Dame nods, patting me on the back.
“Good, I don’t want you to be alone.”
I don’t bother telling him I could never be alone. Not anymore. He’ll understand in time.
“Ah, you lot are boring. I’m going to go find something to eat.”
Dred breaks away, stalking forward to join the girls. He twirls Kitty and Elsie, but knows better than to touch Iris, before he, too, receives the money shower. Feeling left out, Iris turns, looking for me.
“Babe!” she calls, waving me over with a bright smile, and I’m already stepping toward her before she drops her hand.
“Just so you know,” I whisper, patting Dame on the back. “It’s starting to get obvious.”
He jerks as if I’ve stung him, and I shake my head.
Maybe he hasn’t noticed the way he looks at her. But I have.
Even now, I can see his mind drifting. It doesn’t take a genius to know where it’s gone.
I’ve only seen Dame break his perfect exterior twice in my life.
Once when we were kids. Some idiot called Kitty out of her name, and Dame practically carved the guy’s grave, just by pummeling him into the ground.
The second time was a few weeks ago, in the woods, when Covington made the same mistake with Elsie.
He hasn’t looked the same since.
“It feels good,” I say. “Better than I ever imagined it could.”
Dame’s eyes find the floor, and I lean forward until our foreheads are touching. Nothing passes between us now that the pack bonds have been severed, but his shoulders relax all the same.
“It’s complicated,” he says.
“I gave up everything for her,” I say. “I’m sure it can’t be worse than that.”
On cue, a hum starts up in my chest, the bond singing as Iris’s power calls out to me.
It prickles all over, like static, and I can’t help but smile.
“Now, if you’ll excuse me. I need to go feed my monster.”
With another pat on his back, I utter a brief “Love you” and dive into the crowd.
“You know you don’t have to keep telling us all that,” Dame calls out. “Once was enough.”
“Naaah…” I shout back over my shoulder, laughing.
I leave him to his sulking, making my way through the slew of gyrating bodies.
I contemplate dragging my feet as I draw closer, just feel the little tingle of our mate bond calling to me, but Iris is already swaying back and forth, a hungry look in her eyes.
My wolf is hopeless against it. Always has been.
She spins as I draw closer, and I stand there a moment just to look at her.
Her long, bronzed legs, thick hips, gorgeous ass, and it’s all mine.
Her skirt flares around her hips as she twirls, flashing just enough that I can no longer stand here with my hands in my pockets.
