by Liv Rider
His mind kept replaying the few seconds where he’d gotten to hold Shaun and kiss him. The look in Shaun’s eyes before Mitchell kissed him had been unmistakable. Shaun wanted him.
Which meant that right now Shaun was probably beating himself up over cheating on his boyfriend, and that was all Mitchell’s fault.
The knot of guilt in his stomach tightened.
All the more reason to avoid him today.
He spent most of the morning waiting around for Jake or someone else to tell him what was next. It left him too much time to stand outside in the sun, trying not to look over at Shaun and Chris at the picnic bench as they watched over the cats. Rumple and Stiltskin were still giving them some trouble, especially when Dale joined them. Mitchell knew it was for the best that he didn’t walk over. No matter how much he wanted to.
“You think his boyfriend knows what he did?”
“No way. You heard him at dinner.”
Mitchell glanced over at Natalie’s and Caroline’s husbands. They didn’t have much to do besides waiting around either. There were some simple hiking routes in the surrounding woods that wouldn’t take more than an hour at the most, and Mitchell wished the husbands had opted to do one of them. His parents had gone for a walk with Emily’s parents, and Mitchell assumed that was about getting to know them and explaining more about shifters.
“We should tell him,” Natalie’s husband said. He was the taller of the two, with light brown hair. “I mean, he should know.” Mitchell could see why Natalie liked him. His faux-innocent tone was a lot like hers.
Caroline’s husband nodded slowly. Like Caroline, he seemed happy to follow someone else’s lead. “When do you want to tell him?”
Natalie’s husband shrugged as he looked over at Shaun and Chris again. “The sooner, the better, right? Wait until he’s alone. We can—”
“I’m not sure what there is to tell.” The words were out before Mitchell could stop himself. He told himself he should stay out of it, but he also couldn’t stand by and let them ruin Shaun’s happiness.
“The guy’s a car thief. That’s what there is to tell,” Natalie’s husband told him. He had the same conviction he was right as Natalie and Caroline. “Wouldn’t you want to know if your boyfriend was a lying scumbag?”
Our mate is not a liar! his dragon hissed. Challenge him to a duel for our mate’s honor!
“I would want to see evidence.” Mitchell made himself walk back inside. He wasn’t getting involved. It was none of his business. Shaun had Chris to defend him, and from what Mitchell had seen, Chris didn’t seem like the type to believe the story.
They want to hurt our mate, his dragon urged. We must stop them.
It is not up to us. This is not our district. Our mate hasn’t asked for our help. He had to keep that in mind. He wouldn’t step in where he wasn’t wanted. He’d done enough of that last night. Shaun had wanted him, yes, but he’d also pushed Mitchell away. Mitchell had to respect that choice.
He stayed inside until Jake ushered him back onto the lawn for the photo shoot. Mitchell hoped none of his friends would ever see those pictures. His dragon complained about how undignified it was to be going down a slide.
It didn’t help that Shaun was watching them, standing only a few feet away with the cats and Chris. He was far too distracting, with the suit emphasizing his lean body, and a smile Mitchell wanted to kiss.
We are being humiliated in front of our mate, his dragon complained. We should drop the photographer into the lake from a great height too.
Mitchell tried to find some solace in Shaun smiling and being happy, even if it was at his expense.
But that smile faded as soon as Dale offered Mitchell’s help to put the cats back into their harnesses.
Jake clapped him on the shoulder once Dale gave him Stiltskin. “Keep me updated on when Emily is here. Bryan and I will make sure Dale stays out of the way and get rid of any cat hair on his suit.”
“Right.” Mitchell watched the three of them leave with Chris, who had offered to get them all drinks.
The photographer was eyeing Stiltskin. “I might want to include them in the shoot for the bride, so if it’s not too much trouble…”
“It’s fine,” Shaun told her, before Mitchell could suggest they leave the cats out of that. “But we will put them back in the harnesses for now. If Emily wants Rumple and Stiltskin involved, we can take them off again.”
“Great!” She checked her camera. “Let’s see if Emily and the bridesmaids are ready.”
