Page 18 of Drift

Blade needed to hug a feral cat. He was close with the pack but could’ve left my personal shit out of the conversation. “Blade talks too much.”

“Blade talks exactly the right amount.” Merk’s eyes glinted with mischief. “Especially when he mentions his brother’s been staring at doors like a lovestruck puppy.”

“I happen to be attracted to doors,” I said. “Something about the way they reflect sunlight just does it for me.”

Mayhem and Reaper broke out laughing.

“But they can be a pane in the ass,” Mayhem said while still laughing.

Reaper blinked. “Dad jokes? Seriously?”

I busied myself with wiping down the steam wand. “The espresso machine’s been acting up. Pressure issues. Channeling problems. Nothing that interesting.”

“Right.” Mayhem’s voice was flat as a prairie. “Because espresso machine maintenance always makes a man stare wistfully into the distance like he’s in a music video.”

“Wistfully?” I looked up from the steam wand. “Did you just say wistfully?”

“I’m a complex individual.”

“You cried during a truck commercial last month,” I reminded him.

“The dog found its way home, Drift. That’s emotional storytelling. I’m not made of stone.” Mayhem’s expression didn’t shift, but Reaper was already laughing into his croissant. Even Merk’s mouth twitched at the corner.

I tossed the towel into the bin under the counter and leaned back against the espresso machine. “Fine. What did Blabbing Blade tell you?”

“That you’ve got a mate,” Mayhem said plainly, eyeing me like he was waiting for me to deny it. Not a fucking chance. “Human. Named Phineas. Came into the shop a few days ago.”

“If you got all the answers, why’re you harassing me?”

“Said there might be some trouble,” Merk added, resting his forearms over the glass display. “Gonna spill or do we involve Preacher?”

“You’re a pain in my hairy ass,” I growled. I would’ve told them without the threat to run to daddy. Jackass. “My wolf chose him yesterday.”

Reaper paused mid-bite, croissant suspended halfway to his mouth. “Yesterday? And you’re just now telling us, asshole?”

“I’ve been busy.”

“Bullshit,” Mayhem replied. “You’ve been busy avoiding telling us. Big difference.”

They eyed me like their intense gazes would make me break.

“He came in for coffee a few days ago. Came back yesterday. My wolf chose him during the croissant lesson. That enough for you gossiping hens?”

“Good fit?” Reaper chuckled.

“Best fucking thing to happen to me.” I paused, rapping my knuckles on the counter. “But like I told Blade, something’s off.” I explained the way Phineas had acted, the bruise, and my suspicions.

Something dark passed behind their eyes. Mayhem’s jaw tightened.

Silence stretched between us. Merk broke first, his voice quiet. “You want us to look into it? On the downlow? Or bury a motherfucking body?”

“I’m down for the second one.” Reaper took another bite. “Been a minute since I let out my homicidal side.”

“Same.” Mayhem came around the counter and poured himself a cup of coffee. “Got a truck and a shovel. Just say the word and breathing privileges are revoked.”

The offers were tempting. They were the exact same ones I’d thought about since meeting Phineas. The same options I’d nearly committed to over a dozen times.

But I wanted my mate to tell me himself. Whatever was going on, he needed to be the one to share it.