Page 84 of Ascendant Moon
Sault Ste. Marie, MI
Scooter’s day had been an interesting one, though it hadn’t ended the way he expected. Following the afternoon session, he and Tripp had shared a supper table with several other attendees in the hotel’s restaurant. Though Scooter’s order of two large, rare steaks had raised a few eyebrows, no one said anything. Thankfully, the conversation centered mostly around today’s seminar topic—the use of new technology in law enforcement. Scooter listened politely, allowing the others to speak freely and share their views.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t help but notice Tripp’s scent of arousal whenever the waiter, Austin, came around. He was a handsome man; dark-haired, muscular, and had a great smile. He seemed just as interested in Tripp, based on his own scentand the fact that he doted on the man a bit more than the others. Scooter didn’t care if Tripp was gay or hot for their waiter. What confused and bothered him was his reaction to their silent exchange of pheromones.
It was a good thing they were still eating because the table hid his erection. Why was he turned on by the thought of two guys being intimate? He’d seen and scented a lot more than that back home and it hadn’t affected him this way. It had been the same for women, too, so why the sudden change? Sex among shifters was simply a fact of life and openly embraced. Most couldn’t care less who you got frisky with, and Scooter had always ignored the amorous activities around packlands.
By the time the meal ended, it was clear that his roommate wanted Austin, but would never say anything in front of his peers. Fine. Scooter decided to do something about it so Tripp could get his itch scratched instead of beating off under the covers tonight. He grabbed his bill and turned to Tripp.
“I’m gonna take care of this and go back to the room. See you later, okay?”
Distracted, Tripp simply nodded as he watched the object of his interest across the room. Scooter settled his bill at the cashier station and then lingered long enough near the kitchen to catch Austin for a word.
“Oh, hello. Is there something I can do for you, Sir?”
“Not for me, but maybe for my roommate. He’s the tall redhead at our table, and he, uhhh,likesyou. His name is Tripp, and he’s not out around the other officers here. Be nice to him, but do me a favor—take him back toyourplace.”
Austin was so surprised he stumbled over his words.
“I, um…thanks?”
Scooter saved the laughter until he was out of earshot. Humans made the whole romance thing so difficult that they wasted a lot of time wondering what the other person was thinking. If things went the way he hoped, he and Tripp might both get what they wanted tonight.
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Scooter finished reading over the materials from today’s session, noting items that he wanted to discuss with Lou when he got home. Law enforcement was a complicated subject, constantly changing and adapting to the populace they served. A glance at the clock told him it was getting late, and he wondered why Tripp wasn’t back yet.
If he and Austin had hooked up, how could it take this long? Either they were having areallygood time, or Tripp had decided to stay the night. Either way, Scooter needed a decent night’s sleep and slipped into the bathroom to get ready for bed. He left a small light on for his roomie, set the alarm, and zonked out.
Around midnight, he awoke to the sound of the hall door opening. Tripp’s scent preceded him into the room, along with Austin’s. In fact, Tripp was saturated with the guy’s scent, including his cum, and Scooter got an instant boner. There was no way he’d be able to sleep with the smell of their coupling in the room, and he rolled over to find Tripp getting undressed.
“I guess you had a good time then?”
Tripp jumped at the sound of Scooter’s deep voice.
“Yeah, we did. He told me you said something to him, so I owe you one for being my wingman.”
Scooter couldn’t withhold a chuckle.
“Well, since you owe me one, how about you take a shower before bed? I have a really sensitive nose.”
It was too dark to be sure, but Scooter was positive Tripp had turned beet red. He grabbed a pair of clean underwear and apologized on the way to the bathroom.
“Sorry! I’ll make it quick.”
As soon as the door closed, Scooter swiped a wad of tissues from the nightstand and stroked out a load. He just hoped it was enough to let him sleep.
Chapter 43
Wednesday, October 6th
As President Adam Sheppard’s private secretary, Evelyn had seen and heard a great deal in the last eighteen years. Dealmaking, petitioners, friends, foes, drama, secrets, changes, threats, scandals, and enough rude shocks to turn her hair white. There was, however, a steady stream of perks that made her job worthwhile. One of those was meeting some amazing people, like the young True Elder who’d just arrived to see her boss. Colton Ramsey was slowly becoming a fixture around here, and if Adam had his way, this young man would one day be serving the council full time.
“Good morning, Colton. Just knock once and go on in. He’s expecting you.”
Adam Sheppard looked up to greet his sharply dressed visitor with a friendly smile. The young man had changed quite a bit since his training at Gladstone, and the newfound confidence and impeccable manners made him seem more mature than his youthful appearance.
“Welcome, Colton. I appreciate you coming in to see me. Have a seat.”
