Lucy couldn’t help but watch Dan as he walked into the shop the next day. He’d been the perfect gentleman the night before, walking her back to the truck and giving her a long, lingering kiss, filled with promises about what could happen between them.

Lucy knew, deep down, that Dan was desperate to talk to her about her shifting, but, instead, he was doing what he’d promised and keeping it to himself until she was ready to talk. She appreciated that about him. It was so different from Dominic’s way of barking orders and expecting her to follow through without question. There was no fear with Dan, only trust and a slow growing love that Lucy knew she couldn’t deny any longer.

“Morning,” Dan murmured, as he came over to her. “You look beautiful, Lucy.” Dipping his head, he kissed her quickly, before giving her a wide smile. “Fresh air must agree with you.”

Lucy knew she was blushing at his compliment, her eyes dropping to his mouth. “Perhaps it was the company,” she replied, softly, looking up at him. “Last night was wonderful, Dan.” She meant every word and could see the happiness in his eyes.

“Yes, it was,” he agreed. “Maybe we can go there again some time.”

"How about tonight?" Lucy asked, quickly. "Let me organize things this time. Maybe we could get some of that infamous takeout and have it at the top of the hill?"

His wide grin brought a flurry of awareness into her stomach. She hadn’t been intending to ask him to go again so soon, but one kiss and all she could think about was being alone with him again.

“That sounds really good, Lucy,” Dan replied, lifting her chin with one hand. “I can hardly wait.”

Lucy gazed into his eyes, as pure happiness shot straight through her. She felt as though this was where she belonged, right here, with Dan. Even the feeling of her bear growling contentedly wasn’t worrying, because, for the first time, her entire being was at peace. Bear and human, both together, happy.

“Oi,” came a shout, just as Dan was about to kiss her again. “None of that in the office.”

Nick’s grinning face appeared in the doorway, making Lucy sigh heavily. Now Dan would head back to work and she’d barely see him for the rest of the day. It was almost strange to admit it, but Lucy knew she’d miss him despite the fact they were literally only a few yards apart. It was obvious to her now that she was falling in love with him and she desperately hoped Dan felt the same way, even if they had a difference of opinion when it came to shifting.

“Sorry,” Dan murmured, brushing her cheek in a quick kiss before stepping away. “Duty calls!”

“I’ll see you this evening, then,” Lucy said, smiling after him. “Do you want your usual takeout?”

Dan nodded. “Yes, please. Looking forward to it, Lucy.”

“So am I,” Lucy whispered to herself, as Dan walked out of the office. “So am I.”

 

“Looks like you’re doing a great job with the place, Lucy!”

Wiping her forehead with the back of her hand, Lucy tried to smile. Getting old, stubborn wallpaper off the wall wasn't exactly easy, but at least her efforts were being appreciated. "Thanks, Jo," she replied, stepping down carefully from the ladder. "Any idea what color you want to paint the place?"

Jo shrugged, holding the ladder steady as Lucy came down. “No idea.” She gave Lucy as grin as she handed her a cup of freshly brewed coffee. “What do you think?”

Lucy thought for a moment. "If I'm honest, I have had a few ideas." She launched into her design idea, including everything from light fixtures to a brand new office counter. Completely unsure as to what Jo's reaction was going to be since her face was still expressionless by the time she finished, Lucy held her breath.

Jo began to nod thoughtfully. “That’s a lot of work there, Lucy.”

She shrugged. “I don’t mind doing it. To be honest, I’m quite enjoying coming up with ideas.” Suddenly worried that Jo was going to think she was trying to take over, she stumbled over her words. “Not that I mean you have to do everything I’ve suggested, that’s not what I mean at all. It’s just a few ideas, and I’ll go with whatever you like.”

To her relief, Jo laughed. “Don’t worry, Lucy, I think what you’ve suggested sounds great. In fact – ” she grabbed her phone and typed in a couple of things before looking back up at her. “Lucy, I’d like to offer you the position of interior designer.”

