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.Just a quick formal thing.Since he’s the Head Alpha.”Luke stared at him as if he’d grown extra heads and now resembled Cerberus.“Wait, you want to pay respects to the guy who wanted to kill me?”“It’s—”“There is just no way that is happening, Zonski.” He walked around the car with short, hard steps and grabbed his bike handles.Brian ran around after him.“Please, Luke.It’s just a formal thing.We walk up to him, shake hands, and say good-bye.”“Shake his hand!” He snorted loudly.“That is rich.”Brian looked at his mate wretchedly.He’d had no idea.“I—it’s always done,” he said awkwardly.“You’ll shame me if you refuse.”“Then I’ll shame you.” He climbed on his bike and glared at Brian.“You keep springing all these rules on me and not warning me ahead of time.Well, it’s got to stop.What’s the next one going to be? Tomorrow I wake up and, oops, we have to walk around on our hands all day or we’ll break some great wolf tradition?”Brian stepped forward as Luke started his engine.“Then at least stand with me.Stand next to me, and I’ll say good-bye for both of us,” he tried desperately.Luke hesitated, his engine growling louder.“All right,” he said, and rode off, a quick, hard ride, his head and shoulders down, gripping the handlebars like he wanted to kill them.Brian watched him go, his heart sinking fast to his stomach, and perhaps even lower.I’m losing him, aren’t I? He turned to frown at his sports car, and wished he drove a battered old machine instead.He knew money was part of this, but wasn’t quite sure how and to what extent.Well, it was no good lying; when Luke saw his home, he’d know anyway.If Luke saw his home.Hands trembling a little, Brian began to undo his shirt.He kicked off his shoes and unclothed as quickly as he could, shifting almost before he was bare.He ran to catch up with the growling bike, the bike that was taking away his mate.With a short, sharp bark, he threatened the machine.Luke looked over at him, a quick, startled glance.For a second, he looked really surprised, a blank, unguarded look on his face, making him look vulnerable.Then he slowed down and pulled to a stop.“What is it?” he asked.Brian stopped, too, panting hard.It had been a short run but an intense one, a great burst of physical energy—and fear.He couldn’t talk in his wolf form.He pushed his nose up against Luke’s leg.A low, unhappy sound came from his throat.Luke’s face relaxed somehow, and he reached down to pat Brian and scratch behind his ears.“Don’t worry.I’m not going anywhere.”Brian tried to climb up on him, and Luke pushed him down, laughing a little shakily.And then he was off the bike, and hugged him hard around the neck, breathing roughly against his head, his fingers digging into Brian’s fur.Brian closed his eyes, and breathed.Chapter SixA HALF hour later, they stood side by side in a line to say good-bye to the Head Alpha.Well, not quite side by side.Luke kept drifting farther back until he was hiding behind Brian.He reflected on his mate’s words about not being able to handle physical confrontations.(Yet, he rode a bike and looked remarkably tough doing so.What was the deal there?) Perhaps this was too much like a physical confrontation to him.Or maybe he just didn’t like facing the man he would probably always think of as his wannabe murderer.He didn’t understand wolf culture, or how anyone who’d been so angry could accept him now without a fuss, and maybe he never would.The thought made Brian deeply sad.But he smiled and held out his hand as the Alpha approached.He saw a smile in the Head Alpha’s eyes, though his mouth stayed firm.They shook hands, a hard, sturdy handshake.“See you next Moon Ceremony,” said Farn, and clasped a hand over top of his.“Yes sir,” said Brian.Next Moon Ceremony, his nephews would be a year older.He would see everyone again and it would be such fun, as it always was.This year, he’d even gotten a mate.It would be pretty hard to top that.Farn peered over Brian’s shoulder, meeting the scared gaze behind him.Luke crouched lower, hiding shamelessly behind Brian.Brian could hear his breathing, frightened and fast.One of his hands clenched hold of Brian’s shirt.Farn smiled.“Come out of there, young man.I won’t eat you.” He spoke in a gently jovial tone of voice, as if to a youngster.For a moment, Luke clung nearer, and Brian’s heart was in his throat, wondering how this would end and what he should do, if anything.He looked apologetically at Farn, but the man wasn’t meeting his gaze, just smiling encouragingly at Luke.Luke released a huge, tense sigh and let go of Brian’s shirt.He stepped tentatively to the side, but not forward.“You look after Brian for me now,” said Farn.“He’s one of my best alphas.You won’t find a more loyal wolf.”He reached out then, and somehow, Luke reached back.They shook hands quickly, and the Head Alpha gave them a brief, smiling nod and moved on.Brian stared after Farn in wonder.He’d never thought Farn particularly noticed him at all, much less thought well of him.Luke moved forward tentatively, and Brian put an arm around him.They didn’t say anything.Soon, they headed out.The bags had to go in the Miata, with some strapped on the roof because there were too many for the trunk.It made the car look silly.Just before they left, Luke cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly from foot to foot.“Bry,” he said.His face had heated up to his roots and he didn’t meet Brian’s eyes.“I need money for gas.”“Oh.I’m—of course.” He got out his wallet and handed over three twenties.If he gave too much, it would look like he was flashing his cash.But giving too little would make Luke ask again, something he obviously found humiliating.Luke looked up quickly, his pained blue gaze meeting Brian’s.His eyes held some sort of agony, or a question.“Please don’t feel bad,” said Brian quietly.Luke lowered his head again, and nodded quickly.“Thanks,” he said softly, a quiet, defeated sound.His heart in his throat, Brian watched him walk away.He really wished they were riding home together.What was to stop Luke from driving away altogether?THEY STOPPED at a little diner for lunch, sitting in a booth on plastic seats opposite each other.Tinny music played.Luke ate almost daintily, working his way around the outside of his burger with small bites instead of just plowing through it.He licked a finger, then another, and looked up.“Wanna have sex?”“What?” Brian leaned forward [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]