Page 11 of Devon

“Not that I’m not happy to learn more about my mate, but I’m not sure where this is going.”

“I’m telling you this is so you can understand Devon better.He lived on the streets by himself until Melissa and Haley took him in.Even after they did, their lives weren’t easy.It’s better now that they live in the village, but Devon never told anyone everything that happened to him.”Kendrick eyed Jonas again.“Whatever it was, it can’t be good.”

“That doesn’t explain why he latched onto you the way he did,” Jonas grumbled.

Ryan had no idea what that meant.“I’m sorry?”

“Devon convinced himself he was in love with me,” Kendrick explained.“I think he saw me as someone safe.I’m human like him, and I’m a hunter.He got a crush on me and tried to convince me to be with him.”

Ryan couldn’t imagine that, mostly because Kendrick and Jonas were obviously happy together.“What about Jonas?”

“We hadn’t met yet when it started,” Jonas said.“But Devon kept pushing even after Kendrick told him I was his mate.He tried to convince Kendrick that I was lying and that he couldn’t be my mate because he and Devon belonged together.He made a fool of himself, even when both Kendrick and I were honest and blunt.”

Ryan frowned as he thought about the way Devon had reacted earlier.He’d seemed fine after Ryan had told him he was his mate, even though he’d clearly been freaking out.It had gotten worse after Ryan had introduced Devon to Kendrick, though.Devon had been told that he was Ryan’s mate, and Ryan was the brother of the man he was in love with.Anyone would freak out, even without adding Jonas to the situation.

“Devon has been through a lot,” Kendrick said gently.“I don’t hold what happened against him.He needed to feel safe, and he thought he could have that with me.”

“He was pushy and immature,” Jonas said in a hard voice.“We’ve all been through a lot, but we don’t do what he did.”

“He’s only just turned eighteen.You and I are both older.Hell, most of the hunters and Krsniks in the village are older than Devon.I know you don’t like him, and I’m not asking you to become his best friend, but maybe you could give him a little grace, considering everything.”

Jonas crossed his arms over his chest.His expression was stubborn, which Ryan suspected was his answer.He wasn’t surprised.He’d have been offended, too, if he’d been in Jonas’s place.Even after Devon had found out that Kendrick was Jonas’s mate, he continued pushing.

“Nothing ever happened between the two of you, right?”Ryan asked Kendrick.He was afraid of the answer, but he needed to know.

“No.I never wanted him that way,” Kendrick said.“He reminded me of you, to be honest.I think that’s one of the reasons I allowed him so close.It was like I had my little brother back.He needed help, and I missed you.I’m not telling you this so you can judge him harshly.I just feel you need to know why things will be tense and awkward.Devon finally understood what Jonas and I were saying, and he’s been avoiding both of us since then.As far as I know, he’s been avoiding most of the people who live here.I was surprised to see him outside today.”

Ryan leaned back in his chair.He was glad he knew all of that, but he had no idea where it left him.

* * * *

WORKING AT THE COFFEEshop wasn’t easy, but it also wasn’t the most complicated thing in the world.Devon struggled to keep pace with Nic, but Nic had tried to make it as easy on him as he could.

“That’s it,” Nic said as he put the coffee down on the counter and pushed it toward the customer who ordered it.“You hand them their coffee, smile at them, and move on to the next customer.”

Part of Devon wished he had something he could take notes on, but another part didn’t want to look like a dork.“Wouldn’t it be easier if you weren’t both taking orders and prepping them?”That was how things worked in big coffee shops.Devon had never really had the opportunity to use them, but he’d watched plenty of them and had even got respite from the cold a few times.It never lasted long, but it had been good.

“Which is where you come in,” Nic said with a smile.“Once I’m done training you, one of us will take orders, and the other will prepare the coffee.You can start at the till.”

It was a relief.It meant that Devon would have more time to learn how to make all the coffees.At the same time, he’d have to remember how much every coffee cost and to learn how the till worked.

He swallowed as he glanced at it.He was nervous and worried, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t do this.

“You’ll be great,” Nic said as he patted Devon’s shoulder.“I was nervous my first day, too.You’ll learn.People in this town are nice, and they usually don’t have a problem waiting a bit longer because you’re still learning the job.Besides, manning the till is the easy part.Wait until you have to learn how to make every single drink we sell.”

Devon sucked in a breath.“I’m not sure that’s the best way to make me want to work here,” he muttered.

“Youhaveto work here.I like Alex just fine, but he’s old and grumpy.”

“I heard that,” Alex called out.

He was in the back room, but the door was open.Devon cringed, but Nic didn’t seem to care.He was still smiling, something that seemed to be his default.

He smiled at the customers.He smiled at the kids with their moms and at the older gentlemen.He smiled at the hordes of grumpy teenagers, at Alex, and more so than anyone else, at Devon.He hadn’t stopped smiling at Devon since Devon had started working with him.Devon wasn’t sure what to make of it.He didn’t want to encourage Nic because he wasn’t here to stay, but even if he was, his heart was still bruised.He could do with a friend, though, and he hoped that was what Nic would eventually become.

The thought made him frown.He was planning on leaving.What would he do if Nic was his friend by then?It would be hard enough to leave Haley and Melissa.He wasn’t sure he’d be able to if he added a friend to the mix, but at the same time, he couldn’t be an island, not here at the coffee shop.He needed Nic to be friendly and to show him the ropes.He was going to be working with him, so there would be no avoiding spending time together.

He couldn’t tell Nic any of that, though.Nic would probably poke and prod until Devon told him everything, and Devon wasn’t about to reveal what he’d done to someone who didn’t already know.He didn’t want Nic to look at him differently.He had enough of that at the village.

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