Page 425 of Pucking Feral: Part Two

Iced coffee, please, he signs, even though her eyes go totally blank and she clearly can't understand what he's saying.

"Coffee for both of us, please," I say, keeping my voice light and carefree so she doesn't bolt for the kitchen before we can order. "Iced. He can't really do hot drinks⁠—"

She nods too many times and leaves quickly.

Yep. Before we could order.

I smile at Wraith across the table. "See? That went fine."

He gives me a flat look over the table.

I nudge his boot under the table with mine. "It did! She took our order. Um. Part of it."

He huffs softly and picks up the menu. It looks ridiculous in his hands, this flimsy little thing between his huge scarred fingers.

The alpha at the counter turns around on his stool. He looks at Wraith for a long moment, openly. Wraith's eyes stay on the menu, but I see his jaw muscles tighten, the scarred tissue shifting over the bone as his sharp teeth press together slightly.

I reach across the table and put my hand over his.

Counter Alpha watches me lace my fingers through Wraith's and lean my chin on my other hand, completely relaxed. Then the guy shrugs to himself, turns back around, and goes back to his pie.

I can totally do this. I can show the room exactly how safe he is with how I act around him, and the room mostly follows.

The server comes back with our drinks, sets them down with minimal rattling this time, and takes our order. Pancakes for me. Wraith points at the garden omelet and the fruit cup, and she writes it down without looking at him at all, but as much as it bothers me, I don't think it bothers him.

She leaves, and I shiver.

The heater in here must be fighting a losing war with the mountain cold. I pull my coat tighter around my shoulders.

He watches me carefully.

I force myself to stop shivering, or try, grinning sheepishly at him. "Sorry, I'm just really fucking excited for pancakes. So excited I'm shaking."

He levels a completely disbelieving stare at me, then starts shrugging out of his canvas coat again.

Oh no.

"Really, I promise, I'm… okay, you're giving it to me anyway. But your hood…"

He shrugs like it's nothing, still holding it out to me, and places his palm against the center of his chest. He moves it in a small circular motion.

Please?

I gulp. "Are you sure…?"

He nods, giving me a thumbs up.

I take the coat reluctantly, guiltily, and pull it on, sinking into its heavy warmth. Wraith reaches out with both hands and tugs the jacket's collar and hood up around my neck, fixing my hair too. As he pulls back, his hand brushes against the side of my face, and I lean instinctively into it, nuzzling his palm.

I catch the server watching us from the counter where she's loading a tray with our plates. She smiles to herself, and this time, when she comes up to the table and gives us our food, she's relaxed. Maybe still slightly shaken, but relaxed.

And finally, nobody's paying attention to Wraith.

I eat pancakes drowning in syrup and steal pieces of his fruit cup with my fork, and he pretends to fend me off even though he's making sure I get the best pieces. He eats his omelet in careful bites, keeping his head turned and down.

The beta couple leaves. Counter Alpha leaves. New people don't come in, and eventually it's just us, the server refilling my coffee and sneaking glances at Wraith with progressively less fear and more curiosity each time.

By the third refill, and my milkshake, she says, "So… you two visiting family up here or just passing through?"