Page 59 of Rauf: Minotaur Mates

“We found something.”

19

TERESA

I woke up alone.

Damn it.

I could feel every place where Rauf had so carefully touched me last night. My muscles ached in the most satisfying way. But his side of the bed was cold and the light streaming in through the window was bright enough to tell me that we were well past early morning.

I stayed still, as if by not moving I could tell the universe that last night’s mistake wasn’t really over and I could chalk it up to some lusty dream.

You’re my mate.

How could a man, or a minotaur, say that and then walk away?

I was an adult. I’d failed my way through some pretty shitty relationships. But to fall for a line like that? I buried my face in a pillow that smelled too much like Rauf and let out a sound of frustration.

I couldn’t let myself get played again.

Eventually I pushed myself upright. My bag was still beside the bed, exactly where I’d left it yesterday.

I pulled out clean underwear, pants, and a shirt, then got out of bed before I could find another reason to stay in it. My pajamas were on the floor. I gathered them up and stuffed them into the bag, trying not to think about how they’d gotten there.

Once I had my boots on and my hair pushed out of my face, I looked reasonably normal. I wasn’t sure I could manage a conversation yet.

Did anyone realize Rauf had stayed with me last night?

Had he stayed? I had a vague memory of him climbing out of bed with the sun warm on my face, but that could have been my brain protecting me from the cold reality of the fact that Rauf only wanted me in the dark.

Stop being such a drama queen.

For all I knew, Rauf was out in the kitchen making me a delicious morning-after breakfast and all my freaking out was for nothing.

The kitchen was empty.

Fine. I could feed myself.

I found fruit in a bowl and a jar of shelled nuts beside it. I took a plate from a stack on the counter, rinsed the fruit, and poured out a handful of nuts.

There had to be work to do on a farm this size. I knew that. Expecting everyone to wait around until I dragged myself out of bed was ridiculous. I kept repeating that to myself while I ate, as if being reasonable would make breakfast less lonely.

Without everyone sitting around it, the table seemed enormous. I had to pull my plate close to the edge to eat comfortably, and my feet didn’t reach the floor. The cupboards were worse. When I went looking for a cup, the first ones I found were on a shelf I could barely touch. I settled for one drying beside the sink.

I was tired of struggling to reach things in a house where I didn’t even know if I was welcome. I drank my water and tried to stop looking at the empty chair beside mine.

Breakfast done, I wandered the house a bit, looking for Julia or Robin, but I didn’t see them either. It couldn’t be that late in the day, and I wondered where everyone had gone.

I called Robin’s name once from the hall. When nobody answered, I went outside. There was a truck parked beside the machinery shed, but I couldn’t see anyone near it. I headed for the barn. At least I knew where to find Goataro.

He lifted his head when I came down the aisle and watched me approach with considerably more interest than he’d shown in my medical attention. I held out my empty hands.

“Just a visit today.”

He sniffed my fingers through the rails, then pushed his forehead against my palm. I rubbed between his ears. His eyes half closed, and for a few minutes I stood there scratching him, grateful for someone who was pleased to see me.

He was putting weight on all four feet, his breathing was easy, and there was nothing reluctant about the way he leaned into my hand. When I stopped to have a better look at his face, he nudged my wrist until I started again.