thirty to one, so he’s not familiar with how to talk to girls. Which is why I’m helping him out.”
Everett scratched his jaw, regarding us. “Okaaaay,” he said, drawling the word. “And what kind of shifter did you say you were again?”
“He’s a—” I started.
“Primordial,” Hugh finished. “Long-tooth.”
I scowled at Hugh.
“Huh? What the hell is that?” Everett looked confused.
“It’s an Alaskan name for tiger,” I said quickly, then turned to glare at Hugh. “Isn’t that right?”
Hugh stared back at me.
“Why don’t you go and get the stool out of the storeroom so you don’t have to hover over me any longer?” I fixed Hugh with my sweetest smile. “And I’m going to make myself some coffee.”
He considered me for a long moment, then glanced at Everett. “I will return.”
“You do that,” I said and headed to the coffeepot.
As soon as Hugh left the room, Everett got up from his chair and sprinted to my side. He touched my elbow—which made me glad I was wearing a daisy yellow long-sleeved cardigan over my floral white-and-yellow sundress—and leaned close. “Hey, Ryder?”
“Hmm?” I pulled out the bag of coffee grounds, noticing that we had a new coffeepot. Sweet.
“How well do you know that guy?”
I sniffed the bag of coffee, enjoying the scent. God, I loved coffee. “Why?”
“There aren’t any shifter clans in Alaska. At least, not voluntarily.” Everett frowned and leaned closer to me. “And I’ve never heard of a long-tooth. I just don’t—”
A big hand shoved Everett backward. Hugh stepped between us, a low, angry rumble in his throat. “Do not stand so close to Ryder.”
Everett raised his hands. “Chill, man. I was just talking to her—”
“You were standing too close,” Hugh reiterated.
“It’s okay,” I said, putting a hand on Hugh’s clothed arm and patting his sleeve. “Everett was just looking out for me. Everything’s fine. Isn’t that right, Everett?”
But Everett was scowling at both of us. Crap. I looked from the snarly were-saber-tooth at my side to the bristling were-cougar a few feet away. I needed to defuse this situation or there was going to be a catfight. Literally. I quickly scooped coffee into the basket and shoved it back in place, then hit the button to start the pot. “So, Everett, where’s that tall, dark, and handsome twin brother of yours?”
Everett eyed us a moment longer, then returned to his desk. “Ellis? He’s Lily-sitting.”
“Ah,” I said. Lily was the feral human girl who had been rescued from the crazy vampire at the same time as Marie. Problem was, Marie had been turned into a shifter, so she was considered “safe” and one of the team. Lily was human and completely messed up from her captivity, so everyone was afraid to release her for fear that she’d spill the Alliance’s secrets. Last I’d heard, Lily had tried to escape twice now, so someone was constantly with her. Today, it seemed, it was Ellis. “Well, tell him I said hello and I miss him.”
“I’m sure he misses seeing your pretty face, too,” Everett teased back.
Hugh scowled at me, crossing his arms, as if he disapproved of this entire conversation.
I ignored Hugh, hovering by the coffeepot until the first cup was brewed. I took it for myself and doctored it with massive amounts of cream and sugar. Then I blew on it, humming as if this had been a normal day and a massive Ice Age shifter hadn’t been hovering a step behind me. “Hey, Everett, I’m leaving shortly for the speed dating session. You going to be okay without me?”
“Lonely,” Everett teased. “But okay.”
Hugh said nothing, but his brows were low on his face. He was clearly not happy.
“Well, you have my number if you need me,” I said to Everett. “I’m taking Hugh with me.”
“And you have my number if you need anything, right?” I couldn’t miss the stress in Everett’s voice. It was so cute that he was being so
Everett scratched his jaw, regarding us. “Okaaaay,” he said, drawling the word. “And what kind of shifter did you say you were again?”
“He’s a—” I started.
“Primordial,” Hugh finished. “Long-tooth.”
I scowled at Hugh.
“Huh? What the hell is that?” Everett looked confused.
“It’s an Alaskan name for tiger,” I said quickly, then turned to glare at Hugh. “Isn’t that right?”
Hugh stared back at me.
“Why don’t you go and get the stool out of the storeroom so you don’t have to hover over me any longer?” I fixed Hugh with my sweetest smile. “And I’m going to make myself some coffee.”
He considered me for a long moment, then glanced at Everett. “I will return.”
“You do that,” I said and headed to the coffeepot.
As soon as Hugh left the room, Everett got up from his chair and sprinted to my side. He touched my elbow—which made me glad I was wearing a daisy yellow long-sleeved cardigan over my floral white-and-yellow sundress—and leaned close. “Hey, Ryder?”
“Hmm?” I pulled out the bag of coffee grounds, noticing that we had a new coffeepot. Sweet.
“How well do you know that guy?”
I sniffed the bag of coffee, enjoying the scent. God, I loved coffee. “Why?”
“There aren’t any shifter clans in Alaska. At least, not voluntarily.” Everett frowned and leaned closer to me. “And I’ve never heard of a long-tooth. I just don’t—”
A big hand shoved Everett backward. Hugh stepped between us, a low, angry rumble in his throat. “Do not stand so close to Ryder.”
Everett raised his hands. “Chill, man. I was just talking to her—”
“You were standing too close,” Hugh reiterated.
“It’s okay,” I said, putting a hand on Hugh’s clothed arm and patting his sleeve. “Everett was just looking out for me. Everything’s fine. Isn’t that right, Everett?”
But Everett was scowling at both of us. Crap. I looked from the snarly were-saber-tooth at my side to the bristling were-cougar a few feet away. I needed to defuse this situation or there was going to be a catfight. Literally. I quickly scooped coffee into the basket and shoved it back in place, then hit the button to start the pot. “So, Everett, where’s that tall, dark, and handsome twin brother of yours?”
Everett eyed us a moment longer, then returned to his desk. “Ellis? He’s Lily-sitting.”
“Ah,” I said. Lily was the feral human girl who had been rescued from the crazy vampire at the same time as Marie. Problem was, Marie had been turned into a shifter, so she was considered “safe” and one of the team. Lily was human and completely messed up from her captivity, so everyone was afraid to release her for fear that she’d spill the Alliance’s secrets. Last I’d heard, Lily had tried to escape twice now, so someone was constantly with her. Today, it seemed, it was Ellis. “Well, tell him I said hello and I miss him.”
“I’m sure he misses seeing your pretty face, too,” Everett teased back.
Hugh scowled at me, crossing his arms, as if he disapproved of this entire conversation.
I ignored Hugh, hovering by the coffeepot until the first cup was brewed. I took it for myself and doctored it with massive amounts of cream and sugar. Then I blew on it, humming as if this had been a normal day and a massive Ice Age shifter hadn’t been hovering a step behind me. “Hey, Everett, I’m leaving shortly for the speed dating session. You going to be okay without me?”
“Lonely,” Everett teased. “But okay.”
Hugh said nothing, but his brows were low on his face. He was clearly not happy.
“Well, you have my number if you need me,” I said to Everett. “I’m taking Hugh with me.”
“And you have my number if you need anything, right?” I couldn’t miss the stress in Everett’s voice. It was so cute that he was being so
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