Page 75 of The Good Boys Club

Nana pulled away and held my face in her papery hands. With her thumb, she brushed a tear from my cheek. I didn’t realise I was crying.

“Ci doesn’t know,” I said. “I never told him about me being alpha because . . .” I couldn’t finish my sentence. “I will tell him. Eventually. Before I accept the call. It’s going to be quite a shock for him. His life will be completely different.”

Because I won’t be at his apartment every day pestering him to hang out.

A fresh wave of tears rolled down my cheeks. Nana stood and fetched me a paper towel.

Would he miss me too?

Of course he would. He loved me.

Being a grownup fucking sucked.

I could still see him, though. I’d be alpha so I could invite him over whenever I wanted. And I could go back to Remy to visit him. But how many days of annual leave did he get at Howl Ya Doing, or would he get from Byte Tech? And how many of those precious days would he be prepared to sacrifice for me? I couldn’t ask him for all of them, to never see his parents again.

It wouldn’t be a forever goodbye.

But it wouldn’t be Bangers and Mash any more. I laughed out loud. He fucking hated that nickname.

“If you need help telling him, just ask. That’s what your mam and I are here for. But you should accept the call of the alpha before you exchange mate bites. There are certain werewolf customs—traditions—that should not be messed with.”

Like no dating non-werewolves.

I nodded. My heart sank further into my chest.

Nana patted my hand. “If he’s a true mate, he’ll not think twice about giving over everything to you.”

I had nothing to say, nothing to counter with. “I know, Nana.” I took a deep breath, my voice shaking as I spoke my next words. “I’ll accept the call of the alpha during the Hunter’s Moon in October.”

That would give me two months to tell Ci.

Two months left of us. After that I guessed I would need to fake a breakup or come clean to everyone.

But not until then. I wouldn’t give him up until I absolutely had to.

“Good boy,” she said, patting my cheek. My tail didn’t move. Then she left the kitchen.

I moved over to the counter to access the only spot in the house that got any Wi-Fi, took my phone out of my back pocket, and into the browser search panel, I typed . . .

How to tell if you’re in love with your best friend.

Barking Up the Wrong Tree

Present Day

Cian

When Clem and I arrived at the marquee with the other kitchen helpers and all the food, the banqueting tables had been moved back into the middle and the wolves were seated and awaiting their feast.

My eyes found Mash immediately, nestled snugly between Rita on his right and Dylan on his left. Opposite him were Zach and Kai, Mika and her partner Atlas, Felix and Sean, Kimmy and Juno, and Alba and her girlfriend Jade. They’d left zero space for me.

Clem caught me staring. “Don’t worry, you sit next to me at the top table. This is the way it always is, but you’ll have him all to yourself afterwards.”

“Sure,” I said, as we carried the food over to the buffet station.

I’d spent the last part of the morning and the first part of the afternoon helping Clem in her beautiful kitchens. I’d been on baklava duty, sequestered in the tiny one-person workspace again so that I didn’t have to be partially shifted for the three hours. Though I was starting to get used to the sensation of holding my ears and tail in place.

The other thing it gave me was time to think about this whole Mash alpha deal.

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