Chapter Four
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ROWAN BUMPED HIS HIP against Thomas’s, gently pushing him aside as he reached for something on a shelf.
It made Thomas laugh, and he bumped back into him.
Rowan hooked a hand over Thomas’s hip, keeping him in place as he pressed against him and grabbed the can of cat food he’d been trying to get to.
When he stepped away, turning to put it on the counter, he left Thomas a little bit breathless.
“You could’ve asked me to get that for you,” he pointed out.
Rowan shrugged. “I was right there.”
He didn’t stop moving, and Thomas found himself watching him. He wanted to reach out and touch Rowan, but he didn’t have the courage to do it. He didn’t know how Rowan would react, and he didn’t think he could deal with a rejection.
Thomas had never really had a crush before.
He’d been young when he’d ended up on the street, barely thirteen, and he’d been focused on surviving after that.
He might have had something of a crush on Dustin, but that was probably because the man was so much older and a dragon shifter.
He’d protected Thomas, and Thomas had been awed, but in the end, they were family.
Rowan wasn’t. The crush Thomas was dealing with now was nothing like the one he’d had on Dustin, and he didn’t know what to do.
Should he keep quiet? It would be for the best if he thought that Rowan wasn’t interested, but he wasn’t a hundred percent sure that was the case.
Rowan hadn’t said anything, but sometimes, Thomas caught him watching him.
He’d also noticed that Rowan was touching him a lot more than people usually touched coworkers.
Of course, they were a little more than just coworkers, but still.
Thomas was confused and scared, and he had no idea what to do with any of that.
The best would be for him to focus on his work and on getting his GED.
Rowan wasn’t going anywhere, so he’d still be here once Thomas was done with that, and Thomas would be able to focus on him.
At the same time, what if Rowan didn’t like Thomas that way?
Was Thomas just psyching himself up to be rejected?
He didn’t want that, either. He didn’t want to ruin the friendship that was growing between him and Rowan.
“Hey, is there anyone here?” a man’s voice called from the entrance.
Rowan shot Thomas a quick smile, but didn’t move, which meant that he expected Thomas to go to the front and help whoever was there.
Thomas was fine with that. It was part of his job, and he had more experience than Rowan.
There was also a high chance he might recognize whoever was there since he was a pack member.
Thomas left Rowan where he was and stepped into the entrance. He did recognize the man standing there, but not because he was a pack member. No, it was the man who’d brought in a wounded pigeon.
“What can I do for you?” Thomas asked, staying behind the counter. He’d had to deal with weirdos before, and he didn’t want to give this man any kind of opportunity to get to him.
The man smiled easily. “I was just wondering what happened to the pigeon I brought in the other day.”
“It’s been two weeks,” Thomas pointed out.
“Yeah, sure. So, how is it? Did you release it yet?”
“Again, it’s been two weeks. It’s a little too soon to release it. Its wing is still healing.”
“But it’s still alive, right?”
“It is, yes. Thank you for bringing it in.”
The man shrugged, smiling. He was a bit creepy, but Thomas told himself not to be unkind.
After all, the man had been nice enough to bring a wounded pigeon to the sanctuary, something most people wouldn’t have done.
Even more so, he’d come back to ask about the bird.
Thomas wasn’t sure why the guy hadn’t called, but not everyone had common sense.
“I couldn’t leave it in the middle of the street. Someone could have hurt it. I mean, half of the people who live in this town can turn into animals.”
Thomas blinked. “Are you insinuating that one of the shifters who live here could’ve shifted and hurt the pigeon?”
“God, no. Or at least not on purpose. I’m just saying that someone or something could have hurt the pigeon more if I’d left it where I found it. Pack territory is quite big, isn’t it?”
Thomas tried to figure out what was going on. Why was this conversation jumping from the pigeon to shifters to pack territory?
“Well, as I said, the pigeon is fine. Once it’s healed, we’ll release it, so you don’t have to worry. Thank you again for bringing it in.”
“Jimmy.”
Thomas nodded. “Thank you, Jimmy. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“Are you part of the pack?”
Thomas didn’t know what to make of the man.
A lot of people were weird, although this had to be one of the weirdest conversations Thomas had ever had.
He just didn’t understand what Jimmy was trying to do.
Still, he might just be someone who was looking for a new pack and was trying to find out what it was like to become a member of the Mayport pack. “I am,” he said.
