Chapter Fourteen

Tobias

We were together more nights than not, now that we were mated, although we both had our own homes. But I was never happy when we were apart. I did all right while I was at the restaurant, but if he stopped by for a minute, a quick kiss, a piece of baklava…my whole day brightened. Breakfast together had become our thing, and I worked hard to come up with new ideas to wow my alpha.

Not that he asked me to or ever implied I should do more than I already was. In fact, one morning he asked if cereal was an option. I now had six unopened boxes of cereal on my pantry shelf. I just liked cooking for and with my alpha too much.

Until one day when I woke from yet another vivid dream. I never, on the average, remembered anything about my dreams, but lately that had changed. Color…did everyone dream in color? Had I before? I honestly had no idea. And they weren't nightmares or about any particular topic. Just…bright. Flowers and plants and animals and people. Going about their ordinary lives but as if someone amped up the hues by about 50 percent, so it kind of hurt my dreaming eyes.

I wasn't too worried about it, though, not enough to mention it. Maybe it was something that happened to the newly mated? I climbed out of bed and stretched. I'd have to ask Leon if he also was dreaming like this. Could also be omegas. I didn't know. Everything was kind of crazy at work—the cooler weather had not lessened our customers, my sous chef was still missing work because of his little girl, and I was just feeling overtired and hassled in general. Wasn't busy good for a restaurant? I should be happy, right? Instead, I complained. I stepped into my boxers and padded into the kitchen, ready to clear my head by making my alpha eggs and bacon. He planned to relax today, so he got up a little later than usual and came into the kitchen to find the cereal lined up on the counter, along with milk, bowls, and spoons.

"Finally. I was wondering when you'd let me have at all these," he said, and I froze.

"You don't like the breakfasts I've been cooking?" Sweating over, trying to make better, seeking to chef while half awake…

"I love what you make." He held out his arms and pulled me into them. "You make the best food all the time. I just don't want you to have to work so hard all the time for me."

I sniffed. "Well, I guess…okay." I would have cooked a full breakfast if the bacon hadn't smelled off to me. It currently resided in the kitchen wastebasket. Something I'd explain except I was too cranky. "I'm going to go to work."

"Isn't it early for that?"

"Shorthanded again. But don't hurry. Enjoy your cereal. I'm just going to have coffee."

"I'll see you tonight though?" He picked up a box of oat clusters. "I'm making dinner."

I mustered a smile for him, reaching for the milk. Pouring it in my coffee, I wrinkled my nose. "I think this is off. Smell it?"

Leon sniffed the milk. "I think it's fine." He filled his bowl with cereal and poured on the milk, took a bite. "Perfect."

"Must be me. I'm gonna get a shower."

"About dinner? Would you rather I cooked over here instead of my place?"

"I think here is good." I stretched my back. "I am going to try to come home early and get a nap. I don't know why I'm so tired."

"Good. You've been so busy at work."

"My sous chef is supposed to be back today. If he is, naptime for Toby."

When I got to work, I learned little Felicia was doing much better, so I stayed through the lunch rush and then packed up and went home. Everything smelled wrong or off, and I was worried about poisoning the whole town. But nobody else seemed to find any problems, so it had to be me, but why? I'd been mildly nauseated for weeks and tired. But the smell thing was new. I had been working too hard, obviously, but a niggling doubt at the back of my mind had me stopping by the pharmacy on the way home. I couldn't be, could I? I hadn't thrown up at all and my chest didn't feel swollen.

But better safe than sorry.