don’t pay,” Bayden clarified, his horror at the prospect making his word clipped.
“Why not?” Axel made no attempt to take the notes from him. “They did.”
Bayden’s pulse sped up. “It’s different.”
“Different how?” Axel tilted his head to the side. He was curious again.
Bayden bit back a growl. Wasn’t it obvious? He looked down.
Axel tucked a knuckle under his chin, making him lift his gaze. “Different how?”
“Because if you’d said you wanted to see me shift, I’d have done it for free.”
* * * * *
Those weren’t words Bayden took lightly. It was no throw away phrase. As Axel stared down into his eyes, he had no doubt that they meant more to Bayden than an offer to shape shift upon request.
“It was a challenge,” Bayden said, with obvious care. “They knew I could shift. They knew they’d lose. But it’s like the whipping. They thought that getting me to shift in front of them would put me off balance. That it would make me see them as more dominant than me.”
It was one way to define the other Dragons’ own particular brand of hazing the new guy, Axel supposed. “Did it work?”
“If it had worked, I wouldn’t have taken the money off them.” Bayden looked down at the money he still held out to Axel.
“Because the money’s all about making sure that humans know who lost a challenge, right?”
“Yes, but you didn’t lose,” Bayden pointed out, with what sounded like increasingly strained patience. “There was no challenge. I’ve never doubted that you’re more dominant than me. And I don’t want your money.”
“It’s that important to you?”
“Yes.” Bayden proffered the money again.
His suspicions confirmed, Axel took the notes from him and pushed them into his back pocket without ever breaking eye contact. “Feel better?”
Bayden nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”
So polite. Axel stroked his fingers down Bayden’s check. There wasn’t even a hint of stubble there, even though he’d had a full wolf’s pelt a few moments ago. Looking at Bayden now, it was hard to imagine he could appear any other way. When he’d stared down at a wolf standing in the middle of the playroom, it had been impossible to imagine he’d ever looked human.
Axel pushed Bayden’s hair back from his face again. Bayden accepted every touch without comment, but he didn’t reach out to him in return. Because he was still half-sure his hands were paws? Because he wasn’t that tactile a person? Because he wouldn’t touch someone he saw as more dominant than him without permission?
That was the problem with Bayden, there were so many different possible answers to every single question. And some questions were more important than where Bayden might choose to put his hands.
“You said they were challenging you—do you know why?”
“Because they’re arseholes?”
“That’s one reason,” Axel said with a chuckle. “But do you know what a hazing is?”
Bayden shrugged.
“It’s a way of testing a new guy to see what he’s made of, to check how he’ll react and where he’ll fit into the group.”
Bayden glanced up. “Humans don’t just know?”
“Wolves do?”
Bayden frowned. “It’s usually pretty obvious.”
“Well, humans like to check. They’ve done the same to everyone who they think might ride with us.”
Bayden blinked at him.
“Have you ever ridden with a club?”
Bayden shook his head. He looked toward the door the other Dragons had just left through. “They won’t like it. They won’t want me riding with them.”
Axel raised an eyebrow. They might not like it, but they’d bloody well learn to accept it quickly, if they had any sense. “I want you riding with us.”
Bayden glanced up at him. He nodded. There was still that slight frown, as if he couldn’t understand why anyone would want him around. Axel pushed his fingers through Bayden’s hair again, tugging lightly at the strands. Bayden made no comment.
“Does it bother you
“Why not?” Axel made no attempt to take the notes from him. “They did.”
Bayden’s pulse sped up. “It’s different.”
“Different how?” Axel tilted his head to the side. He was curious again.
Bayden bit back a growl. Wasn’t it obvious? He looked down.
Axel tucked a knuckle under his chin, making him lift his gaze. “Different how?”
“Because if you’d said you wanted to see me shift, I’d have done it for free.”
* * * * *
Those weren’t words Bayden took lightly. It was no throw away phrase. As Axel stared down into his eyes, he had no doubt that they meant more to Bayden than an offer to shape shift upon request.
“It was a challenge,” Bayden said, with obvious care. “They knew I could shift. They knew they’d lose. But it’s like the whipping. They thought that getting me to shift in front of them would put me off balance. That it would make me see them as more dominant than me.”
It was one way to define the other Dragons’ own particular brand of hazing the new guy, Axel supposed. “Did it work?”
“If it had worked, I wouldn’t have taken the money off them.” Bayden looked down at the money he still held out to Axel.
“Because the money’s all about making sure that humans know who lost a challenge, right?”
“Yes, but you didn’t lose,” Bayden pointed out, with what sounded like increasingly strained patience. “There was no challenge. I’ve never doubted that you’re more dominant than me. And I don’t want your money.”
“It’s that important to you?”
“Yes.” Bayden proffered the money again.
His suspicions confirmed, Axel took the notes from him and pushed them into his back pocket without ever breaking eye contact. “Feel better?”
Bayden nodded. “Yes. Thank you.”
So polite. Axel stroked his fingers down Bayden’s check. There wasn’t even a hint of stubble there, even though he’d had a full wolf’s pelt a few moments ago. Looking at Bayden now, it was hard to imagine he could appear any other way. When he’d stared down at a wolf standing in the middle of the playroom, it had been impossible to imagine he’d ever looked human.
Axel pushed Bayden’s hair back from his face again. Bayden accepted every touch without comment, but he didn’t reach out to him in return. Because he was still half-sure his hands were paws? Because he wasn’t that tactile a person? Because he wouldn’t touch someone he saw as more dominant than him without permission?
That was the problem with Bayden, there were so many different possible answers to every single question. And some questions were more important than where Bayden might choose to put his hands.
“You said they were challenging you—do you know why?”
“Because they’re arseholes?”
“That’s one reason,” Axel said with a chuckle. “But do you know what a hazing is?”
Bayden shrugged.
“It’s a way of testing a new guy to see what he’s made of, to check how he’ll react and where he’ll fit into the group.”
Bayden glanced up. “Humans don’t just know?”
“Wolves do?”
Bayden frowned. “It’s usually pretty obvious.”
“Well, humans like to check. They’ve done the same to everyone who they think might ride with us.”
Bayden blinked at him.
“Have you ever ridden with a club?”
Bayden shook his head. He looked toward the door the other Dragons had just left through. “They won’t like it. They won’t want me riding with them.”
Axel raised an eyebrow. They might not like it, but they’d bloody well learn to accept it quickly, if they had any sense. “I want you riding with us.”
Bayden glanced up at him. He nodded. There was still that slight frown, as if he couldn’t understand why anyone would want him around. Axel pushed his fingers through Bayden’s hair again, tugging lightly at the strands. Bayden made no comment.
“Does it bother you
Similar Books
