Chapter One #2
Thomas gave him a tight smile. “I have. He’s very welcoming, so you don’t have to worry about things being awkward with him.”
“What about things being awkward with you?”
Thomas’s eyes widened as if he hadn’t expected Rowan to bring that up. To be fair, Rowan hadn’t expected himself to bring it up. He was trying to make the guy like him, for fuck’s sake. Calling out how weird he was behaving probably wouldn’t achieve that.
Or maybe it would. Instead of being offended, Thomas smiled. It was a small smile, but it was enough to tell Rowan that everything wasn’t ruined. At least Thomas wasn’t running to Shane to tell him to kick Rowan out.
“I’m not really a social person,” Thomas said. “I’m also exhausted. I didn’t mean to offend you, but if I did, I’m sorry.”
Rowan wanted to ask why Thomas was exhausted, but it wasn’t his place. “It’s fine. I’m new here, so I get it. You don’t know me yet.”
Thomas nodded. “Exactly. Do you want some coffee before we get to work?”
Thomas clearly didn’t want to talk any further about that, and that was fine with Rowan. He didn’t want to make a fool of himself. “I’d love some coffee.”
Thomas stepped away from the counter and gestured at the coffee pot. “Mugs are in the cupboard.”
It was easier for Rowan to focus on his coffee than on Thomas, so he did just that, but there was something about Thomas that made Rowan want to protect him, which once again hinted at him being a prey shifter.
Rowan told himself not to be a weirdo. Thomas didn’t need protection.
There was nothing to protect him from. They were at work, and while some of the animals in the sanctuary could be dangerous, he was sure Thomas knew how to deal with them.
Rowan quickly doctored his coffee the way he liked it, then took a step back. There was nowhere for him to go. The break room was small, and he didn’t want to sit at the table if Thomas wasn’t going to. They had work to do, and he was sure they’d get to it as soon as Thomas finished his coffee.
Rowan took a sip of his, burning his tongue and grimacing as he did so. He glanced at Thomas, but the man was staring inside his cup as if it held the secret to world peace. Rowan left him to it.
Eventually, Thomas rinsed his cup and left it in the sink.
Rowan quickly did the same, sucking in a breath and readying himself for whatever was about to come.
When Thomas gestured at the door, Rowan followed, making sure to move slowly and keep his distance.
Thomas was more than the animal he could shift into, but he was clearly spooked, and the last thing Rowan wanted was to freak him out.
He didn’t want to mess up this opportunity.
He was lucky he’d found a job only a few days after he’d arrived in town, and he wasn’t going to mess it up.
It wasn’t only because he needed the money, but also because he wanted to show everyone in his old pack that he could do this.
He could survive without them.
Sometimes, he had his doubts. Everything here was so very different than what he was used to. He was here for a reason, though, and he was excited about his job and the town. Mayport had a reputation, and that reputation was the reason Rowan was here.
“So, how long have you been living in Mayport?” he asked as they walked down the hallway.
“I wasn’t born here if that’s what you’re asking.”
It hadn’t been, so that only partially answered Rowan’s question. “I’m asking because I’m new here. I only moved a few days ago.”
Thomas nodded. “I remember how it is. I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
“Oh, definitely. It just takes a while to get used to, you know? I’m glad I left my pack, but it’s kind of scary when it’s all I’ve ever known.”
Thomas shrugged. “I wouldn’t know about that. My pack moved here with me.”
Rowan blinked. He couldn’t imagine his entire pack moving here, and he had even more questions now, but he didn’t think that Thomas wanted him to ask them. Now wasn’t the time, anyway. They were here to do their job, and Rowan needed to stop getting distracted.
He cleared his throat. “How will the animals react to me? I’m a wolf shifter, and I don’t want to spook them.”
Thomas nodded, clearly not surprised. “Well, they’re used to predator shifters. Shane’s a bear.”
“That’s good to know.” Rowan wanted to ask if Thomas was used to predator shifters, but he didn’t. It was none of his business, no matter how much he wanted Thomas to be okay with his presence here. Thomas wasn’t one of the animals the sanctuary welcomed when they most needed it.
“Of course, some of them are still wary, but that’s where I come in. As a rabbit shifter, they’re usually not scared of me.”
Rowan was glad to have confirmation of the kind of shifter Thomas was. Thomas’s behavior made sense. Rowan would have to be careful, but he was sure they could work together. Him being a wolf shifter didn’t mean he was going to hurt Thomas, and he hoped Thomas realized that.
