Prickly By Nature (27 page)

“Warren. He just stepped onto the back patio to answer a call. He’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Avery hesitated. “Are you sure he won’t mind?” He’d never met Sven’s bear shifter boyfriend. “I don’t want to impose.”

“It’s totally fine. Come on. Sit, sit.” Sven stood and motioned for Avery to slip into his side of the booth.

Not wanting to be rude after Sven’s efforts to make amends, Avery sat.

“Order whatever you want,” Sven said. “Our treat.”

“Oh no, you don’t have to do that. I can ask for a separate check.”

Sven made a dismissive gesture. “Don’t worry. Warren is using his business account to pay for this. He’ll call it a work lunch and write it off. Seriously. Not another word about it, okay?”

Avery considered Sven for a moment. Sven stared back at him with guileless blue eyes, as cheerful as ever. “Sure,” Avery said eventually. “Thank you.” If Warren wanted to charge it to his shipping company, Avery wouldn’t argue. He was still pinching pennies and living mostly off his earnings from when he’d made deliveries for the pack, supplemented by the small cuts he netted from the cases he worked with Reid. Every dollar counted.

Sven nodded. Then his gaze darted to something across the bar, and his smile widened. “There he is.”

The guy who settled into the other side of the booth was handsome—in a big, burly way. He certainly lived up to his shifter half, with his thick, dark brown hair, heavy eyebrows, prominent nose, and full, trimmed beard. Avery imagined the pelt that probably covered his massive barrel chest. Not to mention the rest of him. And his hands were huge, reminiscent of the gigantic paws he’d have in shifted form.

Warren screamed bear, loud and distinct. Inside, Avery’s hedgehog wanted to curl up and cower. By nature, he wasn’t inclined to submit to the dominance of a more powerful shifter—save for his reaction to Dylan, which had more to do with the mate bond than anything—but he recognized an apex predator when he saw one. However, Avery’s human side wasn’t so easily intimidated. He accepted Warren’s handshake as Sven introduced them. Warren’s grip was firm and confident, not a painful, crushing squeeze. This was a man who didn’t need to try to hurt someone to prove a point. No one who saw him would doubt his strength.

“Sven tells me you’re training to become a private investigator,” Warren said once the waitress had taken their orders and delivered Avery’s drink.

Avery swirled his straw in his iced tea. “Yeah. I still have another couple of months before I finish accruing my experience hours. Then I can apply and take the exam.”

“How is that falcon shifter?” Sven asked. “Is he being good to you?”

“Oh, yeah, he’s been amazing.” Avery bobbed his head. “I’m learning a lot.”

“And you’re mated to a wolf?”

Avery looked at Warren in surprise. His gaze was focused on Avery’s neck. The wide collar of his shirt left the mating bite partially visible. Whenever humans asked, Avery lied and said he’d been bitten by a dog. Only other shifters recognized the scar for what it was—a claiming, a mark of ownership placed on the weaker shifter by the stronger… but in giving it, the more dominant shifter was equally owned.

Avery jutted his chin, proud of his bite and what it meant. “Yeah.”

One corner of Warren’s mouth crooked. “Congratulations. He’s your fated mate, is he not? What a rare matchup, a wolf and a hedgehog.”

“We are an unlikely pair,” Avery agreed.

The waitress arrived, saving him from having to say more. He leaned back so she could set down his plate. Avery almost moaned at the sight and smell of the crispy sweet potato fries. He drenched them in ketchup and popped one into his mouth, making a pleased little sound.

When he glanced up, Warren was staring hard. Avery snuck a look at Sven. He was munching on his salad, seemingly oblivious as Warren eyed Avery like it was midnight and he was craving a salty Avery-flavored snack. Warren didn’t even feign embarrassment when Avery caught him in the act. In fact, he outright leered.

Avery nearly choked on a fry. Uncomfortable, he returned his attention to his meal. The situation had taken a sudden turn into Awkwardville. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could leave. How did one handle a friend’s boyfriend flirting—especially when said friend was sitting right the hell there? And hadn’t Warren just congratulated Avery on his mating? Clearly he knew Avery was unavailable. What a douche bag.

Avery forced down a few bites of his black bean burger, but he couldn’t avoid the weight of Warren’s unwavering stare, and it turned the food to lead in his stomach. He was about to play the “oh my, would you look at the time?” card when Sven excused himself to use the restroom. He walked away before Avery could lie and say he had to go too.

