Chapter 11 #2
She was still skittish in a lot of ways.
There was a risk that if I tried to be more forceful and let her know I wanted her, that she might not be ready to hear it.
I might make this a whole lot harder. She wanted a lover, but I wasn’t even on her short list. What the hell was I supposed to do with that?
First things first, I’d stop her from propositioning fucking Luka, the prick. Getting back on my bike, I started it up, and tore off toward the clinic.
I paced around outside the clinic for hours.
The staff often took breaks outside, using the bench seats.
I just had to wait. I didn’t want to go in and make some big scene.
I learned from my mated brothers that doing shit like that never went over well.
Best to talk to her out here or maybe follow her home and explain?
Explain what? What was I even going to say?
I was positive I was losing my damned mind.
The ache for Tempest was like a full-body heartbeat that throbbed through me constantly.
I wanted her so badly that I didn’t know what to do with myself.
Add in the new emotions unfurling inside me, swirling and stabbing and twisting, demanding I listen to every one of them when I barely understood what I was feeling—it was like being tugged on, torn at, slowly and steadily pulled in a million different directions.
The clinic door opened and I stepped into the shadows across the parking lot. Tempest walked out with another female, and fucking Luka was with them. They chatted for a bit, obviously on their break.
Luka leaned against the low brick wall edging the lot. “You said you wanted to talk to me about something earlier?” he asked her after the other female had headed back into the clinic.
Tempest froze for a split second and folded her arms, then unfolded them.
Her cheeks were so pink I could see it from here, and so were her lips.
She’d put on lipstick. Had she done that especially for him?
I dragged in a rough breath, trying to hang on to my control.
No way she was going to ask him. No fucking way.
“So, I was wondering…”
“Are you okay?” he said. “You look worried. Is this about that big male you were with? Was he bothering you?”
It took everything not to burst out of my hiding spot, but I knew if I did, there would be no holding the beast back, and I was barely managing it now. If that happened, I wasn’t sure I could stop myself from hurting him or worse.
“Fender?” Tempest said. “Oh, no, not at all. He’s my patient, and my friend.”
I winced. Her patient first, then her friend, even fucking worse.
“He seemed pretty intense,” Luka said.
I’m about to show you how intense I can be, little man.
“He’s a hound, they all seem to be kind of intense.”
His eyes grew round. “A hellhound?”
“Yes,” Tempest said and frowned, shaking her head. “He’s not the reason I wanted to talk to you. I was actually wondering. Well, I’ve been thinking… I thought that perhaps…”
“Seriously, are you okay? You look really flushed.”
“I’m fine.”
“Okay,” he said, though he didn’t look like he believed her.
She made an ugh kind of sound. “Why is this so hard? So, what I have to ask you is, it isn’t easy, and I find myself unsure of how to proceed.”
He smiled kindly. “Just say it. I promise I won’t interrupt this time.”
She bit her lip, and I stood there frozen, not sure what the fuck to do. How to stop this.
“I have no interest in a romantic relationship. That’s not for me. I would like to experience the physical sides of one, though, and I was wondering if perhaps you would be interested in—”
“Oh,” Luka said and straightened.
“Would you be interested in…would you like to enter into a sexual relationship with me?” she said.
The beast slammed into my chest, and I was about to let loose an earth-shattering roar. There was no stopping it.
He took her hand, and my fangs punched down, elongating, my face contorting, partially shifting.
“I’m gay, Tempest,” Luka said.
She blinked up at him. “Oh.”
I sucked in a sharp but relieved breath.
“You’re wonderful, and I’m incredibly flattered, but—”
“It’s fine.” She deflated. “Thank you for being so kind. I know it was a weird thing for me to ask, but you seem kind and gentle and…and…”
“Please, don’t be embarrassed.” He looked alarmed. “Don’t cry.”
She sniffed. “I keep messing everything up.”
Her sadness hit me like a wave and almost knocked my one good leg out from under me.
“You’re beautiful, Tempest, and kind. I know there’s someone out there for you,” he said, pulling her in for a hug.
It didn’t matter that the male was gay, he was male, and his hands were on her and the beast was close to bursting from my skin. Thankfully, Tempest straightened and stepped back just in time. She smiled up at Luka. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable.”
“You didn’t. And please, I don’t want you to be embarrassed about this, okay? I won’t tell anyone.”
“Thank you again for being so kind.” She turned and rushed off, heading for home.
I was breathing hard, not sure what the hell to do. Fuck, as much as I hated everything about what just happened, I was glad he wasn’t a dick to her or I would’ve been forced to snap his neck.
I followed her bus, making sure she got home safe. Her sadness was thick as she got on. Did she really like that guy? Was she heartbroken? Fuck, had she been in love with him?
No. Impossible. She told him she didn’t want a relationship.
Tempest was only after casual. It didn’t mean she hadn’t really liked that male, though.
I shook my head in disgust. What the fuck was wrong with me?
I hated that she wanted someone else. Hated it.
But I also wanted to comfort her, soothe her after some guy broke her fucking heart.
Explain that one. Because I didn’t understand it.
I waited twenty minutes, then called her again.
“Hello?” she said, more question than greeting.
Jesus, I didn’t even rate enough to add my name to her contacts. “It’s Fender.”
“Oh, hey, Fender. I’m uh, a little busy, the clinic’s slammed tonight.” She sniffed. “I need to go help Mags with a patient.”
She was lying to me. Fucking hell. This female had no interest in me. None. It felt like she’d buried a knife in my chest. “Okay, peaches, I won’t hold you up.”
She sniffed again.
Was she crying? Was she alone in there, fucking crying? “You okay?”
“Yep,” she said, lying again.
“Hey, Temp?”
“Yeah?”
“Just a reminder that if you ever need anything, I’m here, yeah? You just need to ask.”
“I remember,” she said. “And I appreciate it.”
I was an idiot. The female didn’t want me, but still I pushed. “There’s nothing you need, Temp? Nothing you want?”
There was a beat of silence. “Um…no.”
I was close to grinding my teeth. “You sure?”
There was a beat of silence. “I can’t think of anything.”
Fucking ouch. “So nothing at all?”
“Ah, no.”
I nodded though she couldn’t see me. I felt like an asshole. I was all but begging her to ask me to be her lover, and she just wasn’t interested.
“Actually, there is one thing,” she said quietly.
I straightened. “Anything, peaches, just name it.”
“If you need help with Brigid’s books and papers, I’d still love to help. I could use a distraction.”
I shoved my fingers through my hair and held in my growl. It was better than nothing, I guessed. At least I’d have her close. “That’d be really good. When are you free?”
“I have an early morning shift, but I’ll be free just after three unless there’s an emergency.”
“Sounds good,” I said.
“Excellent.” She let out a shaky breath. “Night, Fender.”
“Night, peaches.”
I was failing with her. I needed to talk to my brothers. They’d been as useful as tits on a bull so far, but I needed help. Badly.
I could feel that I was this close to losing her. I couldn’t let that happen. If I could get her to choose me, to make me her lover, as she put it, I’d have a chance.
Only problem was, she seemed to want anyone but me.
Fuck.