I risk a glance behind me. “To be fair, that’s sort of every day. Though Rheyas is a new development. After nearly being killed on the job, apparently it’s been deemed I shouldn’t be left alone.”
His eyes light up with intrigue. “I’d say you have some wise mates there, but the lack of a certain bite on that pretty mage mark has me holding my tongue.”
Handing him his change, I narrow my eyes. “Don’t seem to be biting your tongue much at all,” I trail off, not sure how to address this stranger that’s obviously suicidal, not balking at Rheyas’ presence and openly flirting after I’ve made it clear I’ve got two mates in the building.
“Hawk,” he fills in with a wink, grabbing his box the same moment Rheyas wraps an arm around his bicep. “Pleasure as always, Esmerelda. Glad to see you’re feeling better.”
He doesn’t put up a fight as Rheyas drags him to the door, tossing him out on his ass with a snarl, slamming the door shut on his way back. Not saying a single word, he simply resumes his post, though admittedly looking more high-strung than before.
No, Rel, don’t exploit it. Don’t do it, don’t do it.
I’m totally going to do it.
“Everything alright, Rhey?”
Tongue in cheek, he waits until I’m done ringing up the last customer waiting, leaving us relatively alone. “That wolf doesn’t know his place.”
Stretching my arms above my head, I use the empty counter to crack my back with a blissful sigh. “How’d you know he was a wolf?”
Rheyas’ hands suddenly fall on the counter on either side of my head and I startle in surprise, never hearing him take a single footstep. “Smelled like wolf. Flirts as shamelessly as a wolf.”
Blinking up at him innocently, I continue to push because frankly? It’s fun to get a rise out of him. “I told him I had mates, I can’t imagine he’d try something knowing that.”
“People aren’t honorable. They see a pretty woman and think themselves immortal,” he growls, “until they’re struck down and shown their place.”
Reluctantly, I stand back up, pivoting to rest my chin in my hand. “So you admit it?”
Narrowing his eyes, sensing that it’s a trap, but not sure how, he asks, “Admit what?”
Waggling my eyebrows, I grin. “That you think I’m pretty.”
Rolling his eyes, he pushes off from the counter to stride across the room and take his post once more. “It’d be a blessing if you weren’t so I didn’t have to be here,” he scoffs, though I swear, his lip twitches.
Grabbing a glove, I start reorganizing the case in amicable silence before something starts nagging at the back of my mind. Pulling an Ian, I overanalyze it for at least ten minutes, try to convince myself that I’m being ridiculous, but ultimately, I can’t shake the ominous feeling that’s taken root.
Focused on my face, Rheyas picks up on the change in mood. “What’s wrong?”
Biting my lip, I war with myself if I should say anything, but ultimately, if I want any sort of relationship, it starts with honesty. “I never told Hawk my name.”
* * *
“Can’t thank you guys enough,”Ian says, nodding his thanks. Gage and Knox, a couple of wolf shifters that live near Rin and her mates, finish assembling the new bedframe and toss the mattress leaning against the wall onto it.
Gage claps Ian’s shoulder on the way out. “Least we could do after the help you gave us saving those humans.”
He shrugs like it was nothing, but it’s certainly a story I want to hear. “Wren and them holding up alright since?”
Gage nods with a small smile. “Really turning Haven into something incredible.“
“Good, we need more of that out there,” he replies, just leaving me completely lost.
Knox brushes his hands off on his jeans, tipping his head in my direction and pulling a piece of scrap paper from his pocket. “Livvie sends her best, and asked me to give you her number in case you wanted to tag along the next time she and Rin have a girls day.”
Awkwardly taking the paper in surprise, I add the number into my phone before I end up losing it. “That’s super sweet.”
“Yeah, she is,” he replies with a grin.
Gage’s face has a similar smile, the two of them clearly head over heels in love with their mate. “We should be getting back to her and Dylan. Call if you need us.” They say their goodbyes and I just stare at Ian with curious appreciation.
