Page 17 of Blood of the Damned: Thorn
“Asshole,” Thorn called after Calvert, who roared with laughter.
Aren’t we all?
Thorn felt Calvert block him before he could answer.
Alone, Thorn’s shoulders slumped as he eyed the empty, too quiet room. Ledger tended to chatter when they were chilling in the evening after sex, and Thorn had gotten used to it.
He hated the quiet… or he did now.
He got up and stomped to the closet. Dropping his towel, he reached for the first clothes he laid his hands on. Dressed in a pair of loose jeans and a deep blue sweater, he grabbed a pair of sneakers. In his haste to get out the door, he didn’t bother running a brush through his hair.
He was in his SUV before he could talk himself out of heading after Ledger.
Wasn’t make up sex supposed to be the best kind? He kept that thought in his mind as he drove into town, humming along to the radio. He liked to dance, and he was going to show Ledger he had some moves to make him forget his annoyance—if he felt any towards Thorn for following him.
He will!Dacian laughed loudly in his head.
Fuck you!
Predictable as always.
Thorn blocked Dacian and grumbled the rest of the way to town.
The car lot outside the bar was packed, so Thorn had to drive down main street to find a space. He walked down the sidewalk, keeping his eyes forward as he sensed curiosity at his appearance. It had been some time since his last visit into town, and he’d heard folks had noticed his absence. The brothers were well known in these parts, so Thorn expected the gossips to be chatting about him. He wasn’t sure if anyone from the vineyard had mentioned that he now had a mate. He would soon find out.
“Thorn! Hey, wait up,” a deep voice called from behind him.
The groan was all in his mind as he swung around and plastered on a fake smile. There, eagerly coming down the sidewalk, was a huge shaggy haired rhino shifter, wearing tight denim that left little to the imagination and a check shirt that looked ready to burst at the seams.
Thorn struggled to figure out what he’d seen in the shifter when he considered how different he was to Ledger. “Louis, nice to see you.”
It wasn’t. It was awkward. They hadn’t parted on the best of terms the last time they’d seen each other because Thorn had been hitting on Brigg and Louis had gotten pissed because he thought Thorn was his.
A misconception he’d not bothered to dissuade Louis of, though now he realized just how much of a mistake that had been given the flirty, eager smile Louis now wore.
“It’s been a while. I missed you,” Louis said, sidling up to him. His sexy swagger did nothing for Thorn.
A tiny, sassy mate had changed everything. Changed Thorn in ways he’d never be able to explain, especially to the dude in front of him. He stepped out of reach when Louis went to touch his arm. He’d tolerate no one touching him but Ledger.
Louis’s brows drew together to form a solid line, his eyes narrowing as he once more reached out.
Thorn held up his hand, warding Louis off. “I’ve a mate,” he said, keeping his tone friendly.
“W-What? Is this some kind of joke?” Louis demanded prissily. The point got made by Louis glancing up and down the sidewalk before looking pointedly back at Thorn, who immediately bristled.
“Ledger is no joke,” he stated through gritted teeth, working to keep his fangs in his gums. He never allowed his fangs to drop in front of causal fucks, but he was damn sure his eyes were glowing red, judging by the alarmed look he witnessed on the man in front of him. “He’s in Ranch Down enjoying the band tonight.”
A determined light came into Louis’s eyes as he glanced in the direction Thorn had been headed. “Then let’s go and you can introduce me to the shifter who captured your heart,” he sneered, already moving past Thorn at a quick pace.
The assumption Ledger was a shifter added to the pissed off feelings growing and he gave chase. Louis had made off-hand comments about divergents before, something that Thorn had chosen to ignore. Now he could see it was going to come and bite him on the ass. His gut feelings seemed to be coming true.
He was right behind Louis as he entered the bar. It was busy and loud. The band was playing and the floor in front of the small stage was packed. His gaze swept the bar and he scented Ledger before he spotted his blond head at the front of the crowd by the stage.
As Louis had no clue what Ledger looked like, Thorn headed to the bar, nodding at Trey, the owner. Trey had visited the winery when he’d first arrived in town and bought the bar, around twenty years. He’d come to suss out what wines he could add to what they offered in the bar. And though he sold little of their wines to the local cowboys, they’d developed a friendship.
“Yo, to what do I owe the honor, Thorn? It’s what, six months since I’ve seen you in here?” Trey leant on the bar, despite those waiting for a drink.
Kendrick, who worked for Trey, thumped the bar to get his attention. “Y’all wanna shoot the breeze, then do it when the bar ain’t heavin’! We need to keep servin’ customers before this lot starts a revolt.” He nodded to the folks crowding the bar, waving dollar bills to gain attention.
