too,” Baxley added.
“He doesn’t count since he’s an Eagle,” Ash said.
“That is true,” Baxley agreed.
“And of course there’s Gage,” Ash interjected.
A pit formed in Kallen’s gut at the mention of his brother’s name. “Yeah, there’s him, too.”
He knew he should be more grateful to Gage, but yet he still kept going back to that wall that continued to be up between them. Kallen knew that Gage didn’t completely trust him, and it hurt—bad.
“Most of the rest of them can jump into the Flint River, though,” Ash grumbled. “Do you know they have the gall to call me too talkative?”
Kallen chuckled. Most days Ash acted like a kid who had eaten too much sugar, then washed it down with a six-pack of Red Bull. “How dare they?”
Ash gave him a narrow-eyed looked. “Sarcasm doesn’t fit you well.”
“Yet that doesn’t stop me from using it,” Kallen drawled.
“It doesn’t seem that everybody hates you,” Baxley said as he nodded off to the right of them.
Following his gaze, Kallen’s stomach dropped when he spotted Drake, a Tiger shifter who had the most amazing set of eyes that Kallen had everseen. They weren’t just blue, they were like chips of ice that seemed to stare straight into one’s soul. The fact that Drake had the most amazing body, too, didn’t hurt matters. He was a warrior, and every inch of him screamed it, from his thick biceps to his tight abs. Even his short, blond hair showed him to be a military man.
“I thought that once he was out of the infirmary, his infatuation with you would end,” Ash mused.
“It doesn’t look that way. If anything, he looks more interested in Kallen than ever,” Baxley pointed out.
While Kallen had to agree there was no mistaking the lust in the Tiger’s eyes, what he couldn’t figure out was why. Who in their right mind would be attracted to a half-breed, and a Hyena one at that? If Kallen didn’t know better, he would think that Drake was playing some game on him.
But the one time when Kallen’s life had been in danger, and he’d been injured, there had been no mistaking the rage from Drake. There was no way that somebody could have faked that. So his attraction was real. The question remained— why?
Kallen shook his head. What was he thinking? There was no way that anybody like Drake could ever want him. He was crazy to think otherwise.
“He’s probably trying to figure me out because I’m a Hyena or something. Maybe he hasn’t seen too many of my breed in his life,” Kallen said dismissively.
At the same time, he could practically feel Drake’s gaze burning into him. It made Kallen shiver a bit, and damned if his cock didn’t stand up and take notice too. Damn it! Just what he didn’t need, to develop an attraction to a feline. As if his life didn’t have enough complications as it was.
“That’s not the type of look he’s giving you. It’s more of I-wanna-jump-your-bones,” Ash oh-so-helpfully chimed in.
Kallen rolled his eyes. “I’m so sure a guy like Drake would ever be interested in a mangy Hyena.”
Baxley reached out and punched Kallen in the arm. “Don’t talk about yourself that way.”
Kallen rubbed his arm. For such a small fry Baxley really hit hard. “Why not? It’s true?”
“You’re only part Hyena, and there’s nothing mangy about you. Don’t forget you helped save Ash’s life. You almost died protecting him. That says a lot about your character. So stop cutting yourself down. You need to quit listening to the jerks around here. You’re a good person, and the sooner you see that, the better off you’ll be.”
Kallen sighed. If he could only see himself the way Baxley did, then maybe he would be happier. But whenever he looked in the mirror, all he saw was the Hyena that had been abused as a kid. The one that had lived on the streets doing anything to survive. The one that had almost betrayed the coalition. The one who would have had it not been for Gage’s
“He doesn’t count since he’s an Eagle,” Ash said.
“That is true,” Baxley agreed.
“And of course there’s Gage,” Ash interjected.
A pit formed in Kallen’s gut at the mention of his brother’s name. “Yeah, there’s him, too.”
He knew he should be more grateful to Gage, but yet he still kept going back to that wall that continued to be up between them. Kallen knew that Gage didn’t completely trust him, and it hurt—bad.
“Most of the rest of them can jump into the Flint River, though,” Ash grumbled. “Do you know they have the gall to call me too talkative?”
Kallen chuckled. Most days Ash acted like a kid who had eaten too much sugar, then washed it down with a six-pack of Red Bull. “How dare they?”
Ash gave him a narrow-eyed looked. “Sarcasm doesn’t fit you well.”
“Yet that doesn’t stop me from using it,” Kallen drawled.
“It doesn’t seem that everybody hates you,” Baxley said as he nodded off to the right of them.
Following his gaze, Kallen’s stomach dropped when he spotted Drake, a Tiger shifter who had the most amazing set of eyes that Kallen had everseen. They weren’t just blue, they were like chips of ice that seemed to stare straight into one’s soul. The fact that Drake had the most amazing body, too, didn’t hurt matters. He was a warrior, and every inch of him screamed it, from his thick biceps to his tight abs. Even his short, blond hair showed him to be a military man.
“I thought that once he was out of the infirmary, his infatuation with you would end,” Ash mused.
“It doesn’t look that way. If anything, he looks more interested in Kallen than ever,” Baxley pointed out.
While Kallen had to agree there was no mistaking the lust in the Tiger’s eyes, what he couldn’t figure out was why. Who in their right mind would be attracted to a half-breed, and a Hyena one at that? If Kallen didn’t know better, he would think that Drake was playing some game on him.
But the one time when Kallen’s life had been in danger, and he’d been injured, there had been no mistaking the rage from Drake. There was no way that somebody could have faked that. So his attraction was real. The question remained— why?
Kallen shook his head. What was he thinking? There was no way that anybody like Drake could ever want him. He was crazy to think otherwise.
“He’s probably trying to figure me out because I’m a Hyena or something. Maybe he hasn’t seen too many of my breed in his life,” Kallen said dismissively.
At the same time, he could practically feel Drake’s gaze burning into him. It made Kallen shiver a bit, and damned if his cock didn’t stand up and take notice too. Damn it! Just what he didn’t need, to develop an attraction to a feline. As if his life didn’t have enough complications as it was.
“That’s not the type of look he’s giving you. It’s more of I-wanna-jump-your-bones,” Ash oh-so-helpfully chimed in.
Kallen rolled his eyes. “I’m so sure a guy like Drake would ever be interested in a mangy Hyena.”
Baxley reached out and punched Kallen in the arm. “Don’t talk about yourself that way.”
Kallen rubbed his arm. For such a small fry Baxley really hit hard. “Why not? It’s true?”
“You’re only part Hyena, and there’s nothing mangy about you. Don’t forget you helped save Ash’s life. You almost died protecting him. That says a lot about your character. So stop cutting yourself down. You need to quit listening to the jerks around here. You’re a good person, and the sooner you see that, the better off you’ll be.”
Kallen sighed. If he could only see himself the way Baxley did, then maybe he would be happier. But whenever he looked in the mirror, all he saw was the Hyena that had been abused as a kid. The one that had lived on the streets doing anything to survive. The one that had almost betrayed the coalition. The one who would have had it not been for Gage’s
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