12. Shane

I tapped my foot impatiently,staring intently at the door to Owen's office. The rhythmic sound echoed in the quiet reception area.

I must have been doing it loudly because Paul, Owen's secretary, had been shooting me irritated glances at me from behind his desk.

"He'll be done soon," Paul said, his tone clipped.

I glanced at the clock, the hands ticking away each agonizing second, feeling a pang of unease at the thought of leaving Liam alone in our house.

Not because I was worried or didn't trust that Liam would wander off on his own; I knew he was capable. But the idea of him being by himself gnawed at me.

I had to call in a favor to James and Ollie, asking them to keep Liam company while I was at the Pack House. It wasn"t like there had been any attacks, and even that Pierce guy was nowhere to be found, but I still couldn't shake this feeling of unease.

I couldn't risk Liam's safety. But I couldn"t bring myself to tell Liam about calling in the favor either.

Instead, I told him it was a small get-together and that I had to leave for a bit for some pack business before dinner. I didn"t want him to think I saw him as some helpless kid.

My impatience wasn't solely because of the meeting, which, now that I thought about it, was supposed to start half an hour ago. It was because I couldn't wait to see Liam again.

He mentioned that since James and Ollie were coming over, he wanted to make something special. It was the first time he was cooking dinner for us, and I couldn"t wait to taste it.

I clicked my tongue and stared at the door again. Paul gave a loud cough, breaking my trance, and stared pointedly at my hand on the armrest. Wait, when did I start drumming my fingers?

I crossed my arms and leaned back, shutting my eyes to calm the restlessness brewing inside me. I knew Marcie, the pack administrator and unofficial pack matriarch, was in there with Owen.

That usually meant a lengthy discussion, and Owen would likely be in a sour mood afterward. Definitely not looking forward to this. It wasn"t ideal to meet with one's lead alpha if he was already in a foul mood.

The door finally opened. Marcie exited first, sporting a smug smile. Owen looked visibly drained from his meeting.

"Shane, there you are!" Marcie exclaimed.

"Oh, hey Marcie," I replied, rising from my seat.

Marcie looked at me curiously. "Nervous about something, Shane?"

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Just eager to get back home."

She nodded. "Did you manage to get that special craft beer for the festival next week?"

"Yeah, we got it sorted. Should be a hit."

"Fantastic," Marcie beamed. "Well, I won"t keep you any longer. See you at the festival next week, Shane."

Owen, gesturing impatiently, prompted me to enter his office quickly, clearly eager to dismiss Marcie.

I entered Owen"s cluttered office and took a seat, tapping nervously on the armrest. I wasn't really sure why he had called me in today.

As Owen busied himself fixing up and clearing paperwork on his desk, I decided to break the silence. "Is, uh, everything okay?"

Owen looked up, his expression a mix of frustration and exhaustion. "No, just some planning problems with the pack festival," he grumbled, gesturing to a stack of papers strewn across the desk. "We were having issues securing enough volunteers. It had been a challenge to get commitments from pack members to help out. Seems like everyone"s schedule was packed."

I nodded sympathetically as he sorted through the documents spread across his desk.

"Although, I could ask you the same thing," Owen added, finally meeting my gaze. "You were supposed to check in last week."

Oh crap.

A pang of guilt hit me square in the chest. I had promised to give Owen a weekly security report, but with everything going on, it had slipped my mind.

I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, avoiding Owen"s scrutinizing gaze.

"So has anything happened? Any incidents?" Owen asked, his tone serious.

The first thought that sprang to mind was the memory of the first night Liam and I had spent together, and then the many nights after that.

I coughed to hide my embarrassment. "No, nothing much lately," I replied, hoping Owen wouldn"t press further.

"Lately?" Owen raised an eyebrow, sensing my hesitation.

I mentioned the paparazzi we had encountered at the book fair, who always seemed to be hovering around Liam like an unwelcome pest. The same one we had spotted lurking outside the diner a few weeks ago.

Owen fell silent, looking serious. I felt nervous, waiting for his reply.

"Did anything happen on their side?" I asked cautiously, my concern for Liam overriding any other thoughts. If something were going on with the McGowans, I felt like I had the right to know, for Liam's sake.

"No, they're strangely quiet. Keeping their heads down," Owen mused, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

Glancing at my watch, I wanted to get to the bakery before it closed. I had promised Liam I would take care of dessert.

"Well, if that's everything, I need to get back," I said, rising from my seat and preparing to leave Owen"s office.

"Hold on. I wanted to tell you I had some guys freed up who could take over from you," Owen offered.

"No!" I replied hastily, my voice betraying more panic than I intended. "I mean, no. Liam's already settled into my place," I added quickly, feeling a surge of unease at the mere thought of not seeing him every day.

The idea of him staying with another enforcer or shifter didn"t sit well with me at all.

Owen narrowed his eyes at me, his gaze piercing. "Shane," he said sternly, a hint of warning in his voice.

I swallowed hard, realizing that Owen must have picked up on something in my expression. The look in his eyes told me he suspected something. It was as if he already knew about Liam and me.

"If you're just having your fun with him…" Owen said.

"I'm not!" I growled, my frustration bubbling to the surface as I stood up from my chair. How could he even suggest such a thing?

But I knew what Owen was getting at. I had crossed a line as a bodyguard, allowing personal feelings to interfere with my duty. It had been unprofessional, and I couldn"t deny it.

Staring into Owen"s eyes, I could sense the weight of his warning. He was worried about the consequences, the potential fallout if the McGowans started blaming us if something went wrong.

"Shane," Owen started, his voice low and serious. "Liam is under our protection?—"

"I know," I responded firmly, meeting Owen"s gaze.

Owen"s expression softened slightly, but his concern was still clear. "Just remember, if things went south, it wouldn"t just be you who pays the price."

"I wouldn"t let anything happen to him, I promise."

There was a tense silence as Owen studied me, his gaze searching for any sign of hesitation or doubt. Finally, he nodded in acknowledgment. "Just be careful, Shane."

My mind had been filled with Owen's words on the ride home, replaying in my mind like a broken record. I navigated the familiar streets until I reached my front door.

James greeted me, his smile fading as he noticed my somber expression.

He seemed like he was about to ask me something when Liam peeked out from the kitchen.

"Oh, did you forget to get dessert?" Liam"s voice interrupted my thoughts.

A playful pout formed on his lips as he noticed I had come home empty-handed.

The sight of Liam, wearing my apron, instantly lifted my spirits, pushing aside Owen"s warning that had been lingering in my mind.

James" expression relaxed as he saw me smile. "C'mon, food's ready," he said, leading the way to the dining table.

Throughout dinner, Owen's voice continued to echo in my mind. Had I just been playing house, indulging in temporary happiness before setting off again?

A few weeks ago, I would have dropped everything once this bodyguard business was over, sold my place, and hit the road again.

Because what did I really have here? Sure, I had family. But James and Cliff had settled down, moving into the next phase of their lives.

Relationships changed things, and a year from now, things might have been different. They might start their own families. We might see each other less. That's just how life goes.

But now, things were different.

I reached for Liam's hand under the table. Liam turned to me, his expression curious as he gave me a smile.

Now, I couldn't imagine living without his smile, his touch, his warmth.

Yet, a small part of me was still scared, worried about the future. Our future. There was still a possibility that Liam would go back to his family after all this was over.

Still, a larger part of me wanted to believe that things would be okay between us. Especially now that I knew more than ever that Liam was my mate.

Nothing – no mage, pack rule, or familial expectation – could ever come between us.