Page 18 of Blood of the Damned: Thorn
Trey grinned at Kendrick, flipping him the bird. “What’s it look like I’m doin’?”
“Sorry, Kendrick,” Thorn said, raising his voice to be heard over the band.
Kendrick gave him an absent wave and continued to the next customer.
“You better serve me before he decides to quit again.”
Trey’s deep laughter got lost in a guitar riff, but his wide grin said he wasn’t worried as he grabbed a bottle of ale that Thorn favored. Taking the cap off, he placed it on the bar in front of him. “On the house.”
Thorn nodded his thanks. Picking it up, he swung around to find Louis right there.
“So, where’s your mate?” he demanded.
Chapter Seven
Ledger
The music was so much better than Ledger had expected that he danced right along with everyone else, and even though the ache in his chest at being separated from Thorn was strong, he was having a good time. Everyone was friendly, and he felt included in ways he hadn’t in his last job. They’d all beenrather snooty, and if Ledger was honest, he’d done his best to fit in. Those who worked for Thorn and his brothers had no airs and graces. They didn’t appear to care who he had as a mate, something Ledger had worried about. They made a point of joking with him about the brothers, including Thorn, proving they were unconcerned he would go back and share what they’d said.
The easy way they were around him had him dropping his guard as the night progressed.
Rowen moved in close enough to shout in his ear. “The guitar player, fuck, he’s hot!”
Ledger eyed the man objectively, as he worked his guitar with an expertise he envied. He had dark good looks and the facial scruff was just enough to give him a rugged appeal. The head-to-toe denim worked too. Yet, whereas in the past Ledger would have found the guy attractive enough to maybe flirt when their gazes locked, his total absorption in Thorn made everyone else a lacklustre shade of gray. There was nothing appealing about a washed out gray, absolutely nothing. Instead of saying that, he nodded at Rowan and shouted back, “You should go for it.”
Rowan’s lopsided grin appeared as he glanced back up to the man, now bent at the knee and playing for all he was worth as the lead singer sang of heartbreak.
“Think so?” he shouted when he looked back at Ledger.
The music notched up another decibel as the drummer went wild, so Ledger nodded.
A second later, an odd, prickly sensation started at the back of his neck and got him raising a hand to rub at his hairline. A sense of alarm chased hot on its heels, and he inhaled. His brows shot up as he caught a familiar scent in the crowd, and then his gaze narrowed as he glanced around. Except, with how tall everyone was, he couldn’t see beyond the throng of folks crowding the stage.
He tapped Rowen on the arm, and when he had his attention, he pointed toward the bar, shaking his near empty bottle to check if he wanted another drink. This excuse gave Ledger the chance to check if his nose was mistaken, and he was just smelling his mate off himself. He didn’t think so, because before he met Thorn, he hadn’t had such an acute sense of smell. Heck, all his senses had gotten a steroid boost which seemed very beneficial—or not, if his mate was spying on him. Because if Thorn was spying on him, he was going to kick his ass, despite how the ache in his chest eased noticeably at thoughts of his mate being close once more.
When Rowen shook his head distractedly, Ledger followed his nose through the crowded bar. Being so short in a bar full of cowboys that averaged six feet and towered over him, Ledger didn’t notice Thorn until he was nearly on top of him and the massive guy stood in front of him. It wasn’t the shifter who had interrupted their first meeting. No, this one was different, but the similarity to the other dude couldn’t be ignored. Nor the way he was eye fucking his mate when Ledger shoved in between the crowd.
Ledger wanted to say that he wasn’t insecure, but that would be a lie. He understood that Thorn was his fated mate, he did, it was just hard to compare himself to the massive shifter lurking over Thorn with a familiarity that went right along with the way he eyed Thorn.
Not usually one to pry into his mate's thoughts, Ledger did just that. He got annoyance and his heart thudded painfully hard with regret. Was it because he was mated to Ledger and disappointed not to have someone like the big lug in front of him?
Ledger had to take a second when the pain in his chest returned and his animal, who had gone into hiding when they’dcome into the noisy bar, roused and started deep, guttural barks, a sign of mating and a warning to any other animal.
Go and show that dumbass Thorn is already mated! Do it now.
Ledger released a shuddery breath, all the enjoyment of the evening slipping away as he rolled his shoulders and moved closer to Thorn, who didn’t appear to have noticed his appearance.
“So come on then, aren’t you gonna introduce me to your mate?”
Ledger slammed his bottle down on the bar, his furious gaze on the ass in front of him. “I’m right here!” Ledger made sure to project his voice, so it carried over the music while he slipped an arm round Thorn’s waist, hammering home his point.
Who’s the asshat?he demanded as he clutched at the soft blue sweater.
There was a definite pause but Ledger couldn’t worry about that when the huge shifter in front of him started to laugh. It wasn’t a happy sound, more spiteful to match the look of disdain he wore when he looked Ledger up and down. “How can this…this miniscule thingsatisfy your needs?”
Not prone to violence, the smugness made Ledger want to punch him in the mouth.
Thorn’s whole body tensed and Ledger felt a surge of pure rage before Thorn carefully removed his arm and stepped right into the huge shifter's face. Their size difference was more obvious, and despite the shifter being bigger, Ledger understood who was the more fearsome of the two.
