Chapter Seven
Malcolm whistled and polished the bar. It was just a few minutes after closing. The crowd that night at Devil’s Den had been pretty easy to please, or at least it seemed that way. They’d even had more college kids than usual and fewer bikers.
He didn’t have to throw a single punch or toss anyone out of the bar.
The college crowd might get even louder than the bikers at times, but they didn’t tend to start fights. Anything that led to fewer broken tables was fine by him. The drunk college guys also tended to tip well to impress their girls.
Malcolm couldn’t be sure, though, if it was that he was just in a better mood. As much as he hated to admit it, Jace and Sarah had been on to something.
His mind kept drifting back to Irina. He wondered if he should have kissed her mouth instead of her hand. She obviously was interested in him, but that’d been the first time they met, and he wasn’t even sure if he could call it a date.
Sure, they’d gotten together and talked over a meal, but that was just after he’d stopped her mugging. Not exactly the most romantic night. It was more a reward than a date.
He chuckled and shook his head. It’d been too long since he’d dated a woman. Suddenly everything that once seemed simple now came off more complicated than calculus.
Even setting aside the woman, the ballet itself moved him. He’d never admit it to the guys, but he liked it, just for all the reasons Irina had talked about, grace and beauty, something that was sorely lacking in his life of blood, punching, and claws.
Before he knew it, he was humming “The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” quietly.
Caleb emerged from the back and smirked at Malcolm. The beta stopped humming immediately, his good mood on the verge of vanishing.
“What?” Malcolm said, trying to keep any irritation out of his voice. There was no reason to give Caleb something to feed off.
“Nothing.” Caleb shrugged.
Malcolm frowned. “You got something to say, then say it already.”
His alpha stared at him for a moment, that stupid smirk still plastered on his face. “It’s nothing bad. Just seems like you’re in a good mood now that you got laid.”
Malcolm’s brain took a second to catch up. “What? Huh?” He shook his head hard. Maybe too hard. “What are you talking about? I didn’t get laid.”
Caleb snorted. “Bullshit. You’ve had a major stick up your ass for a good month now, and suddenly you’re all happy, smiling, and whistling and shit. And you wanted a night off. You don’t have to be fucking Sherlock Holmes to put everything together.”
“What the fuck, Caleb?” Malcolm threw his rag on the bar and crossed his arms. “I take nights off every week.”
“Yeah, not when you’re scheduled to work, which means there’s a woman involved, because you’re too boring to take a night off for anything but a woman.”
Malcolm gritted his teeth. “I didn’t get laid, and my personal life…” He grunted and looked away.
He couldn’t really make the argument he wanted to make. Of course his personal life was Caleb’s business. Caleb was his alpha, and any woman Malcolm dated or slept with might be a risk to the pack. It wasn’t all that long ago he was basically telling Caleb that himself.
He’d been boxed in by his own words. Perfect.
The alpha shook his head. “I don’t get why you’re being such a bitch about this, Malcolm. I’m happy for you. I wanted you to get laid. Shit, I don’t think there’s a single guy in the pack who didn’t think you could use a little action.”
“We didn’t sleep together.” Malcolm uncrossed his arms. He leaned against the bar and then rubbed the bridge of his nose. “But I did meet someone.”
Caleb grinned. “Now we’re getting somewhere. Okay, so you didn’t sleep together, but there is a woman. You’ve at least done more than just look at her, I’m guessing. Give me the details, man.”
“I guess. Yeah, there is a woman. We went out on a date. Kind of.”
“Kind of? What the hell does that mean?”
“I beat down some mugger who was going after her, then we went to eat. I think she just wanted somewhere to relax and someone to make her feel safe.”
Caleb barked out a laugh. “That’s why you’re my beta, even if you do have a stick up your ass half the time.” He pounded his palm. “Nothing women like more than seeing their man can protect them.”
“She’s not my woman. She’s just a woman I went out to eat with.”
“Keep telling yourself that. I told myself all sorts of delusional bullshit when I met Sarah, too.”
“It’s not the same,” Malcolm muttered.
“Why not? No one’s saying you can’t have your own hot little Blooded.” Caleb narrowed his eyes. “Come on. We’ve talked about this before. We’re not that kind of pack. You can all have your own mates, and any man who disagrees can challenge me or get the fuck out of the pack.”
Malcolm let out a sigh, then looked down at his hands. He’d convinced himself that it didn’t matter that Irina wasn’t Blooded, but hearing Caleb mention it made the doubts come screaming back.
“That’s not the problem.”
“Then why do you look like someone pissed in your beer?”
“You don’t get it.”
