Chapter Nine
This would be Jalen’s first time out of the house since the vampire attack in his apartment.
As Chase drove them to Second Scoops, Jalen gazed out of the window, the familiar town he’d grown up in no longer feeling the same.
Not after getting clean and definitely not after learning wolf shifters, vampires, and demons were real.
The ice cream parlor appeared ahead, a quaint building with a red-and-white striped awning that fluttered in the afternoon breeze.
Chase pulled the truck into an empty spot, the engine ticking as it cooled in the summer heat.
Through the windshield, Jalen watched families and couples wandering in and out of the shop, ice cream cones dripping down their fingers as they laughed and talked.
Zeppelin's motorcycle rumbled as it pulled up beside them, Preston clinging to his mate's waist. The engine cut off, and Jalen felt a pang of envy at how easily Preston dismounted, how comfortable he seemed in his own skin despite everything he’d been through.
Chase turned toward Jalen, one arm draped over the steering wheel. “You sure you’re ready for this? We can always head back if you want.”
Jalen’s hands fidgeted in his lap. Was he ready? He’d spent weeks detoxing, fighting through withdrawals that left him drenched in sweat and crying for pills that Chase had flushed down the toilet. But ice cream? That seemed like a reasonable next step in his recovery tour.
“I’m good,” he said, which wasn’t a complete lie. “It’s just ice cream, not a congressional hearing.”
Chase’s eyes softened. “Just ice cream,” he agreed, though his gaze lingered a moment longer, as if he were trying to read between the lines.
“I’m nervous,” Jalen admitted, not wanting to lie. He and Chase were on a good path, and he didn’t want to mess that up. “But I can do this.”
“I know you can.” Chase leaned over and gave Jalen a quick kiss on the lips, which Jalen leaned into.
Screw ice cream if Chase wanted to make out in his truck. Jalen was all for it, but the guy pulled back, leaving Jalen desperate for more lip action.
“Does someone need a longer kiss?” Chase teased with a sexy grin.
“Someone needs another blowjob,” Jalen muttered, pulling back from Mr. Temptation.
Who knew recovery included horniness? Ever since yesterday morning, sex had been the only thing on Jalen’s mind. He wanted Chase’s cock in more than just his mouth.
Chase curled his finger under Jalen’s chin and lifted his head until they were gazing into each other’s eyes. “Be a good boy and spend at least an hour in the sun, and I’ll suck anything you want, gorgeous.”
A sharp laugh escaped Jalen. “What if I wanted you to suck my toes?”
Oh hell. The look Chase gave him said he’d do it. If Jalen didn’t get out of the truck, he would jump the guy’s bones.
“If you start feeling overwhelmed—”
“I’ll let you know,” Jalen finished, reaching for the door handle. “Promise. Now can we please get some ice cream before I die of old age? One of us doesn’t have centuries to spare.”
Chase’s lips quirked up at the corner. “Brat.”
The truck door creaked as Jalen pushed it open. Heat immediately wrapped around him like a too-tight sweater, making his T-shirt stick to his back within seconds. The pavement radiated warmth through the soles of his sneakers as he stepped down, making him feel like he was walking on a furnace.
“Whose bright idea was it to go outside today?” he grumbled.
Oh yeah. Preston suggested it.
Preston bounded over, practically vibrating with excitement. His green eyes were bright, a stark contrast to the dark circles Jalen had grown accustomed to seeing in the mirror.
“Finally!” Preston exclaimed, throwing his arms wide. “Field trip! I’ve been dying to hang out with someone who doesn’t howl at the moon.”
Chase hadn’t said anything about howling. Not that Jalen knew much about wolf shifters. Honestly, he didn’t know much about Chase at all. They’d spent weeks together, but it wasn’t like they’d been cuddling and having Q&A sessions.
Jalen felt his mouth twitch upward. “You sure you want to be seen with me? I’m still working on the whole functioning-member-of-society thing.”
“Please,” Preston scoffed, bumping his shoulder against Jalen’s. “Between the two of us, I’m definitely the bigger disaster. I once tried to fight off a vampire with hairspray and a cigarette lighter.”
“Did it work?”
“God no. But I singed my eyebrows off, which was almost worth it for the look on his face.” Preston snickered. “Kidding. If one ever came at me, I’m running in the opposite direction.”
Jalen laughed despite himself, a rusty sound he barely recognized. Looking over Preston’s shoulder, he caught Chase watching them, a small smile playing at the corners of his mouth. He gave Jalen a subtle nod before turning to Zeppelin, the two talking.
Jalen gazed at the guy’s lips, dying to march over there and bend Chase’s big ass over for a tongue-down-your-throat kiss.
“Come on.” Preston tugged at Jalen’s short sleeve. “Let’s get in line before those kids from the softball team show up and order one of everything.”
Reluctantly, Jalen tore his gaze away from Chase and followed Preston inside.
The line moved quickly, and soon they were facing a chalkboard menu with more flavors than Jalen could process. The sugary-sweet scent of waffle cones mingled with the cold rush of air conditioning, making his skin prickle after the outdoor heat.
