by Desiree Holt
“Whoa, wait. Let me make sure I got this right: what you’re saying is last night we basically Vegas eloped werewolf style? Minus the Vegas? And a few other parts? Thankfully minus the Elvis.”
“Something like that, yeah.”
Oh. No wonder Dare was upset. “Hey, don’t worry. There’s an annulment process or something right? I promise I won’t make you stick with me. This isn’t a forever thing.”
There was no mistaking the pain and panic that crossed Dare’s face.
“No,” Dare bit out. “No one will force you to do anything.”
Uneasiness settled in Evan’s gut. He was missing something here. “This happens occasionally, right? A wolf bites the wrong person, no big deal. There’s a bit of awkwardness and you’re left with a couple scars and a ‘Hey, remember that time when…’?”
Dare grabbed the back of one of the high chairs shoved under the edge of the island. Why wouldn’t the man look at him?
“There are no mistakes. Wolves mate for life.”
Evan froze his tapping fingers and fidgety toes. “Explain to me, in ridiculously simplistic detail, exactly what that means.”
Dare shoved his hands in his pockets, taking a steadying breath before he spoke. “It means that for me, you’re it. You’re human. I don’t think…if you leave, it won’t hurt you.”
Evan spoke slowly as the thought entered his brain. “But it will hurt you?”
Dare didn’t answer.
Evan turned away, pulling his hands over his eyes and down his face. For once, he was left with no words and too many thoughts.
“Destiny’s a bitch,” Dare said.
“I’ve gotta go,” Evan said, turning to leave the kitchen. Dare took an involuntary step toward him, finally looking at him, and there was panic on his face again. Evan just didn’t understand him. Dare didn’t want him, but he was at least stressed at the idea of Evan leaving.
“Not go go,” Evan said. “I just, I think better when I’m driving.”
Dare nodded mutely and Evan left.
Chapter 18
Everything in Dare protested as he watched Evan go, but he held himself back. Evan hadn’t been brought up in their traditions. He wasn’t a wolf. He didn’t understand, well, anything really about what had happened. What was happening. The last thing Dare wanted to do was chase him away by laying too much on him all at once. If he hadn’t already done so. And when all was said and done, Dare might have to let him go for real. He had to be prepared for that.
Dare slammed his fist against the counter. Stupid. If he hadn’t been drinking, maybe he could have gone about this the normal way. As normal as finding your mate was human could be. It wasn't the first time, and while it wasn't common, it wasn't unheard of. He would have courted Evan. Built up the idea of wolves and pack and a relationship before actually revealing it all. And then, eyes wide open, no surprises, asked Evan to be his mate.
He snorted at himself. No use wishing for what wasn’t.
Someone cleared their throat and he looked up. Now that she had his attention, his mom walked in. “Where’s Evan?”
“He said he had to go for a drive.” Man, he sounded wrecked.
Mom set her coffee cup on the counter and wrapped him in a hug, saying nothing. While he felt no more relaxed, he leaned into her, letting her strength support the weight of his burden.
After a bit, she patted him on the back and circled the island to pull out two plates and set a cinnamon roll on each of them. She put one plate in front of Dare and then the rest of the pan between them. “Coffee?” she asked, and Dare nodded glumly.
After a few bites, Dare asked, “Where’s Min and Dad?”
“Hiding,” Mom said, a half smile lightening her words.
Dare nodded, continuing to pick at his cinnamon roll, mindlessly chewing and swallowing. “Next time I don’t listen to you, can you smack me upside the head?”
Mom smiled, picking up her coffee. “Can I record that?”
She continued to eat her roll and Dare reached for another. And then another. He could barely taste them, but they were in front of him, and he couldn’t stay still.
“Mom?” he finally said. “What if he doesn’t want me?”
Mom abandoned the rest of her roll and walked around to engulf her eldest son in her arms, but she had no words for him.
Chapter 19
Evan hadn’t lied. Driving helped him think. Normally, though, he dragged someone along with him. It didn’t matter whether they responded to him, he just needed someone to talk at. In college, that person had been Mindy just as often as it had been Cole. Over the past few years, he’d spent many hours driving while talking to one of them on the phone, bluetooth in ear.
He could call Mindy. But what if Dare was in the room? He didn’t know what he had to say, didn’t know what he was feeling yet, but he didn’t want to chance the man overhearing something hurtful that Evan didn’t intend.
Fuck it. Honeymoon or not, Cole owed him.
Evan dialed Cole’s number and hung up when it went to voicemail. The second call was the same. On the third call, Cole picked up.
“You better have a damn good reason—”
“You could have told me you were a werewolf.”
There was a shocked silence. “W-what?”
Evan stopped at a red light and noticed a grocery store coming up on his right. He put on his turning signal. “Honestly, I don’t know what upsets me more, that your brother bit me because I’m his mate or that it took that for someone to tell me you all are werewolves!”
“WHAT?”
“I don’t know why you’re sounding so upset. I’m the victim here. Well, maybe not victim. That’s a strong word. But at least—”
“Evan, where are you?”
“I just pulled in at Center Market where I’m going to get a case of beer, which is probably a bad idea—”
“it’s a very bad idea.”
