Page 38 of My Bad Boy Alpha

Sina and Maxine shared another look, and I could tell another drawn-outsuuuurewas lingering on Sina’s lips.I bit back a laugh, not sure if this was how friend groups formed or even if I was part of their friend group yet.

I had never once been out to a bar with girls to have fun before.

Stone would be proud of me when I told him.

Suddenly, the entire tavern quieted down to a whisper.

“Oh,” Sina said.“I hope you don’t mind.I invited the guys.”

“The guys?”

I glanced over my shoulder to see four wolves, one demon, Stone, and the one and only Carve waltzing into the Dead Candle Tavern together, all serious-like, talking about—I assumed—war plans.

Olenna sipped her drink.“As long as Carve isn’t here, then I’m?—”

“You have got to be fucking kidding me,” Carve growled, stopping halfway to our table.

Olenna snapped her head in his direction, her eyes blazing with hatred.“What is he doing here?”she said between gritted teeth, her fingers whitening on the tabletop and her human teeth bared to him.

Sina threw an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.“Oh, you know … they’re here to talk about war plans.Wanna stay?”

“No!I don’t want to stay,” Olenna said, snatching her belongings and hopping up.

She stormed toward the exit, passing Carve on the way, who then turned around and followed her right out of the tavern.

Maxine hummed, “Ah, to have lived a thousand lives and still be in love.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-FIVE

STONE

Once we finishedat the Dead Candle Tavern with everyone and anyone who was someone from Durnbone, I ran a warm bath for Zuri and me.I had to meet with Thayer, Carve, and Xorgor a bit later to finalize some plans for the next few weeks, but I wanted to spend time with my mate.

I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it into the hamper.Zuri peered into the bathroom, her gaze falling to the tub, filled with water and bubbles.

She stepped into the room beside me and smiled.“What’s this for?”

“Relaxing,” I said.

She giggled.“You relax in a bubble bath?”

“You don’t?”

After laughing behind her hand, she shook her head.“Not usually.I just can’t picture you”—her gaze drifted to the tub, then back to me—“relaxing in a bathtub, filled to the brim with bubbles.You seem more like a bloodbath kind of guy.”

“And you seem like the kind of girl who had better get her ass into that tub with me before I strip off all her clothes myself and toss her in there,” I hummed, a smirk playing at the corners of my lips, my wolf aching to get out and have her already.

Since I had marked her earlier this morning, I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her.She had been gone nearly all day with Sina and Maxine, which made me happy, but that mark had been taunting my wolf.

Zuri fiddled with the buttons on her shirt, then pulled it off her shoulders.So agonizingly slowly.I slipped off my pants and stepped into the bathtub, slouching down into it and letting the warm water soothe my muscles.

Once she pushed off her pants, she followed my lead.Halfway to sitting down, she paused and glanced over at me, eyes wide.“Wait … this doesn’t have my family’s ashes, does it?”

A chuckle escaped my lips.“No.”

“Why do I not believe you?”she asked.

“I swear on the Moon Goddess.”

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