by Fern Fel
He hadn’t lost control of his beast since the early days when he’d been a new shifter trying to come to terms with his new life.
What the hell was that, though?
He didn’t understand the strange emotions whirling inside him or why his heart started beating a little faster every time Dino was around. Any werewolf with common sense would call the feeling attraction, except that was impossible. For one, Martin had always been in love with his best friend and Dino was still mourning his lost lover.
Still, Martin found himself avoiding Dino at all costs, which wasn’t hard. The guy was practically a stranger to him and barely spoke more than couple of sentences to Martin. Heck, Dino would probably be in the same boat as him, dreading this task, but he’d do it as a favor to Raul. Maybe this wouldn’t be as hard as he thought.
“Just get on with it,” he muttered.
Looking down, he discovered it wasn’t Logan he sketched. The rough outline of the man on paper was taller, buff, his features indistinct, but Martin got one part right. He stood a little behind Logan during Michella’s funeral, and saw Dino on his knees for the first time, staring at her grave and saying nothing.
Martin remembered the dark outline of Dino’s tattoo peeking from the left side of his neck. It was the Darkfall pack tattoo, except it looked a little different, modified. Circling the pack ink was a circle of thorns and one small rose bloomed amid it. Did that rose represent his lost love?
Martin couldn’t get his mind off that sudden burst of color against all that black ink. What it would be like to love someone so fiercely the way Dino did? Martin knew the answer, except Logan never returned his love. Perhaps Dino and he might get along after all.
Taking a deep breath, Martin steadied himself and finally found the courage to dial Dino’s number.
Chapter Two
“Clean yourself up and get your ass off the couch,” ordered a voice.
Dino groaned, lifting the blanket over his head and turned on his side. Waking up these days felt like a chore. No, he dreaded when one day ended, and the next began. The passing of time reminded Dino he remained alive, while the only person he loved rotted in the dirt, gone forever and unlikely to return. The same speaker yanked away the blanket over his head.
Feeling the heat on his face, Dino snarled, opening his eyes to slits. His best friend Raul glared down at him, arms crossed, expression merciless.
“What the fuck? Leave me alone. It’s early,” were the first words that left Dino’s mouth.
“It’s past noon,” Raul snapped. “The wedding planner’s arriving in fifteen minutes. I expect you to be gone by then.”
“Someone woke up an asshole this morning,” Dino remarked.
“You bastard,” Raul growled.
God knew he shouldn’t be picking fights with the only person in the world who gave a damn about him. With his parents and older brother David gone, he had no one else. That was the thing about codependence and building his life on one person. Michella had been his lifeline, his purpose. Now that she was gone, Dino didn’t know how to go on anymore.
Didn’t Raul know how he hated being like this, waking up to Raul and Logan’s couch and nursing a nasty hangover every day? Werewolves didn’t get drunk easily, but put enough poison in the system, and it could work. Dino wanted to drink himself to death. Drinking, picking fights, and suicide pack missions were better than letting the raw grief inside eat him up.
“Get the fuck out of my home.” Raul’s words sparked fury inside Dino.
He rose to his feet, eyes narrowed and nostrils flaring. “This apartment had been our home for years—yours, mine, and hers.”
“We offered to move. You insisted we keep it because it reminds you too much of her,” Raul pointed out. “Look at you. What would Michella think if she saw you now? Every night you pick a random bar, get drunk, get into a fight, and fuck a stranger or two. What happens after, Dino? You come here, wasted.”
“Baby, that’s enough,” floated in Logan’s voice. The slender Omega entered the living room, putting himself between his mate and Dino.
Dino bristled. Logan and his little pack had been the cause of all Dino’s problems. If Logan never reached out and begged Michella for help, none of this would have happened. He couldn’t blame Logan, though. Hard to hate a man who Michella passed her gift to. Christ. Looking at Logan hurt, even now. The Omega could probably sense his pain. Dino shut his emotions down or least tuned out everything else so Logan wouldn’t pick up on anything.
“Calm down, everything’s fine,” Logan was saying, stroking Raul’s forearm.