Lucy stared at Jo for a moment, not sure what she meant. “Uh…I don’t have any qualifications or anything, so not sure I can call myself that.”

Jo shrugged. “It looks like you’ve got a natural talent for this kind of thing. So here’s what I’m going to suggest. You do whatever you need to, in order to make this place look great. I’ll give you a budget of course, and there’ll be a wage in there too. After all, we can’t have you working for free!”

“What’s happening?”

Jo turned to Savannah, who was just walking in. “I’ve just hired Lucy as our interior designer.”

“Oh, really?” Savannah asked, turning bright eyes on Lucy. “Great! If you do a good job, I’m sure Tom and I could do with your help too.”

Lucy was flabbergasted. She didn't know what to say. Jo had just put her trust in Lucy to reorganize and redecorate their whole office space, and was going to be paying her a salary too? "I – I don't know what to say," she whispered, hardly believing what Jo had offered. "That's a lot of trust you're putting in me, Jo."

Jo gave her a gentle smile, wrapping one arm around her shoulders. “Listen, Lucy,” she said, softly. “This place is for people like you. People who don’t have a place of their own or a family they can rely on. We trust each other. That’s how this pack works. Besides, from how you and Dan have been looking at each other, I’m guessing you’re not planning to leave any time soon?”

Heat flooded Lucy's cheeks, but she nodded. "I really appreciate the offer, Jo. I'd be honored to accept."

“Great!” Jo exclaimed, squeezing Lucy’s shoulder. “Then let’s call today your first day of work, okay? Savannah can get you all set up.”

“Sure,” Savannah chimed in, walking over to the computer. “Welcome to the family, Lucy.”

 

 

Lucy walked up the hill behind Dan, trying not to feel completely overwhelmed by the events of the day. She'd found herself as an official employee, given complete creative freedom and a budget to boot. Even though she hadn't been with the pack long, Jo, Savannah, and the others all seemed more than happy to have her officially as part of their team. It was almost unbelievable.

There wasn't much conversation between her and Dan, not until the blanket and a couple of cushions had been laid out on the grass, and they were sitting with their backs against the bench they'd sat on the night before.

“Here’s yours,” Lucy muttered, digging through the bag of food. “I bought a couple of drinks too, and there should be some prawn crackers in here somewhere.”

“Great,” Dan said, digging into his food almost straight away. “Sorry, I’m really hungry.”

Lucy grinned. “Me too.”

“Lots of work today?” Dan asked, in between mouthfuls.

Nodding, Lucy looked up at him. Obviously, he hadn’t heard her news. “Jo gave me a job.”

He froze, staring at her for a moment before his mouth split into a wide smile. “Really?”

“Yes, really,” Lucy replied, happily. “Interior designer.”

“Wow!” Dan exclaimed, leaning over and kissing her cheek. “That’s brilliant news, Lucy. I’m so pleased for you.”

“Thank you.” Turning back to her food, Lucy smiled to herself before she carried on eating. “If I’m honest, I’m really happy about it. It feels like I belong here now, you know?”

Dan smiled, putting one hand on her knee. “That’s because you do belong, Lucy.”

“Even though I don’t shift?”

Her question hung in the air, as a sudden tension sparked between them. Eventually, Dan shook his head. “If it’s important to you that you don’t shift, Lucy, then the rest of us will understand.”

Lucy let out a slow breath, her appreciation of him growing even more. Even when he had the chance to start questioning her again about her decision, he didn’t. He respected her. Something began to burn slowly in her soul, spreading heat through her limbs. “Thank you for understanding, Dan.”

He grinned at her, breaking the tension. “I might try and change your mind one day though.”

“I know.”

They ate the rest of the meal in silence, enjoying the quiet and the view in front of them. The sun would be setting again soon, and Lucy was sure it was going to be another spectacular evening.