Chapter 26
We slept in, and I woke up snuggled next to Krys’s beautiful brown wolf, my fingers lost in the black markings on his side. I was the first person he had ever slept through the night with, and it was a privilege.
When his wolf opened his eyes, I froze, uncertain of his mood or if my presence would confuse him. But he twisted his head and licked my nose before going back to sleep.
My wolf, on the other hand, wanted out. When he shifted, he wagged his tail and jumped all over Krys. The crows were cawing for their breakfast, and my wolf ripped his way out the door, dismantling the tent in the process, to chase after them.
Yep. Lakota was going to kill me for that.
We ran all day, and it was everything. I rolled in the dirt while he hunted, and whoever owned the land had filled the metal tub by the pump with fresh water. At some point, I got sleepy and blacked out while my wolf jumped into the tub and splashed around.
Best day ever.
After dusk, Krys took me out on our first real date at a human bar nestled off the beaten path.
From our cozy outdoor table, I watched him approach with our drinks. The bulbs strung along the patio cover were a festive touch. He set down vodka for himself and a beer for me.
Darcy wanted to come but agreed to stay in the car. I periodically glanced through the window, expecting to see her standing on a table. To my surprise, she kept her promise.
“This is pretty cool.” Krys dragged out his chair and sat across from me. “Calvin should build a porch around his bar.”
I snorted. “Which view do you want? The dirt road or the back field?”
“Nobody cares about the view when they’re drunk.”
“That depends,” I offered suggestively.
He looked into the darkness, and I admired his distinct profile. Pensive brow, straight nose, carved cheekbones, long hair—he was nothing like the men I’d dated in the past. Men I’d always assumed were my type.
Our bellies were full. Nothing could top juicy burgers, cold beer, maple trees, and a spectacular view of a colorful skyline above rolling green hills at sunset.
Nothing except for the man seated opposite me.
I’m Virgil Nightingale. I don’t get nervous.
But the butterflies in my stomach told a different story.
Krys sipped his drink, light glinting off his silver rings. He had trimmed his goatee, and his dark hair fell past his shoulders in subtle waves. His eyes were his standout feature, and women turned their heads when we walked into the roadhouse earlier.
I cringed as another drunk person attempted karaoke inside. “Too bad there’s no live band tonight.” We needed to liven things up, so I stood and offered my hand. “Care to dance?”
“Hell no.”
“Now you don’t want to dance?”
“Not to that shitty music.”
I laughed and leaned against the wooden railing.
We had driven around to explore our surroundings and stumbled upon this lively roadhouse.
The food was decent, the humans behaved like excited golden retrievers in search of a good time, and the ghosts were plentiful.
I wore my sunglasses when we first arrived to assess the ghost situation, but I didn’t want to wear them all night, since I enjoyed Krys looking into my eyes.
Krys eased back in his chair and moved the candle away from his drink. “What’s the deal with all those paintings you own?”
“I have a fond appreciation for the arts.” After setting my bottle on the railing, I pushed myself up and sat. “They’re an investment.”
Krys angled toward me and stretched out his long legs. “Yeah, but all that nude stuff…”
I chuckled. “What’s wrong with it? I have a few lighthouses too.”
“What got you into collecting?”
“When I was young, I was poor. A Mage advised me to invest in objects that’ll increase in value.
Gold is boring, and I loved museums. Artists make you see the world differently even if they’re painting an ordinary scene.
Art takes me places, so I collect what I love.
Paintings are easy to store and don’t take up space.
I know Atticus likes his sculptures, but he needs a whole second house to store them all.
If only Tak would let me hang them in the game room. ”
“So it’s all investments?”
“Not all of them. The valuable ones with papers I store in a closet. But if a painting speaks to me, it doesn’t matter if the artist is unknown and I paid a dollar. What do you do with all your money?”
Krys chuckled and sipped his drink. “What money? I work odd jobs and make enough to get by, but I don’t have any skills.”
I waggled my eyebrows. “I disagree.”
He tapped his glass on the table, eyes downcast. “There is one job I’ve been doing on the side.”
That was news. “You never mentioned anything.”
He raked his teeth over his bottom lip. “I don’t know if I should tell you.”
I snatched my bottle and dove into my chair. “You can’t dangle that juicy little secret and expect me to forget. What kind of job? It can’t be at the hardware store or Dragonfly’s. You’re not digging a moat around Old Man Forney’s property, are you?”
“Hell no.” He twisted in his seat to face me. “It’s embarrassing.”
