Page 51 of Bria and the Tiger

“Enough, Lincoln. You have no idea what this is like. I don’t need your goddamn advice on how to get through the birthday of my dead brother.”

Lincoln didn’t reply and Jace sighed. “Fuck. I’m sorry. That was a really shitty thing for me to say. I didn’t mean it.”

“It’s fine, man. I just don’t want you to do something you’ll regret.”

“I won’t.”

“All right. Hey, you sure you want to go to Club Delight? We usually go to Trinity,” Lincoln said.

“I’m sure. I’m tired of Trinity.”

He wasn’t, but he sure as hell couldn’t go back to Trinity any time soon. Going to Trinity to pick up a shifter didn’t feel right. Not when the last time he was there, he’d fucked Bria in the bathroom.

Is that the only reason it doesn’t feel right? Are you seriously going to fuck some other random woman when the one you really want is Bria?

He blocked out his inner voice. He couldn’t have Bria and he needed to get used to the idea. What better way than by sleeping with someone else?

I want Bria. Give her to me, his tiger growled.

Fuck, his tiger was going to drive him insane.

* * *

Well, the date with the coyote shifter wasn’t as disastrous as her date with Patrick, but it was not going well. Bria sipped at her drink and checked her watch again. Yeah, he wasn’t coming back. It had been forty minutes since Ron had excused himself to use the bathroom. She’d been ditched.

She finished her drink and watched the humans and shifters dancing for a few minutes before sliding off the stool. The club was busy tonight, and she was getting a bit of a headache from the loud beat of the music. She didn’t even know why Ron had suggested the club for a first date. They could barely even hear each other over the music. Maybe he’d suggested it because it would be easy to sneak away when he found her boring as hell.

She picked her way through the crowd of people and headed toward the exit. At least she wasn’t at Club Trinity. If Ron had suggested that one, she would have given him a hard no. She didn’t think she could ever go back there. Not with the memory of fucking Jace in the bathroom lingering in her head.

She walked out of the bar and took in a deep breath of the night air. It was hot and stuffy in the club and -

“Jace, we are leaving.”

She spun around, staring wide-eyed at Lincoln and Jace. The lion shifter was practically dragging Jace out of the club. Her hands flew to her mouth when Jace punched the lion shifter in the mouth.

“Goddammit, Jace!” Lincoln roared. Blood was trickling from his mouth and he dodged Jace’s second swing at him. The tiger shifter was swaying back and forth, and she could see the way his body was starting to swell.

As the humans and shifters waiting to get into the club watched with a mixture of amusement and trepidation, Lincoln grabbed Jace’s arm again. “Listen to me, you ass. My cousin is at the fucking hospital and I need to go. I don’t have time for your bullshit.”

“So then go,” Jace snarled at him before shaking free. “I don’t need you babysitting me.”

“Like hell you don’t. You’re already shitfaced and in no shape to be alone. Now get your striped ass in my goddamn car.”

“No.”

Lincoln growled with anger. “You think this is what Jonah would want? You think he’d want you getting drunk on his birthday, and then fucking whichever random female finds you pathetic enough to throw a pity fuck your way?”

“Fuck you!” Jace shouted. “Don’t you dare fucking say his name again or I’ll kill you, Lincoln! Do you hear me? I’ll fucking kill you!”

“You can try,” Lincoln snarled as a golden-coloured beard grew on his face.

Without thinking about it, Bria ran forward. Both Jace and Lincoln were on the verge of shifting and she was worried they would try and tear each other apart.

“Jace!” She grabbed Jace’s arm and he swung around. His snarl of anger switched to loud purring. He pulled her into his embrace and rubbed his face against her throat.

“Hi, baby.” He purred into her ear before rubbing his face against her throat again.

“Hi,” she said. Lincoln was staring at them and she patted Jace’s back. “Let me go.”

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