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I was just glad to see the Austrian back to being a skeevy perv. I didn’t think it was possible to miss such an asshole personality, but I had. Phillip on a considerate, nice binge somehow didn’t sit right with me. I preferred the jerk I’d gotten to know who didn’t make my heart lose rhythm quite as dramatically as Considerate Phillip did.
“Tempting, but I’m going to have to go with a hard no.” I smirked at the taller Hunter. “But thanks for playing.”
“Give it time. You’ll change your mind,” he promised with a hoarse chortle. “This eternal tick of the clock is pretty unbearable without breaking a few rules and enjoying small pleasures.”
I couldn’t exactly argue with a man who knew more about living for a long time better than I did. But that never stopped me before, and it wouldn’t stop me today.
Giggling, I shrugged unattractively. “We’ll see. I’m fairly confident you won’t convince me to do anything reckless, because it’s more likely I’ll help you clean up your act.”
“I’ll take that bet,” was his low reply. “Winner gets to tell loser to do whatever they want for an entire day.”
What were we, five?
“No. You’ll make me do something gross. Or many gross somethings.”
Phillip’s devious smirk stole my attention. “Afraid you’ll lose?”
Oh, he’s good.
Lips puckered angrily, I threw my hands up in surrender. “Fine. ButwhenI win, I’m making you do something so mortifying you’ll regret the day you ever challenged me.”
The sparkle in his eyes was the exact opposite reaction I hoped to see. “Can’t wait.”
The dude was a serious masochist, or he’d twisted my statement to his liking. I’d put my money on the latter. Men like him didn’t just read between the lines; they drew brand new ones and claimed they’d always been there.
We crowned the top of the hill and two men came into view, stealing my good humor and smile in an instant.
Nigel stood a couple feet ahead of Topher, wearing a tight navy-blue shirt over a simple pair of jeans. Even in casual clothing he looked fiercely strong and beyond beautiful. The man was a tall drink of water, and it always got my heart going. It never failed to impress me how damn good-looking the man was, especially when he didn’t try most of the time. Casual attire fit his aloof look, but Nigel was by far one of the most conscientious and selflessly kind human beings I’d ever met.
Annoyingly so.
If anyone went off to join the Peace Corps or volunteered their time to the Red Cross to help third-world countries, it’d be him. Nigel was just good people, which made the decision to keep him at an arm’s length so damn hard.
But in my heart, I knew it was for the best I did.
He deserved a great love. One that inspired poetry and a several-season-long drama on Netflix. He deserved to meet some lucky girl—or guy—who could give him a real family and future. Someone who could surrender their entire self to him the way I knew he would for them. He didn’t deserve to look over his shoulder for the rest of his life because he was a target to both his own kind and the Organization, all because I selfishly wanted to keep him. He didn’t deserve a girl who was marked even before she was born.
This is for the best.
Nigel’s dark eyes glimmered amber in the sunlight and settled on me from across the space separating us, the gentle lift in his mouth doing instant damage to my suffering heart.
Topher was in the same tank top from earlier and pair of jeans. The bespectacled Shifter wasn’t as bulky as Nigel but clearly just as strong. And if not for our unfortunate first meeting, I’d definitely find the dude attractive. He had that stoic caveman vibe that girls went ga-ga for. Likely, the beta’s face transformed the minute he smiled, and I sort of wished the circumstances were different so I could try my hand at getting the dour sir to open up a bit.
Against a bright horizon, the two practically glowed.
Nigel’s eyes narrowed on Phillip. “Thought you might come.”
“I asked him to,” I said shortly, then walked closer. “And he’s also the one who talked me into not cutting you off entirely.”
Nigel’s face gave away his surprise. “What do you mean?”
“I’m willing to talk to a few people to make sure your presence with us is necessary,” Phillip cut in coolly. “Assuming you agree to V’s terms.”
Nigel offered me an unsure glance. “What’s he talking about, V?”
Suddenly put on the spot, I struggled to find the words. “We can’t be together,” I said again, quickly powering through my speech to avoid interruption. “But I want to stay friends. I think that’s for the best right now.”
Nigel’s face betrayed his heartbreak. “You don’t want to be together anymore? Is there a reason, or isheto blame?” the dark-eyed Shifter accused hotly.
