Chapter Six

When they arrived at the ice cream hut, Paris was sitting with his legs on either side of a picnic table bench, lounging with his back pressed into Cannon's chest.

As soon as he spotted Alister walking toward him, Paris sat up with a silly grin plastered on his face. "About goddamn time," he hollered. "Do you know how desperate I am for a Sour Patch ice cream?"

"I'll be over by Cannon." Wyatt kissed Alister's temple before he walked away.

Alister gripped Paris's hand and yanked his bestie toward the order window but far enough away that no one would overhear them.

"I said I was desperate for my ice cream, but that wasn't your cue to rip out my arm." Paris shook off Alister's hold.

"We need to talk." Alister glanced around like he was expecting secret agents to jump out of bushes and from behind the large tree towering over the picnic tables. "I need you to tell me if I messed up."

"Let me get my ice cream. Then we can sit at the empty table behind us." Paris didn't look at him curiously because he was used to Alister's frantic personality.

Too many thoughts and emotions were ping-ponging inside of Alister. Today was one for the records. He'd woken this morning in an amazing mood, mostly due to being claimed the previous evening but also because he could get his car back. Paris had tackled him in the police station and read him the riot act because Alister had ghosted his bestie for a week.

Then Sloane happened, followed by a spectacular showing of his ass in Wyatt's driveway. And because Alister didn't do anything half-heartedly, he damn near had sex in public before he'd frozen in front of the bakery.

If he'd known complete insanity would jump off today, he would have kept his tush in bed.

Paris came away from the window with his ice cream so high in the cone that it looked as if it would topple over after one lick. He handed Alister a bottle of water, and then they sat at the table, Paris's back to Cannon and Wyatt.

Of course Alister had to sit on the side where he could stare obsessively at his mate and drool over his delicious body.

Paris's eyes rolled to the back of his skull as he licked the side of the ice cream.

"You're the only person I know who looks on the verge of an explosive orgasm when you drink your favorite coffee or lick ice cream so scandalously." Alister opened his water and sucked the cold liquid down his parched throat.

"I slay at whatever I do." Smiling devilishly, Paris groaned loudly as his tongue swirled around the head of the frozen dessert then sealed his lips over the side and slid his mouth downward.

"Cannon's staring at you like that ice cream is his dick." Alister smirked. "Keep up your performance and he won't be the only one eye-banging you."

"But he's the only one with access to these lips." Paris licked the ice cream from the side of his mouth then settled his arms on the table. "Tell what has your thong in a twist."

"Wyatt is my mate," Alister said. "I should have told you sooner, but I've been running from one disaster to another since we reconnected this morning."

Paris's head fell back as he groaned. "You're about to go drama queen on me," he whined. He lowered his head and looked at Alister. "I deserve it, but if our cops throw us down and cuff us, I'm putting my foot up your diva ass."

"Are you referring to the fact that you've yet to tell me that Cannon is your mate?" Alister pursed his lips.

"When did you figure it out?" Paris squeaked.

"The moment you threatened to put me in my trunk and drive my car into a creak for ogling Cannon." Alister narrowed his eyes. "You kept the most important thing to ever happen to you a secret from me."

"I fucked up, all right?" Paris rested his forehead against the heel of his hand. "So much was going on with Negan and Sloane, and I was afraid if anyone found out about Cannon they would go after him."

"You were afraid if I found out that I would accidentally blab," Alister corrected. "I have been known to talk too much."

Paris lowered his hand and aimed a guilt-ridden stare at Alister. "I trust you with my life, sweetheart, but—"

"Cannon is your mate, and you were going to protect him at all costs." Alister nodded. "I feel the same way about Wyatt." His eyes shot to his mate, who was leaning back, his elbows on the table behind him, his long, powerful legs stretched out in front of him, his ankles crossed.

The guy had to know how ravishing he looked. Thank goodness Wyatt wasn't one of those guys whose ego was overinflated. Alister had met jerks who thought he should praise their body every five seconds.

"You might want to wipe the drool off your chin," Paris said. "If you stare at him any harder, your eyes might pop out and roll across the table."

Alister forced his attention back on his friend instead of Wyatt's swoon-inducing body. "I really do talk too much."

"Is the heat frying your brain?" One of Paris's brows arched. "I was referring to lust, not language."

Folding his arms on the table, Alister dropped his head. "I think I freaked Wyatt out today when I told him I love him." His eyes bulged as he looked up at Paris. "What does it mean if he didn't say it back to me? We're mates, but some guys panic when you use the L word. We were parked in front of Sweet Spot, and he just sat there staring at me as I talked too fast. I couldn't make myself shut up." He dropped his head back down. "I'm a hopeless dweeb."

"You are such an adorable mess." Paris patted his head like Alister was a good little puppy. "He had to have done more than just stare at you, hon. What happened after you ejected your emotions all over him?"

I was seconds away from ejecting my cum all over him.

A burning flush shot through Alister like a bolt of lightning. He could still feel the insatiable hunger in Wyatt's kiss, still feel Wyatt's erection between his fingers and pressing between his cheeks.

"He might have yanked me into his lap and been a hair's breadth away from fucking me into the steering wheel."

