5. Chapter 5
five
The next few days were filled with work, sleep, eat, shower and repeat.
He didn’t see Gabe much, but what he did see of him only frustrated Cyrus more.
The guy knew jack shit about running a pack.
He would be surprised if he had even known about the initiation ritual at all.
It was clear that Gabe was trying to get along with the others, almost too hard.
However, every time Cyrus walked into the room, Gabe quickly found the exit.
Not without shooting him looks of equal frustration.
Cyrus wasn’t sure what he was supposed even to say or do.
Typically, it was odd for the Alpha and second in command to avoid each other—other wolves constantly made sense.
Not everyone got along or liked each other, even if they felt a specific bond to protect one another.
However, Cyrus and Gabe were meant to work together.
Even if Gabe had seniority over Cyrus, it was usually tradition that they were close-knit.
Even Cyrus had been close with Liam, no matter how much he hated him.
The second in command was responsible for talking to the Alpha about anything and everything that happened.
Granted, there wasn't much going on. It was quiet.
Without Liam there to stir up drama whenever he walked into a room, the only one stirring up drama seemed to be Cyrus.
Others shuffled off just like Gabe did when he walked in.
Brooding, hulking, and looking like a frightened chicken whenever he saw Gabe was in the room.
“Hey, you don't work tonight,” Lily told him as she stood in his doorway, “right?”
Cyrus shook his head. “Nope.” He was buttoning a dark blue shirt.
Lily eyed him. “Where are you getting dressed to go then?”
Cyrus sighed. “Nowhere important.”
He saw the smile on her round face and instantly knew he had made a mistake saying that.
“Okay fine, if you're not going anywhere important, then you can come to the bar with us,” Lily insisted.
“Who is us?” he asked. “And what bar?”
“Cades Bar, Ryan, Michelle, Nate, Cassidy, and me,” Lily told him. She brushed her hair behind her shoulder and gave him a look with her big eyes.
Cyrus sighed.
“Fine. Give me a few minutes to finish getting ready,” he insisted.
“Yes!” Lily smiled at him. “You need some time out.”
She ran away so quickly that Cyrus looked up and was surprised that she wasn't still standing there.
He continued getting dressed and then pulled out his phone.
Cyrus: Change of plans, meet me at Cades Bar?
He waited a few seconds for the reply and his brow furrowed.
Jason: No thanks. Rain check.
“Great,” Cyrus mumbled and rubbed his hand over his face.
He shook his head and stood up from the bed.
Well, it looks like he’d just be going to the bar and hanging out with the others.
It wasn't that big of a deal. It was just that he had well intended on getting railed that night or railing someone else, and well, now he wasn’t going to unless he could happen to hook up with someone he hadn’t planned to.
He wasn’t so much of a spontaneous kind of guy anymore; it was just easier to text a few flings and see if they were interested in the night.
Jason had been the only one he managed to get in touch with.
First-world problems, right?
Regardless, he headed out of his room and down the stairs. Lily was standing there, having changed into a short black skirt to go with her tight tank top instead of her jeans, her hair pulled back into a slightly messy up do.
Cyrus eyed her for a second but didn't say anything.
“Hey, don’t judge me, like you're not a bigger man-whore than me,” she teased him.
“Not much these days,” he mumbled in reply and then grabbed his keys out of his jeans pocket.
“Who else is riding with us?” he asked.
“Uh, well, just me. The others are already on their way. I figured they didn’t need to wait on you.” She smirked at him.
“Oh yes, thank you for your patience.” Cyrus rolled his eyes, and she smacked him on the butt a little before she shuffled off ahead of him. She was shorter than him and her steps smaller, but it was easy for her to outrun him when she got excited.
Especially when he wasn’t running.
Cyrus walked out behind her and unlocked his car with her standing at the passenger side door, bouncing up and down on her feet. Cyrus narrowed his eyes at her but didn’t say anything. Just getting in and waiting for her to buckle up before he did and then pulled out of the space he was parked.
Down the long driveway, he went until he reached the road.
It was several long miles before they’d even remotely reach the beginning of the town and about twenty more minutes before they arrived at Cades’ Bar, a solid thirty-five-minute drive, but it was usually worth it.
Cades was pretty chill, and Cyrus had gone there to drink and relax quite a few times.
“Cyrus!” Cade said from his place behind the bar, “You come back to take your job?”
Cyrus folded his arms. “Unfortunately, not. You haven’t found a replacement yet?”
Cade shrugged. “Who else could I trust but myself if not you?”
Cyrus felt his face warm slightly but tried to ignore it.
