Page 17 of Wolf Promise

Before anyone could respond, a server came to take their orders. All of them declined drinks and said they’d stick with the water already placed on the table. The two wolves asked for steaks, rare, and Ulf put in his salmon order. Regie asked for a salad with tofu. Bolt cringed inwardly.

As the server left, Nora leaned forward again. “The easiest way to sell a ruse is to stay as close to the truth as possible. Instead of viewing us as strangers that you have to pretend you are friends with, look at us as new friends.” She gestured to Bolt. “And he’s also a new friend. It’s just that when you’re in public, you are a little over the top with the PDA?”

“PDA?” Ulf asked.

Nora grabbed his hand and kissed it. “Public Display of Affection.”

“Ah.” Ulf leaned toward her, kissing her cheek. “I can definitely get behind that.”

Bolt rolled his eyes. “Not you, idiot. Regie and me.” Warmth spread inside his chest when he said those last three words, making his wolf hum. He ignored it and the strange feeling.

“I know,” Ulf said. “But Nora and I can demonstrate.” He shot a gleaming smile at Regie while still holding Nora’s hand. Both women giggled, making Bolt roll his eyes again.

“Thanks,” Regie said to Nora. “I’ll try that.”

“And when you struggle, let one of us know that you need a small time out, and we’ll make that happen,” the red-head responded. “You and I can take a quick bathroom break. Or one of us can walk outside with you for a quick breath of air. The important thing is that you’re not alone. We’ll work with you and you let us know how much of this you can handle and what you need.”

Regie nodded, but still looked worried. Bolt wolf whined, and he wished he could take away her stress. Startled, he checked himself.

Since when did he care about the emotional well-being of a client? He avoided being a jerk when he protected someone, but the work came first. His job did not include emotional support.

The server returned with their plates, and he frowned down at his food as thoughts swirled in his head.

“Something wrong with your steak?” Nora asked.

He looked up and then bit the inside of his cheek when he saw the teasing glint in her eyes. “No,” he hissed. “Everything is fine.”

“Are you sure? You seem preoccupied with something.” She tilted her head.

“Just wondering if the steak is cooked correctly,” Bolt shot back, narrowing his eyes. Nora’s inner wolf must have picked up on Bolt’s animal reacting funny.

“You mean, not cooked,” Ulf said, turning to Regie. “If you are sensitive about eating meat, don’t look when they cut into their food.”

Regie giggled again, causing a rumble in Bolt’s chest. This time, he couldn’t tell if the animal or human side of him growled. The Viking needed to stop charming Bolt’s fiancée.

Fake fiancée.

Whatever. Ulf needed to stop his flirting.

“I eat mostly vegetarian, but it’s hard to get enough protein that way, so occasionally I eat meat,” Regie said.

They made small talk for the rest of the meal. Mostly discussing the schedule of Regie’s public events and how either Bolt or someone else would always be with her at those. They also explained how she had to be escorted at all times when traveling between the office and home.

Regie sighed, but promised to stick to the plan.

They finished up their meals, and Ulf paid the bill. As they left the restaurant, the Viking put his hand on Bolt’s shoulder. “Let me have a word in private.”

Nora heard him and raised her eyebrows in a question.

“You walk ahead,” Ulf said. “Bolt and I will catch up.”

“Sure,” Nora said with a smile and turned toward Regie. “We could use some woman-to-woman conversation, anyway.” The two of them walked toward the Lofn Wellness offices.

Watching Regie walk away without them made Bolt’s wolf unhappy, but he knew she would be safe with Nora. The female wolf fought and protected fiercely. “What do you need to talk about? The meeting between the pack and your tribe?” Arek had set up a conference call with the king of the group of immortal Viking warriors that Ulf belonged for the next day.

Ulf grinned. “That’s going to be a cluster fuck of testosterone chaos and so much fun to watch, but that’s not what I want to talk about.”

“Okay.” Bolt waited.