“Damn it,” Rueben muttered. “I should just go home.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “It’s obvious he isn’t interested in talking to me,” he grumbled to himself, scooting toward the bed’s edge. He grabbed his crutches and levered himself to his feet…or foot.
“Then, what the hell am I doing?” he grumbled.
His confusion didn’t stop him from leaving his room and hobbling down the hallway to the room where his brother still resided, at least, for one more night. Ricky had told him he planned to leave the next morning and return to work in San Francisco. It wasn’t often Rueben got to hang out with his brother without them sniping at each other, so the dinners they’d shared together the last couple evenings had been really, really…nice.
“Yeah?”
Ricky’s voice through the door caught Rueben’s attention. Damn, when did I get here and knock? Shaking his head, Rueben hollered, “It’s me.”
The lock flicked open and Ricky pulled the door wide. “Hey, what’s up?”
“Any idea which room is Lamar’s?”
Scowling at him, Ricky crossed his arms over his chest. “I told you not to get involved with him. Why do you want to know?”
“Don’t give me shit,” he snapped. “Just tell me.”
Ricky rolled his eyes and pushed away from the wall. “Why would you bother listening to your older and wiser brother,” he griped.
“Well, you’re half right.”
After flipping the metal loop used to lock the door from the inside, effectively keeping the door from closing and locking, Ricky led the way down the corridor to another room. He knocked loudly, then stood back and placed his hands on his hips.
Sam, bare-chested with a towel around his waist, idly rubbing his closely shorn scalp with a second one, opened the door. “Yeah?” When he spotted Rueben, he grinned. “Hey, congrats, man. We’re all happy for you and Lamar.”
Completely confused, Rueben’s brows drew down. “Huh?”
“You and Lamar. Your mating.” Sam leaned out the door, peering down the hall. “He still in your room?”
“No, he’s not in my room,” Rueben snarled. “Lamar hasn’t spoken to me in three days. Where is he? He talked as if he wanted a repeat fucking, then disappeared after heading here to take a shower. If he’s changed his mind, he should be man enough to tell me to my face.”
Sam’s skin paled under his tan. “What? I haven’t seen him, either. Me and the guys just figured he was holed up with you in your room.” He shrugged, looking a bit uncomfortable. “You know…getting to know each other.”
“Wait…a…minute,” Ricky drew out his words, drawing both men’s attention. “Rueben and Lamar’s mating? What are you saying, Sam?” Ricky turned his frown on Rueben. “What the hell have you done? I told you to stay away from him!”
That earned Ricky a fierce glare from Sam. “You warned your brother away from Lamar? What the hell for?” he growled.
Ricky crossed his arms over his chest for the second time and his eyes narrowed as he sneered, “That should be obvious.”
“Hey,” Rueben yelled. “What the hell are you both talking about? Where’s Lamar?”
“Damn it,” Sam mumbled. “Get in here.” He opened the door wide and stepped backward. “We gotta talk.”
Rolling his eyes, beyond confused and frustrated, Rueben hobbled forward. “Right.” Once the door closed, he demanded gruffly, “Tell me what the hell you two are going on about.”
Sam sighed. “You better take a seat,” he said, waving toward one of the small chairs.
Rueben frowned, but after looking at his brother—who continued to frown, but nodded—he did as Sam said. Ricky took the opposite chair. Once seated, he waved his hands in a well, now what motion and lifted one brow.
Sitting on the bed five feet away, facing him, Sam stared at his hands where he had them clasped between his knees for several seconds. Finally, he lifted his head, pinned a hard gaze on Rueben, and stated, “I’m a shape shifter. So is Lamar. I turn into a Texas longhorn bull. Lamar turns into a peacock. Each shifter has a soul mate out there somewhere in the world. We only get one, true soul mate and we search our whole lives for that person. You are that soul mate for Lamar.”
From Sam’s very first sentence, Rueben felt his mouth drop open and there it had stayed through the entire spiel. This guy believes he can turn into a bull? And Lamar can turn into a peacock? A freaking peacock? Really? Disbelief flooded Rueben. “What the hell are you trying to pull?”