Page 23 of Leave Me
Protect.
My Alpha grumbled, and I wondered what the fuck it was talking about. We were safe. Riley was beside me, where our arms brushed as he talked about a grand palace in Thailand. Kono was a friend, and his pack worked with mine often.
“King, you’re really here,” Kono called out with a wide smile as he opened his arms to offer a hug. I drew him in but let him go before he could scent me. I was too turned on from being near Riley for that.
“Saw your dad yesterday. He looked well,” I told him as he stepped back to take me in with his shrewd eyes.
My unspoken words were in recognition that he was not in charge yet, and I didn’t know where the passive aggressiveness had come from. I wasn’t in charge of my pack either.
If he heard my intention, he didn’t let it bother him, giving me a sad smile and squeezing my upper arm. “I’m sorry about your father.”
“Thank you.” Variations of that phrase were getting old after a day of hearing it nonstop at the funeral and again at the park. I was just happy that they were all glad to move on to another topic. “It’s good to see you.”
“Too long, but good you are here now.” Kono nodded and turned to the others. “Riley! It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, too! I should have known you’d be right next to King.”
“Where else would I be?” Riley shrugged and accepted Kono’s hug. They were about the same height, and I felt my wolf bristle at their contact. They were friends, and I trusted him, so it didn’t make sense.
“Of course,” Kono chuckled. Right when I thought he was going to let Riley go, he inhaled deeply.
A growl rumbled deep in my chest, but it was too quiet to hear unless you were a shifter. Kono cleared his throat and stood back.
Cara and Artie chatted with us for a bit before moving on, and Kono took the opportunity to lean in and whisper, “Riley looks like he might need to go home early.”
“What?” My brow furrowed, and I looked over to the man in question. His face was redder than normal, and he was sweating a lot. “You okay, Ri? You want to head out?”
“I’m fine,” Riley answered quickly and then paused, looking me up and down. “I mean, no. I think you should take me home.”
The logical side of my brain said Riley wanted to go home because it was hot out, but my wolf had another idea.
Yes.
Take.
Mentally, I told my wolf to calm the fuck down. Riley might just need air conditioning. We said our goodbyes, foregoing hugs from Kono, and I led Riley to my bike. I wanted him wrapped around me in more ways than the few minutes it would take to drive him to his place.
I never thought I’d agree with my wolf so much, but there was something about being home…
Chapter sixteen
Riley
While the picnic was better than I could have imagined, to be at a high school reunion event with King by my side, I wasn’t feeling great. The stomach pain hadn’t come back, but I was too hot.
Everyone around me stayed in the shade, drank something cool, and they weren’t sweating bullets. Hell, the kids running around acted like it wasn’t a hot June day. I’d just come back from Africa, and I was dying.
Fine, that was dramatic. I wasn’t dying. But I was on the uncomfortable side of hot.
When our old friend, Kono Dasan, suggested I go home early, I almost protested. I wanted to spend more time with Fowler, and I hadn’t seen Kono or some of our former classmates in years. Kono was in the local tribe, and I knew my sperm donor was a distant cousin of his, meaning we were cousins. I wanted to catch up with him, but a tiny voice in my head warned of danger when he hugged me.
It also felt good when Artie, the captain of the football team, gave me props on my biceps. We’d discussed workout routines, and I experienced a welcomeness I didn’t have as a teen. I wished I could have felt that without changing my body, but in retrospect, I understood that most teens feel out of place. Multiple people told me they read my articles and complimented my writing. I wasn’t just the chubby, bespectacled sidekick to King.
But…Fowler had asked if I wanted to leave in a tone that suggested he would be taking me. I’d seen a motorcycle in the parking lot, which I assumed was his, so I agreed and we said goodbye.
Fowler’s hand rested on the small of my back, and despite the heat he radiated, I reveled in the touch. He led me across the street to the parking area. A shiny black bike with a fringed leather seat, chrome trim around the lights, and whitewall tires sat beside a dark purple bike I thought might be Kono’s.
“Did you restore this yourself?” I asked, knowing the answer but still in awe of his skill.
“I did.” Fowler grinned proudly and offered me the helmet. “I only have one.”
