Coveney sipped his chocolate shake and took a bite of his pizza before turning to the play area and waving at the kids. The two eldest were reading on their tablets off to the side because they were too cool for inflatable castles today.

Rye had been right. It had been too long since they’d done this. Waiting around for enemies to turn up at their door had that effect.

Of course, it hadn’t been why Rye had forced them all here, judging by the way everyone stared at him like they were trying to burn holes in his pizza.

He’d pretended not to let it get to him while he ate, because pizza was sacred. Now that he’d finished his last slice, he sighed, plopped his drink on the table, and said, “Alright, start the intervention, if you must.”

He knew what they were about to say. We don’t know that girl. She’s about to head to God knows where, for God knows how long, and you can’t go. She isn’t part of the pride. And if Daunte had been talking behind his back, you may be mistaken about her being your mate.

That last part would piss him off more than the rest. The rest were valid concerns, but at each moment he was more certain that his educated guess had foundations. For example, right now, being five miles away from her was almost physically painful. And it had also started something, something deep, rooted in his tiger’s instincts, bleeding through to him. A low, strange vibration that made him practically shake when he didn’t watch himself.

He’d heard of that, too.

While he’d been close to her, so sure that he would get to touch her soon, fate had left him alone. Now that they’d forced some distance between them, now that they’d made him leave her with a single male - an annoyingly good-looking single male, at that - things had changed. He had mating urges. They were getting worse by the second. Harder. Stronger.

Let them speak and be done with it soon, so he could return to her, where he belonged.

“Okay, so, don’t get pissed,” Rygan started, cautious. “But we just had to talk to you. For almost ten years, you’ve been a robot, a shadow of yourself. We’ve all seen it, even those of us who didn’t know you before the mess with Lorren. Vivicia may joke and call you Robocop, but that’s what you were, a damn robot. Frankly, it worried the shit out of us. All of us.”

Nods all around. Coveney frowned. He’d seen their lingering glances, of course, especially Rye’s. He’d just assumed they were disappointed in some way, not worried.

“I’m not the suicidal kind.”

“No, but you weren’t living either. Then, all of a sudden, you woke up from the funk. One day with a chick, just one day, and you’re like a lovesick puppy. You talk. You smile. You joke. You’re basically as crazy as Ace when someone gets the catnip out.”

“I resemble that,” the Alpha female commented with a sigh.

Coveney smiled. Ace really was embarrassing around catnip toys.

“See? Doing the smiling thing again. What I wanted to say, what we all wanted to say, is that we’re not letting you throw that away out of duty.”

He had to do his best to prevent himself from laughing. So, that’s what they’d wanted to say? He shook his head.

Everyone glared at him, as if daring him to contradict them, except Daunte, who was too busy stealing some pizza from his mate’s plate.

“And you?” he asked the Beta pair. “You’ve also come to preach?”

Daunte shrugged, absolutely shameless. “Nah. I was in when Rye said pizza. Plus, I would have punched that damn wolf if we’d stayed longer.”

“You found the Scion woman yummy, I think his immortal sexiness is dreamy,” Clari replied, slapping his hand away from her last slice. “Mine.”

Coveney rolled his eyes, before getting up. “If that’s all, you wouldn’t mind if I head back ahead of you guys?”

“Wait, we’re not done discussing…”

“What? Me letting my fated mate get away?” he lifted a brow as half of the table gaped at him. “I owe you guys, I really do. But that was never going to happen. Now, I need to get back to her. Especially given the fact that she’s with… his immortal sexiness.”

He grimaced, guessing the jerk would probably love the appellation.

“Coveney,” Rye called him back. “She might really need to leave.”

He nodded stiffly.

“If… when you go, know that there’s always a place for you back with us. Both of you.”

He smirked and said, “Hadn’t doubted it,” before shifting and running back towards Lakesides at full speed.

It was the first time he’d let his tiger out since the previous day, which seemed like a million years ago. The animal had always been focused and powerful, but he didn’t think he’d ever run at that speed; he barely touched the ground, pushing his massive frame forward harder, faster, each time he leaped. At long last, he was in front of the pride house. He didn’t bother shifting back, bumping his head on the front door until someone came to open it. The wolf girl. Vivicia, Coveney thought, but his tiger ignored her and kept on going until he finally found her.

Mate.

He pushed his head onto her lap and tilted it; she immediately took the hint and ran her fingers through his white fur, making him groan in pleasure.

Coveney hadn’t lied; he didn’t touch people, not even his pride mates, and his tiger was even worse. Right now, he couldn’t comprehend what he’d had against it. His large paws covered her arms, making sure to keep her in place because if she stopped scratching him, he might just die.

Catnip indeed. Rye had nailed it.

“Hey, Coveney,” she said, smiling down at him like he was the best thing she’d ever seen.

A second ago, the tiger had been so fond of her touch he was all but ready to overthrow his human self and become feral if it meant he could just carry on being touched by their mate. But when she said his name he immediately shifted, needing to be able to talk to her, too. Plus, the tiger readily admitted that he needed hands to remove all those bothersome clothes she wore over her soft skin. His claws wouldn’t do the trick.

Shifting back faster than he ever had in the past, Coveney gathered her in his arms, and started to walk away, ignoring everyone in the room.

“What are you- where are you taking me…”

“Everywhere. I’ll take you everywhere.”

He completely ignored Knox, who sighed dramatically, telling Vivicia, “Am I the only one who may just vomit?”