Page 4 of Flint's Arrow
“If it’s making you cry, it’s not stupid.” Pax dropped onto the bench beside him, close enough that their shoulders touched. “Is this about Arrow?”
Flint’s head snapped up. “How did you…”
“Python texted the group chat. He said Arrow showed up at the workshop looking like a kicked puppy, and we were all to keep an eye out for him.” Pax’s expression darkened. “He also said that Cyrus gave him your message and sent him packing, which, honestly? Good. That asshole doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you.”
The vehemence in Pax’s voice startled a genuine laugh out of Flint. “You don’t even know what he did.”
“I know he treated you like shit during a job. I know he called you names and acted like you were some kind of toy instead of the best fucking sniper in the entire agency.” Pax frowned. “And I know that you’ve been miserable since your last job, and it’s because of him. So yeah, I know enough.”
Flint scrubbed at his face with his sleeve. “He’s my mate, Pax. The Fates chose him for me, and he’s…oh, my gods, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but he’s awful. Not in looks, obviously, but the moment he opens his mouth, anyone around him can tell how much of a shit he is. What does that say about me, if he’s the one supposed to be perfect for me?”
“It says the Fates have a fucked-up sense of humor sometimes.” Pax reached over and grabbed Flint’s hand, squeezing tight. “But Arrow’s behavior doesn’t say anything aboutyou. You’re amazing. You’re kind, funny, and you grow the best strawberries for miles around. Arrow’s the one with the problem, not you.”
“He thinks I should be wearing assless pants and cooking his dinner.”
Pax’s mouth dropped open. For a moment, he just stared. “Are you fuckingkiddingme?”
“Nope.” Flint let out a shaky breath. “That’s what he said. Well, that and a bunch of other shit about how I’m too pretty to be in the field, and how I should bend over for him, and…” His voice cracked. “He didn’t even ask my name, Pax. I told him before I left. But all he did was look at me and decide I was some…some twink whose only purpose in life was to make him happy.”
“I’m going to kill him.”
Flint patted Pax’s hand. “You can’t kill him. He’s my mate, and you don’t like the sight of blood.”
“I can make an exception. You just watch me.” Pax was on his feet now, pacing the narrow path between the strawberry beds. “No, wait. You’re right. Killing’s too good for him. We need to make himsuffer. We need to make him understand exactly how badly he screwed up.”
Despite the ache in his chest, Flint felt a flicker of amusement. “What did you have in mind?”
Pax’s eyes lit up with mischief. “Okay, hear me out. We could…we could put itching powder in his underwear. No, wait, that’s too juvenile.” He tapped his chin. “What about...we get Python to teleport all his furniture into a lake? Or…or we could hire someone to follow him around with an air horn and blast it every time he tries to talk to you.”
“He doesn’t seem to want to talk to me, and an air horn? Really?”
“It would beveryeffective.” Pax grinned, clearly warming to the theme. “Or we could go old school. I could turn invisible, fly to wherever he lives, and just...rearrange everything. Move his couch three inches to the left. Swap his salt and sugar. Put all his books upside down on the shelves. It would drive him insane.”
A real laugh bubbled up in Flint’s chest. “That’s so petty.”
“Petty is my middle name. Well, technically I don’t have a middle name, but petty works better.” Pax flopped back down on the bench, his expression thoughtful. “What about a glitter bomb? Storm says wolves are super sensitive to smells, so we could make it the most obnoxious, cheap perfume-scented glitter we can find. He’d be finding sparkles formonths.”
“Arrow works in cybercrimes. He probably wears fancy suits.”
“Even better!” Pax clapped his hands together. “Imagine him walking into the agency covered in pink glitter, smelling like a teenage girl’s purse. His wolf’s pride would never recover.”
Flint wiped his eyes, surprised to find he was smiling. “You’re terrible.”
“I’mcreative.” Pax bumped their shoulders together. “Come on, we could totally pull it off. I’ll get Storm to help. He loves chaos. And Devon’s really good at logistics. We could plan the whole thing like the agency jobs you go on.”
“Arrow would know it was me.”
“So? Let him know. Let him understand that you have friends who will go to war for you.” Pax’s voice softened. “You deserve that, Flint. You deserve people who have your back, who see how incredible you are. And if Arrow can’t see it, then he’s the biggest idiot in the country.”
The tightness in Flint’s chest eased slightly. He looked at Pax and smiled.
“Thank you,” he said quietly.
“For what? You haven’t heard the best ideas yet. I’m thinking of cursing his dick.”
“Maybe don’t go that far. But thank you, for this, for caring.” Flint twisted the sun hat in his lap. “I’ve been hiding out because I didn’t want anyone to see me fall apart. It’s so embarrassing.”
“It’s not embarrassing. It’shuman. Well, shifter. You know what I mean.” Pax leaned his head against Flint’s shoulder. “You don’t have to be okay all the time. And you definitely don’t have to pretend with us. We’re family, remember.”
