Page 7 of The Protector’s Heart

“I don’t know.” He frowned, leaning against the wall.

“Well, don’t you think that you could just drive her to work, look at the footage, and then leave? I don’t know why you have to stay with her all day anymore.”

“Because Acksel said so.”

Mia hummed. “I’m sure it’s not a hardship since you get to ogle the nurse, but really…it’s one thing to drive her around, but it’s another to sit there all day. Don’t you have a business to run?”

He scrubbed a hand through his hair. “I was planning to talk to Acksel about it. I think you’re right. I could still drive her everywhere, but I don’t need to sit there all day.” Plus, he did need to focus on his business. L&M Security wasn’t going to run itself, not with Lucian out of the country, anyway.

As if hearing him think his partner’s name, Mia said, “How’s Lucian, anyway?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Fine.”

He’d known for ages that his sister had a crush on his human best friend, but Lucian had strict instructions to steer clear of Mia. He didn’t give a damn how Mia felt. Lucian was a great friend, but he led a dangerous life and it would be just Mia’s luck to get caught in the crossfire, and that was something Mal would never allow.

Mia rolled her eyes. “I was just asking.”

He snorted. “Yeah, right. How’s Reese?”

She looked startled. “Mated now, I guess. I haven’t talked to him since I went through my heat cycle in the fall.”

Mal mentally scrubbed that thought out of his head. He didn’t want to think about his sister going through a heat cycle every September. The boring-as-white-paper Reese had been a safe bet for her to go through the cycle with because he was an honorable guy. Mal flipped through the names of the single males in the pack. “You ever thought about going out with Zander?”

Her brows rose. “No, why would you ask me that?”

He shrugged. “He’s a good guy, he’s pack, and his mom makes the best meatloaf in town.”

“Only you would think a potential mate’s qualities should include a family member’s meatloaf.”

“I’m just saying…he’s pack.”

“You said that twice,” she said irritably. “I get that you think I should be with a wolf, but my wolf isn’t feeling that right now, okay? How about you take care of your own love life and leave mine alone.”

Okay, he’d overstepped and pissed her off. When they were kids, he’d always enjoyed making her mad, but as adults he didn’t like her being angry with him. Closing the distance between them, he hugged her and kissed the top of her head. “I’m sorry. I just want what’s best for you.”

She hugged him back. “I know. Thanks.”

They walked back into the family room and he grabbed his coat and shoved his feet into the boots that he’d left near the front door. He opened the door and Mia whistled. “Wow, it’s really coming down out there.”

“If this keeps up, no one will be going to work tomorrow,” he said.

“You going to check out Nila’s house?”

He glanced over his shoulder as he stepped out onto the porch. “What?”

“Don’t look coy, it’s me you’re talking to. I know you’ve been shifting, I’ve seen your tracks in the woods. If you’re going to go, you should do it now before it gets much worse and you get stuck here. You know you’re welcome to stay, but if we have a snow day tomorrow I’m planning to watch all six Star Wars movies from the Blu-Ray collector’s set, including all the extras.”

“No thanks.” He rolled his eyes. “I’m heading home; it’s too late now anyway.”

Giving his sister a wave, he trudged through the foot of snow on her steps and made his way to his SUV. He looked at the woods. If he shifted and took a run by Nila’s house, he’d have to stay at Mia’s, which he didn’t really want to do. What he could do, though, was go to the grocery for Nila, since she said she wasn’t going to be able to. He was pretty sure that the doctors’ office would be closed in the morning and the thought of her and Jack going without something they might need made his wolf howl in worry.

Getting into the SUV, he left Mia’s and called his mom.

“What kind of things would a twenty-one-month-old baby like?”

There was a short pause, and then his mom said, “Um, are you talking about your mate’s son?”

He’d told his parents about Nila when he first met her. His mom was dying to meet them, but knew she needed to keep her distance for now.