Read Online RufflingThePeacocksFeathers by Charlie Richards - Free Book Online
Authors: Charlie Richards
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but he forced himself to turn and peer into Sam’s concerned brown eyes.
“Here,” Sam said, holding out a slip of paper.
Rueben saw the hotel logo at the top, so it must have been from one of the complimentary notepads off the table. There were words scribbled on it, but Sam’s big thumb obscured most of it, making it impossible to read. Rueben didn’t know if he wanted to know what it said.
“Take this,” Sam urged, wiggling the paper. “I had a thought that, since Lamar wasn’t with you, he could be here. It’s a park at the edge of town. Look for the peacock.”
“O-okay,” he stuttered, struggling with his tongue. Self-preservation urged Rueben to run, but somehow, he managed to reach out and take the slip of paper.
That seemed to appease Sam, for he nodded once and let him go.
Maybe Sam thought Rueben would go there, but as Rueben limped down the hall, he really only wanted to do one thing…well, two things—pack his bags and get the hell away from these crazies.
Chapter Eight
Lamar knew he couldn’t hide out forever. It wasn’t fair to anyone, least of all his mate. He needed to face the man, explain some things. A lot of things, he admitted, at least to himself. After all, how long could he expect his mate to wait?
Is that what I’m waiting for? My mate to leave? For him to think it was a one-night stand?
No!
Then what the hell are you waiting for?
Lamar didn’t know if the voice in his head was his peacock or his conscience.
The roar of a motorcycle pulled him from his musings. Bobbing his head, Lamar moved forward, out of the trees. Peacocks weren’t the most graceful of creatures, but he knew his plumage more than made up for his avian awkwardness.
Turning his head to the side, Lamar eyed the approaching Harley with one eye. He recognized it as Kontra’s chopper, the big bear shifter driving. He parked next to Lamar’s Goldwing and slowly surveyed the area, his eyes narrowed. It only took him a second to locate Lamar in peacock form.
Lamar watched the man’s shoulders rise and fall, his chest expand and retract as he heaved a sigh Lamar couldn’t hear. His alpha looked up, seemingly lost in thought. Kontra’s body language was clear. His alpha was disappointed in him.
Lamar felt a twang in the vicinity of his chest, and it took him a second to recognize the emotion.
Shame.
Shit.
Slowly starting toward Kontra, Lamar struggled to figure out what the hell he was going to say. There was no excuse for his behavior, but when he’d discovered that somehow he’d mated with Rueben, he’d panicked. All he could think about was getting away, shifting, flying away, and hiding.
He’d mated with his human without explaining things to Rueben, without giving him a choice. It was inexcusable.
Kontra strode toward him, his long legs eating up the yards between them. Once he reached Lamar, he dropped to the ground, settling on his ass with his back to a large tree trunk. Resting his big hands on his leather-clad knees, he rotated his head where it rested on the trunk and looked at Lamar.
For several seconds, he just stared at him. Finally, the left corner of Kontra’s lip curved up a bit. “You’re a very pretty peacock, Lamar,” he murmured. “I’m normally in bear form when I see you and had forgotten,” he admitted.
Lamar twittered, cooed, and bobbed his head, expressing his thanks. He couldn’t help but fan his tail. His peacock liked praise just a little too much.
Kontra chuckled for a few seconds, then the sound faded. “Sam came to me, Lamar. He said Rueben stopped by his room this morning. The man was none too happy.”
Lamar ducked his head. It didn’t take a genius to figure out which man was upset.
“We thought you’d holed up with him, Lamar,” Kontra growled. “He’s your mate. If you were having problems, why did you let us believe that?”
Lamar almost shifted, wanting to answer his alpha. Finding out they were mated when he
“Here,” Sam said, holding out a slip of paper.
Rueben saw the hotel logo at the top, so it must have been from one of the complimentary notepads off the table. There were words scribbled on it, but Sam’s big thumb obscured most of it, making it impossible to read. Rueben didn’t know if he wanted to know what it said.
“Take this,” Sam urged, wiggling the paper. “I had a thought that, since Lamar wasn’t with you, he could be here. It’s a park at the edge of town. Look for the peacock.”
“O-okay,” he stuttered, struggling with his tongue. Self-preservation urged Rueben to run, but somehow, he managed to reach out and take the slip of paper.
That seemed to appease Sam, for he nodded once and let him go.
Maybe Sam thought Rueben would go there, but as Rueben limped down the hall, he really only wanted to do one thing…well, two things—pack his bags and get the hell away from these crazies.
Chapter Eight
Lamar knew he couldn’t hide out forever. It wasn’t fair to anyone, least of all his mate. He needed to face the man, explain some things. A lot of things, he admitted, at least to himself. After all, how long could he expect his mate to wait?
Is that what I’m waiting for? My mate to leave? For him to think it was a one-night stand?
No!
Then what the hell are you waiting for?
Lamar didn’t know if the voice in his head was his peacock or his conscience.
The roar of a motorcycle pulled him from his musings. Bobbing his head, Lamar moved forward, out of the trees. Peacocks weren’t the most graceful of creatures, but he knew his plumage more than made up for his avian awkwardness.
Turning his head to the side, Lamar eyed the approaching Harley with one eye. He recognized it as Kontra’s chopper, the big bear shifter driving. He parked next to Lamar’s Goldwing and slowly surveyed the area, his eyes narrowed. It only took him a second to locate Lamar in peacock form.
Lamar watched the man’s shoulders rise and fall, his chest expand and retract as he heaved a sigh Lamar couldn’t hear. His alpha looked up, seemingly lost in thought. Kontra’s body language was clear. His alpha was disappointed in him.
Lamar felt a twang in the vicinity of his chest, and it took him a second to recognize the emotion.
Shame.
Shit.
Slowly starting toward Kontra, Lamar struggled to figure out what the hell he was going to say. There was no excuse for his behavior, but when he’d discovered that somehow he’d mated with Rueben, he’d panicked. All he could think about was getting away, shifting, flying away, and hiding.
He’d mated with his human without explaining things to Rueben, without giving him a choice. It was inexcusable.
Kontra strode toward him, his long legs eating up the yards between them. Once he reached Lamar, he dropped to the ground, settling on his ass with his back to a large tree trunk. Resting his big hands on his leather-clad knees, he rotated his head where it rested on the trunk and looked at Lamar.
For several seconds, he just stared at him. Finally, the left corner of Kontra’s lip curved up a bit. “You’re a very pretty peacock, Lamar,” he murmured. “I’m normally in bear form when I see you and had forgotten,” he admitted.
Lamar twittered, cooed, and bobbed his head, expressing his thanks. He couldn’t help but fan his tail. His peacock liked praise just a little too much.
Kontra chuckled for a few seconds, then the sound faded. “Sam came to me, Lamar. He said Rueben stopped by his room this morning. The man was none too happy.”
Lamar ducked his head. It didn’t take a genius to figure out which man was upset.
“We thought you’d holed up with him, Lamar,” Kontra growled. “He’s your mate. If you were having problems, why did you let us believe that?”
Lamar almost shifted, wanting to answer his alpha. Finding out they were mated when he
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