He looked at Thomas’s tense back and at the way he carefully kept his distance.
Maybe part of him did know that Rowan wasn’t going to hurt him, but another part was clearly wary of him.
While Rowan didn’t appreciate people being afraid of him for no reason, he understood where Thomas was coming from, and he wasn’t going to berate him for it.
There was nothing to berate him for, anyway. Thomas couldn’t help the way he felt.
Neither could Rowan, but Rowan could show Thomas that he wasn’t dangerous, and that was what he was planning on doing.
They were going to have to work together, and he didn’t want either one of them to be uncomfortable.
It didn’t matter how long it took him. He’d show Thomas that he was safe and that Thomas didn’t have to look like he was about to run away when they were together.
He wanted this new chapter in his life to start the right way, and making sure he didn’t scare Thomas was part of that.
* * * *
“EVERY ANIMAL HAS THEIR own diet, so before feeding them, you need to check their charts,” Thomas explained as they walked down the row of cages.
He remembered how confusing all of this could be. He hoped Rowan was following, but he wasn’t about to turn and check. He wasn’t sure he could.
Now that he knew that Rowan was a wolf shifter, he understood his reaction to the man better, but still.
He’d lived with bear shifters and a dragon for years, so a wolf shifter shouldn’t be freaking him out as much as Rowan did.
Maybe it was because he didn’t know Rowan.
Hopefully, that would change, because Thomas didn’t want to feel on edge every time they worked together.
And that was how he felt. He wasn’t afraid. He knew that Rowan wouldn’t hurt him. He just wasn’t sure what to make of the wolf shifter, and that wouldn’t change until he got to know him better. The only way to do that was to have patience and force himself to actually spend time with Rowan.
That would be easy since they were working together.
“Here,” he said, stepping in front of the cage. “Why don’t you try feeding Finley?”
Finley was a big dog, but he was incredibly gentle.
He’d been found protecting a litter of kittens in the rain, and he’d had a broken leg.
The kittens had all been fine, though. Finley had made sure of that.
Thomas really hoped that someone would adopt him.
He didn’t want Finley to have to be moved to a shelter once he was healed.
Shane had already mentioned it, even though he wanted to keep the dog here, too.
They just didn’t have enough space to keep all the wounded animals that were brought to them.
Finley’s diet was normal, so Thomas was making it easy for Rowan.
He still watched Rowan like a hawk, just in case.
He also wanted to make sure that Finley was comfortable, which shouldn’t be a problem.
Wolf shifters and dogs usually got along.
Besides, Finley had been sweet even with Thomas, so Rowan shouldn’t have a problem.
Thomas kept his distance, but he was impressed.
Rowan moved smoothly but slowly, clearly not wanting to spook Finley.
He talked gently to the dog as he checked the chart, then got his food ready.
By the time he was bringing it to Finley, the dog was wagging his tail and looked halfway in love with Rowan. Thomas was almost offended.
“He’s great,” Rowan said once he was done and closing the cage behind himself.
“He is.”
“Has anyone mentioned wanting to adopt him?”
“Not yet. We’re hoping someone will, though.”
Rowan nodded. He was frowning a little now, as if he was worried for Finley. Thomas told himself he shouldn’t find that endearing. Anyone would be worried about Finley’s situation.
“Let’s move on,” he said.
Rowan nodded and followed his lead. They fed everyone who needed to be fed, and Rowan didn’t have any trouble.
It was a surprise, but a good one. Even though Thomas had been intimidated by the man earlier, mostly because of his size and because he was a wolf shifter, none of the animals seemed to have a problem with him.
Some were a bit skittish, but that was to be expected.
“Hello?” a voice called out from the entrance.
Thomas gestured at Rowan to follow him. “Let’s go see what this person wants.”
Rowan followed easily. He had a lot of questions, which was good. He also allowed Thomas to lead and show him what he needed to know, and Thomas hadn’t expected that. In his mind, he’d decided that Rowan was a problem as soon as he’d seen him, but he’d been wrong.
For now, anyway.
They stepped into the entrance. A woman was hovering at the counter, holding a shoebox.
She pushed it over the counter as soon as she saw Thomas and Rowan, and Thomas quickly moved forward to grab it.
He didn’t think the woman would have pushed it to the floor, but she seemed in a hurry to leave. “What’s this?” he asked.