Page 48 of Trees Take the Long View

"It's not guilt! Well, maybe a little. But not much guilt. I was just wondering if they'd be good together."

"They'd probably take one look at each other and run. Freddie, I'm sure, would curl his lip and say something very cutting."

"He's not that bad. Well, maybe. But I don't know. You really don't think...?"

"Well, you could try. Ask Freddie if he wants to meet someone, and if he says yes, ask Amos. If they both agree, you're a matchmaker." Then he gave me a teasing look. "Maybe Amoswouldlike your fox friend. He seems to have a thing for sleek, pretty boys."

"I'm not sleek! I'm massive and muscular! Well, I will be again. Someday. You wait and see!"

"I know, dear." He tugged me in for a quick embrace, and then another kiss. We just couldn't get enough of kissing lately. And other things.

As nice as it was to be on the move together, it was also nice to take it easy for a short time...and to be the complete center of his attention.

His view of me as sleek notwithstanding, we had a lovely day.

We didn't run across Dean's ex until after dark. I'd almost forgotten that such a nasty person existed, and would have been glad to do so forever, if he hadn't found a way to intrude on our happy little vacation plans.

Sahil, his mate, and their guests were participating in a campfire cookout sort of celebration. It was all rather posh, to be honest—not the beans from a can, hotdog on a stick sort of cookout I was used to—but nice. Sahil seemed so much happier now that his husband was here. And Grant, once I'd met him, set me at ease immediately with his calm, friendly attitude and his warm handshake. He had kind eyes. I always notice kind eyes.

Dean and I were going to stay inside and just hang out together, but I kept sniffing the air trying to figure out what they were cooking, because it smelled really good. Finally Dean said, "Why don't we go and find out?"

It turned out to be more like a catered picnic than a traditional cookout, but it was very nice all the same. I wandered around, eating artisanal pizza and chipotle ribs and greeting fellow wolves, non-shifters—everyone, basically.

I'd always seen myself as a loner, but I kind of liked Dean's view of me as someone who could talk to anyone and make friends easily. I wasn't sure if holding down one side of a simple conversation was the basis for a real friendship, but it was a nice thought.

I only realized there was a problem when I glanced back and saw Dean's frown. And that someone was standing too close to him. Needless to say, I headed right over. It was the work of a moment to interpose myself between them, protecting Dean and getting right up in the face of the stranger.

"Excuse me. Who are you?"

The stranger, who had a beefy build and big shoulders, tried to look past me.Good luck with that, pal. I am massive, muscular, and not at all sleek!I managed to stay sufficiently close to him so that he couldn't easily have a conversation around me. He still said to Dean, with a curled lip, "So this is your mate, then?"

I didn't like the way he said that. No, I didn't like that one little bit.

"Alec, meet Carl," said Dean in a strained, stifled sort of voice, sounding like he didn't have the energy to speak any louder. He also didn't have any fight in him, and that alarmed me. I looked at him quickly, questioningly.

He gestured between us. "We used to date."

I turned back to Carl immediately. "Sounds like you had your chance and lost it. Now how about you beat it?"Before I do, I wanted to add, but I can be civilized. We were already attracting attention, and threats didn't seem like a great idea. If there was a wrong foot to start out on, we were already on it—but still, no need to make things more intense and hypermasculine.

"Well, he's got spunk, I'll give him that." He managed to make it sound both dirty and condescending.

I stood a little taller and scowled at him, puffing out my totally-not-thin chest. "I'm right here. If you want to say something about my spunk, say it to my face." I tapped my chest. Which was still not thin. All right, this guy may have been a tiny bit beefier than me. Maybe. Not that I noticed.

He finally looked at me, his smile lazy. But his eyes were vicious. "Tell me, do you like following him around all the time, like a loyal hound dog?"

Around us, there were gasps. That's just not something you say to a wolf shifter. Or, as my grandpa would say,Them's fighting words.

I could see Sahil heading towards us from the corner of my eye, an intent, pissed-off look on his face. His husband was close behind. I had seconds to do whatever I was going to do—or say.

"How dare you." Dean sounded angrier than I was. "You can say what you like about me, but leave Alec alone."

"Nope," I said, pushing Carl back slightly with my fingertips against his chest, a little shove, slightly more than shooing him...but not much. He didn't deserve much more, really. "No, you can't say what you like about Dean. Not anymore. He's mine now. And for your information, I love traveling. I'd be miserable if he wanted to stay in one place forever." I looked him in the eye, hard. "You missed out. So take your sour grapes elsewhere and leave us alone. We've got our happily ever after—go find your own."

The words hit him harder than getting mad and punching him would have. He actually looked like he didn't know what to say—it knocked the pretentious meanness out of him. Had I cut to the root of the issue, or had he been trying for a physical confrontation? Well, he wouldn't have won—bigger than me or not. You don't spend years traveling as a lone wolf without knowing how to handle yourself in a dicey situation. But it wasn't necessary this time.

Sahil was there, then, radiating fierceness, his calmer but no less intimidating husband behind him, backing up every word. They informed Carl that he was no longer welcome here, if he couldn't conduct himself properly. He should finish his meal elsewhere, and prepare to leave in the morning.

It was a harsh stance, but I was glad they took it. Nobody should be trying to bully their ex-boyfriends here. It wasn't going to feel like a safe place for shifters for very long, either, if people like Carl were allowed to make derogatory remarks comparing wolves to dogs.