Josh

He had no clue why such a simple thing as Mira running her fingers through his hair would make him feel as though he were a king of something, but there was no denying the sentiment. Each circling pass of her fingertips spread contentment through him.

Peace. That was what he felt. Like he died and went to Heaven.

The breathless way she whispered his name amplified his thoughts and intensified the feelings. He needed to be with Mira. The drive was too powerful to ignore, even for another minute.

---

“You’re a dead man walking, Josh Conway.”

Josh swung his head in the direction of the voice. Zeb stood several feet away, legs spread, hands held loosely at his sides and hatred stamped on his face. A visible tremor added to the bloodshot eyes and flushed skin, so did the chatter of his teeth.

Josh tensed. Zeb’s condition had deteriorated in the hours since Josh had last seen him. Great. Just what he needed to deal with tonight.

“Am I now? I might say the same about you, Zeb. What are you on?”

---

Mira grasped his wrist, stopping him from reaching for the next movie. “Ignoring this won’t make it go away.”

He yanked his hand free. “What do you want me to do? I’ve made it clear I want you. You said no, and I’m in no mood to fight tonight.”

Silence stretched while he continued to unpack. He felt her gaze on his back no matter where he moved in the room.

Finally, she sighed. “No matter who I end up mating, I don’t want to lose you.”

---

“Am I an honorary member of the Alexander pride?”

“Yes.” Kade crossed his arms over his chest. “You are a member of my pride, and as such, must follow my rules. I clearly–“

Josh raised his hands in a mock gesture of supplication. “You’re absolutely right. I’ve learned my lesson.”

“You concede?”

“Absolutely.” Josh nodded. “Rules are made for a reason.” To be broken. Or remade. Either worked.

---

“Tell me about the shifted cub that was seen in your bar.”

Josh blanked his face and glanced at the man who’d spoken. The guy on the opposite side of the bar stared at him with unblinking brown eyes–contacts probably. They looked too normal to belong to a shifter. Even those with ordinary-colored irises couldn’t hide what they were, at least not from those humans who knew what to look for.

Shifter eyes were multifaceted, similar to a gemstone. In the dim bar, they should’ve had an otherworldly glow. This guy’s plain orbs didn’t. The only reason Josh knew the man’s secret was the cat fangs the shifter had allowed to show when he’d ordered his drink.

The guy wasn’t from the area. That much Josh knew, but the shifter had to be a blood relation of Kade and Rafe. His rough-cut features were too similar to theirs. The knowledge didn’t ease Josh.

He leaned a hip against the corner of the bar. As much as he wanted to match the shifter’s focused glare, he had to blink–he was only human–but he refused to look away and acknowledge the newcomer as more dominant.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

One corner of the shifter’s mouth lifted. Another hint of fang showed. “Hasn’t your owner taught you any manners? When your better asks a question, you should give a truthful answer.”

The guy’s calm voice came off as if he was explaining the rules of life to a child. Hearing it only pissed Josh off. He matched the shifter’s cocky grin. “If I ever meet one, I will.”