Page 62 of Blood Fist

He shook his head. “Why would I?”

“Because it was fun,” Brune suggested. “Would have been better with you.”

Cheeks flushing, he wrinkled his nose at the notion. “Don’t be ridiculous.”

Brune shrugged. He didn’t feel the need to justify himself. Ridan’s hand dropped back to the lump in his pocket.

“Maybe I was afraid.”

“You?” a small eyebrow rose to his hairline. “You’re not afraid of anything.”

I’m terrified of you.

But Ridan couldn’t tell him that. There were a lot of things he couldn’t tell him, things he wouldn’t even admit to himself. Tightening his arms over his chest, he grumbled.

“Of course not,” he snapped. “I was testing you.”

Brune’s eyes were bright with mirth, but he nodded sagely. “Of course.”

There it was again: the urge to purr. To nuzzle under Brune’s jaw and breathe in his rocky scent straight from the source. Maybe even mark him with his own sweet pepper scent, feel his thick fingers curling through his hair when he did it, that heavy alpha rumble shaking his chest.

Ridan had never felt that way before. He wasn’t a fool—he knew what it meant. That there was a part of him who thought of Brune as more than just another alpha. And in another time, if he was another omega, he might pursue it. Ridan had nothing to give Brune. He couldn’t even give himself. He didn’t know how. Ridan had only ever loved his pack, and they were given to him from birth. There was no trying, no prying himself open to look at all his emotionally stunted parts. With what little he had left; he had been raised to give to the clan.

And Brune deserved so much more. Ridan was just…using him. A flower turning towards the sun to soak up its rays without giving it anything in return.

Gritting his teeth, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the small leather bag. With a grunt, he slapped it to Brune’s chest.

“Wha—?” he asked, scrambling to catch the palm sized bag before it fell to the ground. Lifting it so he could see it better, he tried to get Ridan’s attention, but he was resolutely staring at the ground between his legs.

Giving up, Brune pulled the little strings and let the necklace fall out into his hand. It took him a moment to see it in the gloom, but when he did, Brune gasped.

“The Snap Jaw’s teeth?”

Ridan hummed, finally looking down at the necklace pooled in Brune’s meaty fist. He’d tanned andconditioned the leather string himself, so it would be strong and soft against Brune’s neck. The teeth were hung with the largest in the middle, separated by glossy red beads that he thought would look good against Brune’s skin.

It was a simple thing, but it was the best he could do. He was no artisan. But you couldn’t tell by the way Brune was gaping down at the piece of jewelry. He acted as if it was some treasure.

“When did you…? I thought I traded all the teeth.”

“You did,” Ridan grumbled. “These are the ones you knocked out with the hammer.”

He jerked his head up, eyes finding Ridan’s in the dark. “You picked them up?”

“It wasn’t hard,” he bristled, uncomfortable with the look Brune was giving him. It made his heart beat harder in his chest and his fingers itch to do something. Like touch him.

Chewing on his lower lip, Brune held it out to him. “Will you put it on for me?”

“What, are your arms broken? Do it yourself!” he objected, heart about to slam right out from between his ribs.

“Please, Ridan?”

If asked, Ridan would say it was a fit of some sorts. Probably some kind of latent Kaledonean magic clouding his senses. Ridan got up on his knees, taking the necklace from Brune and sliding it over his head, listening to the beads clink against the teeth as they settled on his collar bones.

Brune snagged one of his hands, squeezing it quickly before letting Ridan jerk it back. He held it to his chest, resisting the urge to check and see if some of Brune’s scent lingered.

“Thank you.” His smile was blinding.

“It’s not—I j-just didn’t want you embarrassing the clan with a bare neck at the festival,” he groused, clinging to the lie he told himself from the moment he started meticulously drilling holes into the teeth.