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THORIN

S eattle sucked for a lot of reasons, but at least there was decent coffee. When I moved to Bee Cave, Texas—a tiny shifter town right outside of Austin—I was told it has several excellent coffee shops. I have remained skeptical because the first two were a bust, and I refuse on principal to go to the national chain.

The third shop is already on shaky ground because it’s a rock emporium-slash-coffee shop. No good comes from a place with a slash in its description.

The prospects dim even further when I walk in and realize, from the sparkly display shelves, that the place is run by an avian shifter. A crow, by the scent of things, because the universe hates me. It’s also early in the morning and the shop is nearly empty. Yet another bad sign.

Just as I’m about to nope the fuck out of here, a guy pops his head through a beaded curtain, tilting to the right and left as if to get a better view of me .

Oh. He’s pretty.

Stop it, Thorin. You’ve already been down this path before.

The strikingly beautiful man—definitely an avian shifter—sports a fashionably messy faux hawk, his hair the shiniest, most beautiful black I’ve ever seen. His long, thick lashes highlight sharp icy turquoise eyes, and his thin, slightly hooked nose over pale, plush lips give him that artist-slash-musician vibe.

Okay, fine. Some things with a slash in the title are actually pretty good.

As a wolf shifter, I appreciate a nose with personality. I also happen to appreciate the way his tight jeans and sparkly T-shirt hug his wiry body.

Not that it matters because, as I mentioned before, he’s an avian shifter.

I shudder. Definitely not going there.

But he smells so good.

Absolutely not.

“Hey! Sorry, running a little late this morning,” he says, his voice high with an alluring bit of a rasp to it.

I check my watch. Six-oh-three.

“No worries. I work from home.”

He disappears behind the beaded curtain and then reappears with a flourish, flitting over to the espresso machine, getting things fired up as he hums something classical to himself.

“I’ll be with you in two shakes,” he calls out, disappearing once again behind the beaded curtain.

Cute ass.

Ignoring whatever my wolf side is doing, I take a second look around. The tables for the café are set in the middle of the space, which is framed out in glass shelving which boasts polished agate, local fossils in a light, chalky rock, and jewelry made from all manner of precious stones. Not nearly as tacky as I’ve seen in some avian establishments, I’ll give him that.

Unsurprisingly, everything in the store is placed to catch the sun, and I can admit the sparkly effect is quite lovely. Testing out a theory, I take a bit of amethyst and angle it just out of the sun. A few seconds later, my avian friend peers through the beaded entryway, sending me a brilliant smile.

Save your smiles, buddy. I’m not fooled by pearly teeth.

His eyes cant off to the side and he dips his head sharply. “Do you like amethyst?” he asks.

“Yes. How did you know?” I ask innocently.

“The amethyst is in a slightly different location.”

The shifter brushes past me to adjust its position back into the light.

“Do you remember where everything goes in your shop?”

He taps his temple with an elegant finger. “Mind like a steel trap.”

“You crows and your shiny objects,” I tease, wincing slightly at my condescending tone.

He wrinkles his nose, probably offended. Taking a beat, he places his artistic hands on his narrow hips and lifts his chin at me. “I see you’ve gone with the undercut instead of the modern shag, like so many of your fellow coyotes do. It looks nice on you. ”

A not-so-subtle growl rumbles in the back of my throat. “I am no coyote . I am a wolf.”

“I know,” he responds, winking on a slight head flick. “And I’m a raven.”

I hold up my hands, duly chastised. “My bad.”

He flutters his gorgeous eyes at me, then gives in to a full grin. “My name is Poe. I own the place.”

“No shit. Your scent is everywhere. I was right about the avian, but do apologize for mislabeling you. It won’t happen again. I’m Thorin.”

“Does anyone call you Thor?” he asks with an appealing smile.

“Not if they want to live,” I respond, adding a little bass to my answer.

He cracks up. “Thorin it is. What can I get for you?”

“Triple espresso with cream and no sugar, please.” I look over his breakfast offerings. “I don’t suppose you have anything with protein in it?”

He taps his temple again. “The local gossips told me a lone wolf was new in town, so I made sure to stock a few things, just in case you wandered in. Maria’s breakfast tacos are the best, and I’m told the ones with smoked venison are to die for.”

My eyes widen. I haven’t had good venison in a while. It’s one of the reasons I chose to move into this area. When local municipalities are overrun with deer, they allow locals to participate in controlled hunts, and I am an excellent hunter. Still, I haven’t sampled the local meat, and I’m excited at the possibility of a preview .

I stick my nose in the air, sniffing, wondering how I could’ve missed something like that.

He chuckles. “Maria just pulled up, so you’re getting them fresh.”

The door chimes and a very short woman—I’m guessing javelina shifter—hips open the door carrying an enormous box filled with foil-wrapped breakfast tacos.

“Oh my Goddess.” I inhale deeply, picking out each of the amazing flavors. Chorizo, black bean, cheese, and… yes. Venison . “I’m going to need one of each of those.”

