Page 33 of Chosen Spirits (The Bartender Mage #4)

Apart from a harness that read 'Bouncer' on one side, and 'Service Wolf' on the other, the shifter was entirely nude, a fact that didn't go unnoticed among the clientele.

He was certainly the cause of the uptick in patrons, as word of mouth spread that the Rainbow Rooster had a top dog frequenting most nights.

Dee had joked-but-not-really that he should hire a whole handful of nudist shifters to staff the bar, pointing out that shifters were also usually more physically affectionate, at which point Jack had said it sounded like Dee wanted to open a brothel, which caused him to immediately make over-the-top suggestions about combining the Rainbow Rooster with a hypothetical place that he was calling The Fox's Hole.

"Jack, I think Dee's sassiness is rubbing off on you."

Jack enfolded him in a warm, fluffy hug. "He rubs a lot of stuff onto me. But more seriously, Leif, this isn't goodbye forever, just goodbye for now. And it's not like we won't be seeing you at Rahul's get-togethers."

Leif tried to comment, but Jack made a growling sound and hugged him tighter, which didn't do much more than make Leif very aware of the shifter's swollen sheath that was pressing up into his belly.

That caused Leif to start to get aroused, which he knew Jack would immediately smell, which made him get harder faster , and then he was feeling something else poking into his belly.

Trying to ignore it, Leif just accepted the hug for a moment longer, hearing Dennis banter with a couple of watching customers and talking about charging a fee.

"Speaking of nudists, my sweet little dove," Dennis said as Leif finally disengaged and wiped off his sticky stomach.

Dennis fluttered his fingers, indicating Leif's wet-spotted speedo that he secretly planned on cramming into Jack's mouth later as a going-away present.

"How would you feel about doing the occasional magical strip show? "

◆◆◆

June 3rd, Tucker

Tucker watched Leif dance and bob his head to the music that Rahul had blaring through their house speaker system as he mixed a drink in a shaker, then poured into a cocktail glass for Jamie Cohen.

Today was Celebration Day according to the cheap banner that Leif had strung up, to acknowledge all the recent special events.

The new operative, Nona Brown, had just completed her training and would be joining the department as a full detective starting next week.

Deimos announced that his wife was now pregnant with their fourth child.

And lastly, Alyssa had told Leif, Leif had told Tucker, and Tucker had hounded Fang relentlessly at work until she'd snapped and loudly admitted to everyone in the main office that yes, she'd asked Alyssa to marry her, and yes, she'd said yes, and doesn't everyone have work to do besides taking part in idle gossip?

Tucker had not been deterred in the slightest, and had given her a crushing, shifter-sized hug.

"They're fantastic together," Rahul said, wrapping an arm around his shoulder and indicating where Fang and Alyssa were standing together, finessing questions from friends and coworkers.

"I can't wait to throw the second party for Alyssa's circle of friends.

I'm thinking of taking them out to karaoke with Leif, and save your poor ears since they're into death and scream metal. "

"I'd appreciate it," Tucker drawled. "Alright, babe, go bust up the wellwishers. Despite her smile, Fang's starting to get annoyed by the crowd, and she needs a breather."

"On it, pup."

Rahul gave him a kiss on the cheek, grabbed a charcuterie board off of the kitchen island, then bellowed his way across the room, drawing eyes and attention.

Nodding, Tucker took a deep breath to sense the attitude of the twenty or so guests, then went over to the bar.

He stole a kiss of his own from his darlin', then had him make two quick drinks.

After they were complete, Tucker carried them over to the couch, where Joseph Hernandez sat watching the festivities.

"Oh, I couldn't," Joseph said, holding a hand up.

"It's a mocktail," Tucker said, pressing the pina colada into his hand. "I know you don't drink."

Tucker clinked his own non-alcoholic strawberry daiquiri to Joseph's glass, then watched him take a sip.

"Pineapplely," he said, taking another drink before setting it down on a coaster.

"Not enjoying yourself?" he asked quietly, moving to sit closer so they could hear each other. Tucker tapped his nose, offering a smile. "No lying, now, new friend. "

Joseph shrugged, then fiddled with some of the necklaces he wore. "It's a fine party. I suppose I just feel like a shoe has yet to drop."

"No shoes," Tucker said, lifting a foot and wiggling his toes. "Is the Order treating you well enough? I heard they made you Lady I'ari's personal liaison here in Minnesota."

