Page 8 of The Reluctant Alpha

Kaylan grinned. “He more than likes you. He’s just got a stick up his ass you’re going to have to extract.” He waggled his eyebrows, and I groaned.

“I haven’t got anything to offer a mate.”

Kaylan leaned back. “Is this because you don’t know what to do about your pack?”

I nodded. “Some of the bears are calling me alpha, but I’m not. I live in a room in the gamma house.”

He frowned. “I thought you had your own suite at Phoenix’s.”

It was my turn to arch an eyebrow, and he nodded. “Yeah, heat. Although Emery’s not the problem, it’s Phoenix when he’s in rut.” An alpha wolf as strong as Phoenix could easily attack anyone he deemed a challenge if he was as lost to the heat as Emery was. Even a friend.

“Draven’s set up a no-go zone.”

“Which means you’ve been turned out. You need your own place.” Yeah, I knew that. I just couldn’t decide where that place should be. “What about Isla?”

I smiled as I thought about how happy my sister was with her mate Matt and her three children. She’d officially adopted both Ben and his baby sister, Callie. It was complicated because Callie was fully human, her stepbrother Ben was a hybrid silver-skin, and their other son Rhys was also a hybrid silver-skin and Alessandro's heir, but they were happy.

“Isla’s happy here. Slaying it as Phoenix’s beta commander and mated to a wolf.” Not that Kaylan wasn’t aware of all that, but I’d always said Isla would have made a much better alpha than I would, if my father hadn’t been a misogynistic prick. She wasn’t going to uproot her family to run another pack.

“So, stay here,” Kaylan said. “You know Phoenix and Emery are very happy about it.” I didn’t answer. “Or is it that you don’t think you’ve got a chance with Danny and seeing him there all the time with Emery is making that difficult?”

I swallowed some more beer and let my gaze take in the patio. I paused on two young guys sitting at another table. One of them smiled, and I returned something I hoped wasn’t a grimace. I felt like I’d forgotten how to smile.

I watched as he got up and walked over to our table. “It’s freezing over here,” he said. “Name’s Scott, and that’s Jaxson. We’re just having a drink, but you’re very welcome to share our table, and the space heater,” he added, chuckling. I could tell Kaylan was going to refuse for me, so I stood up and thanked him, following him back, meaning Kaylan was forced to as well.

I’d come out to try to forget about Danny. Maybe this was a good way to start?

We all introduced ourselves, and I told them I worked in construction. Kaylan said he worked in a hotel. Scott was in school in Seattle training to be an architect but was here visiting his friend Jaxson for the weekend.

“Are you local?” Kaylan asked politely. Jaxson seemed quiet and shy.

“Just moved,” he said, almost as a whisper, and didn’t seem to be able to look either of us in the eye.

Scott nudged his friend. “Bad breakup and fresh start.”

Jaxson seemed to go very still, and I was instantly horrified his so-called friend was sharing such personal details with strangers. “Minton’s a great place,” Kaylan said, and I knew he was trying to smooth things over.

“Bit small for me.” Scott shuddered, putting a hand on Kaylan’s arm briefly, and then he started talking about the nightlife in Seattle. He seemed quite touchy-feely, as Em would say, and was being a little obvious with Kaylan. Kaylan steered the conversation at least. Watching Scott had taught me I’d rather chop off my hand than touch another man. Maybe I needed to move away?

But the ache in my chest that accompanied that idea told me otherwise.

“I haven’t decided,” Jaxson said, and I refocused on the conversation, knowing I’d missed the question. Kaylan smiled gently.

“Sounds smart, especially in a new area.”

“What did you do before you moved?” I asked, assuming they were still talking about jobs.

Jaxson squirmed a little, as if he didn’t like the attention. “I like cooking.”

“And he’s good at it,” Scott said loyally, but then he went and ruined it again. “There are tons of restaurants in Seattle, which is why I said you’d be much better off with me, not hiding away down here in that trailer park.”

Jaxson just smiled faintly. “Better for Grandad.”

Scott opened his mouth again, but Kaylan stood smoothly and asked if they wanted another drink. Jaxson glanced at his phone, but Scott said he’d go to the bar with Kaylan. I glanced down at my phone as well, unsurprised when I saw there were no messages.

“Sorry about Scott,” Jaxson said. “He can be a bit much.”

I chuckled. “I’ve got friends like that.” Jaxson glanced up at me.