I leaned in. “Oh, now you have to tell me.”
He scratched the back of his neck. “Only if you don’t say anything. I don’t want people giving me shit—it’s my business.”
“Scout’s honor.”
He scoffed. “You’re no Boy Scout.”
“I swear I won’t tell a soul. Not even Darcy.”
Krys folded his arms on the table and gave a reluctant sigh. “I’m cleaning houses.”
I jerked my head back. “You’re a cleaner? Blood and body parts?”
“No, not that kind of cleaner. I’m working for this lady who pays me to clean. She’s only allowed to call me on scheduled days when Tak doesn’t have a project for me.”
All those times Krys took off without telling anyone where he was going, I thought he was drinking or taking a long drive on his bike. “You complain about cleaning the barn. Whose house are you cleaning?”
His eyebrows rose when he looked down. “Cheryl’s.”
“The blonde with the thick accent? What does she want you to do? Kill spiders?”
Krys licked the corner of his mouth. “She likes being dominated.”
“Are you serious? What does she make you do?”
“Nobody makes me do anything.” He scratched the back of his neck. “It all started when she asked me over to move her refrigerator. I guess my leathers turned her on. We got to talking, and she made a proposition. It’s easy money.”
“Sex isn’t easy.”
He shook his head. “There’s no sex.”
I crossed my legs. “Do tell.”
“I order her around and tell her she’s a bad girl and she needs to get on her hands and knees to unload the dishwasher.”
I blinked in surprise and then sputtered with laughter at the visual. “Doesn’t she live with a band of coyotes? You walk around half naked in front of everyone?”
“Hell no. She moved out a few months ago and lives on her own. That’s why she needed me to move her fridge. She was giving her new place a deep cleaning.”
“Sounds like you went as deep as you could go.” I gulped my beer and gave a hearty sigh. “This is the best gossip I’ve heard in a hundred years. Nobody can ever say you’re not interesting. You don’t think she wants more out of it?”
“I was afraid it would lead to sex, but it hasn’t. She likes our arrangement.”
“She pays you to supervise her cleaning her own house.”
“Different strokes for different folks.” Krys finished his vodka. “Cheryl likes being told what to do. We set rules.”
“What kind of rules?”
“She’s not allowed to touch me or ask for anything sexual.
Same goes for me. We made a list of commands that function as boundaries and limits.
I can order her to do most tasks around the house, but I drew a line at making the bed.
That’ll just make things awkward as fuck.
She’s up for anything except lawn work and cleaning out drains. ”
I snorted. “Everyone needs a snake in their drain.”
“I bet she’s embarrassed at how much hair she’ll pull out.”
We both laughed.
Krys stared at his glass. “She told her best friend about it, and now I’m working for her.
They wanted to tell their friends, but I don’t want this shit spreading around, so I made them sign a contract to keep their traps shut.
It’s embarrassing as hell. The pay’s good, but Mercy’s been giving me the side-eye about where I’m getting money from. She probably thinks I’m selling drugs.”
I had a few dust bunnies under the bed I would gladly pick up if Krys wanted to punish me for being a bad boy.
“It’s not me they want,” he explained. “Her friend is mated to a weak wolf and said it helps her sex life. It’s not something I wanted to do—it just happened. Atticus keeps mentioning he needs a bouncer at his club.”
“If anyone can keep people in line, it’s you.”
“He has a high turnover with bouncers. I’m just worried it’ll get weird with my boss living in my pack.”
“He obviously knows the risks.”
Two women stumbled onto the porch. One straightened her miniskirt while her friend picked up her purse. The gal in the miniskirt adjusted her cleavage before they dared to approach. Humans were inexplicably drawn to our potent energy, and I often wondered if they could sense our animal.
“You two look like you could use some company,” the blonde declared, her earrings swinging. When her hand landed on Krys’s shoulder, my inner wolf growled.
“Well, aren’t you two a couple of wildflowers?” I said, lavishing them with the compliment they craved.
While I loved meeting people, Krys and I were on a date.
Krys steered his gaze up and gave them a tight grin. “Sorry, not tonight. We’re catching up.”
Krys was a master at turning women down, but his mastery included hurt feelings and rejection.
I flashed a charming smile. “You’re the prettiest ladies in here, but we’re taken.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, Krys flicked his eyes up.
The second girl squinted at our hands. “I don’t see any wedding rings.”
Ah, yes. Wedding rings. The human way of establishing property.
“You don’t have to lie,” the blonde snapped. “We only came out here to do you a favor.”
Well, that escalated quickly.