Page 23 of Rising Reign (The Wolves of Crescent Creek #3)

WREN

The din of the lunchtime rush at the newly renovated Arcane washed over me, covering me like a comforting blanket.

The guys hadn’t been thrilled about the idea of me returning to work, but after the intensity of the past few weeks, I needed the routine and normalcy.

The agreement was that I’d have at least a two-person team with me at all times.

Today, that team was Puck and Rhys—a Rhys who apparently hadn’t experienced small-town life or bar-food fare, because he seemed enchanted by every new discovery. “Beer-battered french fries,” he muttered, staring at the slice of potato. “Where have these been all my life?”

Puck chuckled as he poured two beers for me to take to a table of regulars. “Who knew all it took for you to behave was a bucket of fries?”

Rhys popped a fry into his mouth. “I’m very open to bribery. ”

Puck set the two beers on my tray as his gaze slid over my face. “You feeling okay? This isn’t too much?”

“I’m good. I promise,” I said, taking the beers to the table and checking their waters. As I turned back, it was to find Rhys kissing a very flustered Dina’s hand.

“It is such a pleasure to meet you, Dina.”

“Who is this?” she growled at Puck. “And why are his lips on my hand?”

Puck just started laughing. “Dina, Rhys. Rhys, Dina. And you might want to let her go because she’s got a bat back here, and she’s not afraid to use it.”

Rhys’s brows rose. “A fighter. I like it.”

Dina tugged her hand free and turned to me. “Who is this? Really.”

My lips twitched. “He’s a friend of Ender’s who’s visiting.”

That had her eyes narrowing. “That moody bastard doesn’t have any friends.”

Rhys barked out a laugh. “Truer words have never been spoken. We’re more…life-debt bonded,” he explained.

Dina leaned in, grabbing my hand. “Is everything okay? Is your dad back?”

With Clyde’s help, we’d explained to her what was going on, and she’d handled it better than expected, saying she’d known something was up with the guys. She’d just thought they were CIA, not wolf shifters.

“I’m good. Rhys is just here for, uh, backup,” I said.

“I am not backup ,” Rhys huffed. “I am a first line of defense. Please and thank you.”

The front door opened, and Clyde strode in, followed by Franco and Juan. He beamed the moment he saw Dina. “There’s my girl.”

Her cheeks flushed. “Don’t you start.”

Clyde just grinned wider. “What? I can’t say that you look stunning today? ”

Dina just glared at him, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Get it, boss man,” Juan called as he moved toward the bar. “Those sweet nothings are panty droppers.”

Dina’s glare grew more heated as she turned it on Juan. “You talk about my panties one more time, and I’m takin’ that bat to the side of your head.”

Franco clapped a hand on Juan’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Dina. I’ll keep him in line.”

She let out a scoff. “No one can do that.”

I moved behind the bar and pulled out my order pad. “Guys, meet Ender’s friend, Rhys. Rhys, this is Juan, Franco, and Clyde. They are all part of Crescent Kingdom, in various capacities.”

Juan’s eyes narrowed as he studied Rhys, and then he leaned across the bar to me and dropped his voice to a whisper. “What is he? A wolf? A witch? A banshee? A minotaur?”

I struggled not to laugh.

Franco rolled his eyes. “He’s been hitting Google a little too hard.”

Rhys arched a brow as he studied the three humans. “They know about our world?”

Puck grimaced. “Some shit went down.”

“And you trust them?” Rhys pressed.

Clyde bristled at that. “We’d do anything to protect Wren, and the guys are our brothers.”

Rhys grinned. “Good. We’ll need you.”

“Dude,” Juan said, leaning closer. “What are you? I don’t get a wolfy vibe.”

Rhys’s nose wrinkled. “As if. I’m what you would call a vampire.”

Juan’s eyes went comically wide. “Like…you want to drink my blood? That kind of vampire?”

Rhys chuckled and reached for his whiskey. “Not yours in particular, no.”

Juan straightened on his stool, suddenly looking affronted. “ What’s wrong with my blood? It’s good blood. Probably the best blood ever.”

“Jesus,” Franco muttered.

Puck wrapped an arm around me, leaning his head against mine. “Tell me again why we needed to share with this idiot.”

Rhys set down his glass and turned on his stool so he faced the human contingent. “Taking blood from the vein is an intimate experience. It bonds the two creatures in a way. And since I’m not particularly taken with you in that way, I’m not going to rip out your carotid.”

Franco looked on stunned, but Juan just looked thoughtful. “So…what?” Juan asked. “You drink out of blood bags? Or blood cans like on True Blood ? I fucking loved that show.”

Rhys chuckled. “Something like that.”

Clyde put a hand over his neck. “Just keep any sharp teeth away from my veins.”

“How about we focus on human food?” I suggested, tapping my order pad. “What can I get you?”

The guys ordered, and I got lost in the hustle and bustle of the lunch rush again. Our human friends seemed to hit it off with Rhys after a few moments of nerves, and they shot the shit about all things small-town and supernatural, each side fascinated by the other.

As I cleared away the plates, I took stock of the overflowing recycling bin. I ditched the plates in the kitchen for Gary and moved to empty the bin.

“Don’t even think about it,” Puck called. “I’ll do it after I finish these drinks.”

“I can empty the trash,” I shot back.

“Not alone, you can’t,” he clipped, his green eyes turning hard.

I tried not to let annoyance get the best of me. “Fine.”

Rhys slid off his stool. “I will escort the little vixen.”

Puck’s eyes narrowed on him. “You’ve been downing whiskeys all afternoon. ”

Rhys executed what resembled a bastardized version of a sobriety field test and ended in a tap dance number. “I’m good, see?”

Dina hollered at Puck for two more drinks, and he let out a growl. “Fine. But you stick to her like white on rice.”

Rhys saluted Puck. “I’m on duty.”

I rolled my eyes at them and hoisted the recycling bin into my arms.

“I can get that,” Rhys offered.

“I’m good, but you can get the door,” I called around the side of the bin.

“At your service.” Rhys hurried ahead, opened the back door, and held it wide.

I shuffled out toward the recycling, but only made it three steps before a hand fisted in my hair, yanking me to the side.

“It’s about time, you little bitch.”