Kiernan
Like clockwork, Alec contacted Kiernan again as soon as the conversation ended, just as he was walking into the kitchen with Carly. 'Is she eating?'
'She will be once we get breakfast ready. I think she'll force herself to, at least for the pup,' Kiernan replied.
"Your eyes did that thing," Carly said.
His mate was an observant little thing. Kiernan nodded and put a hand at the small of her back, ushering her into the kitchen. "I'm talking to Alec."
"You tell him what I'm going to do!" Jenny said.
How had he known he was going to be playing telephone between these two. "Fine," Kiernan said. 'Jenny's taking a vacation from you. She said she'd finish out my Minnesota commitment, then do the one in Florida. It'll be a few months.'
'What the fuck are you talking about?! Months?! FLORIDA?!!!' Alec said.
'Minnesota first. That one's open until the beginning of October. Then Camelot Days are open three weekends in November. She'll be back by Thanksgiving. Probably,' Kiernan said.
'THANKSGIVING?!!!!' Alec's distress crackled over their connection, and it made Kiernan wince.
'Play stupid games, win stupid prizes, brother,' Kiernan shrugged.
Kiernan didn't notice he'd stopped moving until Carly started making noise in the kitchen. She was trying not to interrupt him, but the sound of bacon on the frypan wasn't exactly easy to mask. 'Listen, if you want your mate fed, I gotta go.'
'I forbid it! I absolutely forbid it! She's with pup for God's sake!' Alec shouted.
Kiernan wiped a hand over his face, trying very hard not to telegraph to Alec that he was an idiot, but failing miserably. 'Try that one on your mate. See how that goes down.'
'I'm not letting her go to Minnesota alone! Especially after the Hunter incident!' Alec said.
'She's going with Sean,' Kiernan said.
Kiernan had to grip the counter at the roll of emotions that followed that revelation. 'Sean isn't mated!!!' Alec argued.
'Sounds like you have problems then, brother, if you don't have enough faith in your mate and one of your most trusted packmates,' Kiernan said.
Alec sulked over their connection. 'That's hardly my biggest concern.'
'If you're going to chase her around the country, I suggest getting your own RV,' Kiernan said. 'She's not going to let you crash on the floor.'
'She'd at least give me the sofa,' Alec argued.
'If you're lucky, Sean's taking the sofa,' Kiernan laughed.
Alec didn't find it funny at all. 'You are such an asshole.'
'Right back atcha,' Kiernan said. 'Now fuck off, I'm trying to feed your mate. You can try and have a screaming match with her over breakfast, but my money's on Jenny.'
Kiernan felt Alec's gloomy sigh all the way down to his toes. 'Mine, too,' the Alpha said. Then the connection closed and Kiernan went into the kitchen. "Sorry about that. Wolf problems."
"I am so totally going to be jealous of that mind connection thing when we're mated," Carly said. "Then I'd always know what you were thinking instead of trying to guess. I thought maybe pancakes today. I found some mix in the lazy Susan—what?"
Kiernan was standing, frozen, with a goofy smile on his face. "You said 'when' we're mates, not 'if' this time."
Carly blushed, and Kiernan heard her pulse quicken. "Just shut up and help me cook."
* * *
Carly
Carly wondered if it was just a slip of the tongue, or her subconscious making the decision for her. As she examined her emotions, she nearly burned the bacon.
Kiernan bumped his hip against hers just in time. He was mixing pancake batter, whisking it up in a large bowl.
Carly squeaked and took the bacon off the burner, taking a tongs to quickly put it on a plate.
"What smells like bacon burning?" Sean asked from the sofa.
"Bacon burning," Kiernan said. "Don't worry, we saved it."
"Good, because baby wants bacon," Jenny said. She was sitting next to Sean. Carly thought it was sweet that ESPN-loving Sean had given up the remote to Jenny, and was sitting through a Lifetime movie with her.
"Baby?" Carly echoed. "Oh, Jenny, are you pregnant?!"
Jenny nodded. "That I am." She didn't sound too happy about it.
"I'll go set the table," Carly said, after an awkward pause. She picked up the bacon and set it in the middle of the table before going to get more plates.
Sean stood up. "Nah, Carly, you and Kiernan are cooking. I should at least do something."
Carly shook her head. "You are doing something. Sit. Setting the table isn't gonna kill me."
Sean sat back down with a muttered, "Okay."
Kiernan poured pancake batter on a griddle he'd pulled out. "Movie any good?"
"It's a Lifetime movie, man. She killed her husband," Sean said.
"One sympathizes," Jenny grumbled.
Carly choked on a laugh. "I'm sorry, that's not funny."
"You either laugh or you cry," Jenny said. Carly realized then where Kiernan had gotten the phrase from.
Kiernan came to the table several minutes later with a massive mound of pancakes on a tray. "Time to eat!"
Conversation began to flow more easily after everyone sat down, with Kiernan describing the Minnesota and Florida fairs for Jenny's benefit. She smiled and seemed to get more and more excited about her planned vacation as they ate.
Then, just as they were finishing up, Kiernan's eyes went unfocused again. "Fuck," he said.
The front door rattled on its hinges, threatening to crack down the middle, heavy oak though it was, as someone banged on it. Carly's attention jumped to the door. Through the window, she could see Alec standing there, his hair standing at angles, his chin scruffy, and his shirt only half tucked.
"I'll... clear the dishes," Sean said, and began cleaning up with inhuman speed.
Jenny folded her arms, gave Alec the most scathing look Carly had ever seen, and retreated to her bedroom.
"Oh come on, Jenny, we need to talk!" Alec yelled through the door.
Carly was thinking of running interference—she was still livid over the way he'd treated Kiernan, and now the bastard wasn't giving Jenny her space—but Kiernan got to the door too quickly. "Alec," Kiernan said, "she doesn't want to talk to you."
"Yeah, well, I want to talk to her," Alec said, muscling his way into the cabin.
Kiernan sighed. "It doesn't work that way, Alec."
"I'm not going to yell at her through the window of your SUV while she's taking off," Alec said. "We need to discuss this!"
"Go away!" Jenny called back.
"Brother, give her some space. It's only been since last night," Kiernan said. "I'd also suggest, you know, not yelling at her."
"It was a figure of speech." Alec went around Kiernan to go knock on Jenny's door.
Carly was surprised at how quiet the knock was, given how he'd nearly splintered the front door a moment ago.
"Jenny, love," Alec begged through the door. "Please, let's talk about this."
"Alec, go away. I need a break," Jenny said through the door.
"Please," Alec said again. Carly almost felt bad for him as he pressed his forehead against the door. Almost.
"I think we should take a walk," Sean murmured.
Kiernan frowned critically at the situation, but anyone could see Jenny wasn't in any danger and Alec wasn't going to break down the door. Now they were just invading their privacy. "Yeah, sure," Kiernan said. He put an arm around Carly's shoulders and directed her towards the door.
Carly remembered Jenny's words, and they rattled around her head again. What if love isn't enough? She chewed her lip, thinking.
Sean jogged ahead of them down a path, which seemed to be slowly winding itself down towards the lake. Carly knew he was still within earshot, but was trying to give them at least the illusion of privacy. She appreciated that.
"Penny for your thoughts," Kiernan said, rubbing a thumb over her lower lip.
Oh boy howdy. Her thoughts. Carly looked up at Kiernan. Sure, she could tell him her thoughts.
But he wasn't going to like them.