"Nothing would ever make me regret asking you."
Dex smiled sheepishly. "Can I get that in writing? Signed by a notary?" Sloane's eyes went wide, and Dex patted his arm. "I'm kidding."
Sloane followed him out of the bedroom and downstairs into the living room, where Seb and Ash were talking. They both stood and turned. Ash's sniff was followed by a snort of disgust.
"Really, bro? One night. He's out of your hair for one night and you couldn't keep it in your pants?"
Dex winked at Ash on his way to the kitchen, where he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. Seb coughed and averted his gaze, his cheeks slightly flushed. Dex's scent was kind of heady, but it would fade some as the night went on. It had been happening a lot more since the change to his DNA. He didn't quite smell like a Therian, but he didn't completely smell Human either.
Sloane shrugged. "Why should I?" Like he needed an excuse to have sex with his beautiful, sexy partner.
"You wanna maybe piss on him and mark your territory some more?"
"I wasn't--" Sloane shut his mouth when he realized what Ash had said. In the kitchen, Dex almost choked on his water. He coughed and wheezed. Shit. Sloane took an interest in his boots, ignoring the silence in the room. At least until Ash burst into laughter.
"Holy shit, you didn't? You did! You squirted Daley?"
"Charming." Sloane wrinkled his nose. "It was a long time ago. I was in my Therian form, and we ran into some guy Dex had slept with in college or something. My feral half got a little... carried away, and it just sort of happened." It had not been one of his better moments. God, he'd been mortified after he'd shifted back to Human form, and that was after several hours of Dex coaxing him to shift back.
Seb and Ash exchanged glances before falling into peals of laughter.
Sloane crossed his arms over his chest. "Whatever. Like you two aren't as bad."
Ash waved a hand as he got control of his laughter. "I have never had the urge to piss on Cael."
"Because Cael's a Therian and so is Hudson." Sloane narrowed his eyes at his friends. A thought occurred to him, and he smiled evilly. "Maybe you haven't had the urge to mark your boyfriends that way, but just try and deny that your feral halves haven't had the urge to jump them while you were both in your Therian forms."
The laughter died instantly.
Sloane grinned smugly. "That's what I thought."
Dex gaped at Ash. "Ew, dude, seriously? You want to jump my brother's bones while he's in his cheetah Therian form?"
"I don't. My feral half wants to, and only while I'm in my Therian form. Jesus, Daley, what the hell's wrong with you?" Ash shook his head as if he were trying to get away from the very idea.
Dex shuddered, then gagged. "Oh God, why? Why did you have to tell me that?"
Ash held up a hand. "Hey, in our felid forms, it's perfectly natural. You know our animal instincts are at their strongest when we're in Therian form."
"There's nothing natural about your lion ass humping a fluffy Chirpy."
Ash rolled his eyes. "You're an idiot."
"This conversation has turned incredibly disturbing," Seb said, shaking his head. "Why do things always get weird with you guys?"
Ash pointed to Dex. "That's why."
Seb's expression was pained. "Can we not talk about humping in our feral forms? I would really appreciate that."
The front door opened, and Hudson greeted them cheerfully. His smile quickly faded. "Why does everyone look so... distressed?"
"Because Ash wants to do my brother when he's in his feral form," Dex offered.
Hudson's eyes went huge, and he gaped at Ash. He blinked and was suddenly in doctor mode, his expression turning sympathetic. "That's not uncommon. Many Therians suffer from such conflicting emotions with regard to their feral halves and their partners. Perhaps if you discuss the matter with Cael, and even arrange for some roleplaying, you might--"
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Ash grabbed Hudson's shoulders. "Now you listen here, Doc. I am not going to fuck my boyfriend while he's in his Therian form. I was talking about my Therian half and his Therian half."
Understanding crossed Hudson's features, and he let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, well that is perfectly normal. Every Therian goes through that, especially when a relationship is new."
Dex studied Hudson. "Really? Did Seb ever try to mount you?"
Seb groaned and dropped his head into his hands. "Why are we still talking about this?"
Cael walked in and looked around. "What's going on? What are you guys--"
They all shouted simultaneously, "Nothing!"
Cael started. "Geez, okay. Sorry I asked." He turned his attention to Dex. "Everyone's on their way. ETA five minutes."
Dex nodded, and in all honesty, Sloane was a little relieved they were leaving. Who was he kidding? He was a lot relieved.
