Lakota shook his head and strode into the living room. “Still the same old ham.”
All humor erased from Tak’s expression as he followed. “Not quite the same old Lakota I remember. Is there something you want to tell me about why you’re living here?”
Lakota set his bottle on the side table and sat on the pink couch, his hands resting on his thighs.
Tak circled around the light-grey sofa across from Lakota and plopped down. He flicked a glance up to an abstract painting of grey wolves and wondered if this was typical of how all city Shifters lived.
“Don’t bullshit me,” Lakota began. “You’re not here to see if Melody and I are together. You found out I’m a bounty hunter, and that’s what this is about.”
Tak slid his beer bottle between his legs and stretched his arms over the back of the sofa. He hadn’t known for certain that Lakota was living here, but he’d had a strong feeling these two wolves had settled down for real. “Why didn’t you tell me who you were from the beginning?”
“And put my job in jeopardy? I can’t afford to trust anyone when I’m working undercover.”
“So our friendshipwasa lie.”
Lakota raked his hair back as if he was going to tie it up. “No. I never lied to you. Yeah, I needed to get my foot in the door with your tribe, and you were my way in, but I only lied about my job. I was never fake around you. Maybe I tweaked my accent a little bit, but I saw you as the brother I never had. Don’t you think it bothered me when all the evidence pointed at you? And don’t forget,youlied tome.”
“That was different. I couldn’t tell anyone I was feeding those people.”
Tak’s empathy for destitute rogues living between territories had been a source of pride and shame. Shifters were too proud to beg, and he couldn’t stomach watching them die of starvation. Family always came first, and Tak broke that loyalty by stealing from his own people.
Lakota stared down at his discolored hands. “That was your alibi, Tak. If you had trusted me with that information, I wouldn’t have accused you. I would have understood, even if your tribe wouldn’t have. I’m not trying to play the sympathy card, but you weren’t the only victim in this friendship.”
“Lakota, we need to go,” Mel urged from the hall. “She should be here any minute, and it’s almost ten.”
Lakota cursed under his breath and leaned forward. Before he opened his mouth, the sound of keys jingled in the outside hall.
Melody rushed to open it, and Tak heard her ask, “Where have you been? I thought you’d be here thirty minutes ago.”
The chatter quieted to an inaudible level.
“This isn’t a good time,” Lakota said quietly. “Did you drive all the way down here just to see me?”
“Why else would I come to a city where the highways are stacked on top of each other?”
Lakota rubbed his stained palms. “Bad timing. We’re going out of town for a week, and we’re already behind schedule. I want to talk this over with you, but your timing is shit. It’s going to take more than a few minutes for us to sort through what happened. I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing, but you’re gonna have to come back another time. If you have our number, call ahead, and I’ll make sure I’m here.”
“Too busy for an old friend,” Tak murmured.
“It’sfamily,” Lakota stressed. “You should know more than anyone that family comes first. Mel and I are mated for real. It wasn’t just a show to secure a deal with your father. Maybe that’s how it started, but it’s not how it ended. Now we’ve got to make amends with the family since we did it behind their backs. This is an important trip that we can’t postpone.”
Tak could appreciate how awkward it must have been for them to return home and confess the truth. It made him wonder why they’d bothered admitting anything at all. If they really loved each other, why not just go through a ceremony again in front of the Council and pretend as though nothing had ever happened?
Too many questions. Not enough time for answers.
“I want to settle what’s between us once and for all,” Tak said decidedly. “If not now, then another time. I’ll go and leave you to your family gathering.”
Lakota snapped his attention toward the door. “Where have you been? I thought we had an agreement.”
Tak heard the sound of keys hitting a table.
“I apologize for my tardiness, but I’m here now,” a woman replied.
Every hair on Tak’s body stood on end. He recognized that voice. It was the beautiful woman from earlier, the one who’d crouched naked behind her car on the side of the road. Tak hadn’t been able to get her out of his head all day, especially not after a gust of wind had blown away her Daffy Duck sunshade, unveiling a body that made him hungry with need.
Damn. Meeting a woman of her caliber was like glimpsing a shooting star. Her long mane looked spun from silk, an earthy brown that put his dark color to shame. He admired the way she’d confronted an alpha male, and the fire that sparked in her eyes when she spoke. Had she a stitch of clothing on, Tak’s tongue would have been hanging out of his mouth like a cartoon character. But he’d fall on a sword before making an undressed woman feel fear, even though he could do little about his looks. The situation had gone from awkward to downright hilarious when she held that damn sunshade in front of her and made him erupt with laughter. It couldn’t be helped, especially since he’d always been a man easily amused.
However, there was a moment when he’d revealed his face and she recoiled. Tak was used to that reaction from some of the townies, but they were white women. Never once had his appearance startled a woman who shared the same skin color as him, and it troubled his mind for most of the day. Women in his tribe were used to his tattoo, and they all knew who he was, even if they came from another territory and had never met him before. His reputation definitely preceded him. But this woman’s reaction reminded Tak that he was an interloper in the outside world.
