talking to you.” Tryst’s eyes focused on his but his jaguar didn’t take it as a challenge and ended up looking like that creepy Chucky doll.
Kyle’s head snapped back. How did they know?
“With all the fucked up things that are happening lately, Jay’s managed to do some spectacular and terrifying things when he wanted to. And he’s never wanted anything as bad as he wants you.”
The bite mark under Kyle’s fingers was proof of that and he smiled smugly, for a minute remembering what they’d been doing in the dream.
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t get gooey on me,” Tryst groused dramatically flicking another piece of hair off his face.
Mack’s scent got stronger as Kyle heard four sets of footsteps coming toward him.
Kyle dropped his hand from his neck. All he wanted to do was keep touching Jay’s bite but he couldn’t concentrate when he did. And he owed Mack his full attention when he apologised.
His other beta drew up short a few feet away, looking uncertain as to whether he would be welcomed. It hit Kyle like a brick to the stomach. His betas were his best friends. Like Tryst had said, them against the world.
“Mack, I’m sorry. I know you’re with me. If not for you and Tryst I’d never have gotten this far.” He wanted to haul the leopard into a hug, Mack was the more tactile of the bunch and seeing him standing there, a backpack at his feet looking all alone and like a chastised puppy, Kyle knew his words wouldn’t be enough. “C’mere,” he grouched.
He kept a hand on the bite mark and hoped it would work to calm his cat as he hugged his friend.
Mack released a relieved sigh and walked straight to him, taking deep breaths of his scent. It was an animal thing. Mack and his leopard needed to feel grounded.
Mack’s leopard had always been less self-assured than Tryst, which if someone were in a room with the two of them for any length of time would never believe. Kyle had known them all his life, though. The masks they all wore for the outside world didn’t work with each other. They’d seen him at his best and mostly his worst, but stuck by him and he’d done the same with them.
“Oh, never mind me. I just flew the damn plane,” Merrick bitched, shoving his way past with a grunt.
Kyle and Mack pulled apart and he rolled his eyes as the beta reverted back to the goofy idiot. “You want a cwtch, Merry?”
“God no,” the lynx shot back.
It didn’t faze Mack though, as the man poked his tongue out and pulled faces behind the lynx’s back.
“You’re an idiot.” Kyle smiled to soften his insult.
Mack grinned and wagged a finger at him. “Ahh, but you made me your beta. So who’s the idiot now, mister big bad alpha?”
There was no reasoning with him. Kyle turned away, smothering the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth. It would only encourage Mack. And to be honest, Mack did have a point. Several well-meaning people in the pack had come to him to try and dissuade him from naming his two best friends as his betas.
Only his parents hadn’t protested or tried to change his mind by suggesting other, more experienced shifters. They understood that he needed people he could totally and completely rely on. Who better than someone who already knew all your secrets and you knew all theirs?
Rogo stood silent and stoic a few feet away, taking everything in. As far as Kyle knew the shifter had always lived in a pack surrounded by mountains and forestry. Perhaps Rogo hadn’t been to a city before?
“Are you okay, Rogo?” Kyle hadn’t been convinced taking Rogo with them was the best idea, but the lion shifter hadn’t given him a reason to be sorry yet. So he’d try to keep an open mind.
Rogo used to intimidate him, being so big and obviously strong, but Kyle frowned as he realised the shifter didn’t bother him in that way now. His jaguar was certain they were stronger. Interesting.
He was well aware part of his dislike of the shifter stemmed from Jay’s reaction
Kyle’s head snapped back. How did they know?
“With all the fucked up things that are happening lately, Jay’s managed to do some spectacular and terrifying things when he wanted to. And he’s never wanted anything as bad as he wants you.”
The bite mark under Kyle’s fingers was proof of that and he smiled smugly, for a minute remembering what they’d been doing in the dream.
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t get gooey on me,” Tryst groused dramatically flicking another piece of hair off his face.
Mack’s scent got stronger as Kyle heard four sets of footsteps coming toward him.
Kyle dropped his hand from his neck. All he wanted to do was keep touching Jay’s bite but he couldn’t concentrate when he did. And he owed Mack his full attention when he apologised.
His other beta drew up short a few feet away, looking uncertain as to whether he would be welcomed. It hit Kyle like a brick to the stomach. His betas were his best friends. Like Tryst had said, them against the world.
“Mack, I’m sorry. I know you’re with me. If not for you and Tryst I’d never have gotten this far.” He wanted to haul the leopard into a hug, Mack was the more tactile of the bunch and seeing him standing there, a backpack at his feet looking all alone and like a chastised puppy, Kyle knew his words wouldn’t be enough. “C’mere,” he grouched.
He kept a hand on the bite mark and hoped it would work to calm his cat as he hugged his friend.
Mack released a relieved sigh and walked straight to him, taking deep breaths of his scent. It was an animal thing. Mack and his leopard needed to feel grounded.
Mack’s leopard had always been less self-assured than Tryst, which if someone were in a room with the two of them for any length of time would never believe. Kyle had known them all his life, though. The masks they all wore for the outside world didn’t work with each other. They’d seen him at his best and mostly his worst, but stuck by him and he’d done the same with them.
“Oh, never mind me. I just flew the damn plane,” Merrick bitched, shoving his way past with a grunt.
Kyle and Mack pulled apart and he rolled his eyes as the beta reverted back to the goofy idiot. “You want a cwtch, Merry?”
“God no,” the lynx shot back.
It didn’t faze Mack though, as the man poked his tongue out and pulled faces behind the lynx’s back.
“You’re an idiot.” Kyle smiled to soften his insult.
Mack grinned and wagged a finger at him. “Ahh, but you made me your beta. So who’s the idiot now, mister big bad alpha?”
There was no reasoning with him. Kyle turned away, smothering the smile that tugged at the corner of his mouth. It would only encourage Mack. And to be honest, Mack did have a point. Several well-meaning people in the pack had come to him to try and dissuade him from naming his two best friends as his betas.
Only his parents hadn’t protested or tried to change his mind by suggesting other, more experienced shifters. They understood that he needed people he could totally and completely rely on. Who better than someone who already knew all your secrets and you knew all theirs?
Rogo stood silent and stoic a few feet away, taking everything in. As far as Kyle knew the shifter had always lived in a pack surrounded by mountains and forestry. Perhaps Rogo hadn’t been to a city before?
“Are you okay, Rogo?” Kyle hadn’t been convinced taking Rogo with them was the best idea, but the lion shifter hadn’t given him a reason to be sorry yet. So he’d try to keep an open mind.
Rogo used to intimidate him, being so big and obviously strong, but Kyle frowned as he realised the shifter didn’t bother him in that way now. His jaguar was certain they were stronger. Interesting.
He was well aware part of his dislike of the shifter stemmed from Jay’s reaction
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