Wade shoved two Oreos into his mouth and chewed, speaking through the mouthful. “Gotta go. Bye.”
He ended the call, silenced his phone, and shoved it into his pocket. If he didn’t see the next call from Patrick, then he could honestly say he missed it. Picking up the bag of Oreos,Wade headed toward where the raised voices were coming from, which turned out to be the front room that overlooked the street and the park beyond. He leaned against the doorway, eating the Oreos one by one as he watched the drama play out.
The Boston god pack stood on one side of the room facing off against the pair of fae who didn’t seem intimidated by werecreatures at all. Wade’s attention lingered on Riordan in his leather jacket. The day was set to be a warm one, but he didn’t seem bothered by the encroaching heat. The leather jacket fit him like a second skin almost, and Wade wondered what it felt like. His fingers itched to steal it, to add it to his hoard. Maybe it would get Riordan to follow.
Wade paused mid-chew, poking at that thought. Weird to think about wanting someoneandwanting to act on it. He hadn’t felt that urge in, well, what seemed like forever.
“You’re sure you saw Casey?” Ella asked, staring at the newcomers.
“He nearly broke a table trying to go after Donal here. Yeah, we saw him.”
Ella opened her mouth to talk, and the next second, she doubled over, clawing at her throat. Wade tensed, smelling a subtle hint of magic that abruptly faded once Ella let out a ragged breath. The fae, for their part, seemed a little surprised at her reaction.
“Are you all right?” Donal asked, sounding genuinely worried.
Ella opened her mouth again, thought better of it, and sighed in frustration. Wade dug another Oreo out of the bag. “She can’t talk about it. None of them can.”
The two remarkably human-looking fae finally seemed to notice he was there. Riordan’s eyes widened, nostrils flaring, presumably taking in Wade’s scent. Wade knew all the other man would really get was mundane human, false as that scentwas. It would’ve been the same scent he’d have gotten at the wedding. If Wade didn’t adjust his aura to the particular shielded level Reed had taught him years ago in Central Park, he’d just come across as a bitstrange.
A bit dangerous.
He always weirded people out. It was hilarious some days.
“You’re here? Whatareyou?” Riordan asked, sounding a little bewildered and a lot less angry.
“A problem,” Wade said cheerfully. “Don’t make me yours. You won’t like that.”
Riordan’s gaze dragged up and down Wade’s body, making him blink as he realized he was being checked out? Yeah, he was definitely being checked out by the hot guy.
Riordan tilted his head, a contemplative look coming to his eyes. “I don’t mind problems like you.”
Wade nearly choked on his Oreo and had to cough out some crumbs. “Let’s get back to you having seen Casey with Niall the asshole.”
“You know Niall?”
“No, he just looks like an asshole. I’m a pretty good judge of character.”
“You saw him in a picture,” Ella said.
“He stole your alphas. That’s asshole material right there,” Wade retorted.
Ella made a face. One of her pack members, a guy twice Wade’s age, spoke up with the thickest Boston accent he’d heard since arriving. “If Wade can speak for us, we should let him.”
Ella shared an unreadable look with each of the werecreatures in the room with her before letting out an aggrieved huff. “Wade, this is Riordan and Donal Maguire, of Clan Maguire. They hold territory along the harbor shore.”
“We’ve met,” Riordan said.
“Did you, boyo?” Donal asked sharply. “When?”
Riordan rounded on the other man, saying something in the fae’s version of Irish that had Wade’s brain squeezing tight in his skull for a second or two before it started processing the language.
“How do you know him?” Donal was demanding.
Riordan glanced back at Wade. “He was at Cú Chulainn’s wedding. He got in an argument with Lord Diarmait at the dessert table.”
Donal reared back a little, head swiveling around to stare at Wade. “And the kid is still alive?”
“He was there as one of Cú Chulainn’s personal guests with a group of other mortals. Everyone had strict instructions to leave them all alone.”
