"Sweetie..." I began, scratching at the center of my chest, a nervous tic that I had had since as long as I could remember. "Bas and I are just scared of losing you. You run away from the diner, you were attacked, you intended to leave town... Bas went into overprotective mode, and I'm not far behind." I smiled, bringing forth the dimple. "Is my company so unpleasant?... You still haven't heard where I'll take you next..."

She tried to hide her smile by taking a long sip of her juice, but failed. "I've yet to decide, Dean."

When she glanced at her phone, I remembered my question that had gotten this conversation started.

"Expecting a call or a message from Eric? Is that why you're concerned: because he hasn't contacted you?"

She glanced my way, as if considering one last time whether to answer this question of mine. "He was supposed to call once he made it to safety," she finally told me. "He was planning on going to his sister." Samantha wrapped her arms around herself again, tempting me to go hug her, but I had to let her finish. "It's been over two hours and... I'm worried about him. It makes no sense, since I met him yesterday but..."

"It does make sense, Samantha." I totally understood why she was distressed, her voice trembling as she spoke: she was worried about Eric and she was also worried about being worried over someone she barely knew. "It's like that with fated mates: you meet them and you have the feeling that you've known them for ages. So worrying is normal. It's what Bas and I experience when you're not with us. Particularly since you were nearly kidnapped."

She took another long sip out of her glass.

To avoid admitting she understood me and Bas' motives for being overprotective or to stop herself from arguing with me over our actions? Never mind. I believed she would eventually get where we were coming from.

"Did Eric give you a hint as to where his sister lives? How much it would take him to get there?"

"No." She rested her elbows on the table and hid her face in her hands. "I was too busy taking advantage of him instead of getting to know him... I'm horrible!"

"No, you're not." I reached out and took her hand in mine to uncover her face.

I did it before I realized what I was doing but to my surprise, Samantha didn't tug her hand away. She didn't even tense at the contact. She accepted my touch as naturally as I had initiated it.

"Your tigress is pushing you to mate, just like our cats are doing to us three," I went on. "As for where Eric went, it can't be in this town since Bas and I would know of a hyena pack here. It's probably in one of the nearby settlements." I squeezed her hand reassuringly as I added, "Meaning it's early for his call still."

She squeezed my hand in return before pulling away back in her chair. "I should have gotten his number, but all I had time to do was write mine down on his phone. Now I can't contact him, so if he doesn't call... If something has happened to him... The rest of the pack, if they catch sight of him..."

She met my gaze, hers filled with worry. "Dean, I can't not worry! And my tigress is restless, and Bas is driving me crazy, and... Agh!" She covered her face with her hands again. "I'm a mess."

I gave her a reassuring smile. "I'm a mess, too. I could only wish I were a gorgeous mess like you."

She lowered her hands a bit to peak at me.

After my humor, the only thing I could offer her at the present moment was my dimple.

When I added a brow wiggle for good measure, she chuckled. It was a shaky chuckle, but a chuckle nonetheless.

"Not a poet, huh?" she muttered with a faint smile while the waiter was taking her empty plate away.

"Ready for me to write you a plot?" I winked at her once we were alone again. "Speaking of plots, I planned to take you to the cinema next, but now I'm thinking a run on four legs in the forest before the movie would be a good idea. To set your tigress at ease?"

Samantha glanced at the dense trees on the other side of the river, uncertainty written on her face.

"Don't worry, it's open to shifters in animal form."

"It's not that. Shifting means no phone at hand."

"The phone will be on me, I'll stay on two legs." My jaguar growled unhappily at the missed chance to run alongside his tigress, but frolicking in our furs would simply have to wait for another day. I could keep up with her on my two legs, no problem.

Not to mention that in human form, it would be easier for me to keep my paws off those sinful curves Samantha was rocking. My jaguar had a thing for big tailed backsides, similarly to my weakness for well-rounded booties.

When Samantha still looked doubtful, I added, "If Eric calls, I will ensure he reaches you. If he doesn't within the next several hours, I will use my contacts in local shifter groups to determine which settlement the hyena pack call home. It won't tell us where Eric is exactly, but it will give us a starting point for a search. How does that sound?"

She bit her lip. "You would do that? Without calling the police if we find him?"

I nodded. "Don't think about that scenario, however. I'm sure Eric will call you."

"Thank you, Dean." She reached for my hand still resting on the table and gave it a squeeze. "That means a lot."

Her touch made me want to purr. "Oh, I can do an even greater feat, sweetie. I can keep your phone on me while we're watching the movie. So if Eric calls, I'll save you from the evil glances and popcorn thrown by the others in the audience."

An amused, full-blown smile split her face.

Success! Mission accomplished!

"You better finish your meal, Mr. Daring," she said, her tone teasing. "Because there will be no popcorn for you in the cinema... Not unless you want to choke while watching Predator."

Seriously? She wanted to watch a horror-slash-action classic? Hot damn. That was a woman after my own heart.

My smile almost reached my ears. "The Retro Cinema it is, then."

Bas and I had actually talked about going to see the same movie next week, but my pal would have to forgive me. I was sure he would show understanding... right after he ate his heart out in envy.

Once we sat in the cinema, I was going to text Bas to let him know, heheh. I would also wish him a pleasant day at work on this sunny, amazing Saturday – I so liked to be polite.

I dug into my omelette with a grin.