Chapter Four

Caspian

“Is this a nightclub?” In case Sage didn’t realize that…which of course he did. It wasn’t flashy, but something about it said club. “Didn’t you say we were going to our lodgings first thing?”

“Yeah…and this is where GPS sent me.” He chewed on his lip, something I’d had to look away from because it made me hard. “Let me get out my phone and see what happened. “Hmmm. Ocean views, all amenities included, one-bedroom unit…” He read a little more, his eyes going back and forth. “Wait here a minute, okay? I’ll run and double-check.”

One bedroom. My heart sped up, thudding behind my ribs. We’d stayed in the same room on previous trips, especially when we were younger and didn’t have much money. Also, the same tent on any number of camping trips. Typical, easy friendship to all who knew us. At least I thought so. Did any of our other friends or family know what lay beneath our obvious relationship?

I’d never told anyone how I felt, thinking that the first person who should know was Sage himself. And after we made our pact, swearing we would wait until thirty to give our true and fated mates a chance to show up, we really didn’t talk about it again. We were trying to do the honorable thing where others might be concerned.

I watched Sage dart across the parking lot, his speed faster than the mundane version of his species but not quite as fast as I could do. Close enough for some fun chase games over the years. Also, he could turn on a dime, a gift I did not have but loved watching. Even in human form, my wabbit was swift.

He approached the front door and knocked. It was still late afternoon, and the parking lot was nearly empty. What time did nightclubs open in a place like San Diego anyway? All we had at home was the roadhouse that was open all day and closed about ten at night.

A big man opened the door and stepped outside, closing it behind him. From his height and bulk, he was either a really big human or a bear shifter, likely a grizzly. I was feeling better about this. Even if we were lost, another shifter would hopefully help set us on the right track. Maybe there were more buildings on the property with the same address or something.

While they spoke, my mind went back to the flashing neon of a much bigger sign than the one on the building we were parked a few dozen yards from. One-bedroom unit. After the conversation we’d had recently, about Sage’s upcoming birthday on Christmas, the fact that we would share a room—presumably a bed—held great import. Our kisses and touches, furtive and quick, had been increasing in frequency over the past few years as the point of decision approached, even without discussing it.

What if someone showed up before Christmas, Sage’s mate? Would I be able to step back as originally planned if we had already crossed the line and made love? Could I just say that it would be a beautiful memory, or would I be destroyed to have him taken away then?

“All set.”

I jumped when Sage climbed into the driver’s seat of our rental car. “You scared me.”

“Yeah, you looked lost in thought.” He grinned. “Want to tell me what gave you such an expression of concentration? Wondering what to have for dinner maybe?”

I snorted. “If you think that, you’re not nearly as smart a wabbit as I’ve always given you credit for.” I reached for his hand. “You have to know I was thinking about us. Can we really be about to take that step? I’ve tried not to let myself hope for all these years.”

He brought my hand up to his lips and brushed them across the back. “Me too. I didn’t even dare tell you how I felt because if your true mate showed up, hope would be gone. And you might feel guilty for dumping me.”

“Truth, wabbit?”

“Yes, always. I think it’s time we ceased holding our thoughts back from one another.”

“I don’t know if I could have let you go. Oh, rather, from my heart. If I had a mate show up…you’re not replaceable.”

“Cas.” He pulled me in for a long deep kiss before leaning back to study me. “Does that tell you how I feel?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe you’d better do it again.”

Sage’s laugh had always been one of my favorite things about him. It made everyone within hearing distance laugh, too. “Greedy alpha.” He pecked me on the nose. “Let’s go park where the grizzly directed me and get to our accommodations. Turns out, the whole thing is shifter run, and yes, it’s a club called Animals, but they have apartments for employees on the lower floors, facing the ocean view I was promised. When they have open units, they’ve started renting them out on Airbnb, so that’s what I got.”

“Okay. That sounds amazing. Isn’t there another club called Animals somewhere?” I was starting to remember hearing about such a place.

“Arizona. Yes.” He released my hand and turned on the ignition. “We have to go around to the employee lot so we can use the other entrance. Our room does come with admission to the club as well during our stay. Oh, and there’s an area for shifting behind the building.”

Once we parked and grabbed our luggage from the rear of the car, a door opened and a woman wearing a blazer and neat slacks stepped out. “Ben said you’d arrived. Come on in.”

“Ben was the bear I was talking to,” Sage said.

“Well, not just a bear,” the woman laughed. “But mostly. He’ll have to tell you the rest himself one day. Come in, and we’ll get you settled in your room and go over how this place works. We haven’t been renting out for long, so there are still a few bugs in the system, and we would be glad for any feedback before you leave. I’m Linda, the cat they hired to work on this project.”

Linda the cat, if I was not mistaken, was a panther. She was athletic in appearance with shiny black hair gathered into a long braid down her back. And her teeth had just enough sharpness to suggest fangs without being them. Some shifters looked more like their animal than others. Her copper-colored eyes tipped at the corners, very catlike indeed.

We followed Linda to an elevator and boarded to be taken down several floors and emerge facing a full wall of windows where the sun was just now sinking into the ocean in the distance, blazing with all the yellows, reds, and golds I’d seen in pictures of such sunsets. “Wow, it’s beautiful,” I breathed.

“Thanks.” She grinned, flashing those very white and sharp teeth. “We arranged it just for you.” Smart-alecky cat. If I didn’t already like her so much, I might have been irritated. “Your rooms are right through here.”

Rooms? Plural?

“I only booked one,” Sage said, looking as dismayed as I felt. “There must be some mistake.”

“Oh no.” She opened a door and waved us ahead of her. “It’s a one-bedroom accommodation. With a living room and of course a bath.”

My breath came out in more relief than I wanted to admit or show, but the cat’s grin grew wider. “Now, one of you give me your phone so I can put my number into it for you.”

Sage and I both held them out.

“All right.” She tapped on the devices and returned them. “Call me anytime, day or night. I live on the property and am at your service.”

After Linda left, we brought our bags in and looked around. “Should we unpack?” he asked.

“Didn’t you say we could shift?” With things just a little up in the air, being in the room together seemed slightly risky. Or more than that. “Let’s go check out the area.”