Page 20 of Grave Beginnings

“Angel,” he said.

“Wade,” Angel replied. “This is the new SV, Jude Holt.”

His gaze glided over me for a few seconds in what I thought might be a careful but appreciative way. Maybe I wasn’t the only queer in this crazy wonderland of paranormal chaos.

“Small.”

“Uh, yeah. Not everyone comes in jumbo lumberjack size. You can call me Jude,” I said, trying to keep my gaze up. The towel was straining, and I didn’t normally go for gingers, but who knew they came in triple extra-large? Nikki would be screaming how right she was about SED men being hot enough for a calendar. “Are you Irish?”

“Swedish.” He pointed to his hair, which was pulled back into a long ponytail.

“Really?” I perked up. “Do you know the chef?” I pretended to fling cooking tools around. He stared at me a minute, then burst into a huge belly laugh that had his towel nearly falling off.

“What’s so funny?” Angel asked.

“The Swedish Chef?” I asked him. “Didn’t you watch any PBS growing up?” I stared at him, but his expression was blank. “The Muppets?”

Wade recovered, clutching his towel tight and breathing hard. “You’re funny, smallz.”

I bowed and did the little wave with my hand. “I’ll be here all week.”

“Great, a comedy act,” Angel sighed.

“Up, down, touch the ground,” I started to sing, repeating the line and smacking my lips. “Did I guess your shifter right? Or was it just wishful thinking?”

Wade nodded, smile huge. “I’m a bear.”

“And Angel here is prickly, so I’m guessing cat of some kind?”

Angel tipped his head my way, gaze narrowed. “I’m sure you read that somewhere.”

“Pegged you,” Wade said.

“I’d love to peg him,” I murmured without thinking, then felt my cheeks heat up. Both guys looked at me, neither missing the comment, though I’d barely spoken it out loud. “Sorry, sorry. Dunno what’s wrong with me. Normally, my filter is better.”

“You have one?” Angel asked.

“Usually the dead people I’m investigating don’t care. Anyway, nice to meet you, Wade.” I shrugged. This day was going to hell fast. Would they fire me for saying dumb shit?

Angel sighed and spoke to Wade. “Since you’re here, maybe we can bring the team down and see where you need to start with his defense training. I’d like to know if I need to requisition somehellhounds to be permanently attached to his side before we get our first callout.”

“No offense, but I’m not sure I can learn to intimidate by sheer size,” I said. “I’m way beyond the growth stage. And did you sayhellhounds?”

“Any training at all?” Wade asked.

“Sure.” More than most cops, since I was used to being one of the smallest guys in the room at five-eight. “I regularly take yoga and Pilates classes.”

Angel groaned. “They gave us a mommy vlogger.”

“Seriously, though,” I said, “after I got kicked out by my parents, I ended up at a gym owned by an ex-pro boxer who is a friend of my grandpa. They were all worried, ‘cause I was the weird, queer kid, that I’d get the shit kicked out of me. I’ve had some MMA training.” I tapped my stomach. “Great for core strength. And my best friend Nikki and I regularly teach a self-defense class for women at the Y. I know I’m small and a little femme...” I’d had more than my fair share of fellow gays tell me I was too femme for them, which always flared up my depression. “I’ve never competed or anything, but I hold my own just fine. I won’t ever shoot first, but I’m really good at getting the fuck out of the way.”

Wade blinked at me in surprise and yanked me against him in a giant hug. A rush of cool air flowed through me, and he shivered where we touched but didn’t let go. My face was pressed to his left pec—holy shit, the guy was huge. His body projected heat like a furnace. I blinked in shock as I couldn’t recall being hugged by anyone other than Nikki or my grandparents, ever. His touch, and the swirl of whatever our magic was, turned brittle and cold, like a sudden frost. I flinched, but fought not to pull away. Thankfully, it wasn’t the polarizing need Angel’s had been, which I thought odd. At least I wouldn’t pop a boner at the touch of every shifter I met. Good to know.

Angel cleared his throat.

Wade let me go. “Sorry,” he said. He pointed toward the lockers. “I’ll get changed and meet you in the gym.” He wandered away, still gripping his towel, with me blinking after him in shock.

“Bears are sort of…” Angel began, looking up as if trying to find the word.