Tense silence settled over the table. Avery grabbed his tea, took a nervous gulp, and avoided Warren’s eyes. He needed to get out of there. He couldn’t understand why he felt so anxious—it wasn’t as if he hadn’t dealt with Warren’s type before—but something about the bear shifter put all his senses on edge. If he hadn’t wanted to say good-bye to Sven, he would’ve already been on his way out the door.

“Are you and your mate exclusive?” Warren asked.

Avery’s gaze jerked to his. “Of course.”

Warren arched a thick brow. “So you wouldn’t be up for a bit of fun, then?”

Avery glanced toward the restrooms.
Jesus.
Sven needed to hurry the hell up. He looked back at Warren. “What about Sven? Aren’t you guys together?”

“We have an open relationship.”

Does Sven know that?
Avery bit back the question. He shook his head and set down his iced tea. “Thanks but no thanks. Dylan and I don’t screw around.”

Warren laughed, a loud, deep rumble. “He wouldn’t have to know. You and I are a different breed. We’re not meant for monogamy.”

Avery glared at him. “I’m not ruled by my animal or my dick.” Where did Warren get off making these assumptions? He knew absolutely nothing about Avery or what he wanted. Meaningless sex had been fun for a time, but it couldn’t compare to what he shared with Dylan. It would be like putting heavy cream next to skim milk—one was silky and rich, the other watered-down enough to be practically tasteless. Avery knew and appreciated what he had now. All the casual fucks in the world couldn’t tempt him away.

He looked toward the restrooms again. Still no sign of Sven.

“We could ask Sven to join us if that’s your concern. I’m sure he’d be willing.” Warren’s expression mocked him, as if he found Avery’s commitment to Dylan trite or amusing.

Avery couldn’t abide sitting at that table for another second. He withdrew his wallet from his pocket and tossed a twenty next to his half-empty plate—enough to cover his food, plus a tip. He didn’t want to owe Warren for anything, not even a meal.

“I’ll text Sven later. Tell him I said good-bye.” He didn’t wait for Warren’s answer before he slid from the booth.

Once he was out of the pub, he drew in an unsteady breath. Well, if that wasn’t the weirdest lunch he’d had in a while. One thing was clear: Sven needed to find a new man. He was wasting his time with Warren. No wonder they broke up so often. Avery hoped next time would be permanent. He didn’t relish the thought of running into Warren again.

LATER THAT
night, while he was lounging in his den, he got a call from Jaden. They made small talk for a while, and Avery mentioned seeing Sven, and Warren’s leering and entitled behavior.

“What an asshole,” Jaden said.

“My sentiments exactly.”

Jaden went quiet for a moment. Throughout their conversation, he’d sounded depressed. Avery had sensed him wanting to say something, but every time he thought Jaden would speak, Jaden segued to some other trivial topic. Avery suspected he knew the reason why.

“What is it?” he prompted when Jaden stayed silent.

Jaden swallowed hard enough Avery heard it across the line. “Have you talked to Heath lately?”

Avery hesitated, toying with the edge of the blanket he’d draped over his lap. He tried to avoid mentioning Heath whenever he and Jaden spoke. He knew it was a painful subject. Jaden had asked him for Heath’s cell number a couple of weeks ago, but Avery didn’t hear anything afterward. He’d assumed if Jaden called, it hadn’t gone well. He never asked about it so as not to poke at a sore wound.

“Yeah, um…. We talked the other day.” He and Heath maintained regular contact, updating each other whenever they had news. Heath and Dylan talked frequently too. Avery thought they were becoming friends, but he knew hearing that would only hurt Jaden more.

Whatever Heath’s reasons, he was keeping Jaden at arm’s length. Hell, at city’s length. He always asked if Avery was expecting Jaden before he stopped at the house. The man was clearly in avoidance mode. It reminded Avery of himself and Dylan during the two years they’d done their best to ignore each other.

“How is he doing? Has he asked about me?”

Biting his lip, Avery hesitated. Jaden sounded so hopeful. It had to be killing him, being shunned when, unlike Avery with Dylan, he hadn’t done anything wrong. The problem lay with Heath, whatever it was. “He’s fine. And… I’m sorry, Jay, but no. He hasn’t.”

