We are the Answer {boyxboy} ✔ (Dogs, Bats & Monkeys series, Book I | Rhys)

Chapter 5

A/N: KMyung and Hazel_Tree interviewed me; you can read their questions and my replies on my blog. The link will be in the comments and given as external link.

Thank you for doing this, K and Hazel!

*****

Heart beating like crazy, throat tight and the desire to growl - would I be in this state each time I was away from my mate?

Riley.

The name sent shivers through me.

Riley.

It made me want to close my eyes and repeat it over and over again... But I had to concentrate on the road and traffic; I had to pick up my two younger siblings.

I drove the car in the school parking lot and shut down the engine. Daisy and Cindy - two young women from my pack had stopped their car nearby, waiting for the daughter of the former who was also the niece of the latter; they gave me a wave and I nodded in reply.

The passenger door opened and a backpack was thrown at the back of my car.

"So? Did you go? Did you see him?" Kennedy shot out before his butt made it to the seat.

I didn't mind though. I couldn't wait to talk about my mate and I didn't care if I had to repeat myself to each member of my family and to Keri; I had no doubt she'd ask.

"Yes, I went, yes, he was there - he is the barista, and his name is Riley." The last word left my mouth through a sigh.

"Finally, we know his name!" He threw his hands in the air. "What's he like?"

"He's a bit shy, I think - he blushed a couple of times while we talked, and he's really nice and polite, somewhat childish, and he's an artist." I reached in my pocket for my phone.

"Does he draw, carve, sculpt...?"

"He does this." I tilted the screen with the photo I'd taken towards his face. He took the device from me, angled it to see better and whistled.

"Coffee art? That's pretty cool. And he seems to be good at it."

"He is, he is," I kept nodding as he handed me my mobile back and I gazed at the photo of the cream wolf before I pocketed it again.

"So, what did you two talk about?" My youngest sibling inquired, leaning in his seat, the ankle of his left leg over the knee of his right one.

"Coffee, his art... I told him I went to the café to make sure he wasn't stressed from his run in with Alec."

Kennedy grimaced.

"Any news from that... jerk? What?" He blinked at me with all the innocence in the world or at least all the innocence this mischievous devil could muster. "I was going to use 'jerk' in the first place, I swear."

We hadn't seen our nephew from the night I'd first met Riley. He'd disappeared without telling anyone where he was going, when he would be back or what he was planning to do. Everett had tried to get a hold on him by the phone, but Alec had not picked up; to be honest, it had surprised me the boy had not blocked his father's number.

"No, but apparently Riley hasn't seen him either."

"That doesn't mean Alec hasn't seen Riley," Kennedy noted just as the Carter opened the backseat door and let his mate Melanie in before he climbed in after her.