"That's what I'm talking about," he said, looking unnerved. "Apparently she asked for me by name!"

"Ah! And you're worried about being pulled into some Faerie plot, or maybe that this is a long, slow revenge situation."

"Yes. Mother protect me, I don't know what to do."

Tucker shook his head. "I doubt you have anything to worry about.

I'ari doesn't seem like the type to hold a grudge.

But if you feel like this is hanging over your head, hmm.

I'm not going to tell you to voluntarily have a conversation with a royal elf, but it would give you the answers you want, if you did.

I'm finding that just admitting to someone how you really feel can fix a lot of problems."

"So just talk with her. Gracious me. But, I suppose I am to meet with her once a month, so I might as well."

"I think you'll be fine," Tucker said. "Although…"

Joseph grabbed his drink, taking a desperate sip. "Tucker, new best friend who is kind and doesn't hold any grudges himself against loco arbiters doing their job. What although?"

"Well, I'ari did ask for you by name, but she also knows a great many arbiters, and many that are a lot more experienced than you are. I think you might be right about there being a scheme involving you, and I think I have an inkling as to what."

Joseph hurried to put his glass back down, then gripped Tucker's shoulder. Tucker could tell that he was working to retain his composure, but the idea of working with a powerful sorceress must have been eating away at him.

"Yes?Continue?"

"I reckon that I'ari's plan for you…" Tucker paused to make sure that the druid was paying attention. "Is as Uncle Joseph."

Joseph pulled back slowly, lowering his head. Tucker could see his eyes shifting as the druid thought the idea over.

"What?No.Really?No."

"I'ari plans to raise her adopted child here," Tucker explained.

"She knows that whoever the mythic council assigns to keep tabs on her is someone that's going to be around her and her child for the next decade or more, at least. She'd have wanted someone who could be a good role model, I'll bet, and one that would be sensitive to her child's, uh, unique needs. "

Tucker left the star child part unsaid, though most of the present guests were already aware. But, there was also the part about the child growing up within a form that wasn't necessarily his own.

"Does that help, pardner?"

"An uncle, huh?" he said, looking across the room. Reaching down, he fingered the white, pink, and blue scarf he had knotted around his neck. "Uncle Joe. To a… terrifyingly powerful youth. I think I could get used to that."

Joseph reached for his glass again, downing the rest of the virgin pina colada.

"It's times like this I wish drinking appealed to me," he said.

Tucker shook his head, then stood up and beckoned for Joseph to follow. "Naw, I got something better."

After finishing his own drink and dropping the glasses off at the kitchen sink, he headed to the front door, grabbing an accessory while he waited for Joseph to slip his shoes on.

"What's outside?" Joseph asked, following him out.

Tucker handed over an LED leash, took off his shirt and kilt, then made the shift into his beagle form.

"A walk," he chirped. "Just you, me, a summer night, and whatever chaseable critters are around."

"Ah, friend, you do have some good ideas sometimes. Lead on."

Tucker waited for Joseph to attach the leash to his collar—really, it was just for the benefit of any cars or night cyclists they might pass—then set out at a slow pace down to where he knew a jogging path intersected the road.

"Yup! I figure maybe thirty or forty minutes might do us both some good. Oh! Before I forget, the Pride parade is in a couple of weeks, and Leif wanted me to extend you an invitation to watch it with us…"

◆◆◆

June 9th, Rahul

"Who did it?" Mina demanded of the audience in a gruff tone. "Who is responsible for the disappearance of The Fifth Roommate?"

On the edge of his seat, Rahul listened as the club's small crowd started shouting out names, sometimes unprompted, other times when Mina pointed at them in turn.

Each time, either Dane, Deirdre, Li, or Eve would respond according to their characters.

Wisely, she skipped over Rahul, though he was itching to finish the line.

Once Mina had the audience properly riled up, she strode back to the center of the stage, standing tall and proud while the others stood frozen in a group. She leveled a finger at them .

"The real culprit… was all four of you!" Upon saying so, Mina swept her trench coat back, then lifted her hands to let loose an illusory pyrotechnics display.

"No," Deirdre said, reaching up to grab her floppy ears. "Nooo!"

Li and Eve clutched each other and wailed loudly in a fair imitation of an ambulance, their voices rising and falling a perfect octave apart, while Dane dropped to the ground.

"Gods damn it," he said, beating the ground of the stage with his hands before raising a fist to shake at the sky. "Gods damn it all to hell!"