Jonah:I mean, there are pills they can take to get a lift off, but no cure as far as I know. Not a human made one, at least.
Emmett:What about a magic one?
Jonah:No clue. Humans don’t like magic, remember?
He knew he’d certainly resort to magic if he had issues with that kind of thing, but some humans were just stubborn and would rather pay hundreds for a little blue pill rather than go see a druid for a magical cure. He’d never been to a druid himself, but he got the feeling it’d be better than seeing a human doctor. Most of them were in the back pocket of the companies that made those pills anyway. It was the only way they made any decent money anymore.
Emmett:I just full-blown shuddered in the middle of a meeting. Don’t tell me scary things while I’m supposed to be meeting with my alpha.
Cackling, Jonah sent a thumbs up back and shoved his phone in his pocket just as Peri noticed his arrival. “Jonah! Get over here! I need someone to try this!”
Like he expected, he got to the front of the line and bypassed the register, ducking behind the bar to slide into the boothbehind the counter. Peri flitted over, setting a plate in front of him with a big smile.
“I tried that combination you told me about, the one with the chocolate, marshmallows, and crackers? Let me know if this tastes right.”
Jonah eyed the cinnamon roll in front of him with a suspicious look. “Regular crackers, or graham crackers. There’s a big difference, you know.”
Peri’s nose wrinkled and his grin grew as he admitted, “Yeah, I figured that out the hard way. Or I should say, Wash did. He was my guinea pig for the first batch I made at home. He had to go to the store with me to find the right stuff.”
Chuckling, Jonah picked up the gooey cinnamon roll and took a big bite, groaning when the taste of smores filled his mouth.
“Well, my day is starting off right with sounds like those,” a slimy voice said.
Jonah’s eyes snapped open, and he jerked around to look at who had spoken. A werewolf he didn’t recognize in an ill fitted suit grinned back at him, waggling his eyebrows as he looked Jonah over.
“Bet I could get you to recreate those sounds doing something more fun.”
The treat turned to lead in his stomach, and he set down the rest with a frown, no longer hungry. “No, thanks,” he grumbled.
“Aw, come on. Don’t be such a tease. You obviously wanted attention making noises like that.”
Jonah grimaced, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. He’d never gotten that kind of attention before, and he couldn’t say he liked it. His few relationships in the past were all covert glances and awkward conversations until someone broke and made the first move. Even the supes who had expressed interest since he came to Spellbound hadn’t been creepy about it. No oneever aggressively hit on him before. Something about the way the guy was looking at him made him feel unnerved.
“Stop that,” Peri demanded, stepping between him and the werewolf with a deep frown on his face and his hands on his hips. “You’re making him uncomfortable.”
“Hey, I’m not the one being a tease right now,” the werewolf said, putting his hands up in mock surrender. The smirk on his face said he was anything but apologetic about it. “Maybe next time he shouldn’t make sexy noises where everyone can hear him. People might start to think he’s asking for it.”
Jonah’s stomach roiled with discomfort, and he felt his fingers twitch for his phone. Emmett always said if he was uncomfortable to call him. He could really use that steady comfort right now.
“What’s going on?” a familiar voice asked. Jonah looked up hopefully. Tasha wasn’t Emmett, but she was a nice person and part of Emmett’s pack. He trusted her.
She stomped into the room, full uniform and a frown on her face. She did a doubletake when she noticed the werewolf, and the way her mouth twitched said she wasn’t happy to see him. “Kyle. Are you causing trouble? You know you’re already on Ronan’s shit list.”
Kyle bared his teeth with a growl, but the snarl he got in response shut him up real quick. Tasha was a force to be reckoned with, and obviously not someone Kyle was willing to challenge. He tipped his head in surrender, grabbing his pastry and coffee before hightailing it out of the bakery.
“You okay?” Peri asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.
Letting out a breath, he nodded. “Yeah.”
It was a lie, he felt unnerved, but he didn’t want to admit to either of them that he’d been scared. Maybe he would’ve handled the situation better if it had been a human saying stupid shit like that, but Kyle was a werewolf. What were the chances he couldfight the guy off if he got pushy? He didn’t ask the question out loud or even text Emmett about it. He didn't want them to think he was going backward. Kyle was just a person; a gross person, but just a person. He didn’t need to be afraid.
“Come on, Jonah. We’ll walk together to your next assignment,” Tasha offered, beckoning him with a wave of her claw tipped hand. Jonah slid out of his seat, shooting Peri an apologetic look when he left the pastry behind.
“Sorry. It’s good. You got the flavor right. I’ll, uh… see you later.”
He kept his head down as he ducked out of the bakery, his cheeks still burning and his chest tight. Why the hell couldn’t he settle down? It was just bad flirting. It wasn’t a big deal.
A hand landed on his shoulder, making him jump, and he winced when Tasha tipped her head, her expression full of understanding. “It’s a species thing.”
