“Yeah.” Nicholas laughed without humor. “Because he seems like such a reasonable man.” He shook his head. “I don’t know what to do.”
“Talk to him. You’re his mate. I’m sure he’ll listen.”
“Or he won’t and I’ll lose my only shot at having a mate.”
It was a very real possibility, especially since Adam was the Alpha of his pack. There was no way he would stay in New Orleans. And Nicholas wasn’t going to leave his life behind. The whole situation was completely fucked up.
“You’re his only chance at a mate as well, Nicky. Trust me. Everything is going to be okay.”
“We’ll see,” Nicholas mumbled, shrugging. He wasn’t convinced, and truthfully, he didn’t believe his brother.
“Do you want to head over to the Silver Bullet and get a drink?” Damon asked.
“I’m not in the mood.”
“Come on.” Damon grabbed his arm, pulling him up off the couch. “Let’s have a couple of drinks. It’ll be fun.”
Nicholas rolled his eyes heavenward. “Fine.”
Letting out a heavy sigh, Nicholas followed Damon out of their shop. His brother locked the door, and the two of them walked to the parking lot on the side of the building. Pulling his keys out of his pocket, Nicholas unlocked his BMW 4 Series.
“Do you want to take one car?” Damon asked.
“No, I’ll meet you there.”
Nicholas opened the door and slid behind the wheel. He started the engine and grinned. Racing Damon was one of his favorite pastimes. Looking over at his brother, Nicholas winked before putting his car in gear and taking off. Glancing into the rearview mirror, he caught sight of Damon’s middle finger and chuckled. He pulled out of the parking lot and headed toward the Silver Bullet, racing ahead of Damon.
When the light turned red, Nicholas tapped the steering wheel.
“Come on, come on, come on…”
He heard the throaty rumble of Damon’s 1965 GTO before he saw the man’s car pull up behind him. His brother revved the engine, and Nicholas did the same.
“I’m gonna kick your ass!” Damon shouted.
Nicholas merely shook his head. Gripping the steering wheel, Nicholas stared at the light. As soon as it turned green, he hit the gas pedal and took off. With each lane change, Damon stayed on his ass, following the moves with perfect precision. After years of racing through the streets of New Orleans, they knew each other well. Damon anticipated each turn, staying close to his rear bumper. Adrenaline and excitement burned through his system, pushing out all thoughts of Adam.
When the Silver Bullet came into sight, Damon moved to the other lane. He revved the engine, and the beast under the hood growled in response. Damon shot past Nicholas, cutting him off. He pulled into the parking lot of the club and took the first available spot before jumping out of his car. With his arms thrown into the air, his brother hooted and hollered, singing his victory.
“Asshole,” Nicholas grumbled.
He parked his car and shut the engine off. Climbing out, Nicholas hit the lock button, and the lights flashed.
“Nicky.” Damon ran up behind him. “If you do decide to go to Virginia, I promise to come and visit. You won’t ever lose me.”
Nicholas bumped into Damon’s shoulder. “I know.”
I have a mate.
At that moment, everything seemed to crash all around him. Suddenly, Nicholas didn’t really feel like drinking. He just wanted to go home and forget that today had ever happened.
Chapter One
Two Weeks Later
Nicholas grabbed his keys and jogged down the stairs, heading toward the front door. He had an appointment at The Burning Needle, and he was running behind schedule.
“My brother is leaving town this afternoon,” Rory said, stepping in front of Nicholas. “He’s going back to Virginia.”
Nicholas’s heart clenched painfully inside his chest, bringing back the ache he’d been desperately trying to ignore. Nicholas had been avoiding Adam, purposely hiding so that he wouldn’t have to deal with his mate. He wasn’t ready, not yet, but now it seemed as though his time had run out.
“Oh.” Nicholas cleared his throat. “Well…uh…tell him to drive safe.”
“That’s it?” Rory put his hands on his hips, clearly unhappy.
“What do you want me to say?”
He was torn between his life in New Orleans and abandoning everything he knew to be with his mate in another state. Things didn’t work this way for humans. They weren’t expected to leave their homes and families behind. They were encouraged to get to know one another before committing to a long-term relationship. Shifters, on the other hand, jumped in without much thought. Once you scented your mate, the only things that mattered were fucking, marking, and claiming.