Becoming a House Cat

Becoming a House Cat Part 4

We strode down the street to the creamery. Cece clung to me the whole time. I could see the town's folks stare at us, especially the other shifters. I was well known as a bachelor and my influence on the growing city made it, so I had been mayor for five years before buying my hotel.

Our outings around the shopping district would definitely have the wolves talking. I was sure to get a call from their alpha in the evening. He had spent years rubbing it in my face about how he had found his Luna and now that she was finally pregnant. He renewed his intensity. He couldn't just watch reality TV. That prick was too involved in mine and all his pack's love lives. Just as I had the thought, I felt Cece's grip tightened on my bicep.

There in the creamery's cue was almost half the pack playing bodyguard for Alan the Alpha and his Luna Annalise. She was halfway through her pregnancy and had all kinds of cravings, from what every wolf told me every time I had to visit their pack house.

"Maybe we can skip the ice cream." Cece's voice turned extra quiet.

"It's too late. They saw us." I wrapped my arm around her and leaned near her ear. "But you still have time to go back to the car before Annie tries to hug you."

We were at least fifty feet away. And she was already waving at us, holding a bag of chips.

"Keys." She patted my arm.

I put my spare key in her hand.

"Get me a vanilla soft serve!" she cried out, scattering away towards the Pausa where my green SUV was parked.

I walked on towards the cue.

"Stephen!" Alan waved, heading towards me as I reached the end of the line.

"Good afternoon Alan."

"What was that about?" His beta Jules had finished ordering.

"Did you get a girlfriend?" Annalise pushed them aside to hug me, bag of chips still at hand.

She was one clingy hugger, but she never hugged for too long because Alan would always draw her back into his arms any chance he got.

"She's not my girlfriend."

"Is she your mate?" Annie pulled back, wiggling her eyebrows.

"A cat? If the gods will it, why not?" Alan crept behind his mate to wrap his arms above her baby bump.

"She's not a big cat if she's afraid of a bunch of wolves." Jules stepped beside the couple, soon to be joined by other members of the pack who were done ordering.

One of them was the third in command, Karl, who brought their orders to his leaders. He then went back to the counter for his and Jules's. Alan held his soft chocolate serve and his mate's cup with three scoops of bubblegum ice cream. She minutely opened a little corner of her bag of, sour cream and onion ruffle burping the air out before crushing the chips. Yes, they did end up on her ice cream. I made no comment whatsoever but it was seared into my brain forever.

"Where is she from? We've never seen her around here." Alan glanced back to guess how many left had to order before he could pay for the whole gang.

"I don't know. I haven't asked her yet. I met her yesterday at Willa's."

"And you just took her?" Jules was questioning my integrity there.

"Cece agreed to live with me in town and Willa pushed for it."

"You don't look like you were forced though." Annie gave me a sly smile, scooping some of her concoction into her mouth.

"I heard you two went on one big shopping spree. Is she your sugar baby?" Karl was back after flirting with Annie's sister.