Mitchell didn’t know what to say now that he was alone with Shaun. He wanted to apologize again for last night, but it would be weird to do that out of nowhere. Would Shaun even want to listen? “I know that—”
“Let’s go back to the picnic table.” Shaun walked off, leaving Mitchell no choice but to follow him. “They might not immediately jump down from that.”
Stiltskin was quiet as they walked, rubbing her head against his tie. Rumple, though, wouldn’t stay still in Shaun’s hands and kept squirming and wriggling to get free.
“She’s a stubborn one.” Mitchell put Stiltskin down on the picnic table, petting Rumple as soon as Shaun put her down. His fingers brushed against Shaun’s hand, and Shaun immediately pulled away. Mitchell swallowed, trying not to feel hurt. Of course Shaun wanted as little to do with him as possible. He was fighting his attraction.
“We should do Rumple first.” Shaun pulled the tangle of straps and clasps out of his bag, avoiding Mitchell’s eyes. “Can you hold her in place?”
“Sure.” Mitchell remained quiet as Shaun put her back in the harness. Standing this close to his mate was even more distracting. Shaun’s scent was warm and inviting, even with the cologne he was wearing. Mitchell wanted to wrap his arms around Shaun and never let him go, nuzzling his hair and his neck and making sure everyone knew Shaun was his.
Rumple’s meow dragged him out of those thoughts, and he hoped Shaun didn’t notice how red his face was. He shouldn’t be thinking things like that. It would make it even more difficult to resist his urges.
The cat tried to wriggle away. He was sure that if he hadn’t been here, she would have bolted and jumped off the table by now. “Are you sure it’s on correctly? We don’t want her escaping.”
“I put this on her this morning and she hasn’t escaped so far, has she?” Shaun glared briefly at him.
“I know.” The knot in his stomach tightened. His mate was right to be upset with him. “I’m sorry. You’re doing a wonderful job with those cats.”
Shaun just snorted as he pulled another clasp in place. “They’re just cats. They’re not that complicated. Besides, Chris has been a great help.” He looked over at the Inn. “Most of the time, anyway.”
The mention of Chris rattled his dragon. We would be a much bigger help! We would not leave our mate’s side!
He’s getting us drinks. That’s helpful.
His dragon grumbled at that. The jealousy still simmered inside of him. “He seems nice,” Mitchell admitted reluctantly.
“He is.” Shaun’s eyes were still on Rumple as he finished with the harness. “He didn’t need to be here, but I—anyway, yeah, he’s great.”
Something about Shaun’s tone was off. Mitchell told himself that was because Shaun was talking to him and still feeling guilty over having kissed him last night. “That’s great.” Mitchell hoped he didn’t sound bitter. “For both of you.”
Shaun looked at him, surprise in his dark eyes. “It is.”
“I’m still sorry about last night. I should never have done that.” The words came tumbling out, and Mitchell wished he could just shut up. But his brain wasn’t working when he was looking into Shaun’s eyes. “It was my fault. It won’t happen again.”
Shaun gave him a sharp nod, his cheeks reddening. “Good. Great. Awesome. Let’s get Stiltskin back in the harness.”
It was impossible to hold the other cat while Shaun secured her without their fingers brushing. Mitchell could
tell Shaun was trying to minimize the contact. He wanted to tell Shaun he was doing a fine job with the harness, that those straps looked complicated, but he didn’t think Shaun would be grateful for the compliment. Shaun clearly wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible.
Mitchell wanted the same. He definitely didn’t want Shaun’s fingers lingering against his own, or the jolt of pleasure every time they touched. He especially didn’t want to think about how good those touches would feel elsewhere, or what it would be like to touch Shaun again.
“Are the cats ready?”
Mitchell jerked away, and Shaun flinched at Natalie’s voice right behind them. “Almost,” Mitchell replied. Fortunately, Shaun had just finished putting the harness on Stiltskin.
Natalie joined them at the table, eyeing Rumple and Stiltskin. They didn’t need to ask if she was ready. Her make-up looked impeccable, and she was wearing a purple flower in her carefully styled, loose hair. “And you’re sure they’ve still got the rings on?” She gave Shaun a sideways glance, then looked at Mitchell.