Jaden’s breathing hitched, a soft, little wounded sound. Avery’s chest ached in sympathy. He wished he could hug Jaden close, but all he could offer were words.

“He’ll come around. Look at me and Dylan. I never thought we’d get together, but here we are. Trust me, if we could manage a successful mating, there’s hope for you and Heath.”

Jaden gave a watery laugh. “Yeah. Maybe you’re right. But he’s been here for weeks, and he hasn’t—” Jaden broke off and inhaled shakily. “I don’t know how it’s not driving him crazy. Some nights it’s like everything inside me
hurts
, and all I can think about is how much I want him. But he’s not
here
.”

Avery remembered those feelings all too well. “I’m sorry, Jay. It doesn’t help, but I know what you’re going through. If you need to talk, call me anytime. I’ll always be here for you.”

When Jaden answered, his voice sounded clogged with tears. “Yeah, I know. Thanks.” He sniffed. “I’m gonna go. I’ll see you soon. We’ll grab lunch or something.”

“Of course. Text me whenever.”

“Will do. Good night.”

“Night.”

Avery ended the call and tossed his phone on the table. He’d been listening to an album before Jaden called—
Hold On Now, Youngster…
by Los Campesinos! It still played softly in the background. He thought of their song “My Year in Lists” and the line about cherishing the day before meeting someone. He wondered if Jaden was feeling like that now, if he would rather not have met Heath at all if they couldn’t be together. Avery guessed it would depend on how things ended up in the future.

If Heath and Jaden never got together, he wondered how difficult it would be for Jaden to move on, knowing his mate was out there and didn’t want him.

Being rejected sucked. Avery had experienced it firsthand. But he’d meant what he said to Jaden: if he and Dylan could make it after their awful beginning and all the bumps along the way, anyone could. He hoped for Jaden’s sake it wouldn’t take Heath two years to realize that nothing—not his reservations or any arguments he might make to himself—was worth the pain of not having each other.

“DAMN. I
should’ve picked up some snacks.”

Avery cast a wistful glance at the twenty-four-hour gas station, then shook his head and returned his gaze to the road. Nope. No time to stop. First, he needed to ensure Mason got safely into his apartment building. Afterward, maybe he could make a quick side trip to pick up a few items before settling in to keep an eye on things for a while. He’d probably indulge in a rare energy drink just to give himself a boost. It had been a long day, made even longer by Mason’s request for an escort home from Boylesque.

Avery could understand Mason’s paranoia, though, and he didn’t mind losing sleep to give Mason a bit of security. Acting as bodyguards wasn’t officially part of the services they offered, but an emergency situation had called Reid away, and neither one of them wanted to leave their client unprotected. The creepy gifts had been coming with more frequency over the last week, yet the police couldn’t be bothered to send a squad car. Without a more threatening action on the stalker’s part, the disturbing packages meant nothing. Avery wondered how far it would have to go before the cops deigned to get involved.

No matter. Avery might not have the strength of a wolf, but he didn’t doubt he could defend Mason if necessary. He and Reid would find this guy soon.

Avery pulled into a space across the street from the apartment building and cut his lights as Mason parked. Scanning the area, he cursed his crappy night vision. Werewolf eyesight would sure come in handy right then. Still, he stayed vigilant and watched as Mason locked his vehicle and started toward the entrance.

His intense focus allowed him to spot the shadow shifting behind one of the tall, thick-trunked trees on the lawn.

Jerking upright in his seat, Avery stared hard, his senses going on high alert. The shadow coalesced into the shape of a huge, broad-shouldered man. In the next second, the man rushed an unsuspecting Mason in a full-body tackle.

“Fuck!” Avery undid his seat belt and scrambled from the car. Heart pumping, he raced to where the man had Mason pinned to the ground by his throat.

Even in the dark, Avery could see Mason’s face had flushed red as he scratched desperately at the guy’s massive hands, trying to pry his death grip free.

Avery didn’t slow his steps, didn’t stop to think. In that moment, there was room only for action.

With a battle cry, Avery launched himself at the man’s back.

DYLAN PACED
the living room again, picking up speed with each pass. It worked better than sitting down. He peeked at the clock. Two eighteen. His gut clenched and his pulse pounded in his ears. With his phone gripped in his fist, Dylan dialed again.