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“Perfect?” he repeated as he continued to laugh. “Boy, that is the funniest thing I have ever heard. Where on earth did you get the idea we have anything perfect?”
Dax was caught a little off guard himself.
“What I mean to say is, you both just always seem so affectionate. So supportive of each other.”
“Well,” Duke said as he got a little thoughtful. “I suppose that is true. But don’t think that came so easy.” Walking back up front through the door. A moment later he returned with a few beers, and passed one to Dax.
“So unless I’m mistaken, you got lady troubles, huh?”
“It’s that obvious?”
“It is,” he said simply.
“Great. Not anymore,” Dax sighed. “It’s done. She betrayed me. And the pack. It seems everything I have tried to do, she has tried to undo.” He shook his head. “It doesn’t matter now,” he said miserably.
Duke was quiet for a minute as he sucked down his beer.
“We’re talking about Bloom, huh?” Duke said thoughtfully, weighing his words. “My nightlife competition?” he added laughing.
“Hardly, she caters mostly to the high and mighty fae, and the fucking council.”
“Ah, you’d be surprised, but a few shifters make their way over there,” Duke said. “And you know we get our fair share of fae. But I am starting to get a sense of your dilemma. Look, son. I don’t know the details, and I’ll wager they don’t even matter. But I will tell you this. I’ve seen the look in your eye when you too are together. And in hers. That is not something to just dismiss.” Duke got serious. “You want to know why Bessie and I are still together. Because we recognized what we had. We don’t let any stupid bickering or opinions or whatever get in the way of that. If she wants to tell me to take my boots off before I enter the house, that’s fine with me. Hell, she could probably tell me to wear a dress while I’m in the house, and I’d do it. You can’t put a price on a good woman. You gotta know when to bend, or you’re gonna break too,” he said, sort of pointing at Dax with his beer. “Behind all the other bullshit of our quirks or whatever, we both know what we have. We love each other. That’s something most nobody really finds in this life. So, I don’t know the details of your little squabble, and I don’t rightly think it matters. But you gotta ask yourself if it’s worth losing what I see in both of your eyes when you’re together. Because that ain’t something to piss away. I’ll tell you that.”
Dax just listened. He wanted to believe what Duke was saying, but Duke didn’t know what she had done.
“Good speech,” he finally said.
“I thought so,” Duke said with a wink. “Now drink the rest of your beer and stop making me sound like a pussy with all this mate talk.”
This time it was Dax’s turn to laugh as he clinked his beer with Duke.
He downed the rest of his beer.
This mate business is not easy.
CHAPTER25
“Mates shmates,” she said miserably between sips from her drink as she sat at one of the tables in the relative emotional safety of her own bar.
“Bloom, come on, at least do your drinking behind the bar,” Mack said.
“There’s hardly anyone here,” she said, waving him off.
What did it matter if she got hammered in front of or behind the bar anyhow.
Nothing matters.
“Come on, kiddo,” Mack said, as he came up behind her and gently helped her to her feet.
“I want to be with someone like The Tree,” she said, raising her glass to the bar.
“Oh, is that right?”
“The Tree would make the perfect ‘mate’,” she said. “For me that is. Too bad it’s just a spirit.” Then, after a beat, “No offense. But it’s protective, and certainly tries to look after my needs.” She paused in consideration. “Of course it is missing a few key things.” She stared into her glass for a moment.
“But it would never accuse me of betraying it.” She descended into tears for a moment, which she quickly suppressed into just sniffles.
“Did you try to explain the situation to him? It sounds like Finch sort of tricked you, or at least took advantage of your goodwill.”