Maria examines me. “Onions don’t bother your stomach?”

I shake my head. “Not in my human form.”

Grinning, she picks out four tacos and hands them to me.

I take them, then look over to Poe, grimacing. “I will pay for these. I wasn’t trying to steal them from you, I promise.”

He laughs and waves me off. “I know you’re good for them. Besides, your first breakfast is on the house. Welcome to Bee Cave.”

Mm. Pretty and generous, even after I was kind of a jackass to him.

Maria takes off, leaving us alone again. Aware of Poe’s eyes on me, I move to a sunny table while he sets up the rest of the breakfast tacos behind the counter. In the meantime, I tear open the foil and take a bite, practically downing half the taco in one gulp.

I curse under my breath, shaking my head .

“Problem?”

“Are you kidding? I’m wondering if it’s too much to ask for another.”

He shakes his head, digging into the box. “Incoming!” he calls out, hurling a foil-wrapped breakfast taco at my head.

I catch the venison goodness in one hand while demolishing the rest of the first one in the other. I sense Poe’s eyes on me and assume my wolfish eating habits are out in their full glory.

Not my fault Poe brought my favorite wild game into the equation.

I take down the second venison taco just as quickly and with as much pleasure. The chorizo one is next, and I curse, having forgotten how good actual Tex-Mex really is. The coffee is mid—high praise for a Seattle coffee snob such as myself—but as I start in on the cheese and egg taco, I know I’ll be back.

Tomorrow. We’re coming back tomorrow.

For the breakfast taco.

Sure, whatever you have to tell yourself.

I don’t know why my damned wolf is dying to get to know this raven shifter right after I said I wasn’t going there.

But, but, but… he’s so pretty.

Shut it, wolf. This is just a dry spell. Calm all six of your tits.

I can feel Poe’s eyes on me, so I send a brief glance in his direction. He snaps his head one way, then the other, giving me a thorough up-down.

Goddess, I love that sexy, twitchy thing avian shifters do .

“See anything interesting?” I ask through the last bite of the egg and cheese deliciousness.

Turning my head, I catch a bit of blush on his cheeks.

He holds up his hands and steps back. “Apologies. I forget others don’t see all the colors I do, and your hair is stunning. Though… maybe you see even fewer colors than humans do.”

I shake my head. “I’ve got the full human color spectrum in this form. What does my hair look like to you?”

“You must have a lot of ash in it.”

“I do.”

“That explains it. To my eyes your hair is a brilliant, iridescent rainbow,” he says on a sigh. “And you’re sitting in the sunlight, so it’s even more beautiful.”

I stifle my smile. “Thank you.”

My crow ex had loved my hair for the same reason, and I used to sit in the sunlight for her all the time. Not sure why I did that now. Habit, I guess.

Or maybe you were trying to get this pretty boy’s attention.

Shut up.

Trying to redirect the argument with myself, I look around. “This is a nice place. I’m surprised you don’t have more people here.”

He grins. “It’s still before six-thirty.”

I check my watch. Six-twelve.

Plenty of time for what you have in mind.

Shut. Up.

Ignoring the internal battle with my inner horn dog, I unwrap the bean and cheese taco, then tear it in half and approach the counter.

Setting one of the halves in front of him, I ask, “Will you help me? I won’t be able to finish this on my own.”

Is this what passes for flirting, Thorin? Pathetic.

Grrrr.

Poe slides his hand out and swiftly pulls back the offering, grinning as he takes a bite.

“You’re okay with dairy, I take it?”

He nods. “In this form.”

“Nice.” I pop my half of the taco in my mouth, making sure to chew with my mouth closed, even though I don’t know why it matters.

You know why.

He finishes his half with delicate bites, then grabs the foil out of my hands and combines it with his into a ball, tossing it into what appears to be a foil-only trash can. I angle for a better look, curious.

“I know it just looks like trash, but it’s so sparkly when I shift,” he explains, his eyes meeting mine.

He sharply tilts his head to the side. “Did you know your eyes glow?”

Wait. Is he flirting with me?

“I wasn’t aware. Then again…” I take a moment to fully appreciate him. “Huh. Your eyes have a sort of glow to them, too.”

He flutters his lashes at me. “Really? And what color do you see?”

I lean in, enjoying the scents of espresso and taco wafting off him. “They’re the color of the Caribbean, a sort of clear turquoise that goes on forever. ”

He pulls his plump lower lip through his teeth. “Why, thank you. When I look in the mirror, they’re more of a purplish iridescent.”

I nod along and check my watch.

“Oh, am I boring you? Do you have somewhere to be?”

His teasing tone tickles my balls and spins my head. “Most of your customers don’t come in until six-thirty?”

He shrugs. “At the earliest.”

“Gee,” I say, touching the tip of his nose. “I wonder what we can do with sixteen whole minutes?”

