Page 19 of Don't Bait Me (Nora Jacobs 3)

Rook shakes his head. “Still fey. Strong fey, but it’s not the same.”

He’s still really upset. His wolf is still in charge. I need to calm him down, so I lean forward and rub my cheek against his the same way he’s done in the past when he marked me with his scent. “Better?”

His growl turns to one of approval, and he takes control, rubbing his face all over my cheek and neck. His lips skim my skin, raising goose bumps all over me. His thoughts are not surprising. They’re pretty much the same thoughts his wolf always has.Mine.Mate.

“No,”I say sternly and pull away from his touch. He affords me the space but doesn’t let me off his lap. “I’m not yours, Rook. I’m not your mate.” When he grumbles again, I add, “But I agreed to go out with you, remember? You get to take me on a date.”

His gaze flicks to Oliver. “So does he.”

I nod. “Yes, he does. And you need to accept that, because if you can’t control yourself, then I won’t be able to go out with you. I need you to share me for a while.”

I can’t believe I just said that.

Rook snarls, so I place a hand on his chest. He quickly covers it with his own and holds it tightly. “I know that goes against your nature,” I say, “but I need you to try. I need time to figure all of this out.”

Rook grinds his teeth but reluctantly nods. “But when we go on our date, it will be just us? You’ll be mine for that time?”

I can give him that much. “I promise,” I say with a nod.

He takes a deep breath and calms down. His eyes are still glowing; his wolf is still on the surface, but he’s not about to kill someone anymore. He glances at Oliver. “I need you to leave.” His words aren’t an insult; they’re a warning.

Oliver nods. “Understandable.” He grabs his laptop case and gives me a smile. “Why don’t you let Rook take you to dinner instead of me? We hang out all the time.”

My insides melt, and I smile at my best friend. He’s so understanding. “Thanks.”

Rook, who’s now staring at Oliver in surprise, clears his throat and gruffly thanks him, too. Oliver nods. “I shouldn’t have kissed her in front of you like that. I’m sorry. I’m not sure how to deal with this any more than you are.”

My stomach rolls, and my throat closes up. “I’m sorry,” I choke out. The guilt and confusion are overwhelming. “I just don’t know what to do. I’m not sure I can choose between you. Maybe I just need to say no to all of you.”

“No!”Rook and Oliver say simultaneously.

I shut my eyes against the sudden sting of tears. “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Rook grunts. “If you do, that’s our problem.”

“We’ll support you no matter what you choose,” Oliver says. I believe that of him, but I doubt Parker or Rook will be as understanding.

“Look,” Wulf interjects, “you’ll get it sorted out, but now isn’t the time to worry about it.” He gives me a steady gaze that calms some of the turmoil plaguing me. “These boys know what’s going on and have all decided to pursue you anyway. So you just do your best to figure out what you want, and you let them worry about dealing with it.”

He’s right. I’ve been honest about my feelings and my confusion. They’re the ones insisting on trying to win me over. I feel terrible about it, but I need to suck it up. “Okay.”

Wulf winks at me. “Good. Now go get some dinner, and I’ll see you guys at work.”

I frown. “Us guys?”

Wolf nods his head toward Rook. “He didn’t tell you?”

I turn my confused frown on Rook, and he grins. “I took a job for Terrance. You’re looking at the club’s new maintenance man.”

I’m both surprised and not surprised, and I laugh at the smile on his face. “You seem awfully excited about becoming a handyman.”

Rook shrugs. “That’s what I did for the pack. I like the simplicity of it. Plus, I can be at the club with you. I can help keep you safe.”

I sigh, knowing there will be no talking him out of it. I’m not sure that I should anyway. He really does like to keep things simple. Even though it’s not much of a career, it might just be the perfect job for Rook. “Well, congratulations on the job, then, and welcome to Underworld. It’ll be nice to have you around.”

Monday nights are slowat the club. There’s plenty of downtime, but I hate just idly standing around, so I set to work wiping down the bar while Wulf serves the few patrons asking for drinks. Terrance is at the other end of the bar with a small group of men. They’re deep in what appears to be a very serious conversation. I can’t help wondering if it’s about Terrance’s attack. Several of them keep glancing my way.

I watch them as I polish glasses, trying my best to figure out what they are. I think they’re all fey, but I can’t tell what kinds of fey. Nick was right: Getting specific is a lot harder than recognizing general species. Nick insists I’m strong enough to figure it out, but I wonder if I’m having trouble because my power is dampened by the glamour Oliver placed on me.

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