"I'll see you guys outside. I just want a quick word with Seb and Ash."
Dex nodded and ushered Cael and Hudson out, then closed the door behind them. Sloane turned to the only two who could possibly keep this evening progressing without incident. As soon as Cael had sent out the invites to Dex's bachelor party, Sloane had contacted Seb and Ash and asked them to prepare.
"All right. What contingency plans have you two put in place should any Threat Level Fuchsia scenarios arise?"
Seb and Ash glanced at each other before turning their gazes back to Sloane. Their expressions didn't bode well. Seb spoke up first.
"When you said prepare for tonight, I thought you meant make sure your boyfriend doesn't get so drunk he strips down to his underwear and starts dancing on the bar, or try to keep him out of jail. I didn't realize you meant put together an emergency tactical strategy."
Sloane pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay." He looked up at Ash. "What about you?"
"Relax, bro. We got this."
Sloane narrowed his eyes and leaned into Ash, sniffing him. "Have you already started drinking?"
Seb snickered, his laugh turning into a cough when Ash arched an eyebrow at him.
"No, smartass. I can handle your dorky fiance."
Seb didn't even attempt not laughing this time. "You are so delusional, Keeler. We're toast."
"Speak for yourself. Cael might not be able to hold his booze, but your Brit is worse."
Seb frowned at Ash. "Which is why you're kidding yourself if you think you're going to be able to keep an eye on Dex the whole night. The second some guy tries to put the moves on Cael, you're going to lose your shit."
"First, Cael can take care of himself. Second, excuse me while I laugh my ass off at you telling me I'm going to lose my shit over some dude hitting on my boyfriend. Since you got back from your honeymoon, you've been even more of a sap over Hudson than ever. It hurts my teeth just looking at you."
Sloane sighed. "You two done arguing over who's more ridiculous?"
"You're right," Ash said, smiling sweetly. "Because the answer to that would be you."
How long had they known Dex? Had they not been present for the last three and a half years? The number of incident reports he'd filled out in the last year alone was staggering. Everything ranging from squirrel invasion to not-so-spontaneously combusting baked goods. How his boyfriend managed to get a scone to bring down a building was beyond him. Sloane didn't care how stale the thing was, it shouldn't have demolished an entire building. Thankfully the place had been condemned, and they'd received a minor scolding rather than getting their asses handed to them by Sparks.
"You think I'm overreacting?"
"Just a tad," Seb admitted.
Oh, Sloane was so going to enjoy throwing their words back at them. "Okay. Go on. Have fun. I'll notify my bank to have some bail money ready. If something blows up or comes crashing down, it's on you two."
Ash rolled his eyes. "And I thought Dex was the drama queen."
"Get out," Sloane grumbled, shoving them toward the door.
As soon as they were outside, Dex came over and kissed Sloane's cheek. "Oh,
I almost forgot. Dad's expecting you for dinner."
"Wait. What?" When did that happen?
"Dinner. Tony's house. Have fun. If he asks you to play air hockey, just say no. He's a wee bit competitive. I love you."
"I love you too," Sloane murmured absently. Dex headed back to Hudson and Cael as if he hadn't just told Sloane he'd be hanging out with Tony the rest of the evening. On his own.
Sloane had known Tony for years, and yes, the man had been like a father to him, but this was completely different. Tony wasn't just his sergeant and a father figure; he was Dex's dad, his fiance's dad. Sloane quickly shook himself out of it. He was being a drama queen. Like he couldn't handle Anthony Maddock. Whatever some believed, Tony wasn't so scary. He was a regular guy who worked his ass off and loved his boys. Sure, he could be intimidating, but that was on the job, or if Sloane did something to warrant being on the other end of his wrath, like when Dex was kidnapped and tortured. This was good. They could talk. No problem. But first....
Sloane shot Tony off a quick text. Before he headed over to dinner, he had somewhere to be. And he wouldn't miss it for the world.
Chapter 2
SEVERAL CABS pulled up, and Dex grinned wide, his heart swelling as all his friends poured out of the cars. The rest of his Destructive Delta family arrived dressed to the nines. Milena was on Rosa's arm, both women looking stunning. Dex was happy to see the former Dimples--now dubbed Captain Kirk--escorting a sexy-looking Letty. Bradley and Lou arrived together, making Dex smile. Things seemed to be going well for those two. Dex spotted Hobbs, a big dopey smile on his face. Dex winked at him, and then blew Calvin a kiss, laughing when Calvin rolled his eyes at him. Next were Nina and Rafe.
