Page 37 of Blood and Trouble

“You okay, man?” Bow asked, grabbing my shoulder.

I hauled myself up and put one foot in front of the other until we got to the end of the hallway.

Bow narrowed his eyes at me before knocking on the door. “Hey, it’s me. Poe’s here.”

“Come in,” Lycan said.

His voice cut straight through my gut, clenching my insides.

Bow opened the door, and I hiked my backpack up on my shoulder, hardening myself for what I’d find on the other side. A small foyer led to the living area with a few couches and a huge TV. The kitchen sat off to the left, and in front of it, the dining area.

Ava sat on Lycan’s lap in front of the table, a buffet in front of them, her fingers wrapped around a strawberry. She looked even more gorgeous than I’d imagined. Her glowing skin accented her dark, luscious hair and illuminated her sky-blue eyes. Lycan, by contrast, looked like shit. In typical post-transition form, he’d lost twenty pounds, his cheeks sunken and his eyes dull and lifeless. It tugged at my chest. It made me want to help him, feed him, cuddle him into rest. Hell, something to make it better.

I stood rooted to the spot as both sets of eyes shifted to me.

“Poe,” Lycan said, pulling his lips into a genuine smile—the one that he reserved for me and only me. Or, at least, he used to. Now, he probably grinned at Ava like that. “It’s good to see you.”

“Poe?” Ava looked between Lycan and me. “Your Poe?”

Lycan hummed. “Yep. My Poe.”

The possessive pronoun sent a shiver down my body.

“His ex, Poe,” I corrected.

Bow pursed his lips, raised his eyebrows, and gestured toward the door. “Now that you’re all acquainted, I’ll just…” He turned to leave.

“Still mine, in any case,” Lycan said. He pressed a kiss to Ava’s temple before guiding her to the seat next to him, and I swallowed the ache rising up the back of my throat. I had no reason to be jealous. I didn’t own him. I didn’t belong to him. We’d broken up months ago.

Yet, when he stood wearing nothing but a pair of gray sweatpants and walked closer to me, his arms spread wide, I let my gaze wander over the tightly coiled muscle in his torso and the little trail of blond hair that started at his navel and disappeared under his waistband.

“Thank you for coming,” Lycan said, patting me on the shoulders before sliding one hand up my neck to cup my jaw. It would have been so easy to lean in and kiss him, and I glanced down at his lips to check if they were still as full and pouty as I remembered. (Much to my cock’s chagrin, they were.)

“Didn’t have much of a choice,” I said. “But I’m happy to help, in any case.”

“Here, let me get your stuff.” Lycan grabbed my suitcase and carried it past me into the bedroom at the far end of the suite. “You can take the extra room in here.”

I stared at Ava and wondered what exactly about her scent had driven me so feral. Standing there now, the power of it nearly sent me into a tailspin. I wanted to bury myself in her neck and lick her until the world ended. My wolf howled and paced in my head, both sizing her up and wondering how long would be appropriate before I made a move.

“It’s nice to meet you, Poe.” Ava pushed to her feet so she could walk closer and hold out a hand.

I took it, sliding my calloused biker’s palm against her gentle aristocratic skin. She felt like silk.

“You, too,” I said. “Congratulations on your transition.”

“Well, don’t congratulate me yet. I’m still convinced I’ll turn into a toad on the full moon.”

I rubbed the back of my neck as I tried not to laugh at her joke. I didn’t want to like her. She wasn’t supposed to be likable. She’d holed up with my ex and let him do undoubtedly despicable things to her (just like the things he used to do to me), and I was supposed to hate her and everything about her and…

Fuck, does she have dimples?

“Not many toads in the pack,” I replied, “but if that happens, I’m sure Lycan will let you ribbet the song of your amphibian ancestors from his back all night.”

She laughed and covered her mouth with her hand. “Can you imagine? Lycan, a big giant werewolf, and his stupid little frog companion? I wouldn’t force such a thing on him.”

“Then best hope you don’t end up a toad,” I said.

“For the last fucking time,” Lycan moaned, walking back into the room. “You’re not a toad. You’re definitely a canine.”