“—and proceed to drink myself into something resembling oblivion. And one of you assholes can find me and drive me home because I’m not leaving the parking lot.”
Evan was not a beer drinker, but on Sunday in Georgia, that was the only alcoholic option.
“I’ll be there in ten.”
Evan was just setting the beers into the trunk of his car when Cole arrived. Jessica stopped, letting him jump out, before driving away. Evan broke open the box and popped the tab on a can. “Want one?”
“Yeah, I’ll take one.”
Evan handed him the open beer and grabbed another from himself.
“Damn, Ev. This stuff’s shit. Couldn’t you have at least sprung for a little taste?”
“Don’t know, don’t care.”
Cole grimaced and they each took a long sip.
“So what happened?” Cole asked.
Evan gave him the abbreviated version as they sat on the edge of the trunk. “I slept with your brother, he gave me this.” He pulled his shirt over to expose the scar. “Mindy turned into a wolf and I came out for a drive and a drink.”
Evan watched streams of thought cross Cole’s face.
“I don’t know where to start.”
“How about with this?” Evan said, gesturing to his scar. “Dare said you’d have one too this morning.”
Cole pulled the collar of his shirt over in response, revealing a very similar scar. Evan leaned forward to inspect it.
“And Jessica gave you that last night?”
“And vice versa.”
“So what the heck is it?”
Cole looked suddenly flustered.
“I’m not asking for the werewolf birds and the bees, Cole. I know how I got it. I know it’s a mating bite. And Dare says it’s a forever kind of thing for him. What does that even mean? Trying to get information from your brother is like using tweezers to pull white cat hair off a pair of black pants. How come he picked me and not some wolf?”
“It’s not like he had a choice.”
Evan leveled him with a gl
are.
“I’m not saying that like you’re the only option—I mean, you are, for him, but—I mean it’s not like you’re the bottom of the barrel or anything. Call it fate. Or destiny. Dare didn’t have a choice because this was always meant to be. If you’d never met Dare, there still wouldn’t have been anyone else for him.”
“Well that sucks.”
“It shouldn’t.”
“If I was a wolf.”
“It certainly would have made things easier.”
They sipped their beers in silence, finishing them, and Evan reached for another. Cole declined.
“Tell me about Dare. I can’t read him.”
Cole shrugged. “He’s bossy.”
Evan snorted. “I picked up on that.”
“But not without reason. He’s meant to be the alpha after Mom.”
“Your mom is the alpha?”
“Yup.”
“Huh. I would have expected someone a bit more…intense. And large. Probably hairier. And more…dudely?”
Cole laughed. “Trust me, she’s pretty intense. And you should see her fight. Technique matters more than size.”
Evan stared at him, incredulous. “I cannot imagine your mom fighting. You mean physically?”
“Yup. As a wolf, generally. Though if you’d ever been on the receiving end of one of her slaps upside the head, you wouldn’t be doubting her strength in either form.”
“And Dare’s her heir? Is that because he’s the first born?”
“No, though it doesn’t hurt. Some packs are structured that way. Dare’s just the best suited for the job.”
In some ways, Evan could see that. But the man was so different from his mother. Alice was smiles and conversations and steel hard resolve. Dare certainly shared that resolve, but… “Your brother seems more the grunt and point or I’ll knock you over your head and drag you back to my cave type than the suave leader type. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it totally works for him—“
“Please do not continue that line of thought any further. It’s bad enough knowing you and my brother hooked up. But not like, bad. If you guys stuck together, it wouldn’t be a problem for me. Or any of us. It’s just weird.” Cole took a breath. “It’s so strange finally being able to talk to you about this.” He bumped shoulders with Evan. “Honestly, it’s nice. A relief. I suck at secrets.”
“Oh, I know.”
“And this one’s been the hardest. You have no idea how many times Mindy or I almost slipped up talking to you.”
“Am I really that oblivious?”
Cole shook his head. “No, we’re just that good at covering our tracks.”
“You didn’t put some crazy mojo on me to make me forget, did you?”
“We’re werewolves, you jackass. Not vampires or witches or—I don’t know. There are a lot of things in this world that can do that, but not werewolves.”
Evan leaned his head between his knees. “I should be terrified. Why am I not terrified?”
“Probably because you’re in shock. Don’t worry, you’ll start running around like a crazy man and wetting yourself soon enough.”
Evan flipped him the finger.
“But as far as Dare goes? He’s actually really good at the whole leading thing. I know this is probably not helpful, but the Dare you’ve met isn’t the normal Dare. When we first meet our mates we kind of lose access to some of our higher functions like the ability to make real conversation. More instinct, less reason. I mean, that’s no excuse, but it is a bit of reality.”
“Reality is a lot crazier today than it was yesterday.”
“You’re telling me. I’m a married man now!”
Cole’s familiar, easy going approach eased Evan’s tumultuous thoughts as it always had.
Chapter 20
Thirty minutes after Evan left and just as Dare finished the last cinnamon roll, Jessica showed up. She pointed two fingers at her eyes before twisting them around to point at Dare. “You owe me. Cole’s with him.”
