Page 3 of Marked By The Filthy-Mouthed Grizzly
“Hottest guy at The Banana Hammock,” Camry says proudly. “I’ll be dancing there tonight if you’re interested.”
Victoria snickers as she looks up at Adrian. “What do you say, honey? Should we go?”
Even with the way I’m feeling, I still laugh at Adrian’s disgusted face.
“Not a chance in hell,” he says.
“I’mthe hottest guy at The Banana Hammock,” Curt says, clearly offended. “Know your place, new guy.”
Curt heads over to Victoria’s station to get his thigh tattooed—and for some reason, he takes off his shirt. He’s flexing his abs and trying to impress her as Adrian walks over and whispers something into his ear. I can’t hear what he said, but that shirt goes back on pretty damn fast after that.
I take Camry since Julian and Adrian have customers coming in soon.
“What do you want?” I ask him as I set up my station.
“A skull would be cool,” he says, “maybe with some snakes around it.”
I sketch out something fast and he likes it. I put the stencil onto his chest and he’s pretty excited about it.
My grizzly chills out as I get absorbed in my work, tracing black lines on Camry’s skin. The hypnotic movements along with the buzzing of my tattoo machine seems to calm my bear.
But it doesn’t do much for me.
I think of my mate, wondering where she is and what she’s doing. I wonder what her favorite food is. If she prefers to read or watch TV. I wonder what side of the bed she likes. I wonder if she’s a night person or an early riser. There’s so much to know and I’m dying to discover every detail.
“You should come out with us,” Camry says as I trace the body of a snake that’s slithering out of the skull’s eye socket. “We’ll pick up so many chicks.”
I grit my teeth as I focus on the ink.
Picking up chicks is the last thing I’m interested in. What girl could ever compare to my fated mate?
What the hell is a hook-up going to do for me except make me even more miserable?
I’m not looking for cheap sex. I’m looking for my best friend. My life partner. My mate.
I needher.
“What do you say?” Camry asks with a grin. “Wanna get laid?”
I huff out a breath and keep my eyes on his skin. “No. And quit fucking moving.”
CHAPTER TWO
Erica
Ihate funerals.
I never know how to act.
The last funeral I went to was for my friend’s aunt. That one was sad. The death was sudden and unexpected so everyone was upset. Everyone knew how to act there. Cry, look down, no smiling or joking around.
But how do you mourn when you’re not totally sure the people you’re mourning didn’t deserve it? That the world just might be a better place without them in it.
I stand under the heavy gray sky, wrapped in my black coat, the uncomfortable silence deafening as we all stare down at the two coffins in the ground. Mace and Knox Rourke. My half-brothers. Same deceased dad, different moms. Different everything, really.
I picture my funeral. People would be dressed up nice. They’d look normal. Sad. Not like this.
Every wolf shifter lowlife in the area has come out for the funeral dressed in their finest jeans and leather vests. Some came to pay their respects. Some to make sure my brothers were really dead. And some to posture and scheme to take their place.
