“Okay, smile! Gimme some fang, Mace.” Lyiah brushed her finger over her wrist comms, and a holographic camera popped up.
Mace grinned into the subtle flashes, tilting his head a hair to the right. His left was his good side.
“Now look serious, but a little cocky.” Lyiah sounded like she was trying to hype up a kids’ soccer team. “You guys just identified a new species that was once believed to be mythical. You’re rock stars!”
“We’re doing Bigfoot and Nessie next.” Mace grinned, then coughed out a half-baked apology. “Right. Serious. Got it.”
He folded his arms across his chest and put on his second-most stern face. Steely, with a hint of mischief. He’d practiced it a lot in the mirror as a kid. There were only so many times people could tell you to be calmer, or quieter, or more serious before you got good at putting up a front.
He glanced over at Blade. Blade had the calm thing down, but he liked to mess around as much as Mace did.
“What do you think, Blade? Should we ask Ky to develop a new Cryptid department? We could start with Bigfoot. Then do like the Yeti. Or chupacabras—”
“I’ve had enough of the fucking wilderness.” Blade’s tone could best be described asmood killer. “I just want to get back to normal.”
Now was the point where Scotty usually chimed in, steering things back to cheery.
But she didn’t. She posed for the next photos, achieving the serious-but-cocky thing, but her gaze was distant.
“Blade,” Lyiah huffed. “You keep inching away from Scotty. Close the gap.”
Scotty tugged Blade back and gave him a knock-it-off glare.
What the hell was going on? Between this, the vibe between those two last night, and Scotty’s bizarre behavior…yeah, they were keeping something from him. And it wasn’t that Scotty was going to date Skoll.
“Dude.” He tapped Blade’s shoulder. “What’s up?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re being weird. You both are. Did I do something to piss you off?”
Scotty looked up at him, startled, but Blade only shook his head.
“Come on, guys.” Lyiah’s tone was pleading. “I just need one picture.”
Woodenly, Mace found his stern face again, but he couldn’t muster the quirk of mischief. Something awful was stabbing at the fringes of his mind, a suspicion he was afraid to let develop.
“Finally,” Lyiah said, looking pleased.
Guess she got her shot. Mace wasn’t sure he cared at this point. The suspicion grew darker, penetrating his thoughts like a nightmare demon’s long, spindly fingers.
No. Don’t go there. Don’t you fucking go there.
“Thanks, guys.” Lyiah’s camera winked out. “I’m hoping Ky will approve the story going public. Fantastic PR for DART. And you guys, of course. Congratulations!” She gave them a brief wave and took off to join her buddies.
Scotty and Blade sprang apart like lightning had struck the ground between them, their expressions masks of guilt.
No.
A sinking sensation in his gut nearly drove Mace to his knees.
No!
It couldn’t be. They didn’t sleep together. They didn’t.
But what if they did?
Hot, searing rage boiled up, the fire stoking even hotter as he watched Scotty and Blade exchange more fleeting, guilt-ridden looks. The awkward kind that happened the morning after a shameful hookup.