“Where else would they be?” Mitchell kept a polite smile on his face.
“Oh, the cats are over here!” Caroline joined them, in a similar dress to Natalie’s, except Natalie’s was floor-length while Caroline’s came to just above her knees. “Great, I was so worried they would have escaped by now!”
“They’ve got harnesses. Of course they haven’t escaped,” Shaun told her.
Mitchell felt the tension radiate from his mate. He moved a little closer, wishing he could comfort Shaun in a better way. Their shoulders brushed, and Shaun moved away from him.
Right, he shouldn’t be comforting Shaun in the first place.
Caroline shrugged. “Well, it’s just that things have a habit of disappearing when you’re around.”
“We’re only making sure nothing goes wrong,” Natalie added, “by keeping a close eye on things that easily could.”
Shaun was glaring at her now, and Mitchell was feeling worse by the second. The unspoken anger left a bitter taste, but there was nothing he could do about it. It wasn’t his business. This was a matter between humans.
He is our mate! His dragon insisted. We must defend him.
He can defend himself. Mitchell reminded himself. Shaun hadn’t asked for his help, so he would stay out of it.
“The photographer would like a picture of Emily with both cats,” Caroline informed Shaun. “Think you can manage that?”
“Managed it just fine with Dale,” Shaun replied, his shoulders hunched.
“Hmm.” Natalie reached to pet Rumple, then gently took the ribbon around her neck to check the ring. “Well, this one seems in order. Caroline, can you make sure the other one still has the ring?”
“Why wouldn’t Stiltskin have the ring?” Shaun spluttered as Caroline petted and checked the other cat’s ribbon. He threw Mitchell a ‘can you even believe this?’ look.
Mitchell remained quiet, hoping Natalie and Caroline would leave now that they’d made sure the cats were still wearing the rings.
Natalie just raised one eyebrow at Shaun. “We both know why. Just admit it.”
“I didn’t do anything.” Shaun’s knuckles were white as he held the cats’ leashes. He threw Mitchell another look. “You know I didn’t.”
“Oh, please.” Caroline was leaning on the table now, presumably imagining she was a tough detective. “Is that why you moved away so quickly? Because you did nothing?”
Defend our mate! His dragon urged. Mitchell was definitely tempted to throw both Natalie and Caroline into the lake, without even shifting to do it.
Not our business. He told himself firmly, even as his heart ached for Shaun. We won’t step in when we’re not asked. He couldn’t get too defensive of Shaun without looking suspicious himself.
“Like staying was an option,” Shaun shot back. He tried to pick up both cats, planning on walking away, but Rumple wriggled out of his grip to bump her head against Mitchell’s hand.
“If you had nothing to hide, of course it was,” Caroline said.
Mitchell picked up Rumple, intending to give her to Shaun so he could leave, but Shaun had his hands full with both the leashes and a squirming Stiltskin.
“Hey guys, what did I miss?”
Mitchell hadn’t thought he could feel such relief at the sound of Chris’ voice.
Chris joined the table, standing on Shaun’s other side. He put two bottles of beer down on the table, and kept a third bottle for himself. He gave Caroline and Natalie a sunny smile. “I didn’t know you needed four people to put some harnesses on cats.”
“I didn’t.” Shaun sounded calmer now. He put Rumple down on the table to grab one of the bottles and take a long gulp. “Thanks.”
“No problem.” Chris eyed Mitchell, then looked at Caroline and Natalie. “So… is there a reason we’re all hanging out here?”
“We’re here to tell Shaun we need the cats for the photo shoot,” Caroline said.
“And that we think it’s best if we watch them for now,” Natalie added. “Don’t worry, you can have them back once the photographer has finished.”
“Great, have fun with them,” Chris told them.
Shaun was more reluctant to give them the leashes. “Emily asked me to look after them.”
“Yes, and now we’re taking over from you for like half an hour.” Caroline sighed. “Just give us the cats, Shaun.”
Shaun handed Natalie the leash to Rumple’s harness, and Mitchell gave Stiltskin to Caroline. Both cats were meowing softly, and Mitchell wondered if they sensed the tension in the air.
