“What’s going on?” Harper asked from the open doorway.
Great. “Nothing,” Aaron muttered as he turned to wash his hands in the kitchen sink. Harper would draw in her mate with the commotion, and Wyatt would smell Alana on Aaron in seconds.
Sure enough, Wyatt shadowed the door next, then Ryder, and now the whole crew was in Aaron’s tiny cabin, staring at him like he was supposed to explain every feeling he’d ever had. Sometimes he really missed the Breck Crew.
“Aaron’s going to Turn a human,” Weston said, his black eyes sparking in a challenge.
Fuckin’ little fucker.
“What?” Harper asked. “No, no, no, we’re trying to settle here, not stir up fear. You know Turning humans is still a touchy subject, Aaron.”
Weston raised two fingers in the air. “I vote he picks someone else fast before he gets in too deep with Alana.”
“Someone else like who?” Aaron asked, appalled.
“I don’t know, Aaron! Pick literally anyone with an animal. There are a dozen eligible bachelorettes in Damon’s Mountains.”
Wyatt’s eyes narrowed on Weston, and Ryder snorted.
Red eyebrows arched high, Ryder said, “Dear dumbass, a mating bond doesn’t work like that. Don’t you think if any of those females interested Aaron, he would’ve picked one during any of the ten summers he spent in Damon’s Mountains?” He swung his attention to Aaron and grinned. “Is she hot?”
“Thank you,” Aaron told Ryder, grateful for an unexpected ally, “and yes.”
“So on a scale of one to ten, you would rate her tits at a…?”
Harper shoved Ryder in the shoulder. “Stop talking.”
“So like a nine? Please say a nine.”
Aaron scrubbed his hand down his face tiredly. “A ten. Alana’s a ten.”
“Cool, cool.” Ryder’s grin grew obnoxious. “Your pants are undone.”
Shit. Aaron fastened his pants and avoided everyone’s gaze.
Ryder cupped his hands in front of his chest. “So like a D cup.”
Harper glared at the red-headed snowy owl shifter. “I’m literally going to eat you if you don’t shut up.”
Ryder placed a hand beside his mouth and whispered, “She’s on her period.”
The single click of Harper’s firestarter echoed through the cabin, and Ryder yelped and bolted out the door.
One down, three nosey crewmates to go.
“Look,” Wyatt said, yanking the door to Aaron’s refrigerator open. “It sucks that she’s human, and it complicates things, but Wes, this one isn’t any of your business.”
“Except I get to have all these visions about it.”
“And that’s unfortunate, but you are clinging too hard to the idea that you can change the future, destiny, fate, whatever. Beaston never does that.” Wyatt shut the door and popped the cap off a bottle of beer. “It’s not your job to change the future, Wes. I know you’re struggling to adjust to the sight, but you can’t control what Aaron’s going to do any more than I can control what that one is going to do.” Wyatt gestured to Harper and offered her a wink. “From my experience—”
“Oh, you have visions often?” Weston asked, fury tainting his words.
Wyatt took a long swallow of beer, gulped, and then continued. “From my experience with the bond, running from it, or trying to tear yourself away from a mate your animal has chosen, is pointless. If Aaron’s in it, he’s in it, and there is nothing you or I or anyone else can say to stop it.”
“Harper could order him away from her,” Weston said low. He stared at Harper’s sneakers instead of meeting her eyes.
“But I won’t, and you know it,” Harper said softly. “That’s not what an alpha does, Wes.”
“You don’t protect human life? Because that’s what I’m trying to do. I don’t want more attention on us. We have the vamps and wolves lying low right now, but you and I both know they’re just biding their time. The last thing we need right now is the humans turning against us, too.”
Harper gathered her long dark hair at the nape of her neck and sighed. “I’m not ordering you away from her, Aaron, but I think you should bring her here and let all of us meet her. Show her what your life is really about and give her a choice to be a part of it or not. And if you Turn this woman without her consent, you will pay in a pound of flesh. Are we clear?”
Aaron angled his jaw, exposed his neck, and nodded. “Yes.” He dared a look directly into his alpha’s oddly colored eyes. “We’re clear.”
Chapter Ten
“Did you add the extra gravy?” Alana asked, narrowing her eyes teasingly at the short-order cook who manned the kitchen of Drat’s Boozehouse. “Last time you forgot my extra gravy, and I still haven’t forgiven you, Carl.”
“Woman, let me live that down! Damn.” The stout, thin-haired man gave her a megawatt grin and said, “I added two sides of gravy just for you.”
Alana peeked into the paper bag and said, “Oooh, Carl, you’re an angel sent straight from heaven.”
“Uh oh,” the dark-headed man beside her said. “Extra gravy?”
“Don’t judge me, Kane.”
“No judgement here,” he said from behind his sunglasses. He always wore them, even at night, and even inside. Rumor was he had some scary-ass dragon eyes, but no one had actually seen his inner beast. Kane jerked his chin at the to-go bag on the counter. “The only time I’ve ever seen you order Carl’s chicken fried steak and extra gravy was because something had knocked you on your ass.”