Page 39 of Nugget

“Thanks.”

* * * * *

Stryker

“Psst!” Stryker called out to River.

River froze where he was passing by the tree Stryker was hiding behind. Noah turned his head and spotted Stryker then nudged River. River glanced around then quickly made his way over to where Stryker was.

“What are you doing?” River asked crouching down beside him.

Leaning against the tree, Stryker shrugged. “Hiding.” Or that was what he’d been doing for the last hour. Now he was bored. Although he wasn’t ready to return to Gavin to talk…he didn’t want to talk about mates. Stryker still hadn’t decided what to do.

Noah plopped on his butt right next to him. “Whatcha hiding from?”

“Gavin,” Stryker confessed.

“Why are you hiding from Gavin?” River asked calmly.

Stryker wanted to be calm. He wished he could just take the news that Gavin had shared, smile, and jump on board. That was not going to happen though. Not when Stryker knew this would change everything. It was going to be a disaster. There was literally nothing in his life that Stryker hadn’t fucked up.

Noah sighed before he grabbed Stryker’s hand. Stryker squeezed Noah’s fingers. He was glad that both Noah and Dean had found family there but that didn’t mean that Stryker deserved the same. He was not a good person!

“Gavin told you that you’re his mate,” Noah guessed.

“You knew!” Stryker whispered in betrayal.

Noah shrugged. River moved to sit beside him. Their shoulders brushing.

“We guessed. It’s kind of obvious when one of the paranormals finds their special person. Gavin isn’t the touchy-feely type. He’s always sort of held himself back from the group. Not with you though. He can’t take his eyes off you,” River toldhim. “And he threw you over his shoulder. That was hot. I’m so gonna make Rainier carry me like that to bed later.”

“I think he’s wrong,” Stryker shared.

River shook his head. “No, you don’t.”

No, he didn’t. Stryker didn’t think that Gavin was wrong. He was terrified that Gavin was right.

“It’s okay to be scared,” River said. “I was.”

“I am not scared,” Stryker denied.

“Yes, you are.” Noah tapped the side of his nose. “Don’t forget that I can smell your emotions.”

“Fucking shifters,” Stryker muttered.

“I am fucking a shifter and it’s awesome,” River quipped. “So is being fucked by my fae king.”

Stryker gasped. “You can portal to the fae realm.”

River rolled his eyes. “Duh, I’m like a prince there or something.”

Still gripping Noah’s hand hard, Stryker grasped River’s with his free hand. “Take me.”

“What?”

This was the perfect solution. “Take me to fae land!”

“It’s not really fae land,” River said with a frown. “It’s—”

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