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D addy confirmed my supply order and added overnight shipping. Assuming they can travel the roads, I should start setting up my tattoo shop tomorrow and be able to accept clients in a couple of days.
Currently, I am sitting with Declan, Daegyn, Hayder, and Jathen, discussing tattoo designs. Hayder is Arek’s brother, while Jathen is Declan and Daegyn’s brother. Declan and Daegyn informed me that Arek’s brother, Gunnar, who I haven’t met yet, also wants to schedule an appointment.
“Can you pencil me in too?” Raven asks, looking over my shoulder at the design I am sketching for Hayder.
“Sure,” I answer. “Just jot down a couple of ideas for what you want to get. I will take a look at it, then we can discuss it.”
“Perfect,” Raven answers, grabbing the empty beer bottles off the table before walking away.
“What the fuck is going on here?” an irate voice bellows from behind me.
“Slow your roll, dude,” Hayder says, his posture turning rigid.
“You are with my mate!” Arek snarls, his voice now in a deeper tone, indicating that his bear is annoyed.
Rising to my feet, I spin around to face him, poking him the chest with my finger, punctuating each word. “I. Am. Working.” Taking a deep breath, so we aren’t both angry, I let it out slowly. “This is what I do. You need to find a way to accept that,” I warn him.
“Your place—” Arek starts before I cut him off.
“Fuck. You!” I yell, knowing that everyone in the bar is watching the show we are putting on. This seems to be a pattern for us.
“Arek, you need to leave,” Declan says, stepping from around the table. Looking over my shoulder, every male here is angry. They stand behind me, forming a wall of muscle, arms crossed over their barrel chests.
Anger radiates off Arek as his bear rumbles in his chest. Staring down each of his relatives, retribution for their presumed betrayal is evident. A tense stand-off lasts for about five minutes before Arek backs down, spinning on his heel and leaving.
My heart cracks, and something inside me wants to chase Arek down. I take half a step before Declan wraps an arm around my shoulder.
“Forget about him,” he says sternly. “Let’s get back to tattoo design.”
What should have been a fun afternoon becomes strained, and we end up cutting our consulting session short.
Arek
How dare they!
Instead of going back to the restaurant for the dinner rush, I go home instead. The need to shift is overwhelming. It’s so bad that fur is sprouting on my arms as I race through Padston.
All of my cousins and my brothers, save Gunnar, are in for a rude awakening.
Pulling into my driveway, I leave the car parked at an angle, the door hanging wide open, and the keys still inside, I begin stripping off my clothes. Barely getting my pants off, my bear takes over. I’m surprised he let me get halfway across the yard before assuming control.
The shift is effortless and as soon as my front paws hit the ground, I take off through the tree line. Having the extra snow to deal with helps to burn off some of the rage. It still isn’t enough, though, so we continue to run, and run, and run.