Michella did the same thing to calm someone down. Dino looked away. Raul was right of course. He insisted Raul and Logan keep the old apartment, knowing he shouldn’t be attached to the dead. Out of courtesy, Raul and Logan kept some of Michella’s old things when they should have been taken down a long time ago. Dino knew what he was doing was unhealthy.
Why did he come back to Raul and Logan’s place every night after tearing his knuckles or fucking some random man or woman in the bar toilet? He knew why. This place reminded him too much of her and Logan did, too.
“I am calm,” Raul grumbled, his tone losing some its edge.
“It’s fine. I don’t want to cause trouble. I’m leaving,” Dino said.
“You don’t want to cause trouble?” Raul asked in a mocking voice.
“Raul, please me handle this,” Logan said firmly.
Raul continued glowering at Dino.
Had things spiraled out of control so badly that the only man he trusted to guard his back would look at him with distrust?
“Logan, I’m good.”
“You’re not.” Logan met his gaze.
Michella had brown eyes, Logan had blue. Christ. Dino was losing it. Because Logan had her gift, Dino saw so much of the woman he loved in the Omega. How fucked up was that?
“You promised Raul you’d be his best man,” Logan continued.
Raul snorted. Logan went on and said, “Will you uphold that promise?”
“Yeah, of course.” Dino noticed Raul’s gaze softened a little, but Dino knew he had a ways to go before winning his best friend back.
“Good. I arranged an appointment for Martin and you with Mr. Sharpe.”
“Who the fuck is Mr. Sharpe?” Dino rubbed his temples. Raul frowned at him. Damn it. Dino wasn’t in the right head space to deal with all this. All he wanted to do was go back to the small studio he was currently renting, slink under the covers of his bed, and never wake up again.
“Dino, have you been living under a rock these past few years?” Logan rolled his eyes. “Mr. Sharpe is the owner of Suits, Suits and Suits. He’s the best tailor in town. Mr. Sharpe’s always booked, but I managed to sneak in a couple of appointments.”
Raul grunted again, a disapproving look in his eyes. Dino had a feeling Logan resorted to some kind of immoral tactic to get those appointments.
“Suits three times repeated?” Dino asked.
Logan nodded, clearly not getting how ridiculous this all sounded. The mention of that other name sparked the interest of his wolf. Dino couldn’t deny his surprise. After losing connection to Michella’s wolf, his beast only came alive these days when spurred by violence and sex.
“Will you go? You’ll do us this huge favor, please?” Logan flashed puppy dog eyes at him.
Shit. No wonder Raul was hooked with the cunning little Omega. Dino meant that as a compliment. No one could deny Logan was good for Raul and would do anything for his best friend. Dino couldn’t remember the last time he saw Raul this happy. It was poison, always coming back to this place after a rough night. On one hand, he envied Raul and Logan’s relationship, and on the other, he came here to remind himself of his losses.
Perhaps it was finally time to move on.
“I’ll meet Martin at the suit place.”
Logan handed him a note with a number scribbled on it like a magician who had his tricks ready.
Dino plucked the note and eyed Raul’s mate. “What are you planning, Omega?”
Logan’s eyebrows innocently rose. “Nothing, but can I let you in on a little secret?”
Dino was intrigued. Of all the new wolves, he’d been interested in Martin the most. For whatever reason, Dino couldn’t fathom. He knew nothing about Martin, let alone his last name, but he began to notice the little wolf more and more.
Martin was Logan’s best friend, so it was unavoidable that all four of them met at dinner a couple of times. Well, usually Dino was on the couch, drunk, too lazy to hit up his usual bars while the three of them talked. For the life of him, he didn’t understand why he recalled Martin’s answers the most.
He did remember one particular night though, when Logan and Raul were in the kitchen, and he’d fallen asleep on the couch. Martin had pulled a blanket over him, the gesture waking him up. By reflex, he’d grabbed the handsome and slender shifter’s wrist, shocked by Martin’s racing pulse and those green eyes searching his.
