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Garrett shakes his head. “Yeah, we sure do. But Lev, this is more. Remember when I stopped by the shop, and I told you that he was doing this? It’s becoming far more frequent than just from time to time, and I can’t have it here. I’m worried he’s going to take it too far, to a point he won’t be able to come back from. We all got messed up when we were kids, Lev. But some of us had boundaries. And those of us who didn’t, well . . . hell, that’s part of the reason Nate isn’t here anymore.”

I feel like Garrett just slapped me across the face, and I physically rear back. “Nate isn’t not here because we got fucked up a lot.” I seethe. Nate’s not here because he got fucked up, and I wasn’t there for him. I was busy trying to get into someone’s pants.

“Whatever, man.” Garrett waves his hand in the air. “I just don’t want to be the one who’s feeding Dare the shit that will repeat the cycle.”

Before I do or say something I might regret, I turn away. “I need to get back to our friends. Thanks for the drink.”

The conversation leaves me unsettled, a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. Garrett is wrong. Nate didn’t die because someone gave him too much to drink at a bar (or a party for that matter). He died because of me. Because I was out trying to have sex for the first time rather than staying with him at the party. I should’ve been there to stop him from getting in that car.

If I’d been there, not out chasing ass, he’d still be alive.

I’m caught in the rationalization in my head when Nolan chuckles and leans over the arm of the chair, glancing into the game room. “Look who’s here.” He takes a swig of his cheap beer and points the bottle toward the pool tables where I make out the image of Dare. Speak of the devil.

I can only catch a glimpse of Dare because the rest of the room is blocked by the wall, but it’s unmistakably him. Ripped, tight black jeans hug his body. His black boots are laced up to his knees, and he’s wearing a black leather jacket over top a dark T-shirt. He’s playing pool and moving around the table, jumping in and out of my line of sight.

Strangely, I wish that I could see all of him, the entire time. I don’t want the wall there. I don’t want my vision of him to be blocked by anything.

After every shot he takes on the pool table, he downs a shot from a tray full of glasses on one of the high-tops near the door. His friend, a little redhead wearing a short skirt and low-cut top, joins him, and they clink their glasses together. She’s handsy with him, and he doesn’t seem to mind, wrapping his arm around her waist and laughing into her hair every so often.

“You guys seem to always be here the same nights,” Nolan points out, pulling my attention back to him.

I scoff. “I come out here because you assholes ask me to. That’s all.” I try to not turn and look back toward the game room.

Nolan continues. He’s relentless. “All I’m saying is that it seems like every time we’re here, so is he, hiding in the shadows.”

“Hiding in the shadows?” Chris jumps in. “Whatdafuq is that? Like he’s some vampire or werewolf shit or something?”

Nolan laughs. “Well, he always wanted to be a Wolf,” he says, and the two of them howl.

I sink back into my chair, slightly embarrassed, and the heat in my cheeks deepens as Dare glances into the room, following where the sound is coming from. His eyes meet mine, and a coy smile spreads across his lips. He raises an eyebrow and tips his glass to me, then takes a drink before he turns around and walks out of my view. My stomach flips, and my heart pounds.

A lycan, I think. A little werewolf.

At that moment, several things happen. Nolan and Chris start laughing hysterically at their howl. I roll my eyes and look over to the doorway of the game room again just in time to see Darian grab another one of the glasses and down the shot. Before he can finish, the redhead slams into him, causing him to stumble. He crashes his back into the high-top table, knocking into it so it tips, and as he overcorrects, he falls. He narrowly misses hitting his head on the table. Glasses shatter, and alcohol splashes everywhere. Dare rolls on the floor to his side, landing in the mess. The redhead is laying on top of him, laughing hysterically.

Thankfully, my brain quickly processes what’s happening, and I’m up out of my seat heading toward the game room as Garrett curses and throws his towel on the bar.

I put my hand up to Garrett, letting him know I’ll handle it, and I walk past him and into the game room, giving him time to grab the mop and bucket to clean up the mess. One of the people from their group of friends leans over and grabs the redhead by the waist, pulling her up. She squeals and kicks her legs as I step in front of her and reach my hand down to Dare, who’s lying on his back. He looks at my hand, his eyes focusing as they trail up my arm. When our gazes meet, Dare starts to laugh. He’s lying in a puddle of alcohol and who knows what else, and he fucking laughs. Full on, obnoxiously laughs. I take a deep breath and lean lower so he can reach up and take my hand.

He’s still laughing as he lifts his opposite arm and his hand meets mine.

“Come on,” I say, my hand closing around his. Lightning zaps up my arm, and I yank him up, harder than expected. He crashes into me, his body pressing against mine. He’s still laughing. The smell of beer and alcohol is so strong I almost gag. I push him off of me and steady him as Garrett comes through the door with the mop and bucket.

Garrett shoots me an incredulous look. “Get him out of here, Lev.” He’s visibly upset, and he turns to the group still at the pool table. “Anything more from any of you and you’re out!” He makes a point to look at each of them as he says his piece. They all nod and go back to the game, chalking up the tips of their cue sticks and turning away to have hushed conversation. Garrett brushes the glass off of Dare’s back and legs, mumbling something under his breath.

I realize that I’m still holding onto Dare’s biceps.

“Can you walk?” I ask him.

He stumbles and starts to laugh again, and I sigh and put my arm around his waist. He’s strong and solid against my side. And though he’s much leaner than I am, his body is hard.

That better be the only thing that’s hard over the next few minutes.

“Come on,” I say, starting toward the exit.

I throw a nod to the corner where Nolan and Chris are looking at us wide-eyed. “Get me a water,” I say, as loudly as I can. With my free hand, I signal taking a drink, hoping they know what I’m asking.

Once Dare and I are outside in the brisk fall air, I help him sit in one of the chairs in the outside seating area and then text Chris to be sure someone comes to the door with a bottle of water.