The other men laughed as if it were the funniest thing they’d ever heard.
Will squinted at Gavin. “Wolf again, huh? Figures. If I were a werewolf, I doubt I’d ever walk on two legs again. Thought about asking Oxnard or Joseph for the bite.”
I was slightly horrified at the thought. “You… did?”
He nodded cheerfully. “Yep. But I decided against it. Your Alphas reminded me of the importance of humanity. And while I wouldn’t mind getting rid of these aches and pains, they’re mine. It’s a small price to pay for what I can do as a human to help the pack.”
Thank Christ. I could only imagine what shit Will would get into if he was a werewolf, and none of it was good. “That’s exactly right. Listen to them. They usually know what they’re talking about.”
“Getting back into the swing of things?”
I shrugged. “Trying to. Look, Will. I’m sorry about—”
He held up a hand. “Say no more. I understand.”
I blinked. “You do?”
He nodded. “Oh yeah. Jessie explained to me that our Gavin here is your….” He frowned. “What was it again? Oh! Right. Your mystical moon magic connection. Or something like that.”
I was going to fucking murder her. “Oh my god.”
Will leaned closer, his breath smelling like coffee. “I don’t pretend to know all that goes on,” he whispered as if it were a secret just between us. “Shape-shifters, you know? I’m a little out of my depth. But she said that you cared very much about him and that you needed to find him so your mystical moon magic connection could be solidified.”
“Oh my god.”
“Ah,” Will said. “So it’s like that, is it? Hell, boy. Are any of you straight? Jesus. No offense, but it’s probably best I didn’t take the bite. I wouldn’t know the first thing about what to do with a penis that isn’t mine.” He frowned. “Though I suppose I could figure it out. I mean, I know what I like, so how hard could it—”
“Dominique!” I said, pushing by Will, who squawked. “Just the woman I wanted to see.”
“Uh-huh,” she said. “I don’t know if I believe you.”
“Save me,” I hissed at her.
She rolled her eyes. “Will, sit your ass down and leave my customers alone.”
Will looked outraged. “I’m his constituent. I have a right to know what’s going on in my local government, especially when it involves shape-shifters.” He blinked. “Huh. Of all the sentences that have ever come out of my mouth, that was one of the strangest.”
“Hear, hear!” the other men agreed.
“There’ll be time for that later,” Dominique said.
“If we’re not all dead by some evil monster that wants to kill us all,” Will muttered, but he left it alone as he went back to his seat. He patted me on the back as he went by, and I looked for Gavin, sure he was going to be cowering near the door.
He wasn’t. He was at the other end of the counter, sitting next to a man at the end. His eyes were wide and innocent. The man laughed as he handed over a piece of bacon. Gavin barely chewed before swallowing and huffing out a breath, ready for another.
“There are clothes in the back,” Dominique told him. “If you want to shift. We put them all over town just in case. Should be something there that’ll fit you.”
He cocked his head at her.
“Come on,” I told him. “Stop mooching. We’ll get something for you. Leave him alone.”
“I don’t mind,” the man said. “It’s like having a big dog.”
Gavin growled at him.
The man blanched. “Forget I said that.”
Gavin snorted before standing up and following me to the back of the diner. I sat down in a booth. Gavin tried to climb in after me, but I shoved him off. “You’re too big. Either stay on the floor or go get dressed.”