“Oh, shut up, you fucking puppy.” Ryker scoffed, still smiling. He put his hand on Steve’s chest and pushed him back. “You might have known him first, but you’re not the one knotting him. Don’t be a sore loser.”
Steve reacted to being shoved back by swinging his arm and trying to punch Ryker in his stupidly perfect face, but Ryker caught his wrist with ease. Before he knew it, Steve was on his knees with his arm wrenched behind his back and Ryker growling into his ear.
“Behave yourself!”
Ryker let him go, and Steve bounced back to his feet without missing a beat. A few people were looking at them, but Ryker’s take-down had happened so fast that no one had time to react or get their cameras rolling.
Steve’s heart was racing.
He hadn’t expected Ryker to be so much more dominant than him. He’d always assumed that the only reason he and August managed to chase him off every full moon was because there were two of them, and it was startling to realize that Ryker could take him without backup.
He’d made it look easy.
“Don’t fucking mock me then,” Steve growled, his face red with humiliation. “You’re always such an asshole.”
Ryker rolled his eyes.
“I am not an asshole. You’re just sensitive.”
“That is such an asshole thing to say!”
Ryker crossed his arms, giving him a long look. His biceps pushed against the sleeves of his overcoat, and Steve couldn’t help but notice how intense his blue eyes were.
He looked away.
“I’m sorry I pushed you,” Ryker finally said. He sounded sincere. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
Steve frowned. Now that Ryker had established dominance, it was inevitable that their dynamics would shift, but it was still grating.
“I’m sorry I tried to punch you.” Steve hooked his thumbs in his belt and scrunched his nose, looking anywhere but at Ryker as he added, “And that I lied and said I told Dylan he could do better.”
Ryker grinned. “Really? So whatdidyou say?”
This was excruciating. Steve took a breath and released it through his nose.
“I told him he could do worse.”
Ryker grinned, and Steve wished he could smack the expression right off his face.
“You like us.” Ryker was back to teasing. “Is that what all this nonsense on the full moon has been about? Did you just want to hang out with me and August?”
Steve reared back, sputtering. “No! And it’s not your territory. It’s neutral and everyone is allowed to run there.”
Ryker gave him a look like he was a stupid kid. “Steve, we’re werewolves. We’re always going to have territory. Now if you want to hang out with me and August on the full moon, all you have to do is ask. We’d be happy to spend time with you if you’re feeling lonely.”
That was just too much for Steve. He was not lonely, he did not want to hang out with Ryker and August, and more than anything, he was done with this conversation.
“I have to work.” He walked past Ryker, blushing so hard that he felt like a kettle about to explode. When it looked like Ryker was going to say something, he turned around and interrupted him. “If you hurt Dylan, I’ll tear out your throat.”
Ryker closed his mouth, swallowing whatever he’d been about to say. He didn’t look threatened in the least, which made Steve want to punch something.
“Noted.” Rykersmiled. “Only the fun kind of pain for our boy.”
Steve turned back around and walked away, resisting the impulse to look back and also to just run away.
That was not how he’d pictured Ryker responding. His cock stirred, hardening against the front of his tight uniform trousers, wondering what Ryker had meant.
Was Dylan kinky?
