Page 53 of Leave Me
Riley was leaning on a table with his laptop and notebook spread out, adorable reading glasses perched on his nose. I happened to know he didn’t need them anymore, but he got some to reduce the effect of the blue light from staring at the screen. I think he knew how much I liked seeing him in the nerdy frames.
My mate had always been a bespectacled book nerd, and I loved him for it.
Pulling the door open, the bell jingled over the entrance. I went to wave hello to the owner behind the counter, but noticed it was someone new. They had medium-length brown hair with blond highlights, and despite their manicure and flowy Perk Café shirt, their upper body was distinctly masculine.
“Hi, welcome to Perk Café,” they greeted with a wide grin. “Can I tempt you with something sweet?”
“This one’s mine,” Riley called out from the back corner, and I turned to find him smiling with a raised brow.
“Damn! Lucky you,” they purred, clawing the air.
Blinking, I wasn’t sure how to reply, but Riley saved me. “I promise he’s not the only hunky queer man in Blue Lake, Cam.”
“So long as you promise.” Cam winked and went back to sorting something behind the counter.
Chuckling, I made my way over to the omega who owned my heart, bending to kiss his temple before sitting across from him. “Almost done with your article? Channing is making dinner, and she said there would be pork chops.”
“Ooh, with roasted Parmesan potatoes?” Riley asked, still typing. I didn’t know how he could hold a conversation and type at the same time, but he regularly amazed me.
Since we’d mated, Riley moved into the pack house with me. He was still writing articles, but he worked remotely from Blue Lake instead of doing so much traveling. If he needed to bounce around the globe for work, I’d follow him. Based on the map he’d scribbled in his notebook, I hazarded a guess that he was working on his first novel.
“The new barista is interesting,” I commented, taking a sip of his water, seeing his iced coffee no longer had ice. “This town needs new blood.”
While I hadn’t scented a shifter, Cam reminded me of the city and how open people could be with self-expression there.
“Mmm, Cam moved from SF, too. They’re non-binary,” Riley added, and I was proud I hadn’t assumed. I learned from my own experience. Riley looked up to meet my eyes. “They’ve only been here a week, but I’m worried about them.”
A rumble of anger filled my chest, but I kept it inside. “We’ll make sure they’re safe,” I assured my mate. His eyes moved down to the new patch on my leathers, marking me as the president of the motorcycle club. “The King Pack will look out for them.”
The satisfied smirk Riley sent my way told me I’d answered correctly. I may be Alpha, President, and the leader of a whole group of people, but it was Riley’s opinion that mattered to me the most.
While I was accepted and loved for who I am, I wanted everyone else on this lake and beyond to feel the same. Plus, Riley was right about the number of available queer men.
After squaring off with Jed MacTaryn over his boys invading pack land and threatening my mate, I’d slipped into the role of alpha like I’d been born to take the role. Because I had.
Uncle Clark let me know he wanted to take a break from the leadership of the pack, but he stayed on as Club Secretary. I found out Gramps was still treasurer, and he was training Channing to fill that role. I wanted us to be a modern pack, where a female omega could take that position and no one would blink. I still thought she was too young, but at least she was taking some college classes in nearby Sonoma County.
Rel fell into place as my right hand and Vice President, his steady presence and knowledge invaluable to me. He said his sexuality and gender were fluid, but he kept up masculine appearances at the firehouse. Since he’d turned Riley on to a website for men’s lacey lingerie, I kept my jaw shut. Maybe he would be interested in Cam?
To further my agenda—yes, I had a queer agenda—I put Ricky in place as my Sgt. at Arms. We needed to beef up security, and he was a good enforcer, his omega status be damned. He was bi, and I’d suggest him for Cam, but I thought he might have his eyes set on a certain older Alpha who suddenly had a lot of time on his hands.
My over-the-top friend fell into the trap of lusting after a straight man.
Ricky was always hanging around Motorvated, hitting the punching bag and taunting Uncle Clark with his fit, sweaty body.What? I was mated, not blind!But as far as we knew, Clark wasn’t into men. I’d never known him to date when I was a kid, and he was busy raising Rowen, but I’d been gone a long time.
Riley closed his laptop and was taking notes, so I rose to leave his cup on the side table to be washed. I could smell he’d had a chocolate croissant, and wondered if there were any more sweet treats I could pick up for dessert.
When I was leaning over the display case, the sound of someone walking into the door drew my attention. Standing on the other side of the door was a red-faced man I knew well. Rowen Finley was red-haired and pale-skinned, making the embarrassed blush stand out. He spotted me, shook his head, and turned around.
Clearly, the door situation was one step too far for him, and I finally let a chuckle out at the situation.
“Maybe we should put a biggerpullsign on the door?” Cam commented, tilting their head to keep watching Rowen walk away.
Rowen had said he was pan, and I suspected he was ace or demi, but he was also antisocial. Maybe all octopus shifters were loners, but I hoped he wasn’t so embarrassed he wouldn’t come back. Rowen’s houseboat home and boat shop, Shipshape, was not far, on the other side of the marina.
“Maybe,” I commented. “Nice to meet you, Cam.”
“Nice to meet you, too, Fowler King,” Cam replied, and my eyes widened.
