To top that off, he clapped his hands as if to set off the tune he wanted me to dance to.
Someone was growling.At least one someone.It might’ve even been me.
“I broke up with you,” I rasped out.It would’ve been nicer to be able to say it without having to tack on a rumbling cough, but hell, it had to be said.“I broke up with you because you fucked someone else and thought I’d never find out.”Blackness rushed in again, and I shook my head to dislodge it.“Did you at least use a fucking condom, Steve?Or do I need to get tested for everything?Like, what were you even thinking?”
Ellis pulled me against his side, and this time I noticed, and I let him.Steven had the fucking nerve to roll his fucking eyes at me.“Don’t be such a drama queen, Marc.It was one time after you blue-balled me for weeks.It’s not something you ruin a relationship over.”
Apparently in Stevie-land, I was supposed to be okay with him fucking other people.Oh, the fucking nerve of him.“You ruined this relationship,” I said.“You.Not me.”
Steven sighed.“We can discuss who gets to be the scapegoat on the way back.We should get going.I already missed a day of work to come and get you, and I’m not going to miss another.”
No way was I getting in a car with Steven the fucking innocent.“You know what?You can piss right the fuck off and never come back.And you know why?Because you and me?That’s over, Steven.I don’t want to build a life with someone who cheats on me because I’m tired, because I have a deadline to meet.Just get lost.”
“You heard the man,” Dominic said, not missing a beat before getting right in Steven’s personal space.“You’re no longer welcome here.”
“The fuck’s that supposed to mean?You can’t keep my boyfriend from me,” Steven said.
“Ex, it would seem,” Lincoln said calmly, crossing his arms.
I didn’t have a great view of Steven, not anymore, but I saw his fists ball and his face screw up with anger and annoyance.Dominic was a big guy though.Not Ellis’s size, but he still had half a head on Steven, and he gave off a strong “please try something so I can kick your ass” vibe that even I caught, and I could barely feel the steadiness of the floor under my feet.
Steven, clearly being smarter than when he’d cheated on me, stepped back.“Fine.You want sloppy seconds?All yours.Enjoy his pathetic, whiny ass.”
Dominic closed the distance that had opened when Steven had retreated, pushing him away from the door with mere presence alone.Rather than closing the door in Steven’s face, Dominic and Lincoln followed him out onto the porch, which had wildly flowering geraniums in a good half dozen pots placed all over.Huh.Werewolves who liked flowers.
The two of them watched a still-fuming Steven get into his car and drive off too fast down the driveway, spraying gravel.
Lincoln came back inside and asked, “You okay?”Dominic was still looking after Steven’s car.
“The fuck do you think?”I was leaning heavily on Ellis now, who apparently took this as a cue to walk-drag me to a large living room couch and pull me down there next to him.“You’re not werewolves.You drugged me.And the only person I could’ve escaped with is an asshole I couldn’t escape with.”
“The only drugs you had were low dosage paracetamol, Marcus, and I think you know that.”Ellis’s arm had somehow come around me, and he’d pulled me against his side.Lincoln was on the couch as well.When had he sat down?Damn, how high a fever did I have?
“Would you like to see me shift?”Lincoln said.“Or Ell?”
No, I wouldn’t.“Yes.”
Lincoln nodded and stood, then stripped his clothes off.Damn, that was a fine piece of man, just like Dominic.Muscle where you wanted it but rarely found it…where Steven definitely didn’t have it.
Once he had all his clothes off, Lincoln pulled my chin up.“I’m not complaining, but my face is up here,” he said, setting my cheeks on fire.“Now watch.”
I nodded and watched, and just like with Dominic earlier, only in reverse, Lincoln sort of contracted.Like a rubber ball maybe.But that sounded off and too cute.It didn’t take him more than two seconds.Less, even.Then there was a jet-black wolf where a moment ago, Lincoln had been, eyes a bright azure.
“Wow,” I said, and Ellis chuckled, the sound coming from deep in his massive chest.
“What, so Linc gets a wow, and I freak you out?”Dominic had wandered back inside at some point, and was now casually stripping as well.“I’ll go have a look to make sure that dickwad doesn’t decide to double back.I’m getting all kinds of vibes off of him.I’ll just say I told you so, because it makes me feel good.You two got our boy?”
“I’m not your boy,” I said, but Ellis was really warm, and I relaxed against him.
His breath brushed my cheek, and I turned to find him looking down at me as if I were the most precious thing he’d ever laid eyes on.
“Yeah, we got him.”
What was wrong with me?Why was I still here?Had true crime taught me nothing?You should never trust handsome strangers who were too charming and entirely too good to be true.You also weren’t supposed to trust strangers who turned into freaking wolves,wolves.Little Red Riding Hood should’ve taught me that last bit.
It finally hit me.“Fuck.You guys are werewolves.”
8
