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

Chapter 8

A/N: Hey, funky monkeys! The second sneak peek from Keri's story - Sentiments & Reason, is already on my blog. I'll give the links to it and Sneak Peek #1 + its blurb in the comments :)

Did you know that... We are at Ch. 8 in We are the Answer, but it corresponds to only Ch. 3 in You are the Answer?

*****

He was cleaning again, his arms moving gracefully from left to right and back as he wiped the bar with the towel.

Well, that answered my question about whether my mate was tidy or not.

I pushed the door, the bell chiming as I entered. Drawn by the sound, he looked up, a smile blooming on his beautiful, kissable lips when he saw me, a smile that lessened with each step that brought me closer to him.

My appearance was far from pleasing today with my reddened eyes and ugly, dark circles underneath them; even my skin color was a paler, unhealthy shade.

"Rough night?" Riley asked with concern that tugged at each of my heart strings and he began preparing my coffee. He didn't need to question me what I wanted; I'd ordered the same each time I came to see him.

"Followed by a long, long day and it is only the afternoon." I failed to suppress a yawn. "Sorry, I'm late."

I'd always shown up at the Milk & Cream at the same time every Tuesday and Thursday since my first visit. Today, I was roughly an hour behind schedule.

"You are? I didn't notice."

My lips twitched. He had noticed. I could tell by how he avoided looking at me when he'd said he hadn't and by the nervous pull of his shirt.

Riley had been waiting for me.

I pretended to yawn again and covered my mouth with my hand to hide my smile.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He put the mug before me and I watched, revering as ever, as he used the flat end of a spoon to add the final touches to his work, adjusting the ears on the wolf's head.

Oh, my sweet, sweet, Riley... Did I want to talk about it?

Yes.

Should I talk about it with you?

Should I tell you how my selfish nephew was still missing and about the call my brother got about a vampire his age that was seen in another pack's territory?

Should I even mention that infuriating brat that still frightened you?

No, my mate, I shouldn't. I shouldn't let Alec ruin your day the same way he'd ruined our night.

Everett and Lisa had been having dinner with our parents, my little brothers and I when he got the call.

"A young vampire with light hair" - that had been all the description we got from the Moonlight pack's Alpha. Alec may be just a half, but he took after his vampire family in appearance so Everett, desperate to find his son, immediately prepared for the trip. Lisa had offered to go with him, but he didn't want to trouble her; the doctors had emphasized that avoiding stress would aid their attempts at having a child. I reassured her that her husband was not going alone; even if it hadn't been for Lisa, I couldn't let an anxious Everett drive all the way to the town the other pack called a home on his own.

The journey there had taken roughly five hours. Even though we'd arrived late at night, we'd been greeted by the Alpha himself and he'd been the one to take us to where the vampire had been seen. Everett had shifted into his wolf form, but even before he was back to human, I knew we'd hit a dead end; I could tell by how his tail and ears had slumped after only a few sniffs.