His brows shoot up. “Wow. You’re forward.”

Oh fuck.

“Sorry,” I say, putting my hands up as I step back. “I have a weakness for avians and it’s been a stressful few weeks.”

Poe’s eyes glow even more as he lifts the pass-through and steps aside. “Then let’s see what we can get done in sixteen minutes.”

Holy shit, what the fuck am I doing?

Getting laid, hopefully.

I give him a wolfish smile, unbuckling my belt as I pass through the beaded curtain into a small office area. He follows me, directing me to the tiny couch that takes up half the space. I pull my jeans and underwear down to mid-thigh, then sit bare-assed on the tiny couch.

He bites his lower lip again, his eyes glinting as a set of translucent underlids blink from the sides. His pretty raven hair develops an iridescent sheen .

“You’re a big boy,” he says appreciatively as he kneels in front of me. Pushing up my shirt, his grin brightens. “And so hairy. Look at this gorgeous pelt.”

He runs his delicate fingers through the fur over my abs and chest, and it’s as if electricity is shooting from his fingertips. My cock sways and drools as he runs his perfect nose up the length of me, using the tip of his tongue to capture the pearl of pre-cum emerging from my slit.

Before I can process what’s happening, he’s got nearly my entire cock in his mouth, sucking as he bobs his head up and down.

“Damn,” I say—growl, really—cupping the back of his head. “Bringing out my wolf with that mouth of yours.”

Buddy, I’ve been here the whole time.

His gaze flits up to mine and lightning strikes. A birdlike purr comes from his chest and his eyes glow even brighter, his hair rippling into feathers and back again. I tilt my head back, and I have to bite back a howl. Seems our magic is compatible—a pleasant bonus to this back-of-the-shop blow job.

He pulls back, flushed, panting, and confused. “Why does this feel so fucking good?”

“I was just about to ask the same thing,” I respond, guiding him back to my cock.

He rolls his eyes and grins, but then takes me down to the root all over again. I’m gonna come so quickly, which is a good thing because time is running out and I definitely want to return the favor. Just as everything starts to go fuzzy, a blue aura shimmers over his raven black hair.

“Your hair—” I choke out, hardly able to pull a thought together.

“Mm?” he mumbles through a mouthful of cock, continuing to work me over.

“Your hair. It’s glowing.”

Poe keeps going for a few more seconds, like an addict who can’t get enough of me. Finally, my words register in his eyes—so fucking turquoise—and he sits back, sliding his mouth off my cock.

“Oh, no,” he trills, backing away from me on his knees, his hand to his chest.

“Shit, did I do something wrong?” I ask, suddenly really fucking dizzy. “Did I hurt you?”

He shakes his head, distracted as he examines himself. His eyes flit back to mine and then get impossibly wider. Scrambling to his feet, he makes his way to the wall and turns on the overhead light.

It’s like turning on a brilliant blue spotlight. I double-check and the light is nothing special, but Poe?—

“Holy shit.” I lean forward to get a better look. “Why are you glowing blue? Has that ever happened to you before?”

Poe, in the meantime, is shaking his head, repeating, “No, no, no, no, no, no. No .”

“What’s going on, Poe?”

“You’re glowing blue, too,” he says, gesturing at me.

I hadn’t even thought to look at myself and… shit .

“Why is this happening?” I ask, still bare-assed on his couch. “And what is this feeling in my chest?”

“It’s our bond. We just mated,” he says dramatically.

Mate good. Mate mine.

“I don’t think oral sex really counts as mating , right? That’s weird.”

“No, as in fated mates. As in bound forever, true love, Rick-rolled for all of eternity… fated .”

“Fated? What the fuck?”

Well, that’s what I try to say. I get as far as fated and a growl comes rumbling out of my mouth. I look down again, and I’m transforming. I immediately attempt to halt the shift, something I’ve been able to do since I was a pup, but there’s no stopping it. Within seconds, I’m a fully transformed gray wolf and my jeans and underwear are in a puddle on the floor.

What’s more, there’s a pissed-off raven shaking out his wings as he stands in a pool of his own clothing, glaring up at me. Poe hops up from the floor onto the couch and pecks at my nose.

“Ow.”

He pecks me again. “You idiot! I wasn’t looking for a mate!” he squawks.

I grimace, or at least as much as a wolf can grimace, and shake my head. “Are you sure? We haven’t had a fated mating in my family in three generations.”

“Yes, I’m sure,” he says, this time pecking my forehead. “Don’t you know what a mating looks like?”

“Uh, no .”

Having put it to the back of my mind, I’d completely forgotten my shifter biology lessons. I had no idea what this sort of thing even looked like. Hell, I rarely shift around others, so I’m just glad I remembered how to talk in this form.

“What are we supposed to do?” I ask, howling on the last word.

Poe lets out a long breath and shakes out his gorgeous blue-black feathers. “I’m going to need to close my shop for the day. And we’re going to need a bed.”