Page 281 of Primal Bonds

“Disturbing the fucking peace.”

The Full Moon Saloon was technically a neutral space owned by a Brazilian river fada named Claudio. But Baltimore was Adric’s territory; if he gave the word, Rosana would be banned from the bar.

But then he wouldn’t get even these occasional glimpses of her. The Rock Run Clan’s base was an underground fortress protected by fae wards impossible for him to break. And he’d tried.

He brought the bottle to his lips. Swallowed. “Let her stay.”

Zuri leveled a look at him. “Maybe you should just take her,” he said in a voice pitched for Adric’s ears only. “She wants you. Even her brothers know it—that’s why they try to keep her up at Rock Run. Bang the woman already. Get her out of your system.”

Adric’s fingers tightened on the bottle. “I’ll handle my own damn love life, thank you.”

“But you haven’t been handling it. When’s the last time you had a good, hard—”

He sliced Zuri a look. “Enough.”

The other man moved a big shoulder in a shrug and shut up, thank all the gods.

Adric glanced around. In addition to Dina and Cara, there were five other unmated earth fada females in the bar, any of whom would be happy to take the alpha to bed for a night. And like with Cara, it would be no harm, no foul.

But he only wanted Rosana.

Who hadn’t even glanced his way since entering the bar.

The song ended. With a nod at the cocky blond, Rosana wended her way through the tables to the polished oak bar. The man followed, his gaze glued to her ass.

Fuck this.

Adric moved, cutting off the human and squeezing in next to Rosana.

“Hey!” The man’s fingers dug into Adric’s arm. “She’s with me.”

Adric turned. “No,” he said, letting his cat into his eyes. “She’s not.”

The man’s Adam’s apple bobbed. He released Adric and backed away. “Right. I—” He fled back to the safety of his wingmen.

Adric turned to Rosana. “Hello, love.” Her lips were a slick crimson the same shade as her jacket. “What’re you drinking?”

“Adric.” In her faint, sexy accent, his name came out as Ah-dreek instead of Aaa-dric. The two syllables shivered deliciously over his skin. He could almost ignore the way she inclined her head like she was a princess and he a slimy green frog.

So she was still pissed off at him. He supposed he deserved it. The gods knew, he’d been an ass the last time they’d met.

Her deep blue eyes flashed. “I can get my own drink, thank you.” She reached for her wallet.

He slapped a hand onto hers over the glove. “I asked,” he said between clenched teeth, “what are you drinking?”

“Fine.” She jerked her hand out from beneath his. “Buy me a Dos Equis.”

He raised two fingers at Sophie, the motherly Mediterranean Sea fada tending bar along with Claudio. “Two, please.”

While they waited for their beers, he put an elbow on the bar and angled his body toward Rosana. She had the fresh, clean scent of a clear mountain pool. Beneath his T-shirt, his quartz warmed, like it always did when she was near—seeking to complete their connection, as if they were two mated earth fada.

But Rosana wasn’t an earth fada, she was a river fada. And the two of them could never mate.

Inside, his cougar hissed in disagreement.

A corkscrew of black hair had fallen forward over her shoulder. He itched to finger it, see if it was as soft as he remembered. Instead, he fisted his hand and gave her a mocking smile.

“Didn’t expect to see you in Baltimore again so soon. Decided you want to tangle with a cat, huh?”

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