Page 19 of Saving Nevin
I quickly looked towards the mirror, where I met the eyes of his reflection. “Sorry. You’re just so beautiful, Nev. You’re like…the brightest star in my sky. God, that’s corny. I’ll shut up now.”
He smiled. “I mean, the brightest staristhe dog-star, so you’re not too far off. I’m gonna go get dressed.” He slipped out of the bathroom, leaving me to dry off alone. I couldn’t stop myself from grinning all goofy at the mirror, and I could’ve sworn I had hearts in my eyes.
Yup. I was sunk. So sunk.
After Nevin was done in the bedroom, I dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a t-shirt with one of my favorite red flannels over the top of it. I found him standing in front of the coffee maker as the dark liquid began to drip into the carafe, wearing a pair of tight black pants and a hoodie with a big splashy rainbow on the front that said, “Gay AF.”
“I have to admit, I’m not hating on Xan’s fashion sense as much as I used to,” I teased him. “His clothes suit you.”
Nevin shrugged. “Some of them are cute, but um… There are several outfits that are way too revealing for me. Your brother must have balls of steel to wear that kind of stuff in public.”
I laughed, because he was right. “Xan is Xan. He doesn’t let other peoples’ opinion of him define himself, that’s for sure. Sometimes, I’m kind of jealous of his bravery. I think you two will get along great, though. He’s been harassing me about when he gets to meet you. He even called me selfish for hogging you to myself.”
“He sounds great,” Nevin said earnestly. “I’d like to meet him, I’m just…” He fiddled with the drawstrings on the sweatshirt, tugging them between his thumb and forefinger. “What if your family hates me? Like…”
I shook my head. “They won’t, I promise. I know my family. You have nothing to worry about. If anything else, they might try and steal you from me.” I was joking, but the relief that crossed Nevin’s face was exactly what I was hoping for. “So. Coffee and then lunch?”
He nodded. “Sounds wonderful.”
As fate would have it, when Nevin and I walked inside the little cafe-bistro on Greymercy Square, I heard Quinn call my name. I looked up to see both of my sisters sitting together in one of the booths, surrounded by empty plates, like they were just finishing up.
“Speak of the devil,” I joked, taking Nevin’s hand in mine. His eyes went round as saucers, but I tugged him along after me. We stopped in front of their table, and the look Tasha shot me was all-too-knowing.
“Hey there, brother-mine. About time you come out of your little hidey-hole,” Quinn joked, but her attention was on Nevin. She studied him like she might study a blood sample under a microscope lens, but her smile was bright and bold. She offered a hand. “Hi, you must be Nevin. I’m Quinn, and this is Tasha.”
“I know we met as wolves during the pack run, but that was so informal,” Tasha added, then smiled. “Keeping my little brother busy, I hope?” Nevin froze, his face turning bright red. Both of my sisters laughed.
“Be nice,” I warned them good-naturedly.
Tasha just waved me off. “We’re always nice.”
“I-I’m going to use the restroom real quick,” Nevin said, side-glancing me before hurrying off towards the back.
I flopped down in the seat next to Quinn. “Nice job, scaring him off. After I just got done telling him how nice my family is.” I huffed at my sisters, who grinned back at me like cats that just ate an entire cage full of canaries.
“I, for one, can’t believe you bagged such a hottie,” Quinn said, matter-of-fact. “And on death’s doorstep, too? What are the chances?”
Tasha looked at me, her smile kind. “Finally going to settle down, huh? I’m happy for you, Kace. He’s the one, isn’t he? The one you’ve been waiting for?” There was no judgment in her tone, simply curiosity.
I nodded. “He is. I knew it the moment I saw him.”
“Well, he definitely looks no worse for the wear, so I’d say you’re doing something right—and I knowexactlywhat you’ve been doing right.” Tasha deadpanned.“Pleasetell me you used protection.”
It was my turn to blush. Heat flooded my face, because protection in the midst of a shifter heat was the last thing either of us had thought about. Hell, I didn’t even own a box of condoms. “U-Um… About that…”
“Kace!” Quinn groaned. “Are you dumb?”
“Nevin’s barren!” I added quickly. “That’s why he was chased out of his last pack. He can’t get pregnant.”
Quinn and Tasha exchanged a look.
“What?” I demanded, but they waved me off.
“Nothing,” Tasha said. “We’re just making sure you’re safe.”
Nevin chose that time, thank god, to come back from the bathroom. My sisters stopped to look at him again, then looked at each other, like they were trying to put together the pieces of a puzzle I wasn’t even aware there was.
Quinn smiled brightly. “Well, it was nice seeing you again, Nevin, but we’ve gotta jet. We still have to hit the mall.” She stood and grabbed her purse, while Tasha took the bill. “Love you, bro.” They both gave me a quick-but-warm hug before heading up to the front register to pay for their meal.
