Wes was still talking to Noem, but his face wasn’t swollen anymore. Taylor went up to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and Wes leaned against him without hesitating. “Wanna go home?” Taylor asked him after Noem left to talk to Jared.
“Yeah. I’m not in the mood for the town anymore.”
Taylor looked around, at Ani who looked like he’d rather be anywhere but there, at Sebastian who was checking on Oliver’s wound even if it was already gone, at Bradley who was still against the tree, a frown on his face. “I don’t think anyone is.”
They walked over to Sebastian and Oliver. “We’re going home,” Taylor told his brother.
Sebastian nodded. “We’re coming, too. The others can take care of everything. Oliver needs some rest.”
Oliver rolled his eyes. “I’m fine. Finn healed me and I’m as good as new.”
“You still need to rest after the fight. You’re not a warrior. You’re not used to fighting.”
Oliver grinned at Wes. “He’s overprotective. Is Taylor that way, too?”
Wes peeked at Taylor. “A bit.”
“That’s not true,” Taylor protested without heat. Yeah, he felt protective of Wes, especially after what had happened to him, but he also knew Wes was used to being on his own, and that too much attention would make him run the other way. That was the last thing Taylor wanted him to do, so he curbed his need to check that Wes really was fine again and pushed his lion back.
Wes took Taylor’s hand and squeezed it. “It is. I can read you, you know.”
Taylor arched a brow at his mate.” What does that mean?”
“That I know you’re dying to grab me, run home, and lock me in our room, far away from harm.”
“Isn’t that what any man would do for the man he loves?”
Wes stopped cold. He blinked and turned to face Taylor. “You love me?”
“Uh, yeah.”
“You say it like it’s a given.”
“That’s because it is.”
“But I’m...”
“You’re my mate. You’re caring, stubborn, sweet, independent, but also fragile. You need reassurance, but not too much. You adapted to life with a bunch of people you didn’t even know existed easily. You’re... you. That’s why I love you.”
Taylor watched Wes and waited for him to say something, but it never came. Not that Taylor expected to hear those words back—he knew Wes cared for him but that he was still afraid of being so close to someone.
Oliver slapped Taylor’s back, making him jump. “Look who’s all mushy and sweet. I wouldn’t have guessed.”
Taylor laughed, and it broke the spell between him and Wes. “Shut up. I happen to know a story about you and a plug.”
Oliver blushed. “Who told you that? It wasn’t sweet!”
“Sweet, no, but naughty, yeah.”
“Seb! Did you tell your brother about that?”
Oliver trotted after Sebastian, who was a few feet in front of them, waiting. Taylor took Wes’ hand in his again and they followed. Wes squeezed his hand, and when Taylor looked sideways at him, their gazes met. Wes smiled, and it was all Taylor needed to know Wes loved him too.
Chapter Seven
Wes threw his pen on his notebook and scowled at the math problems.
“Something wrong?”
Wes shook his head. “I can’t say I’ve ever been good in math, but this... this isn’t math, it’s torture.”
Darin smiled and sat on the opposite side of the kitchen counter. “I’m afraid I can’t help you. I suck with numbers, so I’m glad we have Jeremy here. I don’t think I’d have been able to open my shop if it weren’t for him.”
“I don’t want to bug him. It’s only stuff I have to know to get my diploma.”
“You should ask anyway. Jeremy wouldn’t mind. Or you could ask someone else. Ani had to study the same stuff not that long ago.”
“I wouldn’t mind some help, but I’m... it’s fine, really.”
Darin tapped his finger on Wes’ forehead and Wes widened his eyes. He wasn’t used to gestures of affection like that one, at least not when they came from someone who wasn’t Taylor, Keenan, or Nysys. “Come on, talk to me. I know we’re not friends or anything, but we could be.”
Wes cocked his head. “I’d like that, I think.”
“Oh, you think?”
“I’m just not used to people wanting to be my friends. Or to ask for things I need. I’ve always done everything on my own, at least in recent years.”
“Well, that changed, right? I mean, you can’t be friends with Keenan and Nysys and expect them not to meddle and help you. They’ll do it even if you don’t ask them to, and even if you actually ask them not to. They’re like that, not much you can do.”
“I kind of expect it from them by now, especially Nysys.”
“Good.” Darin got up from his seat and opened the fridge. “I just came here to grab something to drink. Want me to keep you company anyway?”
“Nah. You can go back to doing whatever you need to do. I’m sure it’s way more interesting then math problems.”
“Yeah, it is. Sorry.”
Wes chuckled and shrugged. “I think anything would be more interesting.”
“True.” Darin took out a bottle of water and put it on the counter. He hesitated, then walked around it and hugged Wes. Wes stayed frozen, as if he didn’t know what to do.
“You should hug back,” Darin muttered from Wes’ shoulder.
Wes patted Darin’s back. “I know. I’m just surprised.”
Darin moved back. “You really should get used to shifters. We’re a touchy bunch most of the time.”
