hard fuck in sometimes dangerous ways. Maybe it made sense that she felt that slight shiver of attraction even though he was the opposite kind of man she usually desired because she wasn't planning on fucking him. Ever. That didn't actually explain a whole lot, but she did have eyes and he looked good. His hair was brushed back into near perfect messiness, he had some stubble going on which made his jaw look harder, and he was tall and stacked from doing hard work all day every day. She shivered because he was aesthetically pleasing. That was all.

At least he was pleasing enough until he gave her that big, dopey grin like her showing up actually made his whole life. It reminded her how nice he was. He was the kind of man who could no doubt give someone unconditional love. He could give a woman a life where she was always his first priority. He was a great dad. He'd be a kind, attentive mate. He was considerate, loyal, intelligent, honest, and he worked hard—not just for his own betterment, but for everyone else's. That was everything anyone could want. If she stayed and she let him, if she let down her guard, if she claimed him as hers and let herself be his, she'd have that life that everyone dreamed of.

Except that she'd never wanted a mate. She'd never wanted happily ever after. She wasn't here to love. She was here to destroy. She'd never grown up believing in fairytales, and if fate had one thing in store for her it was to accomplish her mission so she could go back home with the shattered pieces of herself at least avenged, if not put back together.

After standing staring at each other in awkward silence for a few minutes, Rory cleared his throat. "I'm so glad you came. I had Elowen arrange a whole meal that's entirely vegetarian. She gave me some recipes, but she also gave me instructions for cooking. We do eat vegetables, but I'm afraid I'm not very imaginative when it comes to doing anything other than boiling them."

Callisto had her notebook and her pen in hand, and she put it to good use.

I'M A GOOD ENOUGH COOK. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT. I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.

He blinked, like the thought had never crossed his mind that she should have to make her own meals, separate from what he was doing.

"Maybe we can share the kitchen. Do it together. I'll tackle the meat, you can do the veggies. We'll meet in the middle with anything else." There was that hopeful smile again. It made his dark eyes shine. Any other woman on earth would be doing cartwheels and leaping for joy that she should find herself forced mated to such a kind, generous, good man.

All it did was send a shiver of guilt through Callisto that she didn't want to feel. She didn't want to break a good man. She didn't want him to get attached to her in any way, but his kind spirit couldn't allow him to operate any differently. She wanted to be mean, to crush his hopes because it would be better for him in the end, but she couldn't bring herself to do it anymore. It wasn't her fault that he wasn't going to keep himself guarded and it wasn't her fault that she wasn't built to be cruel.

There was going to some inevitable hurt when she fucked up Pinefall—or at least her parent's lives—and went back to Wyoming and that was the end of it.

"Should we go in?" Rory was waiting for her.

She bit her lip and nodded.

She tried her best to ignore the fact that he was even more beautiful and rugged than normal and that it sent another twinge racing through her and a shiver where she had no business getting shivers.

He was the kind of man who held the door for her and ushered her into the humble place. She glanced at his hands, annoyed at herself that she liked how big and capable they looked. She studied his veins and knuckles and didn't even think about how they were probably literally bloodstained.

He certainly didn't smell like blood. He smelled… good. Not reeking of cologne, but of softer, more natural things. Fresh air in clean clothes. The scent of the soap in the bathroom that he'd grabbed from Glendy's shop a week ago, something mixed with eucalyptus.

Inside opened into a huge unbroken area with fluorescent lighting, old hardwood floors, and a long wooden counter that separated the back from the front. There was a door at the far end, which probably led to the upstairs, since there was a second floor, like Rory's building. A series of booths lined one end near the windows, while tables and chairs were arranged neatly in the rest. It looked like a token restaurant with the square silver napkin holders, the neat little salt and pepper shakers, the bottles of ketchup on each table.

It was noon, but the restaurant was deserted.

Elowen rounded the counter as soon as the little bell at the front door jingled. She had the whole white jacket and black pants chef outfit going. It was clear she loved what she did because she looked so excited to see them that the energy in the room shifted. It was like the whole room was suddenly full of balloons, bubbles, and happy rainbows.

"Ahh, I'm so excited you're here," she gushed. "I have everything ready in the back. Just sit wherever you like, and I'll start bringing it out. I made things that you'd both be sure to like, even if one of you is a total carnivore."

When Elowen rushed to the back like the place was suddenly on fire, Callisto turned to Rory, writing something hastily.

WHY IS NO ONE ELSE HERE?

"Oh, I…" he trailed off, turning his face to hide the fact it was getting red. He couldn't maintain eye contact when he was embarrassed. "You had such a strong reaction the other day to being here, I thought you must have liked it. I wanted to do something special for you. Something to show you that I'm a man of my word and that I'm more than willing to make an effort and learn new things. I wanted it to be private, so I arranged for us to have the place to ourselves."

Well, there very likely went her hopes for meeting her brother in any capacity.

Also? It seemed like this was very much the one thing she didn't want it to be. A date.