Martin hadn’t been afraid, merely told him it was okay, that he was safe and sound. That response could have gotten a cruel laugh out of Dino. He spent most of his life breaking bones and ripping out throats.
Dino was no one’s prey, yet he couldn’t forget that little act of kindness.
“What secret?
“Martin’s been feeling down lately. He’s been having trouble adjusting.”
An unexpected snarl slipped from Dino’s throat, taking both Logan and Raul aback. “Why? Is someone threatening him? Give me the fucker’s name. I’ll hurt him.”
Oh bloody hell. Something was definitely wrong with him, judging by the way Logan and Raul traded looks. Did he frighten Logan off with this kind of talk?
“It’s nothing like that,” Logan said quickly. “He’s just lonely that’s all. Make friends all right? Martin will give you a call soon.”
Dino snorted, not liking they were treating him like some errant pup that needed watching. “Fine.”
* * * *
What was he doing here?
Dino glanced around Suits, Suits, and Suits and snorted. He’d flipped some of the price tags on the suits hanging on the rack and wouldn’t deny some of the numbers gave him a heart attack. Who seriously paid five to six digits for a dumb suit? Okay, he understood why Logan and Raul would fork out money. This was their wedding, after all, a once-in-a-lifetime event, but that didn’t mean Dino had to do the same.
When not called away on pack business, Dino worked at the local auto repair shop. He didn’t wear suits on principle and Michella had to beg him to put on one. Oh, fuck. This wasn’t the time to take a walk down memory lane and feel sorry for himself.
“May I help you, sir?” The thin, impeccably dressed man in his early forties, who Dino assumed was Mr. Sharpe, seemed hesitant to approach him, as if Dino would bite his head off any second.
“Logan Bowen told me to come here, said—”
“Mr. Bowen, I see. Yes, you must be Mr. Glower. I was expecting a Mr. Vasquez. I am George Sharpe.”
Mr. Sharpe held out his hand, which Dino shook with reluctance. How would he tell this guy he wasn’t interested in paying that much for a suit he’d only wear once? He’d find an excuse to tell Raul and Logan one way or another. Dino began to open his mouth but was interrupted when the shop door opened, revealing Martin, sweating and panting.
“Sorry I’m late. I missed the bus,” Martin said apologetically.
Dino took the opportunity to observe the lean man as Mr. Sharpe approached him. Raul and Logan always invited Martin and him to dinner, but Dino never really noticed Martin until now. Brown hair a little disheveled, Martin’s blue eyes met his for a second before Martin cleared his throat to focus on what Mr. Sharpe was saying.
The little wolf was clearly nervous around him, but why?
His usually indifferent wolf sat inside him, clearly awake and interested in Martin. The longer Dino watched Martin, the more the younger wolf intrigued him and drew him a little closer.
Two of Martin would make one of him. Slender as a blade, Martin had a face Dino would have called pretty except for the strong curve of his jaw. Underneath his clothes, Dino could tell Martin had a runner’s build. His gaze somehow found its way down the line of Martin’s chest and flat belly and lingered on the bulge in Martin’s jeans.
Something strange surged inside Dino. It took him a second to pin down the emotion—desire. Before Michella, Dino always knew he’d preferred both men and women, but it sure as hell had been a long time since he’d been attracted to anyone. Tension thickened in the room. Dino approached Martin and Mr. Sharpe, drawn by some unnamed magnetic pull, a compass pointing north.
Martin swallowed, and Dino couldn’t help but notice the movement of his creamy throat. He wanted to nose his way up Martin’s neck, to scent the little wolf, to touch, to taste.
Where the hell were these thoughts coming from?
Didn’t werewolves only get one chance at love? No, Michella once told Logan it didn’t work like that. To screw the rules and make your own, but would she say the same to Dino? She’d been more than his lover. She was his best friend despite Dino being years older than her.
Knowing her, she’d probably nudge him in the right direction, right into Martin, but was Dino ready?
