Page 19 of Rocky Top

I kept my face neutral as I strode over. “Didn’t realize you were comin’ tonight.”

“Eliza dragged me. Said I needed to get out more and stop stressin’ about bigfoot or whatever I saw out in the woods.” She tookanother sip. “It’s almost like someone as big as y’all showed up in a wolf suit.”

That punch of irony? It landed like a jab to the ribs. I leaned one arm on the bar, tryin’ to keep my distance.

“You shouldn’t joke about that,” I said low, real low.

She blinked at me, her teasing smile falterin’ just a fraction. “Why not? You afraid I’ll figure somethin’ out? Y’all furries or into some other weird cosplay shit.”

Shit.

Before I could answer, one of the club girls walked by in a tiny top and shorts, trailing fingers across my back. “Hey, Rock,” she purred. “Need anything tonight? And I mean anything.”

Birdie stiffened beside me. I didn’t look at the girl. “I’m good.”

“You sure, daddy? I can do that thing you like again.”

“Nevaeh,” I barked.

Birdie’s eyes grew wide as she asked her, “What does he like?”

Nevaeh leaned in to whisper in her ear.

“On all fours,” was all I could make out.

Birdie’s eyebrows shot up.

“Nevaeh,bounce.”

“Kay, daddy. Like a check in the liquor store.” She wandered off.

Birdie raised a brow. “Friend of yours?”

“No.”

“If you do that with your enemies, what do you do with your friends?”

“Nevaeh’s just cock blocking me. I’ve never touched her,” I grumbled. “Neaveh is Heaven spelled backwards for a reason.”

“You’re awful grumpy tonight. More than usual.”

“Not grumpy,” I said. “Just tryin’ to keep my damn head on straight.”

She laughed, light and quick, like a spark in the dark. “Well, you’re doin’ a shit job at it.”

I turned to face her full-on. “Birdie, this ain’t a game.”

Her smile dimmed. “I never said it was.”

“You flirtin’ with me is dangerous.”

Her eyes searched mine, something flickerin’ there I didn’t dare name. “Dangerous for who? You? Or me?”

I didn’tanswer.

I couldn’t.

Not when my instincts were already clawing at the inside of my skin. She didn’t know what I was, but some part of her felt it. Maybe that’s what scared me most. She saw somethin’ in me I hadn’t shown. Maybe that was what brought her to the woods in the first place.

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