Alana drawled. “It’s still early.”
“Ha, early for you party animals,” Lexi teased. “Get it?”
“Party. Animals ,” Ryder said, finishing her joke with a snicker.
Wes, Aaron, and Wyatt shook their heads in mock disappointment.
“But really,” Lexi said. “I have to make breakfast for a couple up at the cabins in the morning, and that five a.m. alarm comes quick.”
“You said comes quick,” Ryder repeated through a smirk.
She giggled and leaned over to pat Kane on the leg as she passed. Quick as a strike of lightning, he grabbed her hand just before she touched his knee. His face had gone stone hard, and his grip was too tight.
“If you want to keep those fuckin’ dragon eyes in your face, I suggest you let her go,” Ryder said blandly.
Kane relaxed his grip and murmured a hasty apology. Then without another word, he stood and limped past Harper and Wyatt’s chairs and across the street to his ride.
Lexi watched him blast out of his parking space as she rubbed her sore hand gingerly. “Is that a rule? No touching?” she asked. “I didn’t mean to chase him off.”
“Nah,” Ryder said. “That’s just Kane’s rules. Most shifters thrive on affection, especially from their crew and mates. Kane never had a crew, though. He didn’t learn.” Ryder had said it lightly, but when Lexi looked up at him, a slight frown marred his striking red eyebrows, and he was staring at Kane’s taillights.
Her distress evaporated when she saw Sprinkles. Ryder had her on her back, cradled to his chest like a little baby, and she was looking up at him adoringly, her back legs limp against his arm. How fucking cute to see a strapping, musclebound, filthy-mouthed behemoth carrying her little hairy baby so gently.
Lexi picked up Sprinkles’s cart and made to leave. Harper and Alana hugged her farewell, and as she passed, Wes grabbed her hand suddenly. He held her there, locking her in his gaze as his bright green eyes tightened at the corners. And after the span of a couple of heartbeats, he released her grip and relaxed back into his chair. “Nothing,” he murmured in a satisfied tone.
“What was that about?” Lexi murmured as she and Ryder walked toward her Wrangler.
“Wes has some kind of fucked-up future teller sight. I guess he thought if he molested your hand, he would see something about you.”
“Wait, he can see the future?”
“He could before Alana was Turned. He had visions bad, but he hasn’t had any in the last few months. I guess that was the test. I guess he can’t see you.”
Ryder’s tone had darkened on that last part, so she studied his face in the illumination of the street lights that lined the road. He was suddenly very busy looking at Sprinkles.
“I feel like you only like me for my dog,” she teased.
“Not true. I fell for your tits first.”
Her surprised laugh echoed down the street, and before she could change her mind, Lexi wrapped her arms around his waist and fell into step beside him. After a moment of hesitation, he draped his empty arm around her shoulders and pulled her tightly against his side, pressed his lips against her hairline.
She felt like she was glowing under his affection. If she could see herself in this moment, there would be a soft, happy aura clinging to her like a second skin. She was falling hard for Ryder, and it left her a bit breathless.
“Do all owl shifters like affection?” she asked softly as they reached her jacked-up Jeep.
“Uuuh, I’m not sure. There aren’t many snowy owls.”
“How many are there?” she asked curiously, resting her back against the door as Ryder settled Sprinkles in the back.
“Me and my mom that I know of. There has to be more, but they’re in hiding or maybe dead. None but me and my mom have registered.”
“Oh.” That sounded lonely.
“Well, don’t pity me, woman. I have my mom, and my dad is a shifter, too.”
“What kind?”
“A boar.”
“Wait, the boar shifter?” There was
“Ha, early for you party animals,” Lexi teased. “Get it?”
“Party. Animals ,” Ryder said, finishing her joke with a snicker.
Wes, Aaron, and Wyatt shook their heads in mock disappointment.
“But really,” Lexi said. “I have to make breakfast for a couple up at the cabins in the morning, and that five a.m. alarm comes quick.”
“You said comes quick,” Ryder repeated through a smirk.
She giggled and leaned over to pat Kane on the leg as she passed. Quick as a strike of lightning, he grabbed her hand just before she touched his knee. His face had gone stone hard, and his grip was too tight.
“If you want to keep those fuckin’ dragon eyes in your face, I suggest you let her go,” Ryder said blandly.
Kane relaxed his grip and murmured a hasty apology. Then without another word, he stood and limped past Harper and Wyatt’s chairs and across the street to his ride.
Lexi watched him blast out of his parking space as she rubbed her sore hand gingerly. “Is that a rule? No touching?” she asked. “I didn’t mean to chase him off.”
“Nah,” Ryder said. “That’s just Kane’s rules. Most shifters thrive on affection, especially from their crew and mates. Kane never had a crew, though. He didn’t learn.” Ryder had said it lightly, but when Lexi looked up at him, a slight frown marred his striking red eyebrows, and he was staring at Kane’s taillights.
Her distress evaporated when she saw Sprinkles. Ryder had her on her back, cradled to his chest like a little baby, and she was looking up at him adoringly, her back legs limp against his arm. How fucking cute to see a strapping, musclebound, filthy-mouthed behemoth carrying her little hairy baby so gently.
Lexi picked up Sprinkles’s cart and made to leave. Harper and Alana hugged her farewell, and as she passed, Wes grabbed her hand suddenly. He held her there, locking her in his gaze as his bright green eyes tightened at the corners. And after the span of a couple of heartbeats, he released her grip and relaxed back into his chair. “Nothing,” he murmured in a satisfied tone.
“What was that about?” Lexi murmured as she and Ryder walked toward her Wrangler.
“Wes has some kind of fucked-up future teller sight. I guess he thought if he molested your hand, he would see something about you.”
“Wait, he can see the future?”
“He could before Alana was Turned. He had visions bad, but he hasn’t had any in the last few months. I guess that was the test. I guess he can’t see you.”
Ryder’s tone had darkened on that last part, so she studied his face in the illumination of the street lights that lined the road. He was suddenly very busy looking at Sprinkles.
“I feel like you only like me for my dog,” she teased.
“Not true. I fell for your tits first.”
Her surprised laugh echoed down the street, and before she could change her mind, Lexi wrapped her arms around his waist and fell into step beside him. After a moment of hesitation, he draped his empty arm around her shoulders and pulled her tightly against his side, pressed his lips against her hairline.
She felt like she was glowing under his affection. If she could see herself in this moment, there would be a soft, happy aura clinging to her like a second skin. She was falling hard for Ryder, and it left her a bit breathless.
“Do all owl shifters like affection?” she asked softly as they reached her jacked-up Jeep.
“Uuuh, I’m not sure. There aren’t many snowy owls.”
“How many are there?” she asked curiously, resting her back against the door as Ryder settled Sprinkles in the back.
“Me and my mom that I know of. There has to be more, but they’re in hiding or maybe dead. None but me and my mom have registered.”
“Oh.” That sounded lonely.
“Well, don’t pity me, woman. I have my mom, and my dad is a shifter, too.”
“What kind?”
“A boar.”
“Wait, the boar shifter?” There was
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