He winked and left, and Wes tried to go back to his problems. He took his pen again, but as hard as he tried to concentrate, he just ended up doodling on his sheet instead of actually solving the fuckers. He knew he wouldn’t be able to do much on his own. He didn’t remember being so scatterbrained when he was in school, but maybe what had happened since then had changed him. Well, it definitely had, but he hadn’t thought it would extend to his capacity to concentrate.
“Nice drawings, but I don’t think they’ll help you with your problems,” a voice said from behind Wes’ shoulder. He jumped, his shoulder hitting whoever was behind him in the chin, and the man swore.
“Ow.”
Wes turned around in his seat and recognized Ira. “Sorry, but you scared me.”
Ira rubbed his chin. “I didn’t mean to, sorry.”
Wes shrugged. “‘S okay.”
Ira sat next to him. “So, what are you working on?”
“I need to learn how to solve these.”
“You won’t learn by doodling.”
“I know that.”
Ira looked at Wes, then stuck his hand out. “Ira.”
Wes shook. “Wes.”
“I’ve already seen you around here, right?”
“When you came to visit Adan.”
“Aaah.”
“Why are you here again? I thought that once Jared was sure you weren’t Adan’s mate you wouldn’t need to come back.”
“I didn’t, but I drove a friend of mine here to meet Adan.”
“You think that friend of yours might be Adan’s mate?”
Ira shrugged. “Who knows?”
“What about you? Don’t you want to find your mate?” It was something that fascinated Wes. Knowing there was someone out there that was perfect for him, how could Ira not go and look? Why was he there talking to Wes instead of out there looking for his perfect half?
Ira shrugged. “Not particularly, no.”
“Why not?”
Ira leaned backward in his chair and twined his fingers on his stomach. He watched Wes as if trying to understand something just by reading his face, and Wes realized he probably had gone too far. Was asking about someone’s mate too much? “Sorry. It’s not my business, so ignore what I just said.”
“Really?”
“Yup. Usually when I say I don’t want to meet my mate, everyone gasps and tells me I have to be crazy or something like that.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“It is. To answer your questions, I wouldn’t actually mind finding him.”
Wes leaned back and mirrored Ira’s position, except for the hands. He kept those on the counter and played with his pen. “But you’re not actively looking.”
“No. Why would I?”
“Because he’d be perfect for you. Don’t you want to be loved? Don’t you want to have someone who will always be there for you?”
“Of course I do. But shifters are scattered all over the globe. How am I to know my mate isn’t a giraffe shifter who lives in Africa, or a panda shifter in China? How would I ever find him in that case? Should I really put my life on pause until I do when I have no certainty I will?”
“I see your point, but... are there really giraffe and panda shifters?”
Ira grinned. “I’m not sure about the giraffe, but I’ve met a panda shifter or two.”
“Can I ask you what kind of shifter you are, or is it considered impolite?”
Ira’s eyes flickered. The green became darker and the pupil became a slit. Ira licked his lips and Wes’ eyes went wide at the sight of his tongue. “Shit.”
“Does that answers your question?”
“Snake?”
“Atheris. It’s a bush viper.”
Wes leaned forward. “Stick your tongue out again.”
Ira smirked and obeyed. His tongue was black and forked, and it was the weirdest thing Wes had ever seen. “I didn’t know shifters could shift parts of their bodies only.”
Ira pulled his tongue in again and his eyes went back to normal. “Not all of them can. It takes time and training.”
“Why did you do it? It’s not like you can shift in front of people.”
“No, but I am venomous. It’s useful.”
Wes inched sideways on his chair. “I’ll remember not to make you angry, then.”
Ira laughed. “I like you, Wes. You don’t look afraid, not like other shifters are.”
“I think it’s more because I don’t know much about you guys. Stupidity.”
Ira leaned forward and tapped his finger on Wes’ book. “So, need help?”
“Yeah. I’ll become your best friend if you manage to stick those things in my head and to have them stay there.” Wes waited for an answer, but it didn’t come. He looked at Ira, raising his eyebrows at the expression on his face. “Ira? Is something wrong?”
Ira unfroze and blinked at Wes. He reached out with a hand and skimmed Wes’ shoulder with a finger. It made Wes just a tiny bit uncomfortable. “What?”
“Have you been close to someone recently?”
“Uh, yeah. What do you mean by recently, though?”
“Today?”
“Uh, my mate, Nysys, Keenan. Oh, and Darin. He hugged me just before you came in.”
Ira leaned forward even more. “Nysys is already mated, yes?”
“Yeah.”
Ira leaned backward and crossed his arms on his chest. “I’ll help you with your math, if you tell me more about Darin.”
“Uh, okay.”
Why wasn’t Wes more surprised that his day had taken a weird turn again? Oh, yeah. Because it happened daily since Taylor had found him. And he loved every second of it.
The End
About the Author
Catherine lives in Italy, country of good food and hot men. She used to write fantasy as a child, but it was reading her first gay erotic romance novel that made her realize that that was what she really wanted to write.
After graduating from college in English language and translation, she divides her day between writing, reading, taking care of her son and reading some more.
You can find her on Facebook and Twitter or on her website: authorcatherinelievens.wordpress.com
Email: [email protected]
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