Page 17 of That's the Way Rejection Goes

Liam and Cory exchanged a knowing glance, one that I recognized immediately. It was one Erick and I had shared many times. Those two had been through some shit. They were survivors even though the trauma weighed heavily on their shoulders. I found myself wondering if Cory had hit the nail right on the head. Sam didn’t share his past, and it didn’t seem like he was terribly close with anyone. Sure, he helped everybody, and he was friends with them all. However, it didn’t take a genius to see that he had a wall up at all times. Even as thick as I was, I could see that.

“I think I might need to talk to this Ace guy about the barn,” I said, shifting the conversation back to our original topic. “I’ve been itching to build something, and a barn sounds like a big project.”

“Maybe I should bug Sam about upgrading his software,” Erick offered, glancing at me. He turned back, smiling at Liam and Cory. “Thanks for the tips, by the way. That’ll help us out a lot. We really want to get back on our feet as soon as we can.”

I shot Erick a sideways glance. We both knew neither of us had work in mind. The only thing we wanted to work on was Sam’s body, if he’d let us. We just had to work up the courage to be honest with him. So far, both of us had fallen down on that job.

“Do you two like playing cards?” Liam asked, looking over us both. “Vincent is hosting a poker tournament this weekend for all the wolves in the hotel. The grand prize is a big gift card to the pizza shop!”

“Considering I eat pizza five days a week, we’re not trying to win,” Cory added. “But it’ll be fun to hang out with everyone after the holidays. Plus, it gives Sam a chance to join the fun andnotbe the host of the party.”

“He seems like he’s always pretty busy,” I replied.

“He sure is. The man needs to learn to take a break. He does nothing but work. I haven’t even been here that long and I can see that.”

“Honestly,” Cory sighed. “I wish he could find a mate. I know how much he wants it. But until that happens, I guess cards will just have to do.”

“Who knows,” I added, giving Erick a wink. “Maybe he’ll find someone at the tournament.”

“Maybe.”

Chapter Nine: Sam

Iwasn’t sure how Vincent talked me into joining the poker tournament. Of course, the entire hotel was going to be there, so it’s not like I had much to do at the front desk. And he was hosting it in the banquet hall, so I didn’t have far to go either. Even if someone, by some miracle, did show up at the hotel, I wouldn’t be too far away to help them out.

Still, I found myself stalling when the time came and there was only one reason left. I knew Calum and Erick were going to be there and I was trying my damnedest to steer clear of them. It wasn’t that I didn’t like them. In fact, it was just the opposite. Every time I was near them, I could barely contain myself. Even after they’d both tried to cheat on one another with me, I couldn’t stop liking them. I knew I should, but my brain, my heart, and my body especially just wouldn’t listen. Sure, Erick mentioned that the pair of them had admitted everything to one another, which was great. But they decided they were still mates and that meant I’d never be anything more than a fling to them.

And honestly… I wasn’t sure I wanted to do that. Yes, I was lonely, horny, and aching for some attention even if it was only temporary. But I was afraid too. I didn’t want to just be someone’s good time. I’d done that enough in the past. I wanted somethingreal, something that would last for more than a night or two. And I wasn’t going to get that from those two Alphas. The best I could hope for was fun and then they’d leave.

But that wasn’t even the biggest issue. For some unknown reason, I was growing attached to them. Even with as little as we’d interacted, I couldn’t help feeling something more toward them both. They were gorgeous, their scents drove me wild, and there was an electric burst through my body every time I touched either of them. I couldn’t explain why it happened, but it did. And it was creating some feelings that I knew Ishould notbe having. So, if I let myself have them, even just for one night, I knew my heart would ache afterward, and I just didn’t want to deal with that.

And that’s why I didn’t want to go to the tournament. But if I didn’t, it would throw off all the brackets and Vincent would give me a hard time. However, I tried to reason with myself. There was a very good chance that I’d never have to play a game with Erick and Calum. Not when there were going to be nearly fifty players competing. Chances were that they or I would be dropped out of the competition before we even saw one another. In fact, I’d pretty much decided to purposefully throw the first hand so I could get out of there quickly and still keep my obligation to Vincent.

So, with that plan in mind, I headed into the banquet hall five minutes before the tournament was due to start. I found Vincent standing behind a table with a clipboard, giving the other wolves their table numbers and decks of cards. As I approached, he ushered the others off to their table and shot me a big smile.

“Well, hey there stranger,” he grinned. “I almost don’t recognize you without a desk sitting in front of you.”

“Ha-ha. Very funny,” I snarked back. “And you look so weird without your usual splattering of sauce and flour.”

“Clever comeback.” Vince gave me a smile as he glanced down at his sheet. “You’re at table five.”

“Thanks.” I started to walk away, but Vince grabbed me by the shoulder.

“And try to have fun?” he said. “You need some time to unwind. Just be yourself for a bit instead of everyone’s savior, huh?”

“Thanks, Dad.” But then I stopped myself, nodding back to him. “You’re right. I’ll… try.”

He gave me a smile and sent me on my way. I found my table and sat down, resting my forehead against the cold hard surface. I was only there for a moment before I heard the chairs on either side of me screech against the floor as they were pulled out. I looked up to find myself surrounded by none other than my newest residents. The mated Alphas.

“Hey there,” Erick said, taking his seat on my right.

I couldn’t help but notice the skin-tight black t-shirt he was wearing. It highlighted him in all the right places.

“Guess we’re all playing together,” Calum added on my left.

He had decided to wear a tank top that was hardly more than string. Not only was itnotthe season for such clothing, but I could see both his nipples and practically everything else too. And let me just say… my mouth was watering. The dude was fucking stacked.

“Oh no…” I muttered, the words slipping out of my mouth before I could stop them.

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