Lily pursed her lips. “Why’d you quit again?”
“They needed me to be more…available for the company,” he explained and slid into a seat at the bar while Lily stood beside him, her butt against the stool.
“Hey, Michelle!” Lily smiled over to his left, where Michelle was seated, sipping at her drink.
Cyrus gave her a slight nod and then turned around in his seat for a moment.
“Where is the—” he started, but then he saw them. Gathered around the pool table, with an added face he hadn't been told about.
“You didn’t tell me Gabe would be here,” Cyrus nearly growled at Lily, who jumped slightly, goose bumps on her skin.
She rolled her eyes.
“Because I knew you wouldn't come, and you need to relax!” Lily insisted, “Come on, you're gonna have to get over yourself eventually. He’s Alpha, Cyrus.” She whispered the last part.
Cyrus turned back around in his seat.
“Whiskey triple, neat,” he said to Cade, who did as he was asked with a smile and slid the drink to him.
Cyrus downed it all at once. Feeling the slight burning warmth in his chest. It was much needed. Especially if he would have to hang around Gabe the entire night, he wouldn’t blame Lily. She wanted things not to be so tense between them. She was always trying to be the peacekeeper.
“Come on, let's go over there with them,” Lily insisted.
“I'm good.”
“Ugh, you’re so stubborn,” Liliana sighed. “He knew you were coming, you know.”
Cyrus blinked.
“Oh really?” he asked.
“Yes, and he didn’t object. He didn’t even say he wasn’t coming. I had to say absolutely nothing to get him to come,” Lily told him.
Cyrus chewed on his bottom.
“That’s suspicious,” he mumbled.
Lily groaned. “No! It's good! It means he wants to get along with you.”
“Really? The last week he's been leaving every room I walk into,” he said.
Lily eyed Cyrus for a moment.
“Are you kidding me?” she asked, looking at him like he was nuts.
“What?” he asked.
“From what I’ve noticed, every time you walk into a room, he gets all flustered and tries to stick around but ends up leaving. You’re the one walking into every room he’s in,” Lily told him.
Cyrus furrowed his brow.
“What are you getting at exactly?” he asked.
“That maybe you don't want to hate him as much as you're saying. You don't even know him,” Lily reminded him.
Cyrus growled softly and turned back around to get another drink from Cade, who had a curious look on his face. He downed it. Just barely starting to feel the previous drink settling in.
“Fine, let’s go,” Cyrus mumbled.
Lily let out a soft squeak and grabbed his wrist.
“This is what I get for acting like your big brother, isn't it?” he mumbled.
“Yup!” she laughed.
Another few steps later, they were standing around the pool table. Michelle had left the bar to do the same in the middle of their conversation. Gabe and Cassidy were going head-to-head.
“Who’s winning?” Lily asked.
“Cassidy,” Ryan chuckled.
Cyrus couldn't help but smirk slightly.
“Good,” he mumbled.
Gabe looked over at him from the pool table with furrowed brows.
Something about the dim light in the bar against Gabe’s dark hair and the shadows cast along his person made Cyrus unable not to look at him for a few seconds longer than normal.
He remembered the feeling of his hands against his chest. Even covered in that gross but essential mixture. It had been a very intimate experience. It always was. It was with Liam. It was with Liam's father—but Cyrus had never found himself fixated on the matter the way he felt with Gabe.
Cyrus took a slow breath. The slight fuzziness setting over his head made it difficult not to linger on the thoughts of Gabe’s hands on his bare shoulders and chest. The feeling of Gabe's bare shoulders and chest underneath his hands.
All he wanted…that night was to get rid of some of his pent-up tension, and instead, here he was, at a bar, instead of pounding someone into a firm mattress.
He growled slightly and looked away.
“What?” Lily asked.
Several pairs of eyes were on him.
“Nothing. Stressed,” he mumbled.
“Why don’t you play winner Cyrus?” Michelle suggested. “We all know how good you are.”
Cyrus licked at his lips, “Yeah, sure,” he agreed. After all, he’d just be playing Cassidy.
However, as the next couple minutes passed, Gabe seemed to have a lead over Cassidy, and the next thing Cyrus knew, people were clapping at Gabe’s win and patting Cassidy on the back for her loss. No one seemed too serious about the whole matter.
“Yeah, you pulled that one out of your ass,” Cyrus mumbled as he grabbed a pool stick.
Gabe eyed him. “Whatever you say,” Gabe replied, and there was a cocky little smirk on his face.
Cyrus scoffed. “Just break,” he said after he got the pool balls lined up.