Caleb shrugged. “Then stop being so fucking mysterious and explain.”
“I met a woman.” Malcolm looked up. “But she’s not Blooded.” He shook his head. “So I guess it doesn’t really matter. Even if it turned into something, it’s not like I can pursue it.”
“Why not?” asked a female voice from behind him.
Malcolm looked behind and found Sarah had returned from the storeroom. He glanced over to Caleb, expecting him to explain.
His alpha just shrugged and smiled. Slippery prick.
Malcolm glared at him before turning to Sarah.
“Do you like this woman?” Sarah asked.
“Well, yeah.”
“Then why can’t you date her? From what Caleb has told me, even though you like to keep non-Blooded out of the loop, it’s not like it never happens.” She shrugged. “Sometimes new people are just going to have to know, especially with the blood so thin nowadays.”
“Sure, I thought about it. This woman… she’s my type, but it’s not that easy. There is a bunch of crap that needs to be considered.” Malcolm rubbed the back of his neck.
“Like what?”
“Threats to the pack.”
Sarah blinked. “Threats to the pack? How is going out on dates with a woman going to lead to threats to the pack? This isn’t like with the True Sons. If she’s not Blooded, there’s no reason for other wolves to go after her.”
“Yeah, but it also means she’s totally clueless about all this crap.”
“So what?” Sarah laughed. “I’m Blooded, and I was still clueless at first.”
Caleb continued to watch the pair, a faint smile on his face, but otherwise saying nothing.
“Yeah, but she’s got even less chance of knowing.” Malcolm shrugged. “Look, if it turns serious, then eventually I’ll have to tell her, but if she freaks out, she’ll have too many memories. It won’t just be a matter of a little animal magnetism, and then next thing you know, some fucking dragons show up, and it’s a mess for everyone. I can’t risk harm to the pack or her getting hurt, just because I…”
“Just because you’re attracted to a woman like a normal man?”
“I’m not a normal man,” Malcolm snapped. “I’m a goddamn werewolf.”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “God, Caleb was right. You’re just looking for excuses to be unhappy, aren’t you?”
A low growl escaped his mouth. Malcolm hadn’t realized Caleb had said that kind of thing to Sarah about him. Then again, his alpha said that kind of thing to his face, so it wasn’t like he should be too surprised.
A quick glance at Caleb revealed that his smile had disappeared, and he’d shifted his stance, his arms up, his legs slightly spread out, his neck muscles tense.
Malcolm sighed. His growl had set his alpha on alert. Though even if Sarah weren’t a mate of a werewolf in his pack, there was no way he’d ever attack a Blooded.
“You don’t get it, Sarah. She’s not even Blooded. So what’s the point? There’s no future for us.”
Sarah sighed and shook her head. “There’s a future if you try, but you have to try.”
Caleb snorted, some of his earlier relaxed appearance returning. “Like you even give that much a shit about new wolves. Sarah’s right. This is about you being a pussy and trying to find reasons to keep running around angry.” A wide grin split his face. “Besides, just because you have a woman doesn’t mean you have to think about Blooded and mating and all that. Sometimes men just need to get laid. Have a little fun, move on. You’re making this into a bigger deal than it has to be.”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “I shouldn’t sleep with you for a month after that comment.”
Caleb let out a little playful growl. She smirked and batted at him.
“Companionship is important, too,” Sarah said softly, turning back to Malcolm. “And you spend all your time in this sausage fest of a bar and pack.” She tsked. “I swear, if only there were female werewolves there would be so fewer problems with you all.”
“I… don’t know,” Malcolm said. He scratched his ear. “Irina wants to see where I work.”
“Irina? What a pretty name.”
Caleb chuckled. “You ashamed of Devil’s Den?”
Malcolm grunted. “No, but it’s not exactly a fancy place.”
“Just bring her,” Sarah said. “It’s not like this place is a warzone.”
“The first time you came here, there was a werewolf fight.”
Caleb laughed. “And I beat that True Sons son of a bitch down.”
Malcolm groaned.
Sarah walked over and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Look, the place might attract a bit of a rough crowd, but there’s been no real trouble for a while.” She shrugged. “Every shifter that’s come in here since the True Sons has been well-behaved, and the humans, let’s face it, you guys can handle them without trouble at all. You should bring her.”
He pondered that for a few seconds. “Still gonna wait a few days before I call her.”
“Pussy,” Caleb said.
“A little waiting adds mystery,” Sarah said. “Women like that. Ignore my stupid mate.”
“I usually do,” Malcolm mumbled.
An angel was coming to Devil’s Den.