Chapter 127

Melanie’s POV

Asher swiveled his laptop toward me like he was unveiling the Holy Grail of wolf-kind. On screen, a spreadsheet glowed with neat rows labeled “Rent,” “Groceries,” “Therapy Fund (For Me, Obviously),” and a mysterious “Mate’s Pampering Allowance.” I blinked at it. “Is this seatbelt required for viewing?” I teased, arching an eyebrow.

He grinned, cheeks dimpling. “Only if you’re prone to fainting at the sight of numbers.” He clicked to a chart showing income versus expenses. “Here’s the monthly budget. Used to funnel money into savings for, you know, my future mate. Had to pause that when I took over full-time dad duty for Theo. But with this tweak, zero withdrawals from Savings Asher. We’re sitting pretty.”

I narrowed my eyes, inspecting the flux of digits. “Let me see—did your werewolf paycheck freeze while I was…uh, hunting you?” I raised a hand in mock apology. “Wanted to know if I’d accidentally starved you financially.”

He shook his he