Page 32 of Fighting Fate (Monsters of London #4)

Vince

My class the next night is for the vampires, so I leave Jamie and Nick safely tucked up in the house as I head out. I’m an awful person, but I’m kind of glad to get out of there. It’s been a long day, with Jamie and Nick both working from home, and all three of us sniping at each other.

At least if I’m not there, they can bitch about me and get it out of their systems. I don’t blame them. I’m not even working when I’m in the house, so I bet that’s more annoying.

I grin when I walk into the warehouse and see Dax already waiting there. He sent me a few texts last night, worrying about something Kieran said to him about there being a place in his pack. My heart skips a beat at the thought, and I wonder if he can hear it. He can’t, can he?

He smiles back. It lights up his face, and my stomach flutters. Okay, maybe we need to get this date thing up and running.

Kieran’s already here, too, and he snags me before I can reach Dax.

Probably for the best. I might have done something silly like kiss him senseless. Fuck, I need to get my head on straight.

“Everything all right at the house?”

The memory of the feeling from the night before hits me and it’s like a bucket of ice has been thrown over my good mood. “I’m not sure. I mean, they’re fine right now, but I think someone was watching the house yesterday.”

Kieran’s frown deepens, and across the room, Lucien lifts his head from where he’s been looking at his phone. That has to be their bond, right? I don’t really understand the intricacies of it—they can feel each other’s emotions. Read thoughts? I don’t think so.

Still, the thought of even that—of someone experiencing my emotions because we’re so deeply connected…

It’s not something I really like the sound of.

“Did you get a good look at them?”

“No. Like I said, it was a feeling. I saw someone go around the corner when I looked, but that could have been anyone. It was like nine o’clock.”

Kieran hums, crossing his arms over his chest. “If you can get Jamie and Nick out of the house for a while, I could send Sam over to set some wards.”

“That’ll use up some of his magic, right?”

“Only for a bit, and he’ll—”

“No, it’ll be fine. We’re keeping the doors locked when we’re inside for the most part—I mean, the front door is locked basically all the time—and I make sure to check everything before I go to bed. It’s probably just paranoia.”

Kieran eyes me sceptically. “If you say so.”

I snort. “I think I just did.” I think of something then and sigh. “But can I give Jamie and Nick your number? Just in case something happens when I’m not around.”

“Yeah, of course.”

I send over his contact info, listening as more people come into the warehouse. There aren’t all that many young vampires, but generally, the vampires seem to be less confident in their combat or defence abilities than the wolves. I suppose it comes up less often, living in the clan the way they do.

“Ready?” I ask when they’re all assembled, striding over to the centre of the room.

The wolves—Dax, Cecile, and Saoirse, as ever—begin to strip, and I keep my eyes firmly on the vampires. They’re not self-conscious about it. I suppose it’s quite natural for them. Still, I definitely can’t look at Dax. There might be nothing sexual about him taking his clothes off before he shifts, but that doesn’t mean my mind’s quite caught up to that fact.

They all shift, three wolves now prowling around the warehouse. Kieran leans against the back wall, crossing one ankle over the other. Lucien is close to me, as is Adam, and I’m not all that surprised that Drew and Sam aren’t here. This class is late, it being summer, and Drew still has to work.

“Okay. We talked last week about running away—that’s always the best choice.” I focus on one of the younger vamps, a hothead named Jace. He doesn’t look at me. He’s watching Dax, who snorts in his direction. “But if you can’t, then relying on brute strength won’t work. You’re stronger than humans. Wolves are stronger than you.”

Jace glances over at me, and Dax takes his cue from the smallest twitch of my fingers. He pounces, and Jace sprawls on the mat beneath him, trying to wriggle out from underneath.

Adam laughs, covering his mouth in apology when Jace glares at him. There’ll be no hard feelings. Jace is quick to get frustrated, but he apologises easily enough, too.

“Right.” I clap my hands, and they all turn to look at me. Dax nudges Jace’s cheek with his nose before he backs off. “Let’s try that again.”

The issue with running a class full of wolves and vampires is that, when it’s over, it’s as if I never made them do any work at all. Not a single person is out of breath or even slightly red in the face.

Well, Jace is a little. Dax knocked him over five more times before he managed to work out how to slide out from beneath him.

I drag one of the mats across the room and Adam shakes his head at me, carrying another. “You should make us do this, you know,” he says. “Save your little muscles.”

“Dickhead,” I mutter. He laughs, which catches Kieran’s attention, but he doesn’t come to see what’s going on. I don’t think he’s that bothered. Lucien is crowding him in against the wall, and even as I watch, Kieran’s attention shifts back to him again.

“Yeah, yeah. Listen, are you—”

Dax appears on my left and Adam snaps his mouth shut with a grin.

