Chapter Six
Carl
I had to swallow my bear’s possessive growl, fighting to keep my face clear. There was no reason for me to care where Gwyn went or what she did, but my instincts didn’t agree.
“Of course you can, I was just curious. If you were coming over to The Hangout, I could keep you company, and we could discuss which projects are most important to you.”
The stubbornness that had taken her over washed away, leaving behind a lingering trace of doubt in her eyes. Her reactions were clues to what her life had been like, and I hated that I’d almost slipped into what she expected from an alpha. My momma had taught me better than that.
“Well, I’d planned to, but by the time I shower and change again…”
She trailed off, which was fine since my mind was preoccupied with images of her in the shower.
Naked.
Touching herself.
My shaft throbbed with the surge of blood those thoughts caused, and I winced as my jeans grew too tight. I couldn’t adjust without drawing her attention to the problem, and I didn’t want to risk damaging whatever trust I’d managed to build with her.
“I could snag some food and beer and bring it to you instead?”
Her laugh killed any hope of acceptance, the arched brow telling me I’d been stupid for even asking.
“No, that’s okay.”
I grinned anyway, shrugging as I shifted towards the door.
“Well, I’ll be at The Hangout for a few hours. If you decide to come, we can go over the projects. If you want.”
I shrugged again, finally able to adjust myself with my back to her as I walked outside toward the building across the parking lot. As reluctant as she seemed, I had a feeling I’d see her again before the night was over.
She called an “Okay” through the door before it swung shut, and as much as I wanted to linger, I forced myself to keep walking. I’d parked in front of The Hangout before I’d come over to take care of the roof, and I passed two other bikes as I made my way into the bar. Blake sat with Patch at the corner table the Knights usually claimed, both looking up as I took a seat with them.
“I was wondering where you were. Did you get lost between your hog and the door? I know you’re getting old, but that’s a little concerning.”
I chuckled, raising my hand to get David’s attention so he’d bring me a beer.
“Pot calling kettle. I bet Cindy has to draw you a map and hold your hand so you don’t get lost trying to dip your stick.”
Patch shook his head, raising his beer to his lips as Blake flipped me off. There was a sketch sitting on the table between them, but Patch slid it off when I leaned forward to look at it.
“It’s not ready.”
He was particular about his art, so I didn’t take it personally. Most of the tattoos on my skin had come from him, so I knew it would be killer once it was complete.
Somehow my thoughts circled around to Gwyn again, the image of her blurring in my mind as I realized I didn’t know if she had any tattoos. She acted as if her alpha had kept her close and sheltered, so I doubted it.
And of course, that thought led to me wondering if she’d want one, and what she would get. I’d always found tattoos on women attractive, not that she needed anything to make her more appealing.
I looked up when the door opened, a grin spreading when the breeze that came in brought me the scent of peppermints and pastries. It was mingled with the tang of sweat and omega pheromones, but that only made it more mouthwatering. I’d always been a sucker for the soft, pillowy peppermints, and I was certainly willing to suck on her.
Almost groaning as my cock surged against my jeans again, I opened my mouth to invite her over before clamping my lips shut. I doubted she’d be comfortable approaching a table of alphas, even if there were only three of us, and a part of me didn’t want to share her anyway. I wanted her focus on me, not other males.
David hadn’t brought my drink over yet, busy with a clump of betas at the bar, so I surged to my feet and followed as Gwyn returned to the seat she’d been in the night before.
“Will I be needing to walk you home again tonight?”
I’d meant it as a joke, but the deep flush that lit her cheeks, and the way her brow creased and her lips tugged down wiped my smile away.
“No, that won’t be necessary. I don’t usually drink that much. Yesterday was…”
She sighed and I raised my hand to stop her.
“You don’t have to explain yourself to me. We all have those days, and you handle them however you need to.”
She seemed to perk up when she realized I wasn’t going to judge her. I might not like that she’d gotten wasted in public, it wasn’t safe, but I meant what I’d said. We all had our own coping mechanisms for the demons that plagued us. I just hoped it wasn’t bad enough that she was self-destructive.
“Yesterday was an anniversary I’d rather forget. I wanted to be able to sleep and not spend the night remembering.”
I slid into the seat next to her, reaching over the bar to snag a beer from the case below. David heard the ice rattle and shot me a glance, but he knew I was good for it, so he went back to focusing on the men before him. Something had them fussing, and David was starting to look irritated.
“Was it when your mate died?”
The question was probably rude, but I was too curious not to ask. The noise she made in her throat told me I was wrong before she responded.
“No, that anniversary would be a celebration. Yesterday was the day he claimed me, when I was too lost in my first heat to know any better.”
She was staring down at the bar, which gave me a moment to get my face under control. Surprise was the first emotion to hit, quickly replaced by anger. My guesses had been right, and while I might not have known the details, learning she’d been unhappy in her bond made me wish I could resurrect her dead mate and kill him again, just for her.
“You don’t have to leave your friends to talk about the cafe. We can always discuss everything on Tuesday.”
Her quiet words let me know she was done with the previous subject, and while my bear was clawing at the inside of my chest, I ignored him.
“Eh, they’ll be there all night, and they’re not important. Plus, you’re better to look at.”
I winked as I raised my bottle to my lips, chuckling when she rolled her eyes, but I liked the pink flush on her cheeks and the way she tried to hide an answering smile. If her mate had claimed her when she was young, she might never have had the chance to date and flirt, and I was my new goal to show her what she’d missed. She deserved every minute of it.
