Page 15 of Feral Heart
“You just throw them and try to make them stick.” Noel set aside his drink and plucked one from Jamie’s hand. With his tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth, Noel threw it, only for the dart to hit the wall and fall to the floor. “Just like that.”
Seemed simple enough. Jamie rushed over and picked up the fallen dart just as Noel threw another one, the dart hitting the wall then knocking over a nearby glass. The owner of the drink stared disbelievingly at them then walked away, muttering something about drunken twinks.
Noel stared at the guy then burst out laughing, holding his side. “I think that was a bull’s-eye!”
“No,” Jamie argued, shaking his head. “That was a beer’s-eye. Don’t count because… did you know sharks can live to be like super old? I love sharks. Cesar’s like a shark. With dimples. I’m gonna kiss him.”
“What does that have to do with—”
“Oh, my god, I said that out loud, didn’t I? I can’t stop talking. This is bad. I’m adorable though, right? Right!”
“Where’s your off switch?” Noel threw another dart, this one sticking inside the board.
“You did it!” Jamie jumped up and down as he clapped then grabbed the back of a chair to steady himself before he fell over. “I think I need another drink.”
Noel shoved his toward Jamie. “Just a baby sip, ’kay? I want the rest.”
There was only a sip left. With a shrug, Jamie drained the remaining rum and Coke.
“Hey!” Noel snatched the glass, pushing one eye against the rim. “You guzzled it all.”
“I’ll get us another one. I want one, too, because my mouth is dry.” He opened wide. “See?” he said, pointing to his mouth. “See how dry it is?” Jamie hurried toward the bar, his feet resuming their zigzag pattern. “Barkeep! Me needs two drinkies. Rum and water…or soda? Was it Coke?” He gripped the edge of the counter when he glanced at the bartender. Tall, very tall. Silky dark hair, light brown eyes, and why was the bartender wearing a suit?
Jamie threw his arms up like the cops had just ordered him to. “I’ll take whatever you want to serve me.” Rowan’s expression had nothing on the bartender’s. “It’s cool. We’re cool.” Jamie gave him a peace sign, hoping it appeased the scary-looking guy. There was literal power oozing from him.
The bartender’s expression softened. “Two rum and Cokes, Jamie.”
“How do you know me?” Jamie gasped. “I was just thinking how powerful you felt, and you just proved it. You know my name and what drink I needed. Did you know Coke had actual cocaine in it when it was first invented? I wonder if my jellybean is a good kisser. His lips look soft, and god, I want to know. Have you seen my dreamboat? His name is Cesar.”
The guy chuckled as he made the drinks. Jamie couldn’t get his leg to stop bouncing. His foot was tapping the floor like a jackrabbit. He was pretty sure he could run all the way to his apartment and back to the tavern in seconds flat, or to the next town, without slowing down.
He’d never been this drunk before, and it seemed he was dialed up to eleven.
“Jamie! It’s your turn,” Noel shouted even though he was only twenty feet away. “I scored a hole in one!” He grinned, giving Jamie a thumbs-up.
“I wanna score a basket!” He hurried back to Noel and grabbed the offered dart. With his tongue sticking out, Jamie threw the dart. “Oh crud,” he whispered when the plastic end of the dart whacked a humongous guy in the head.
“That’s Diablo,” Noel said under his breath. “His name means evil.”
Diablo turned slowly, eyes glowing, a snarl on his lips…until he glanced down at Jamie. He frowned and rubbed his head. “What did I ever do to you?”
Those glowing eyes… Jamie kept trying to explain it away whenever he saw it, but this was the third time, and the sober part of his brain, wherever it was, was shouting this wasn’t an ordinary biker bar.
Jamie swallowed roughly. “Did you know the ties on the end of bread are color coded to let you know what day of the week it was baked? Red usually means it was baked on Thursday. You look like a red kind of guy. How tall are you? God, you’re so huge! But I like my cupcake just the way he is. I really am going to kiss him.” He turned back toward Noel. “Do you wanna finish our game of pool?”
Noel stood there staring into his empty glass. “Someone downed my drink,” he whined. “I just had a full glass, and now there’s only a dribble left.”
“You should make whoever stole it buy you another one,” Jamie said with a nod. “It’s only fair.” He wandered off in search of his pumpkin, needing a kiss from his beefcake.
Chapter Five
Cesar stepped back into the main room, body tense after the encounter in the alley. He pushed through the crowd, searching for Matias. Those hyenas showing up at their doorstep wasn’t just a challenge—it was a declaration. Every wolf in the tavern needed to know they had a new threat—one with calculating eyes and an aura of power that made Cesar’s wolf pace anxiously.
Music pounded through the speakers as he scanned the room, looking for his alpha. Smoke and sweat mingled with the scent of fried food and spilled beer. Matias stood near the pool tables, deep in conversation with Santiago. Weaving between bodies, Cesar tried to locate Jamie’s bouncing energy in the crowd. No sign of him or Noel.
“Where’s Jamie?” he asked Chopper, who was leaning against the wall nursing a beer.
Chopper shrugged. “Last I saw, he and Noel were throwing darts. Nearly took Diablo’s eye out.” His lips quirked. “Your little hummingbird’s drunk off his ass.”