“That sounds nice. How’s the pack and the alpha? Do you have a lot of space to run?”
“If you want to become a pack member, you can talk to our alpha. I’m sure he’ll agree to see you if you explain what you’re after.”
“Oh, I don’t think I’m ready for that. I just have a few questions, and I thought you might answer them since you’re a pack member. I’ve never lived with a pack like this, you know?”
“I’m not sure I do.” And Thomas wasn’t sure he wanted to find out.
“It’s just a big pack with a lot of different people. I’m a bear shifter, so I would fit right in, but from what I know, a lot of pack members have nothing to do with bears. I’m pretty sure I heard about a dragon.”
There were, in fact, several dragons in the pack, but Thomas wasn’t about to say that out loud.
He had no idea what Jimmy was after or how he’d react.
“Like I said, if you’re interested in the pack, you should talk to Chance.
Unfortunately, I have a lot of work to do, so unless there’s something I can do for you, I should ask you to leave. ”
Jimmy didn’t look disappointed. He just grinned at Thomas again, then thankfully stepped toward the door. “I’m fine. I just wanted to check in on the pigeon, and if you say it’s okay, then I trust you.”
“The pigeon is okay.”
“Good. That’s all I wanted to know. Have a good day.”
Thomas watched Jimmy disappear through the door. Since it was made of glass, he could see into the parking lot, so he knew that Jimmy made a beeline for a truck parked there and climbed into the driver’s seat. He didn’t leave right away, though, and Thomas wasn’t planning on moving until he did.
He didn’t trust the guy, even though he didn’t have a reason to. Jimmy’s behavior just struck him as off. Why had he been asking questions about the pack? Sure, it might have been because he was interested in the pack and maybe he wanted to become a member, but that didn’t feel quite right.
That didn’t mean there was a reason behind Jimmy’s behavior. Maybe the man was just a weird guy.
Even if that was the case, Thomas hoped Jimmy wouldn’t come back.
He didn’t know how to deal with the guy, and he didn’t want to have to do it again.
He also didn’t want Jimmy to ask more questions because he had no idea how to answer them.
If Jimmy had questions about the pack, he could reach out to Chance, who, as the alpha, was the best person to answer them.
It had nothing to do with Thomas or his job, and that was what Thomas wanted to focus on.
Something he could do now that Jimmy had left.
* * * *
WHEN THOMAS CAME BACK into the room, Rowan could tell something had happened. He stopped moving and turned to fully face Thomas, who was frowning and was clearly distracted. “What’s wrong?” he asked. If there was anything he could do, he wanted to help.
Thomas shook his head. “Nothing.”
“It doesn’t look like nothing.”
“It’s just that guy who came in the other day with the pigeon. He came back to ask what had happened to it.”
Rowan suspected there was more to it. Surely Thomas wouldn’t be confused by someone coming in to check on an animal. Since Rowan had started working there, it had happened several times. “And?”
“He started asking questions about the pack. That’s what he did last time, too, right?”
“He did. You think he wanted to become a pack member?”
“I don’t know. Maybe he does, but it feels a little weird. He was just very insistent on asking me questions about the pack, even after I told him he needed to contact Chance.”
“Some people are awkward.”
“I suppose you’re not wrong.”
Rowan hoped he wasn’t and that the guy was just odd, but if he came back, Rowan would make sure not to leave Thomas alone with him. In fact, he sounded like no one should be left alone with the guy. “Maybe you could mention something to Chance, just in case,” Rowan offered.
Thomas shook his head. “I don’t think it’s worth it to bother him. The guy didn’t do anything. It was just weird.”
Rowan wasn’t going to push if Thomas was sure it was okay. Still, he’d keep his eyes open. “The good thing is that the pigeon is okay, right?”
Thomas grinned. “Yeah. One of the vets told me that we should be able to release it once its wing is healed.”
That was great news. Rowan wasn’t sure when he’d started getting attached to the pigeon, but working there had made him realize that all animals deserve a chance.
He’d already known that, but it had been theoretical.
He’d never had any contact with pigeons or rabbits or many dogs, really.
It was one of the reasons he loved his job so much.
It was opening up his life in ways he hadn’t thought it would.
Thankfully, no other weird guy came by. They did get an injured deer, though, so things got tense. They always were when a wounded animal was brought in.