“El’s.”
“Not ours?Because I haven’t turned gay in the past twenty-four hours,” Trip snarked.
“I never thought you had,” Ryan snarled back.“I-I think he’s a Triad brother, but… you know, the clue’s in the title.There are already three of us.”
“What’s made you even think of this?”Marc asked, placing his tablet on the floor as he turned his full attention to the situation.
“His reactions to her.Hers to him.They’re more than just friends.”
“Have you asked him if he’s involved with her?”
“Last night.”
“And?”
“They’re not.”
“Well then, what’s the issue?”
Ryan grimaced.“I am.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean… I can feel him.”
Marc got to his feet.“As in, the way you can feel the Pride?”
“Yeah.”
“But he isn’t a Shifter, so how can that be possible?”Trip demanded.
“I don’t know.I don’t have any of the answers here, I’m just telling you what I do know.”
“Have you seen if you’re connected to him?”
Ryan shook his head.“I-I didn’t dare last night when I approached.I wasn’t sure how my Lion would react if we were bound to another male.And the beast isn’t exactly happy with how she’s been hiding from us… so I thought it best to wait.”
“What about now?”
“Well, my Lion’s a little more at ease now El’s left her room.Plus, even though it was a jerk move, Trip, it helped waking up and hearing her laughter and shrieks from the pool.”
Trip chuckled.“You should have seen her face.She was well pissed.Until she got over it and we did some lengths together.”
Ryan rolled his eyes.“I can’t believe you thought pissing her off on her first morning out of her bedroomwas a good idea.”
“We’d just had a really long, very intense conversation about… well, everything.I thought lightening things up was wise.”He jerked an utterly unapologetic shoulder.“It worked.She was a lot calmer after we got out of the pool than when she came to me.”
“What happened?”
“I went for a run and she saw me dive into the water.”
“That frightened her?”Marc asked, confused.
“No.I shifted in midair.I had no idea she was watching.She must have seen me do so from the window, because her scent was nowhere near.I’d have known.The next thing I know, she’s there, looks like she’s on the brink of tears.I calmed her down, we talked, connected.It’s all good.”Trip frowned.“But this thing with Shawn?I hate to say it but she said something to me this morning that might… well, it kind of confirms what you said, Ryan.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean… she said when she met us, all of us individually, she felt at peace.At ease with us.She said she’s never felt that before with anyone else, except for Shawn, and her grandfather but he hardly counts, does he?”
