Chapter 20

Calvin's wordsrang in my head. He had no reason to lie to me. And he had no connection to me either, aside from being Kiara's sister. He wasn't invested like Teddy or the crew was. It made me feel a little better. Maybe I wasn't as bad off as I thought. It at least gave me the courage to leave my room again. Teddy and Leo were in the living room, Leo working on his homework and Teddy frowning over his shoulder.

"You're really smart, little cub. I don't think I know how to do that. Want me to ask Andrew?"

They both looked up at the same time when I came close enough. Leo looked suspicious, like he was ready to get mad on my behalf at a moment's notice. Teddy looked worried. I still remembered his comment from the afternoon. If I didn't work harder, he'd leave.

"I, uh… I got a call from Kiara. She seems okay."

"Hey, that's good," Teddy said with a smile. "Is she comin' back?"

I didn't actually get a chance to ask. "I don't think so. Right now, she's guarding a human who got caught in the middle of a job. I don't think she can come home while he's in danger."

Teddy's eyebrows jumped up. "A human? Does he know about us?"

"I don't think so. He likes her, though. I… I talked to him for a little bit. He seems nice."

Teddy hadn't given me one of his proud smiles in a while, and when it spread across his face, I felt warmth spread through my chest. I lived for those smiles. I wanted to keep making him proud. If I did, maybe he'd stay.

"Do you think… Tomorrow is Saturday. Maybe we can go get donuts?"

It wasn't a step forward, Teddy would be with me, but it was still something I wasn't comfortable with. I wanted to try. I just wasn't ready to do it without him yet. And Teddy didn't seem to mind. He nodded once, still beaming at me.

"Yeah. Sounds good to me. Think you're okay with Andrew coming to visit? Little cub is working on math, and I don't got a clue how to help ‘im."

I nodded quickly. I was growing more comfortable with the males in the compound. I was around them the most. And it helped that they were all mated. Straying from your mate was supposed to be impossible. You only had eyes for one person. I didn't believe that was real when I was in the pride. Lions didn't mate. At least, not lions in the pride. They either followed the alpha or went rogue. And rogues weren't allowed near the pride, even if they had family there. I'd never met a lion who mated.

But it was easy to see the mating bond with the males here. They looked at their mates with so much love, it was sometimes hard to watch. I never had any hope of having that before. And now… Now I was worried I was too broken to ever be good enough for a mate.

My eyes tracked Teddy as he walked out to go look for Andrew. He'd make a wonderful mate to someone someday. I never dared to hope I'd find one before now, but with him… He made me want what the males in the house had. What the couples in Blackridge had. I wanted Teddy to stay.

I knew he wouldn't, not without me getting better. So I had to try. And going to town was the first step. With Teddy nearby, I could handle it. He made me feel safe. I just wish he didn't see it as a bad thing.

The shop was quiet,just like the last time we visited. The shop owner moved slowly around the cafe, refilling coffees and checking in with customers. I saw more than one person shoot him a sympathetic look, but I couldn't figure out why. Teddy must've noticed too, because he frowned at the man when he stopped by our table.

"Y"all need anything?" he asked.

"You okay, Frank? Why you walkin' so slow?" Teddy asked.

If Frank was bothered by the question, he didn"t let it show. He set the coffee carafe down with a sigh.

"My health ain't been too great lately. My wife wants me to take a break, but I gotta find someone to replace me first. My daughter said she could come out and run the business side to help me out, but she can't bake a darn thing. She got her mother's penchant for burnin' darn near everything."

"I'm sorry, Frank. That sounds awful. Wish I could help. I can't bake. It's confusin'," Teddy lamented.

Frank snorted, shaking his head. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure you've got your own talents to be proud of."

My gaze flicked to Teddy. I was still waiting for him to tell me he was leaving. Coming down here didn't feel like enough progress. Like the night in the cave, something in me pushed me to do something I wasn't expecting. I could barely get the words out, but I pushed past the discomfort. I needed to give him a reason to stay.

"I… I know how…"

I ducked my head when all three men looked at me. Even Teddy seemed surprised. I wasn't sure what made me say that. It sounded like I was offering to help, and that seemed… terrifying. I'd only planned to offer comfort.

"Ya do? You lookin' for work?" Frank sounded hopeful, and that feeling popped up again. A nudge against my mind. Almost like my lioness was trying to get my attention and point me in the right direction. She hadn't done that in forever. Usually she stayed tucked up in the back of my mind unless I went for a shift, and even then, she wanted to hide from the world. She wasn't making demands, only suggestions, but it felt important for me to listen to her.

"I'm not… a professional or anything. I only bake for Leo…"

Frank leaned closer, like he had to strain to hear me. He frowned at Teddy. "What'd she say?"

"She said she's not a professional. But you think you wanna try to help, Talia?"

I lifted a shoulder uneasily. My lioness seemed interested in it, and Frank said his daughter would run the business side. If I could hide in the kitchen with Teddy nearby, I would probably be okay. I didn"t have to talk to anyone but him. Then maybe he'd stick around.

Leaning closer, Teddy whispered in my ear. "I'm real proud of you for offerin'. Do you mind if I tell Frank about you? I want him to respect your space. This is a big step and you should be comfortable."

When I nodded shakily, Teddy asked Frank to talk to him in the back. He slipped out of the booth, following the older man to the back hallway. When they were out of earshot, Leo leaned closer.

"Are you sure? Did Teddy tell you to do this? You don't have to. I–"

"I'm… not one hundred percent sure. It sounds terrifying, but…" I wanted to be honest with Leo. Teddy said he needed to know how I was feeling if I wanted him to understand. "If it"s just baking, I think I'd be okay. I don't have to talk to anyone. And Teddy will be there. He… He's been working to make me better. I don't want to upset him…"

When Leo dropped his gaze to his lap, I worried maybe I was going too far. If I was down here, I wouldn't be at school with him. He told me how scared he was after I ran last week. I didn't want to make things worse for him.

"I… I know watching me struggle is hard for you. I want to get better. I don't want you to have to protect me forever."

"I don't mind," he grumbled.

"I know. You're the best cub I could've hoped for. I'm so glad I had you." I didn't want to admit that Teddy was thinking of leaving. I wasn't the only one who relied on the gentle bear shifter. Leo would be upset too. That's why I needed to get better. It was for both of us. Teddy needed to see we were trying. Leo was doing better, playing with Javi more. I needed to try, too. Even when the thought of being down here scared me. If he saw me making progress, maybe Teddy would stay.

When I reached for Leo, he came willingly, crawling into my lap and squeezing his arms around my neck. I breathed him in, hugging him tightly. And for the first time since he was a baby, my lioness let out a contented rumble. It made Leo hug me tighter, his own little growl answering back. It had been just us for so long. I knew he was scared. I wanted to get better, not just for Teddy, but for Leo, too. He shouldn't have to protect me forever.

This was a big deal. A huge one. I felt a little better, week by week, but it wasn't a steady recovery. Calvin's words flashed through my head again, reminding me that it was normal to have ups and downs. I just had to keep trying. This was a larger leap than spending time with the Blackridge crew. I wanted to do it, though. I wanted to trust my lioness and get better for Leo. For Teddy. I wanted it so much. It'd be hard, but with Teddy beside me, I felt like I'd be okay.