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“You’re evil for threatening to take away my phone,” Elijah said with a huff. “Let’s go eat some decadent desserts, sip some delicious coffee, and see if Ajax is really flirting with you.”
Drake grabbed Elijah’s arm when his friend started to get out. “What if I’m just imagining this? I don’t want to make a fool of myself.”
Elijah’s eyes softened. “Any man would be lucky to have you, Drake. You’re good-looking, have an amazing smile, and you’re sweet and kind, if not a push-over.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Case in point, Brody.” Elijah opened his car door. “Stop stalling and come on.”
After taking a deep breath for courage, Drake got out and headed inside.
Chapter Two
“If Kramer doesn’t want to listen, there’s not much you can do,” Ajax said. “You can’t force him to hear you out.”
With a sigh, Ajax leaned against the counter, wondering when in the hell the problems of his former pack had become his current problems. He’d moved here to get away from the pressure and troubles of leadership. Yet, his old pack still called him on a regular basis.
It was as if Ajax would never get out from under the mantle of responsibility even though he hadn’t been part of a pack in over a year.
“But he’s being unreasonable,” Kenji argued. “At least you heard us out. This guy acts as if he can have all the perks of leadership without actually leading.”
Ajax knew Kramer and wasn’t even sure how the guy had taken over the pack. Kramer was more into himself than his people. He’d always been that way. Spoiled rotten by his father, unsympathetic to others, not an ounce of empathy, and vain as hell.
The guy wouldn’t know hard work and leadership if it walked up to him and slapped him in his arrogant face.
In truth, Ajax was surprised the guy had lasted this long without anyone challenging him. Then again, Kramer’s father was a son of a bitch, underhanded, and would stoop to the lowest level to ensure his son stayed in power.
Anyone who even thought to challenge Kramer would more than likely be met with some kind of “accident.” Ajax wouldn’t put it past Luther or his son. It was probably Luther who’d gotten Kramer into power in the first place.
Sadly, when Ajax had walked away, he’d left the pack leaderless. At the time, he hadn’t been in a good headspace. He’d just lost his father to their enemy, a guy Ajax had been dating broke things off, and those in the pack who loved challenging him had suddenly come at him hard.
Fed up, Ajax had packed his things and moved away, but there were some who refused to let him live in peace.
Like Kenji. The guy was a dear friend to Ajax, and honestly, he was a bit surprised Kenji still wanted to talk to him after what Ajax had done.
“What do you want me to do?” Ajax asked. “I’m three hours away, and even if I were close, I’m not interested in leading again.”
That would mean returning to Greenwood, a place filled with too many painful memories. Ajax had not only lost his father but his mother a few decades prior.
In all honesty, he wasn’t sure how his father had lived without his mate. If you asked Ajax, he hadn’t. Stone Forester hadn’t been living after she’d died. He’d simply existed, engaging in no more laughter or good times. Ajax’s father was nothing more than an empty shell of his former self.
Which made it easy for their enemy to creep in and kill Stone. Ajax hadn’t even been in town that night, but when he returned, chaos ensued. Those in the pack that hated his family tried to attack him.
Which he quickly made them regret. Then he’d gone after the person responsible for Stone’s death and made him slowly bleed out.
Ajax was shaken from his thoughts when the door to the café opened. He looked up to find Kenji strolling in. “Then maybe I’ll just move here,” Kenji said as he hung up.
Ajax tucked his phone into his pocket, came around the counter, and gave Kenji a quick man-hug. “Good to see you, man. Why didn’t you tell me you were in town?”
“I’m telling you now,” Kenji said. “I decided a vacation was in order before I did something that would get me killed. Like killing Kramer. Do you know he has some diehard fans in the pack? How the hell can anyone look up to such an asshole?”
“You looked up to me,” Ajax reminded him.
“But you were a loveable asshole,” Kenji replied with a shit-eating grin.
“I see you cut your hair.” Ajax liked the new look, though he was used to seeing his friend with long, black hair. Kenji was of Mexican descent, with a little something else. Ajax had never asked what that something else was because it didn’t matter to him.
He and Kenji had been friends since they were pups, and he never saw race. Most shifters didn’t. Only a person’s integrity mattered.
