Fifteen
Ares
“Who the fuck actually wears this sort of thing?” I huff in annoyance, the leather pants practically painted on.
“Complain all you want, but I bet you look hot in them,” Rin calls from the other side of the wall, chuckling. “And we want to blend in.”
The walls in the bathrooms of the cheap fast food joint are thin enough that it’s easy to carry on a conversation. There were far too many security cameras in the mall for us to risk going in together, so Rin picked things out for all of us to wear tonight. Cole drew the short straw to change in the truck, though now I’m envying the hell out of him. Walking out of here in this ridiculous get up isn’t what I’d call ‘blending in’, but there aren’t any cheap motels in this area. Last thing we want is to leave a paper trail so we have at least a shot at plausible deniability when this blows up in our faces.
“Isn’t the point to strip them off? Because trust me; these aren’t going anywhere except up my ass.”
Her laughter echoes and despite how uncomfortable I am, I adore that I was able to be the cause of it. After having a small taste of her in my life, I cannot imagine going back to the way we were existing without her. Change is always hard, but for us? It was long overdue.
It’d be easier if I could communicate with her telepathically like my brothers, but I just don’t have that with her. Now that it’s clear it’s about how close she feels to them, that she’s establishing an emotional connection and that’s what triggers it? It hurts to think she doesn’t feel the same for me.
I’ve always known we’d share a mate, but I just naturally assumed it’d be relatively even, that it would be as easy of a transition as it was when the three of us came together. I never anticipated being the odd man out, but I should have. I’ve withdrawn from even the majority of shifter society, preferring to keep my head down or lose myself in nature. Is it really any wonder that she doesn’t connect to that?
She’s at home here, with these humans. Maybe not the snobs she grew up with, but the ones in this town? This is where she should have been born and could have happily lived out her life. Yet I’m trying to drag her off grid and away from all of the conveniences she’s used to because it’s whatI’mmore comfortable with. I can do better on some things, meet her halfway, but this?
“Nope, fuck these leg prisons.”
I strip them off and nearly fall on my ass, pulling on some black, faded jeans and a tight, matching t-shirt from my backpack instead. I’ll try for my mate, but I’m not going to kill myself trying for the rest of the humans. They’ll hate me no matter what clothes I wear anyway so I might as well be fucking comfortable in case a fight breaks out.
Stepping out of the bathroom, I lean against the opposite wall, waiting for Rin. She emerges a few minutes later and hell, I’m pretty sure my brain short circuits for a hot second. I’m not about to claim my mate in a cheap bathroom though, so I will my blood to get back to the right head and hope that I can carry on a conversation without looking like a complete idiot.
“No wonder you didn’t think it was a big deal; you’re able to move in yours.”
She raises an eyebrow in challenge. “Trying to say something here?”
I curse, running a hand through my blonde hair until it’s sticking up haphazardly. “Fuck, that’s not what I meant. I mean, we’re not about to go blending in if you show up like this.” That unamused look remains in place as I continue to dig my own grave.
“Dumbass, tell her she looks hot,”Osiris chastises in my head and I can practically hear him rolling his eyes.
“You look hot, is what I’m trying to say. Everybody’s going to be entranced by you because that dress is sexy as hell.”
She smiles. “Oh. Then hopefully that means I’ll blend in.”
I furrow my brow in confusion, but am smart enough not to open my mouth again. All the while, I internally sigh in relief.
Mates are hard,I groan and Cole laughs.
“No, you’re just overcomplicating everything. They’re amazing, while you’re just socially inept.”
I almost carry on sniping, but for starters, Cole’s piece of shit parents showing up was a blow none of us could have anticipated. If it wasn’t for Rin, I have no doubt that he would have shut down so completely that we might never have been able to pull him out of it. And secondly? He’s not wrong.
Her spaghetti strap dress is black, the only color coming from the silver zipper between her breasts down to her navel. There are two straps with small silver rings on each of her sides, form fitting to show off her slender curves. At her hips it flairs out into a short, pleated skirt above lace up, thigh high, leather boots. It leaves a stretch of bare thigh on display that makes my mouth water and I can’t imagine where we’re going that she thinks this won’t make her the center of attention.
“I really shouldn’t be surprised.” She winks before turning and her skirt flares up enough that I get a glimpse of lavender caressing her ass. “You don’t seem the type to really care about fitting in.”
Holding the door open for her as we exit the building, we head back to the truck as I carry our bags. “I really don’t. With my eye color and size? I stand out.” I shrug. “Can’t do much about it, so I’ve long since accepted it.”
Her hand finds its way into mine. “Did you even notice all of the people staring at us in there?”
Shrugging, I huff. “Of course I did. But doesn’t mean I care what they think. But I’m not about to let my guard down in a place like this.”
Her tone takes on a teasing lilt. “In a cheap burger joint?”
I don’t even hesitate. “Surrounded by people. Human, mage, it doesn’t matter. I don’t even trust the shifters out here. They wiped out the predators once, what’s to stop them from doing it again? Now add in mages trying to steal our energy? It’s just more proof that you really can’t trust anyone. So until we get back home, I need to be ready to protect us if it comes down to it. Can’t really do that if I’m not hypervigilant.”
