CHAPTER21
Cate gently strokedthe kitten she held in her arms. He’d finally dozed off after his feeding, and she hated to put him down. She patted the soft spot between his ears, feeling the vibrations of his tiny body purring against her chest.
“You should keep him,” Darcy said as she placed a cup full of steaming tea in front of Cate.
“Perhaps, I should get another pet.” Cate shrugged. “I’m sure Belle and Spike could use the company.”
“I saw Gunner at the park today.” Darcy’s tone was careful, and Cate stopped her pacing.
“What?”
“You didn’t tell me about the Diviner—”
“It doesn’t matter, Darcy.”
“Yes, it does. Cate, I know I haven’t know you as long as Hades has—”
Cate pursed her lips at the casual mention of her friend’s name. While she was happy Hades had found someone he enjoyed being around since Persephone, she was concerned.
Mortals and gods…
It was such a touchy thing. Sure, they were sexually compatible, but the length of life... unless a deal was brought forth and sanctioned by the right god…
Life was the blink of an eye for a god. A century was a bathroom break. She did not want to watch Hades fall in love only to be broken again.
“Life is lived in moments, right?” Darcy’s voice softened.
Cate continued to pace, focusing on her purring machine in her arms. His warmth. “I suppose.”
“Then fill those little moments with love. All the little things, the tiny details…” Darcy spoke with a clarity Cate had never heard before. She was usually so aloof, so fickle about such things as love.
The tone moved Cate to listen.
“If all you have is today, Cate... make today your forever. And when you wake up tomorrow, you do the same.”
“It isn’t that simple, Darcy.” Cate could feel the stirrings of hope within her chest, and she dared to give in.
“It is absolutely that simple, Cate. He is yourmate.”
The words on Darcy’s tongue were so very clear to Cate, and her heart beat with anticipation.
And as if perfectly on cue, the door to the New Haven Animal Rescue opened, and there he stood. Perfectly illuminated in the fluorescent light, holding a small gathering of black roses.
He smirked a nonchalant, cocky smirk, sliding his hand into his pocket. Amber eyes rimmed in gold once more.
Cate suddenly found it difficult to breathe.
“Cate…”
She didn’t wait for him to finish as she strode across the tiled floor and found herself in front of him, drawn to him like an invisible tether.
“You came back…” Her voice was a whisper.
Gunner’s lips turned up in a cocky smile as he held up the roses. “And I came with presents.”
Cate blushed.
“I didn’t think…” She could not find words, and even if she could she would not have spoken any.