This wasn’t his first trip to Second Scoop. In fact, Jalen had been here hundreds of times in the past.
Crimson Hollow was a small town, and there weren’t many places to hang out as a teenager. Jalen glanced at the corner table, the one where he’d always sat whenever he was there.
In high school, Jalen had had a few friends, and this was one of the places they would frequent.
But after he’d graduated, those few friends had gone off to college and Jalen had stayed, stuck in this town.
“Hey.” Preston tapped the back of Jalen’s hand. “You with me?”
“Yeah,” Jalen said a little too quickly, which gained him a strange look from Preston.
“It’s okay if we need to go. Recovery isn’t linear. No one would hold it against you if we have to bail.”
“No, I’m okay.” Jalen smiled. “Honestly. I was just stuck in my head for a moment.”
“Good stuck or bad stuck?” Preston asked, voice low enough that no one else heard him.
“Okay stuck?” he replied. “Just remembering how I used to hang out here as a teenager.” He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Not good or bad. Just…memories.”
Preston gave a small nod. “You just let me know if we need to leave or if I should grab Chase.”
Jalen glanced over his shoulder to find Chase right outside the shop, watching him as he talked with Zeppelin.
“What’s your poison?” Preston asked, scanning the options. “I’m a cookie dough loyalist myself.”
Jalen studied the colorful array of ice cream tubs behind the glass. “Vanilla,” he said finally.
Preston gasped dramatically, clutching invisible pearls. “Vanilla? That’s like going to a five-star restaurant and ordering a hotdog.”
“It’s a classic for a reason.” He crossed his arms defensively. “Besides, I can actually taste the quality of the ice cream, not just a bunch of candy mixed in.”
“Oh my god, you’re one of those people.” Preston rolled his eyes. “Next you’ll tell me you can taste the ‘notes of oak’ in your wine.”
“I don’t drink, actually.”
“Me either, which is weird since I work in a bar.”
The girl behind the counter cleared her throat pointedly. “You guys ready to order?”
After much theatrical debate—during which Preston tried and failed to convince Jalen to try something called “Unicorn Surprise,” which was an alarming shade of blue—they ended up with their respective choices.
Cookie dough for Preston and vanilla for Jalen, though he’d been talked into adding hot fudge as a compromise.
They paid and moved toward the back door, which led to a shaded patio area behind the parlor. Through the glass, Jalen spotted Chase and Zeppelin already seated at a table far enough away to give them space but close enough to intervene if…well, if some sort of disaster decided to strike.
The picnic table’s wooden bench was warm against the backs of Jalen’s thighs as they sat.
Overhead, leaves rustled in a slight breeze that offered absolutely no relief from the heat.
His ice cream was already starting to melt, rivulets of vanilla and chocolate sliding down the sides of the waffle cone.
“So,” Preston said, licking a smear of cookie dough from his thumb, “how’s life with the big bad wolf?”
Jalen nearly choked on his first bite. “Subtle.”
“Got your attention.” Preston grinned unrepentantly. “Seriously, though, how are you holding up? And don’t give me that ‘I’m fine’ nonsense. I’ve been where you are. Sort of.”
Had he though? Jalen doubted Preston had spent years numbing himself, trying to forget the feeling of hands that should never have touched him. But then again, Preston had his own demons.
Chase had told him the guy had been on the run from someone dangerous before finding Zeppelin. But he hadn’t gone into details.
“It’s…weird,” Jalen admitted, focusing on his ice cream. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around this whole mate thing.”
Preston nodded, his expression softening. “Freaked me out, too, at first. I told you about how I tried to use my jeans as a weapon when I found out Zeppelin was a wolf shifter.”
“You did.” Jalen almost laughed when he pictured it in his head. “It’s funny even the second time around.”
“I was freaking out, okay?” Preston said, breaking into a smile. “I probably looked like a lunatic to Zeppelin.”
“So what happened?”
“He got me addicted to the farmer’s market.” Preston licked his cone. “If you ask me, a wolf shifter is a hundred times better than any human guy I’ve dated, especially the last one.”
The humor in Preston’s voice vanished when talking about the “last one.” Jalen couldn’t imagine having a crazy ex after him. At least Preston’s situation was over. Jalen wished his was.
“What’s it like being mated? Chase hasn’t explained it to me. Then again, I wasn’t exactly in any condition to take notes.”
Preston lowered his cone. “I’m really sorry you had to go through that, Jalen.” He patted Jalen’s hand. “I know you don’t know me, and my opinion means nothing, but I’m proud of you and think you’re the bravest person.”
Jalen glanced at the tabletop, unsure what to say.
He didn’t feel brave, but Preston’s praise did mean something to him.
He didn't need a definition of “mate.” He needed someone to see his struggle and validate it.
He needed someone to see him as brave, not broken.
And Preston had just given him that gift without a second thought. “Thanks.”
His gaze drifted over to where Chase sat with Zeppelin, the two still deep in conversation. As if sensing his attention, Chase glanced up, their eyes meeting briefly across the distance. Jalen’s breath hitched when Chase winked at him. He quickly looked away, focusing back on Preston.