“Shouldn’t you be making sure Dale stays out of the way?” Natalie turned to Mitchell as she picked up Rumple. “I’ll let Jake know when it’s safe for Dale to go outside.”
He should definitely get out of here. The simmering anger in the air was making him nauseous. Caroline and Natalie would soon leave Shaun alone again, and Shaun had Chris at his side now.
Besides, he really didn’t want to hang around Shaun while Chris was there.
“I’m sure Bryan and Jake have that covered, but I’ll see how they’re doing.” He turned to walk away. With every step his dragon urged him to go back and stay with his mate, and with every step, Mitchell ignored that urge and told himself it was the right decision.
11
Shaun
Shaun watched Natalie and Caroline leave with Rumple and Stiltskin, taking them back to the playground where Emily, Kelly, and the photographer were already waiting.
It was easier than watching Mitchell stride away so easily.
He still couldn’t believe Mitchell had remained silent while both Natalie and Caroline attacked him. Not after last night. Not after opening up to him and Mitchell being so supportive. Did that talk mean nothing?
Did that kiss mean nothing?
He took a deep breath and let it out slowly, taking another long sip of his beer. There was no reason for him to feel such crushing disappointment at Mitchell just standing there quietly and walking away. They barely knew each other, and Shaun had been lying to him all weekend. His legs were still shaking, and he sat down on the picnic bench to bury his hands in his hair for a moment. He had to get his feelings under control.
“So, what did I miss?” Chris sat down next to him. “I’m thinking I should have brought you a vodka.”
Shaun let out a laugh despite himself. “Better not.” He knew Chris well enough to know he’d get vodka if Shaun asked. But that wouldn’t solve anything. He ran his hands down his face, sighed, then sat up. “Thanks.” He took the third bottle of beer, glad Mitchell hadn’t taken it with him.
“What happened? I figured I’d leave you and Loverboy some time alone. Where the hell did they come from?”
“You heard ‘em. They wanted the cats for the photo shoot.” He looked over at the playground where Natalie and the other bridesmaids were all sitting on one end of the seesaw, while Emily sat on the other end, raised in the air and laughing
. He smiled, glad she was having fun. “And to give me a hard time again.”
His blood still boiled at Natalie’s and Caroline’s words. But more than that, he was angry at Mitchell’s silence. Mitchell knew the truth and had said nothing in Shaun’s favor. He’d expected it from Natalie and Caroline, but he’d expected more from Mitchell. Rationally, he knew he had no reason to, but that didn’t make him feel any better about it.
A vodka sounded better and better. Because he definitely wasn’t making any sense of his jumbled feelings as it was. Why should Mitchell come to his rescue? They’d only met yesterday. His feelings for and response to Mitchell were far too intense. Was it his guilty conscience? Or because he couldn’t do anything about his attraction? Was it the embarrassment of having Mitchell see him treated like that?
“And Loverboy?”
“Don’t call him that. He helped me put the harnesses on the cats, that was it.” And that was all it would be. He couldn’t risk being alone with Mitchell again. Just standing next to the man made him feel hot all over. Just the slightest brush of his fingers made a flash of desire run down his spine.
“Hm-mm.” Chris took a sip from his beer.
“There’s nothing I can do about it. Not during this weekend.”
“You could get his number.”
The thought had occurred to Shaun too, but he’d dismissed it. He would still have to tell Mitchell the truth about himself, and the thought of that made his stomach turn. “And then what?”
Chris shrugged. “You date and see where it goes.”
“And when do I tell him the two of us were never boyfriends and oh, by the way, I don’t own a bar, I just work behind one?” Knowing how much Mitchell valued honesty, there was no way he’d still be into Shaun if he knew everything.
“Who cares?” Chris sounded annoyed. “You can work that out after you’ve been on a date with him. Maybe it turns out he’s an asshole and the entire thing doesn’t go anywhere.”
“He’s not an asshole.” Shaun’s immediate reply surprised himself. But his gut told him he was right. Things going nowhere with Mitchell felt wrong in a way he couldn’t describe. He just knew that if he’d met Mitchell back at Orion’s, they would have hit it off and never looked back.
