Page 9 of Destined Prey
This was an old discussion for them, and one they’d tried to reason with other breeds on, to no avail.
Anne, their other sister, entered the room. Her blonde hair was all over, and it was clear that she’d just woken up. “What’sgoing on? Why does it feel like I walked into a funeral? What died? Hope? Someone’s confidence? Dreams?”
Anne always had been the sarcastic one in the family. Or the most sarcastic one, Ben amended silently.
“Nice,” Lacey said. “Go back to bed if you’re going to be so perky.”
As Lacey, Emil, Anne and Robin all began talking and bickering, Ben and Casey exchanged a look.
Ben stuck his fingers in his mouth and let out an eardrum-rattling whistle.
Everyone shut up and a few groaned.
“I hate it when you do that.” Emil stuck his tongue out at Ben. “Can’t we all go as a pack?”
“No,” Casey said decisively. “Not this time. We need you all to stay here and let us do this. LetBendo this. I’m your…wingman, right? That’s what it’s called?”
“Do coywolves have those?” Ben asked, trying to figure out where Casey was going with that.
Casey grinned. “Well, but we’re not going as our animals, are we?”
Ben gulped.
“Ohhh, this is awesome,” Lacey whispered. “They’re going to have to man up.” She added the air quotes, and Ben had no freaking idea what she meant.
“You’re interested in the younger brother, the skinny one you were so worried about last night, who you watched most of the day.”
There was no use arguing against Casey’s statement, so Ben didn’t bother.
Casey closed the distance between them, then patted Ben on the back. “Then do you think maybe you should approach him as a man, and see if it’s possible there could be something…more, between you and him?”
“He’s not skinny,” Ben protested, which was absurd, considering what Casey had just said. Ben rubbed his forehead. “I feel like my brain’s been scrambled and my libido’s been set to overdrive.”
“We know,” Robin chimed in with. “Weallheard.”
Ben flipped him off. “Put headphones on if you don’t want to hear. That’s what I do when you’re beating off and calling out the name of that boy-bander.”
Robin blushed scarlet. “Asshole.”
“Well, that seems to be one point of your focus,” Anne quipped. “I’ve also heard you—”
“Can everyone play nice for a minute?” Casey demanded. “Just stop bickering and teasing.”
“You are totally no fun,” Lacey informed him. “But fine.”
Casey sighed like he was at his wits’ end, which Ben supposed was possible. “Look, Ben. You feel some pull toward this man, right?”
“Obviously,” Ben agreed. Just talking about Jack was making his cock twitch.
“Okay, then don’t hide behind your beast. Pursue him, man to man.”
The words hit like a punch. Ben’s stomach clenched, equal parts excitement and dread. He could fight wolves, bleed, survive, but this? Risking himself for something tender, something human? That was more terrifying than teeth and claws. Still, the thought of Jack’s mossy eyes finding him—not the beast, but the man—made his cock throb and his chest ache in the same beat.
Casey glanced away, and his Adam’s apple bobbed. “You don’t want to let a chance at happiness slip away.”
“Did you—” he began, but Casey cut him off with a sharp shake of the head.
“No. I’ve never had my heart broken, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Casey clarified. “I just want all of you to be happy, and safe. If you want this man, then you need to approach him and see if he’s interested in return.”