Jessica’s glare didn’t diminish Dare’s relief knowing that Evan was nearby and in the care of Dare’s family. He threw the empty cinnamon roll pan in the sink and then followed Jessica to the family room where the rest of the family lazily watched TV. Except for his mom. She was there, but peered at her laptop screen through the small set of reading glasses perched on the end of her nose. Probably pack business. It generally was.
Dare wasn’t sure how long he’d been sitting there, glowering, while his family talked softly around him about nothing, until he heard the car pull up at the front of the house. His muscles jolted, but he made himself stay seated, digging his nails into his thighs.
The two men entered the room and Dare’s eyes went straight to Evan. His face was flushed, but his eyes were clear.
“We need to talk,” Evan said to Dare, staring at him as if the rest of the room was empty.
Dare jumped to his feet and escorted Evan from the room. “Not here,” he said. At Evan’s confused glance, he explained. “Wolf ears. It doesn’t really matter where in the house… Do you want to drive to the other house?”
“Sounds good, but you’re driving.”
Evan was fidgety in the car, his tiny movements drawing Dare’s attention from the road. “Are you nervous?” Dare asked finally.
Evan tried to still his hands. “I’m just not good with silence.”
Dare wanted to say something, anything, to keep the silence from returning, but he didn’t know what to say.
“I’m sorry,” Evan said.
Dare spared him a surprised look. “You’re sorry? What do you have to be sorry for?”
“That you’re stuck with me.”
“I’m still not sure what you’re apologizing for. If there’s fault to be had, it lies with me.”
“I’m just not…” He waved at his body. “And you’re so…” He waved at Dare’s body.
Dare gave him an up down look. “I’m still not sure what you’re apologizing for. I have no idea what you see when you look in a mirror, but trust me…that’s not a problem. A little bit of the opposite, especially since you hardly know me.”
“What about you knowing me? From what Cole said, and what you’ve said, you’re stuck with me. I at least know your family pretty well, and I like them a lot. That’s got to be a good indication of your character. But what do you know about me other than occasional comments from your siblings and one hot night?”
One hot night? That was a good sign, right? That there was at least a part of last night that Evan didn’t regret? And comments had been slightly more than occasional with Mindy and Cole. More like a non-stop replay of “The Twins and Evan Show,” though phone calls with his siblings had been infrequent. “I was created to lo—” Dare stopped himself before the L-word slipped out. “To like you. Getting to know you isn’t a test run, it’s more like a journey. I know the destination, but the getting there is wide open.”
“I still don’t see how you’re not being forced into this.”
“I’m not! It’s—okay, as corny as it sounds, it’s like soulmates. No matter how little or how well I know you or under what circumstances we met, I would always be immediately drawn to you. I would always prefer you to anyone else. I have a choice: I could resist it; I could ignore it. But why would I want to?” Dare chanced a glance at Evan’s expressive face, and the openness and curiosity, though still mixed with confusion and uncertainty, prompted his next words. “It’s actually really hard to keep driving and not climb over into your seat.” He returned his eyes to the road, his breath suspended in anticipation of Evan’s response.
A moment later, Evan reached out and gently pulled Dare’s right hand from the steering wheel and held it. “Does that help?”
Dare nodded slightly, afraid that any response stronger than that would break his tenuous control.
Chapter 21
Evan was surprised at how quickly the touch of their hands calmed not only Dare, whose white-knuckled grip on the steerin
g wheel immediately eased, but also himself. He’d always been a touchy person, the first one to go in for a hug or cuddle. Lovers, friends, family. But this was more. Normally, in silence, he felt the need to move, to turn on the radio, to babble. But the rest of the way to the house, he sat in silence and stillness, the warmth of Dare’s hand in his wrapping around his entire body and holding him tight.
They reached the house, but neither seemed to want to break the quiet moment, to break the touch of their hands. Dare finally did, squeezing Evan’s fingers. He waited for Evan at the head of the stone path, but in that short walk the small opening Evan had found in the car seemed to have been firmly shut. Dare’s arms rested close to his body, his face impassive once more. Evan hesitated, wondering if the man would welcome his touch again, but the moment before he reached to grab Dare’s hand again, the man turned away.
Inside the house, Dare flopped onto a couch, pulling his arm over his eyes. Mad at himself for hesitating outside though his nervousness had not abated, Evan followed close behind, lifting Dare’s feet so that he could sit, and then placing the man’s feet on his lap.
Dare stiffened, pulling his feet away and sitting upright. “It might be easier if we kept some distance.”
“Why?” From everything Cole and Derek had said, that seemed like the opposite of what was good for Dare.
“For when you le—” Dare’s voice caught, “—leave.”
“Leave? What makes you think I’m going to leave?” As the words left his mouth, Evan realized he hadn’t given any indication of changing his plans to return to Seattle. He hadn’t even thought of changing his plans until Dare mentioned him leaving. Part of him, a very strong part, had risen up and rebelled at the idea. What did he have to return to?
“You have a life. A life not here. Friends, home, job. I wouldn’t ask you to leave that.”
“I don’t though,” Evan said, the reality crystallizing in his mind for the first time.