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Quintin took a seat on the opposite end of the large mahogany desk. It was more of an antique than anything else, but Oliver loved how heavy and sturdy it was. It was his grandfather’s at one point, and now it belonged to him.
It had no drawers, and despite Quintin and Quintin’s wife, Ronnetta, telling him the desk was impractical, large, and cumbersome, Oliver refused to get a new one.
Quintin crossed an ankle over a knee and leaned back in his chair. “You know, ever since I found my mate … which it’s been over ten years … the full moon heat hits differently now. Those insane urges that you’re feeling now, we don’t get that anymore.”
He shook his head. “When you have someone to share your life with, you know what you’ll be doing every night. It’s different, Oliver. It’s nice. It’s worth it. When are you going to work on finding a mate?”
Without a word, Oliver turned abruptly to glare at his friend. Anger and resentment shone brightly in his brown eyes, and Quintin sighed.
“I don’t want a mate, Quintin. And I certainly don’t need one.”
In an attempt to ease the sudden tension in the small office, Quintin nodded passively.
“Oliver, you can’t let the tragedies of the past dictate your entire future. What happened was hardly your fault. It was so long ago now. Don’t let that keep you from finding peace and happiness. There’s so much more to life. You need to live a little. Love a little. Life can be so much better.”
Oliver’s answering snarl was enough to silence Quintin. Oliver heard everything his friend said, but he wasn’t about to risk his heart again. It certainly wasn’t worth it.
“We’ve been over this. Countless times, I might add. I don't want a mate. I’ve got enough on my plate without a nagging woman at my side.”
Quintin’s eyebrows hit the ceiling. “A nagging woman? Not all women are like tha…”
“Quintin, for fuck’s sake. How many times are we going to go over this? Callum’s party is all I need. I know you and Ronnetta are worried, but I’m telling you, I’m fine. And I’m happy. I don’t need anything else, especially right now.”
Quintin chuckled, completely unabashed. “You’re missing out. The love of a woman provides so much more than a warm bed at night, Oliver. She provides companionship. She shares in your sorrow, in your happiness. Women make us better men. Think of what it would be like to have someone to go home to, to bounce ideas off of.”
Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose, tired already. He had heard this speech time and time again. It was never-ending. Quintin would spend his dying breath preaching to Oliver about the importance of a relationship and how imperative it was that he find his mate.
“I’ve heard all this. I’m perfectly content with my life as it is. I need to focus my attention on the town, Quintin. And believe me, I’m happy that you and Ronnetta have each other, and you have your kids. I love them as if they were my own.”
He lifted his head to gaze pointedly at Quintin, wishing he could make his friend understand. “I just don’t think that kind of life is in the cards for me. I’ve accepted it, and I’m at peace with it. I wish you would be, too. Mostly because I can’t bear the thought of having this conversation every fucking full moon.”
With a hearty chuckle, Quintin rose to his feet and clapped Oliver on the back. “It’s a conversation we will continue having every fucking full moon. Now, why don’t you go get ready for the masquerade and leave this dreary office behind, if just for the night? I’ll see you in the morning.”
Oliver grunted in response and turned once more to look out the window. Right now, it was more like a ghost town. Everyone was home getting ready for Callum’s masquerade. The occasional car that did pass puttered by at a snail’s pace, and Oliver had to imagine it was an old couple barely maxing out the speed limit.
With a smile at the thought, he turned away and headed out the door. He might not love the idea of falling in love again, but he loved the idea of finding a gorgeous shifter to help him release his frustrations. If only for the night.
TWO
LILLIAN
Lillian took the shot off the table and downed it without batting an eyelash. As the tequila burned its way down her esophagus and into her stomach, she was already reaching for another.
Her friends often made fun of her, saying her red hair gave her a fiery personality that outshone everyone around her. Lillian seriously doubted this, but if it was her pin-straight red hair that was going to allow the four of them to have fun tonight, so fucking be it.
She looked around at her friends, who were sipping beer and chatting among themselves. While everyone was having a good time, no one was having an explosively good time. And that’s what she wanted.
“This is a fucking birthday party, guys. Let’s have some fun! We haven’t seen each other in months. The least we could do is make up for lost time.”
With Fiona on her way to the bar to order more drinks, Lillian’s eyes came to rest on Chloe. While they had been friends the longest, they were also the least alike. Still, Lillian respected Chloe and her point of view. They were opposites, but they made it work.
“Chloe, are you going to drink or sit there and sulk? You literally look like you’re sitting on a cactus. Here, take this damn shot and loosen up, for Christ’s sake.”
“You know this isn’t my kind of scene, Lil, but to answer your question, yes, give me that damn shot.” Chloe took it from Lillian’s hands and took a tentative sip. “Ugh,” she muttered before throwing it back. She shivered. “I think I’ll stick to a Sex on the Beach.”
“Fiona went to get you one. Or maybe she’s getting more beer. I don’t know,” Alexis piped up. “I’m glad we managed to make tonight work. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to with my new skincare cream coming out. I really thought I’d get stuck in a meeting tonight.”
“I’m glad we made it work too. It’s been far too long,” Lillian said. She threw a strand of red hair over her shoulder and pulled a small mirror out of her purse so she could check her appearance.