The betas at the end of the bar caught my attention again as they raised their voices, their argument with David growing more heated. David was doing a good job keeping his cool, but it was agitating my bear. More than once, I’d helped David when things got too rowdy, and with Gwyn at the counter, I was twice as tense over things going sideways with the group.
My focus moved back to Gwyn, although I kept part of my attention on the other end of the bar.
“The roof is the most important. We don’t want a leak causing more damage that might lead to you needing more repairs, but it won’t take too long. I’ll bring a buddy with me Tuesday and have it done before the day is over, so what else would help you move forward?”
I didn’t really want to discuss the café, but I knew the subject put her at ease, and that was what was important. She was shooting anxious glances down the bar as well, and her scent was taking on a bitter note. My bear wanted to pull her into our lap and soothe her, but doing that would only drive her away, so I had to find other ways to distract us both.
“Well, I can’t paint the dining or lounge area until it’s separated, so building the dividing wall is probably the next task. Once that’s done, I’d be able to lay the flooring and start filling the space. I’m still trying to figure out how to get the walk-in repaired and looking for appliances for the kitchen. I’ve picked out the new counters but didn’t want to order them until I knew how much space I’d have.”
Nodding, I tried to focus, but spotted David flicking his fingers behind his back. It was his way of asking for help without drawing attention, and I slid from my stool.
“Gwyn, I need you to go to the ladies’ room for a moment. Don’t come out until I knock on the door.”
The color drained from her face, her chocolate eyes going wide as she looked at the group David was facing. I half expected her to argue, but something must have convinced her it was smarter to listen.
She slipped past me, giving the group a wide berth. Blake and Patch had noticed what was going on and stood, putting themselves between her path and the betas. Neither of them liked getting involved with the sometimes-violent side of Hell, but they wouldn’t hesitate if needed, especially to protect an omega.
“I’ve asked you to leave. If you continue to refuse, you’ll be removed by force.”
The male who seemed to be in charge of the group scoffed, but his buddy spotted me closing in, tapping the other on the shoulder. The first eyed me with a sneer, but another behind him whispered something in his ear that must have mentioned Blake and Patch, because he turned to look over his shoulder.
“I thought this was supposed to be a decent establishment. I didn’t realize you catered to animals . Criminal ones at that.”
My bear rose beneath my flesh, a breath away from pushing through. Usually he laid quiet until I needed him, but being around Gwyn had my instincts running freer, and he wasn’t going to allow a threat around her. The way the beta was talking confirmed he had Purist leanings, which meant he wasn’t a local, so he wasn’t part of the people we aimed to protect.
“I don’t care what you think of this place, and I doubt they care what you call them, but you will leave. Now.”
David had his hands on the edge of the bar, and I knew he had a weapon underneath the counter. More than one. He wasn’t stupid. As a beta he didn’t have the physical prowess of an alpha, but he needed to be able to handle the larger dynamic when necessary. He could probably deal with the whole group of betas on his own, but there was no reason to bring out weapons when fists would work and mean less cleanup.
“You heard him. Get moving before I move you.”
A growl laced my words, and I knew my bear was probably showing in my eyes. Betas weren’t naturally as submissive as an omega, but they still had enough instincts to feel the need to defer to someone more dominant, and none but the speaker would meet my gaze. Even he struggled, blinking and swallowing hard before turning to look at his buddies.
“Come on, let’s find somewhere cleaner to spend our money. It smells like a kennel in here.”
I’d heard it all before, and more. His insults were pathetic, and I didn’t bother dignifying them with a response.
Flexing my hands, I popped my neck and took a single step forward, grinning when two of the silent men stumbled backwards before practically running for the door. Blake didn’t bother holding back his laugh, and the mouthy beta was fuming as he followed the others, his stiff gate revealing his struggle not to rush as well.
“I’ll make sure they don’t get themselves into trouble,” Patch said as he followed them out.
He was probably the steadiest of us, his icy demeanor remaining no matter what he faced, so he was the best to be sure the group left Hell. I gave him a nod as he walked out, but neither Blake nor I moved until we heard the purr of his bike start and then fade away.
“You should probably let your omega out of the bathroom now. Or join her and release a little tension.”
Blake winked despite the scowl I shot at him. Gwyn wasn’t my omega, but my bear and my alpha side were acting more and more like she was. As much as I might want to listen to the second part of his comment, Gwyn wouldn’t welcome it, especially after the scare, and I was irritated at myself since I couldn’t help picturing exactly what he meant.
My poor dick was getting sore from growing hard inside my pants so many times, and I made a mental note to wear my looser jeans the next time I was going to be around her. It was painful to walk across the bar to the hall that led to the bathrooms, but I’d managed to get myself under control by the time I stood outside the ladies’ door.
I tried to keep my touch light as I rapped my knuckles on the wood.
“Gwyn? It’s okay to come out now.”
The handle turned before I’d finished speaking, one eye peeking through the opening before the rest of her came into view.
“What happened?”
I lifted one shoulder, backing up to give her the space to emerge. The short hallway wasn’t big enough for two people my size, and the cloud of pheromones that emerged with her told me crowding her would send her running. The bitter edge of anxiety mingled with the burnt scent of fear, turning my stomach.
“They just weren’t taking the hint to leave, so we convinced them. It’s fine.”