5
Scar
CLOSED TONIGHT—REGULAR BUSINESS TOMORROW.
I placed the handwritten sign on the Drunken Dragon’s door. Hopefully any potential customers who showed up weren’t already too drunk to read it.
Leaning on the brick exterior, I stared out into the street. Ryu said he would meet me at the bar tonight, but I didn’t know how much stock to put into that. I figured he was drunk and making stuff up he would either regret or forget later. But on the off-chance he’d been serious, I dressed up in something casual and waited, just in case.
Still no one. I scowled to myself and tapped my foot. I'd give him twenty more minutes to show up, and if he didn’t, then that asshole cost me a whole night’s worth of business.
“Scar!”
Ryu’s voice called through the street. He ran towards me, waving.
Well, what do you know?I had to give him credit for surprising me.
“You showed up,” I commented.
“Of course I did,” he said, panting slightly. “I don’t just make plans and then forget about them.”
Now that Ryu stood in front of me and the whole concept ofhanging outwas fully realized, I had another problem—I couldn’t remember the last time I spent time with a friend. What the hell was I supposed to do with Ryu the entire evening?
Ryu didn’t seem to notice my awkward energy. “Man, I never noticed what a big street this is... Do you think it leads down to Starlit Pond?”
“Uh, I don’t know,” I said, gesturing down to my prosthetic leg. “In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t do much adventuring.”
I waited for the flash of sympathy or disgust in Ryu’s face, the same way people usually reacted, but there was none. He just smiled and said, “Why don’t we find out together? We’ll stop if you get tired.”
So far, none of my attempts to shake him off had worked. I shrugged. “Okay.”
Here we were, just two guys walking down the street. An alpha and an omega.
More like a hot alpha and an ugly omega.
People were already staring, not that I wasn’t used to that in my life. Ryu seemed a bit puzzled at all the gazes but didn’t mention it.
Tired of walking in silence, I asked, “Why do you want to go down to the pond?”
“Oh. I sort of have a date tomorrow night, so I was thinking maybe we could check it out beforehand. See what’s in the area, you know?” Ryu said.
For some reason, a pang of mild jealousy knotted my chest. Then I quickly grew angry with myself. I had no reason to be jealous of Ryu—of course he’d have no trouble getting a date. He was a young, attractive alpha. It wasn’t his fault that nobody would ever dream of askingmeon a date.
“A date, huh?” I grunted. “Sounds fun.”
“Yeah!” Ryu said obliviously. Too excited to notice my bad energy, he went on. “Actually, you know who he is—it’s Henry, from the other night.”
I stopped walking. “Henry? That little omega from my bar?”
“Yeah, that’s him. He came to my school today. We got to talking and had a short magic lesson, then he asked me out,” Ryu said. “Actually, I haven’t had a date in a while, so it’s pretty exciting.”
My brows raised in surprise. Ryu was a skilled dragon shifter in his prime, not to mention his kind personality and good humor—omegas without a mate should’ve been clamoring all over him.
But I guess Henry is the one clamoring over him now.
“Weird. I would’ve thought you’d never be without a date,” I said gruffly.
“How so?” Ryu asked. This time, he was the one to look surprised.
