Chapter One #4
“I think I’m busy tonight,” Ethan said softly. “But thanks for thinking of me.”
Austin frowned. “Are you sure? Everyone’s gonna be there.”
“I’m sure. I’ll make it next time, all right?”
“Well, you’re going to get to know Liam either way, I guess. He’s one of us now.”
Liam blinked, not having expected that kind of declaration. What did Austin mean, exactly? Was he one of the firefighters? One of the team members? One of the shifters in the room? He definitely was all of those things, but he doubted that was what Austin was referring to.
“Austin, why did you text me?” a woman asked as she pushed her way into the small room. “I was right there. You could have raised your voice.”
Austin grinned at her. “Hey, Dani.”
“So? Are we going for dinner? And who am I meeting?” she asked, looking around.
She hadn’t been in the waiting room when Austin and Liam had walked in, but it was clear she belonged here.
Liam extended his hand, not wanting to wave at her, too.
There was a limit to his dorkiness. “Hi, I’m Liam,” he said.
She blinked at him. “Oh?”
“I started working with West and Austin at the station today.” He hesitated, unsure if he should mention the fact that he was a dragon shifter.
“He’s a dragon shifter like us,” Austin declared, beating Liam to it.
Well, it was clear they weren’t hiding anything from these people, even though Jonathan and Dani smelled human.
Liam had thought Ethan would be human, too, but Liam had moved closer to him when Dani had stepped in, and he knew that wasn’t the case.
Ethan didn’t smell human. He smelled like a shifter, although Liam wasn’t able to tell what kind.
Usually, he was, but he didn’t have a lot of experience identifying shifters through his nose.
Before starting the academy, he’d spent most of his days with his clan.
They were all dragon shifters and humans, and he hadn’t needed to smell them to know that. He’d known them all of his life.
He couldn’t ask. It would be rude, and from the way Ethan had tensed when Liam had stepped closer, he was pretty sure he wouldn’t get an answer.
That was fine. Ethan didn’t have to tell him anything, even though Liam was curious.
Still, since Ethan was nervous, Liam took a step away from him as soon as he could.
He didn’t want to make Ethan even more uncomfortable when he didn’t have to.
That was why he kept his distance as Austin made plans for all of them—well, all of them except Ethan.
Ethan wouldn’t be there tonight. He already had plans, apparently.
Liam was tempted to ask him what those plans were.
He wanted Ethan to be there. He wasn’t sure why, but the fact that he couldn’t identify what kind of shifter the man was intrigued him and made him want to push.
He hoped that if they got to know each other, Ethan would trust him with the knowledge.
But Ethan didn’t stay. He finished drinking his coffee and left the room after saying goodbye to everyone.
He even gave Liam a little wave that made Liam feel better.
Eventually, Jonathan and Dani kicked West, Austin, and Liam out of the store because they had work to do.
Liam was fascinated by what they did, but he happily left, knowing he’d be back eventually.
He still wasn’t quite sure how he’d ended up being pulled into this group.
“So, that was our family,” Austin declared as they left the shop. “You’ve met everyone now. Well, everyone except Caleb. He’ll be there tonight, though.”
“That’s your boyfriend, right?” Liam asked, even though he knew the answer to that question.
Austin beamed. “Yeah. He’s the best boyfriend ever.”
West snorted, causing Austin to narrow his eyes at him.
Liam had to press his lips together so he wouldn’t laugh.
These two big, burly dragon shifter firefighters were really bickering over who had the best boyfriend?
It was ridiculous, yet at the same time, endearing.
It was clear they both loved their boyfriends very much.
“What about Ethan, then?” Liam asked. “Does he have a boyfriend?”
Austin’s smile faltered. He and West looked at each other, but they didn’t answer Liam. Liam had no idea why. It wasn’t that hard to tell him whether or not Ethan had a boyfriend.
“Ethan is Ethan,” Austin finally said. “You should leave him alone.”
Liam blinked. He hadn’t been planning on bothering the man. “I mean, sure. I was just curious.”
“There’s nothing to be curious about. He’s just a normal guy.”
“I’m sure he is, but you said that was your family. I guess I just wanted to get to know him like I’ll get to know the others.”
“You will eventually, but let him take the first step.”
Liam had no idea what they were talking about, and at that point, he was almost afraid to ask.
It felt like there was something he shouldn’t know there.
Maybe it was better to keep his mouth shut, even though he was dying to know what the mysterious Ethan was and why Austin was being so secretive about him.