She let out a small, exasperated sigh. “It turns out Mr. Chester is in heat.”
“Heat?” I echoed, the word hanging strangely between us.
Heat could mean two things: the weather being unbearably hot, or… the mating instinct animals experience. I wasn’t sure which one she meant.
“What does that have to do with me?” I asked, even as my feet kept pace with hers.
“You’re his mate,” she said plainly. “You’re the only one who can calm him down.”
I blinked, stunned. “And if I refuse?” My voice came out steady, almost challenging.
She stopped and turned to face me fully, her expression grave. “He’ll lose control completely. Right now, he’s barely holding on. According to Ms. Chester, he’s currently submerged in cold water trying to cool himself.”
That explanation dragged up the memory o