He was already thinking that far ahead when he barely knew Martin. Even so, Dino already imagined a scene playing out in his head. He’d close in on Martin, grip Martin’s chin, keep their gazes locked, and claim his mouth to find out if this had all been a fabrication of his imagination.
“Dino, hi,” Martin said once he reached them. The cute wolf let out a nervous laugh. “I didn’t see you there.”
Little liar. Dino wanted to eat him up, make him fess up, but decided to play it casually. “Martin.”
All he said was Martin’s name, but Martin jumped. Dino placed a hand on Martin’s shoulder, which didn’t seem to relax the other man one bit.
“Good to see you,” Martin squeaked.
“What’s wrong with your voice?”
“Nothing,” Martin mumbled. “You’re distracting.”
“Am I?”
Dino usually didn’t like playing games, but he wanted to tease and torment the little wolf. See how Martin would react. Was his lust one-sided? No, Martin was clearly spooked, but underneath that, Dino could sense Martin’s excited wolf. Oh, the issue of non-consent here was absent. Was Martin waiting for him to make the first move?
“Yeah, you are,” Martin murmured. His little wolf began to reach out to touch Dino but pulled back like a guilty pup caught doing something wrong. “What are you doing to me?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking you the same question?” Dino asked, barely recognizing his hoarse voice. It occurred to Dino they’d never been alone before. Always, Raul or Logan hovered around, but Raul and Logan were their only connection. Dino realized he knew nothing about Martin, except what Logan told him.
“While I find you both adorable, we have work to do. Logan never mentioned you two were a couple,” Mr. Sharpe exclaimed.
“Wait, we aren’t,” Martin sputtered.
Dino pulled him close, a bad move. Martin’s scent tantalized him, ensnared him, and Dino’s dominant beast wanted to take this further. It would be so easy to steer Martin out of the shop, and then what? Take him out back, fuck his brains out? After they could go for coffee or maybe dinner?
Making his exit while he still could, seemed like the best solution. Some air and a good amount of thinking would help. He’d apologize to Raul and Logan later. Still, he lingered, unable to let go of his trembling little wolf.
His. When did that happen? Still, the word sounded so right.
“What are you doing? Don’t,” Martin blurted.
No amount of lies could cover up Martin’s dilated pupils, his flushed skin. The more Martin denied him, the less Dino wanted to back off.
Chapter Three
“No?” Dino mocked, raising one of his brows
.
All six-foot-plus of the huge werewolf made it hard for Martin to look away. Dino captivated his attention as if he didn’t care they weren’t alone in the shop. God, the intensity overwhelmed Martin, intrigued him.
Dino tugged him again, eliminating any space between them. Martin’s head was buried in Dino’s broad chest, and it wasn’t hard to imagine what lay under the dominant wolf’s shirt. Ropes of unyielding muscle and old scars, Dino possessed the body of a warrior. Martin had sneaked a peek before. When he’d been over at Raul and Logan’s, he spied Dino coming out of the shower, wearing nothing but a towel around his waist.
“I didn’t mean to sound like a prick,” Martin began, unsure what he was saying.
It was getting hard to focus with their chests, stomachs, and groins pressed like this, unable to touch for one layer of clothing. He could hear Dino’s heart, so calm and confident of his conquest, steady, unlike Martin’s own hammering one.
When faced with a larger predator, Martin’s wolf’s first instinct would be to search all exits and run. Too bad his wolf didn’t see Dino as a threat but a prospect. No, prospect was a mild word to explain the certainty surging through his beast. Every pore of his skin screamed one word. Mine. His. But Martin couldn’t attach those labels to what amounted to a complete stranger.
Dino gripped his chin, tilted his head, and Martin could finally closely study Dino’s face. When Logan invited them over, Martin always had a feeling that while Dino was in the same room with them, Dino’s mind was somewhere else. Martin never had the opportunity to speak to Dino.
A slight tinge of yellow bled into Dino’s graphite gray eyes, telling Martin it wasn’t just him losing control to his animal and completely abandoning common sense. Bristles covered Dino’s jaw and cheeks and for some reason, Martin wanted to rub his smooth cheeks against it.