“Everything all right?” I ask.

“Yeah,” Dax replies. His gaze darts between me and Adam. “I just wanted to see—”

“I’ll go get the other mat.” Adam wanders away, though I’m sure he can still hear us.

“What did you want to see?”

“Oh. Do you want to get a drink tonight?”

I grimace. It’s already eleven, and I really should get back. But it’s also Friday, which means some of the quieter bars will be open until two, and aside from texts and the classes, it’s like I haven’t spoken to Dax at all.

“I…”

“I want to talk to you about something.”

“You do?” I frown. “Sounds serious.”

Dax looks down at his feet, shoulders slumped. He’s kept his distance from Kieran the entire class, and I wonder if it’s about that. Did Kieran say something to him? He’s been enjoying dinners with the pack. I know that.

“Yeah, okay,” I say. Texts aren’t cutting it for all we need to talk about. For all I want to talk about. “There’s a place just around the corner. Should be open late.”

Dax smiles, and it lights up his entire face. “Okay. Let’s… go?” He looks around. Adam brings the other mat over—and waggles his eyebrows at me when Dax isn’t looking—then waves a hand in farewell.

“Sam gave me the spare key,” he says. “We can lock up.”

Kieran and Lucien are still waiting for him, despite the fact I’m sure they want to be dragging each other out of here. “You’re sure?”

“Yeah, we’ve got it. See you Sunday, maybe.”

“Maybe.”

I follow Dax out into the night, and we walk silently away from the warehouse and to the bar. It’s not just around the corner, technically, but it’s not all that far, and the silence between us is companionable.

Once inside, we order drinks and grab a table in the back corner. The place is kind of busy, music playing, but it’s not too loud and gives me the excuse to lean in close.

“All right,” I say after I take a sip of my beer. “Tell me what’s going on with you.”

Dax blinks at me as though he’s confused. “What? There’s nothing—”

“You didn’t speak to Kieran at all today. You barely went near Adam at all, and I know you love teasing him. What did they say to you last night?”

To my surprise, Dax blushes and stares fixedly down at the tabletop. When he fidgets in his chair, I reach out and grab his hand. He stills instantly, though he doesn’t look at me.

“It was my fault.”

“Your fault? What happened?”

“I—We—It’s silly.”

I squeeze his hand, our drinks forgotten. “Dax. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to, I guess, but it might help to talk about it.”

It takes a moment for him to look at me. When he does, his eyes dart to mine, then away. “We were watching Bridgerton and talking about what character everyone was, and I said that I was one of the Featherington sisters because, you know, I’m not that smart, and it was just—They just—” He swallows hard, and I don’t let go of his hand.

“Dax,” I say softly once I’m sure he has his emotions under control. “They weren’t mean to you, were they?”

I mean, I don’t think I can take Kieran in a fight, and violence doesn’t solve anything anyway, but I’m sure as shit not going to let them get away with it if they were.

“No!” Dax looks horrified and his hand tightens around mine this time. “No, they were—They were nice. And afterwards, Kieran said I could stay in his pack if I wanted, but I don’t… I don’t know what to do with that.”

“Do you have to decide right now?” Okay, so Kieran’s not getting yelled at. Probably. “Is that something you’ve been thinking about?”

I know he doesn’t feel as comfortable in Axel’s pack as he used to. He’s told me that. But moving?

“Is that even something you can do ?” I ask.

“Yeah.” Dax smiles faintly and leans back in his chair. He’s still holding my hand. “I moved here from Cornwall, remember?”

“I remember.”

“It’s not uncommon, especially before a wolf has a mate and a family. We’re encouraged when we’re younger to strengthen ties between allied packs.”

“So are you too old, or…?” I grin when Dax sputters at me.

“No!”

“Just wondering. Can’t tell, can I?”

Dax huffs, but there’s an actual smile playing around his mouth now. “I can move if I want to. I think it’s even more common in London because so many wolves move in and out of the city. But I… don’t know. Kieran’s a good alpha, I can tell. I don’t want to leave Patch behind.”

“You’d still be able to see him?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t live with him anymore, though.”

I rub my thumb over the back of his hand. “Well, if you don’t have to decide right now, think about it. Patch knows you’ve been considering moving, doesn’t he?”

Dax nods, taking a sip of his beer. “Millie suggested it.”

“Talk about it with him, then. He only wants what’s best for you.”

“You’ve been talking to him?” There’s a sparkle in Dax’s eye and I laugh, shaking my head.

“No. But he’s your friend. He’ll want what’s best for you.”

Dax squeezes my fingers and swallows once, like he’s bracing himself for something. “Do you?”

He looks so shy for a second, and my grin has to be sappy and indulgent, but I can’t help it.

“You know I do.”