Page 50 of Bonded

“You know I didn’t fuck her.”

“You didn’t fuck… Who?”

“Alyssa… Alyssa the bitch! God, I hate her… But I didn’t fuck her. I mean sure, sure I was goin’ to, but I didn’t. I sent her away. I told her to leave. T-That I… I didn’t wan’ her. Zak… I just want Kat.” His head drops onto his arm on the table and he sniffs, howling into his chest.

“Oh, geez!” Zak groans, concerned by how upset Digby is. “Alyssa, right… Yeah, I know man. Hey, let’s just get you some coffee.”

As Zak fills the machine with water, Digby gets up and starts searching again. Banging the cabinet doors just as before he then heads to the refrigerator and first taking out some ham, of which he stuffs several slices into his mouth. he then spies the plate of delicious-looking raspberry cheesecake. Taking it and sticking his fingers in he scoops some into his mouth. “Oh hell… Hell, this is so fuckin’ good!”

Zak turns around watching him. “Oh fuck!” he sighs. “Diggs sit down, man; I’ll get you a spoon cos watchin’ you eat like that… It’s disgustin’.”

“Hey…” Bud stands at the doorway, rubbing his head. He looks disheveled, hair all messy, like he just woke up—which he did.

Looking at him stood wearing only his boxer shorts, Digby frowns. “Bud? Bud, why the hell are you here? Y-You don’t live here… What? Why? Zak, why… is he here?”

“I was sleeping, ‘til somebody started making a racket. And why the hell are you here?”

“I n-needed whiskey; I ran out.”

“Yeah, I can smell that.” Bud sniffs and looks at Zak. “But I’m not sure you need any more?”

Now Oz is in the doorway. He too has the ‘just-woken-up’ look. “What the hell is going on? Do you know what the time is? And… why the hell is he here?”

Digby looks up, “Hey, I just asked that question!”

“No, I don’t mean Bud, I mean you. Why the hell are you here? Oh my God… is that Zak’s cheesecake? You know he threatened me with all kinds of torture if I touched that, so you might wanna rethink eating it.” Oz frows as Zak shakes his head, gesturing with his hand that Digby’s been drinking.

“So, B-Bud…” Digby scoffs, almost choking as he fills his mouth. Stuffing the last huge spoonful of the cheesecake in and trying to speak, he spits most of it into his lap. The others sigh as they watch him spluttering cream and crumbs—he’s so drunk. “Why are you here? You… you have your own b-bed. I mean, you don’t live here.”

“Oh uh, well I, well… uh QT, he’s got that guy Gregg over. That Alpha—the scientist guy that he met at the club. They were uh, kissin’ and smoochin’ on the couch and… well, you never know, maybe he might finally lose his cherry tonight so I uh, kinda don’ wanna be around for that. Figured I’d come here and get more sleep—peace, and quiet,” he laughs, “or I did, ‘til you showed up.”

“He’s a scientist?” Zak frowns. “Hell, I always thought he was a lawyer but a scientist…really? Well, I didn’t know that. Maybe I get what QT sees in him now. Personally, I don’t see the attraction.”

“You know Zak, the way you talk about Gregg,” Oz laughs, “it’s like he bothers you. I wonder if you’re jealous? Maybe just a little… hmm?”

“I am not jealous. What of that guy? Seriously? Oh c’mon… What the hell have I got to be jealous of? I mean a scientist, purr-lease, really? QT’s gotta find me way more attractive than him, right? Not that QT’s my type, but I’m just sayin’ if I went through that phase again… then QT would find me more attractive. But I’m not so… You know what I mean.” He coughs with embarrassment as they smirk staring at him. Stood there naked except for a pair of black shorts, he looks down at himself. “You know this is a way better body than some geek scientist, even if he is an alpha. Do you think that’s what the attraction is? That he’s an alpha and I’m not?”

Oz sniggers, “You know, Zak, keep telling yourself you don’t feel anything for QT it’s fine by me, but if you really do like him, then stop with the teasing and just tell him. Man, between you, and him—your love lives, it’s like dealing with kids. Hell, I need some coffee; you know we’ve only been in bed for an hour. So… Diggs, what’s with the late-night whiskey run? Have you spoken to Kat since she got back? Man, she was pissed with you tonight, you’re gonna have a lot of makin’ up to do cos that was a dumb fuckin’ move taking Alyssa home.”

“No…” he wails again. “No, she wasn’t back when I left. She’s probably gone to that freak Riley’s place. Oh hell… I’ve fucked up so bad. You know this is all my fault. I shouldn’t have done that.” He cries, and the guys roll their eyes at the state he’s in.

“Oh, c’mon man, I’m sure you can sort it out. I mean, it’s not unfixable—yet. You’re meant to be together, right? You told me that. The Alyssa thing, it’s just a glitch,” Zak says. “Yeah, sure, it was a dick move takin’ her home, but… we press the reset button and fix it, right?”

“No Zak, we can’t. I told her to fuck off. Man, she was so pissed. So angry. Oh, fuck… what if she sleeps with the non-shifting-shifter freak?”

“Kat? No, she won’t sleep with him and if she does… well, look, we’ll fix it, all right?.” Oz furrows his brow looking at Zak, they both know fixing this is probably not that simple.

“I told her… I didn’t wan’ her anymore.”

“Who, Kat?” Zak frowns.

“No… no A-Alyssa. I told her. I don’t want her, I want Kat. I wanna her so much… it hurts, man.” He looks up, his eyes red-raw, a stupid drunken look on his face.

Zak frowns, concerned. He can see and hear just how drunk Digby is, and he’s worried because he’s never seen him this way before. “It’s okay buddy.” Zak pats him on the shoulder and sits down at the table next to him.

Oz gets the mugs and pours them all a coffee—mouthing silently to Zak, “What the hell are we going to do with him?”

“All right, so Alyssa was a big mistake. So, you talk to Kat. You have a conversation and tell her that nothin’ happened.”

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