"Thanks for having me," Rafe said, stopping in front of Dex. Hudson had told Dex all about Rafe coming to him in defense of Nina, and how hard the guy was trying to patch things up with Hudson. Despite everything that had happened, Hudson and Rafe were both working toward being a family, and Dex respected that. He smiled brightly and held out his hand to Rafe.
"Of course. You're always welcome, man."
Rafe's eyes got a little glassy, and he nodded. "Thank you, Dex."
Nina kissed Dex's cheek before waving excitedly at Hudson. She pulled Rafe along with her, and he simply chuckled, following happily. It was obvious the guy was crazy about Nina. Maybe there was hope for Rafe yet.
"Hey, Daley!"
Dex turned, grinning wide at Taylor and Angel. His matchmaking radar went nuts around these two. Sloane kept telling him to mind his own business, but Dex couldn't help it.
"Hey, guys." Dex put his hand on Taylor's shoulder. "Good to see you, buddy. How are you feeling?" Taylor had been discharged by TIN and cleared for duty at the THIRDS just a little over a month ago. He'd been riding a desk since, but he was happy to have his life back.
"I'm doing good. Thanks, Dex." Taylor was looking happier than he had been in a long time, and Dex was glad. "Excuse me. I'm going to go say hi to Sloane."
Taylor walked off, and Dex turned to Angel, talking quietly. "How's he really doing?"
Angel's smile faded, his sigh heavy. "He's not sleeping so well. He keeps having nightmares about what happened, but he refuses to talk about it."
Dex nodded. "If you guys need anything, you let me know. In the meantime, you look after him for me, okay?"
Angel beamed at him. "You got it."
Taylor called Angel over to where he was chatting with some of the guys. Angel excused himself and jogged off to join his friend. Asking Angel to look after Taylor gave Angel the perfect excuse to be around Taylor as much as he wanted. Taylor wouldn't say no to Dex, especially when it concerned his well-being. It wasn't matchmaking, just nudging them in the right direction.
Dom's arrival was marked by his boisterous laughter and booming voice. Dex shook his head and chuckled. He never had to see the guy to know he was around. West gave Dex a cheerful hello and a hug before darting off to talk nerd with Cael. Austen sprang up beside him like the annoying little ninja he was.
"So, it's finally happening, huh?"
"Yep. Six months from now."
Austen shoved his hands into his pockets, quite a feat, considering his skinny jeans looked like they were painted on. He cleared his throat and seemed to have trouble looking Dex in the eye, which was odd. Austen never had trouble saying what was on his mind.
"You be good to him."
Dex's expression softened. He put his hand on Austen's shoulder. "Hey, you know I will."
Austen nodded. "Shit's just gonna get harder from here on out, you know." Austen finally met his gaze. There was an intensity behind his amber eyes that Dex hadn't seen before. What was Austen not telling him? Who was Dex kidding? This was Austen. The amount of information he didn't give was unfathomable. No doubt in this instance, Austen was referring to TIN.
"I know," Dex replied. "We're ready."
Austen frowned. He shook his head. "No. You're not. You might think you are, but you're not. This is gonna test the both of you in ways you can't even imagine. I know you're mates, but even that bond is going to be pushed beyond its limits." Austen studied him for a moment, sadness coming into his eyes. "You're his whole world. Don't forget that."
Austen patted Dex's shoulder before turning to walk away. He paused, his expression turning guarded.
"Zach RSVP'd."
Was Austen asking or telling him? Dex couldn't tell. A cab pulled up, and Dex smiled. "And there's our favorite bear Therian now." Dex didn't miss the way Austen's eyes slightly widened, or how he licked his bottom lip. Austen took a step closer to Dex, as if Dex might shield him from whatever it was Zach might do--like maybe try to steal Austen's heart?
Zach loomed over them, and Dex grinned. "Hey, big guy. Glad you could make it."
"Thanks for inviting me," Zach said, his voice low and gravelly. He turned his attention to Austen, and holy shit, Dex wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't seen it. Zach smiled. A genuine smile that reached his eyes.
"Hi."
Austen was all but plastered against Dex from behind, his voice muffled when he replied, "Hey."
Silence.
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."
Everyone laughed, and Dex took a sip of his drink. A lot might be changing, but this right here would never change. He'd give his life for any of these saps because they were his family.