Dex looked from Austen to Zach and back. Oh my God, awkward thy name is these guys. Zach was a fierce bear Therian and a THIRDS agent who could crush a man's bones to dust in his Therian form with just a hug, and Austen was TIN. The guy had been giving death the middle finger since he was a kid. Yet here they were, like a couple of ungainly teens with their first crush.
"So," Dex said, after clearing his throat. "You dance, Zach?"
Zach nodded, his eyes still on Austen.
Man of few words. Right. "Good. Good. Austen, you dance?"
Austen dug his fingers into Dex's lower back, making him wince. The little turd. "Is that a yes?" Dex asked, kicking back and hitting Austen in the shin, satisfied when Austen cursed under his breath.
"Yes, I dance. Jerk."
"Well, what a coincidence. We all dance. How about them apples? Perhaps you two might end up dancing in the same geographical space, and if you did, I'm sure time and space would not cease to exist."
Austen groaned behind him. "You are such a dork."
Dex spun around, smiling brightly. He patted Austen's cheek. Hard. Then he leaned in to whisper in Austen's ear, "Says the dude who's about to lose his spots because a cute guy talks to him." Leaving the unlikely duo to their weirdness, Dex joined his brother and Ash.
"Transportation's arriving in one minute," Ash informed him.
"We all gonna fit?"
A monster black Hummer that seemed to stretch on for miles stopped in front of Dex's house. Dex arched an eyebrow at his brother. "A stretch Hummer?"
Cael smiled sheepishly at him. "It's a deluxe stretch Hummer, and it was Ash's idea."
"Of course it was," Dex said with a laugh, turning to Ash. "What? They didn't have any stretch BearCats available?"
"Hey, if I'm gonna be stuck in traffic with you, I want something big enough for me not to have to
touch you, and provides plenty of alcohol. This beast seats twenty Therians, so we're good."
"Aw, you're so thoughtful."
"That's me. Don't say I never did nothing for you."
Dex shook his head in amusement. "Okay, everybody in. Let's get this party started!"
Everyone cheered and headed for the car. Dex couldn't help himself. He turned and ran back up the stairs to give Sloane a quick kiss.
"I miss you already."
Sloane chuckled. He swatted at Dex's butt when Dex turned to go. "Have fun. Try not to wreak too much havoc."
"Love you too!" Dex walked backward and blew him a kiss as Hudson grabbed his arm and tugged him along. "Wait for me, my darling. Parting is such sweet sorrow."
Cael poked his head out from inside the limo, his grin huge. "Dex, they have gummy bear vodka martinis!"
"What?" Dex gasped and took off, leaving Hudson in his dust. He climbed into the limo and took a seat next to Cael, beside the bar. Two rows of black tufted benches were positioned facing each other, each meant to seat ten Therians, so considering almost half of their party were Humans, everyone fit comfortably. Each end had a bar and a flat-screen TV. The ceiling and floors were lined in neon purple lights, and the ceiling was blanketed in twinkling white lights. It was all so wonderfully gaudy. Dex loved it.
As expected, the drive to whatever venue Cael had picked was slow, considering the behemoth the driver was piloting, but no one cared. Everyone was busy chatting, laughing, and having a good time. On several occasions, Dex turned to joke with Sloane and found Hudson there instead. He kept reminding himself that this was his bachelor party, and tradition stated his fiance wasn't supposed to be there.
"Would you stop feeling guilty," Cael said, thrusting another gummy bear vodka martini at him. "Sloane would want you to have fun. It's one night."
"You're right." Dex beamed at his little brother and threw his arm around his shoulders, hugging him close. He took the martini and held it up.
"Cheers." Everyone joined in, holding up their glasses, and Dex couldn't help feeling like a sap. "Thanks, everyone. I had no idea how much my life would change by joining the THIRDS. Not only did I meet the love of my life, but I gained another family. I love you guys. Even you, Ash."
"You're a pain in my ass too, Daley."