Paris's eyebrows inched upward as his jaw slowly fell open. A broad smile expanded across his face before he let out a high-pitched squeal. "You slutty kitten!"

"Thanks for playing it cool!" Alister shrieked. "I don't think the people on the other side of town heard you."

His bestie got up and hurried around the table, plopping down beside Alister. "Spill the tea."

Alister pressed his hand against Paris's eager face. "Not a chance, bitch. When I asked for deets about you and Cannon, you told me you don't kiss and tell. Eat my Nivea-smelling palm."

Paris sighed. "You're no fun." He knocked Alister's hand away. "Back to your problem. If you tell a guy you're in love with him and he tries to fuck you in public, that's not panic from hearing the L word, hon."

Biting his lip, Alister glanced to where Wyatt was seated. His mate and Cannon were talking. Thankfully Wyatt was no longer sitting in that sexy pose. He had his back to Alister. "So why didn't he say it back to me?"

"That's something you'll have to talk to him about." Paris licked his ice cream, which had started to melt. "Just don't read into it. For all you know, something in his past might be the cause."

Paris was right that Alister shouldn't read into it, but that didn't stop his insecurities from welling up inside of him. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves then saw Sam and Morgan heading their way.

Alister really liked Sam. They'd hung out enough that the human had confessed that he'd been homeless for years and he'd had a nasty hyena shifter after him. Alister couldn't imagine not having a home, and knowing Sam's prior hardship only made him more endearing.

"Hey, guys." Sam took a seat next to Alister. "I wanted to ask you two something, and it's okay if you can't. I completely understand since people do have lives."

Paris chuckled. "Stop shutting down whatever it is before you've even asked us." He leaned sideways and tossed the rest of his cone into the trashcan next to their table.

"Morgan has this thing about me making friends, which I have. It's just I don't hang with them too often."

"Please don't take the long road on this." Alister patted Sam's back. "What do you want to ask us."

Sam had also divulged to Alister that he hadn't had any friends when he was on the streets. He now hung out with Milo and Atlas, but as far as Alister knew, those were the only two people. It was nice that Sam included him and Paris in his small circle of friendship.

Taking a deep breath, Sam said, "I wanted to have a cookout this weekend. I like having Morgan's friends over, but I'd like to have some of my own at the house, too."

"We'd love to!" Paris grinned. "Who would turn down free food and being around friends? What day and time?"

"Really?" Sam's dark blue eyes lit up. "You guys don't have to bring anything. Well, except yourselves and your fellas."

"Mates," Alister said proudly. "Wyatt is my mate, and Cannon is Paris's."

"Right." Sam nodded.

"What day and time?" Paris repeated.

"Saturday at two. Is that okay, or should I change the time?" Sam ran his hands up and down his thighs. "I've never planned a cookout, and it's been ten years since I've called anyone a friend. Should I have asked you guys what day and time works for you instead of deciding beforehand?"

God, the guy now sounded like Alister with the way his words were coming out so fast. Alister curled his arm around Sam and pulled him into a sideways hug. "Calm down, kitten. Paris and I will be there on Saturday at two. Are Milo and Atlas coming?"

"Shit." Sam bit his lip. "I already planned on them being there. I just forgot to invite them."

Alister laughed. "A phone call will fix that. I'll bet my glamourous wardrobe they'll be there."

"I'm nervous," Sam whispered. "What if something comes up and my friends don't show? Morgan's coworkers are coming over, including the new guys, but I really want mates there, too."

"There's nothing to be nervous about," Paris whispered across the table. "Take a deep breath, Sam. We're going to be there."

"Okay." Sam nodded and did as Paris suggested, taking a deep breath.

Then he stiffened, and his eyes narrowed.

Frowning, Alister followed Sam's gaze and saw a short, lithe guy approaching the table where Wyatt, Cannon, and Morgan were seated. The stranger had platinum-blond hair with pink streaks, and admittedly, he was good-looking.

"Oh, hell no," Sam growled. The sound wasn't a bad attempt for a human.

"What is it?" Paris asked.

Sam shot to his feet. "That's the bitch who disrespected Morgan when I still had all those stitches in my back. I tried to beat his ass, but my mate pulled me away." Sam yanked his legs out from under the table. "I told him that if I saw him again I was going to bash a brick over his head."

Alister saw the stranger batting his lashes at Wyatt and giving him a flirty smile. Logically, Alister knew the twink had no clue that Wyatt wasn't single, but that didn't stop jealously from rearing its ugly head.

"I warned you!" Sam sprinted around the table, with Alister and Paris close on his heels.

Alister had no idea what happened before, but it was clear that Sam's warning had gone unheeded by the blond.

"I wasn't flirting with your guy!" the blond squeaked as he stood there, his eyes wide.

Morgan grabbed Sam around his waist and hauled his mate off his feet, tossing the human over his shoulder. "You can't attack people, beautiful."

As badly as Alister wanted to rip the guy's hair out for flirting with Wyatt, he didn't. Instead, he walked over to the blond and jabbed a finger at Wyatt. "All three of these men are taken."

Even though the blond was short, he was still a few inches taller than Alister. The trollop sneered at him. "I've known Deputy Birch for years. I have a right to talk to the law enforcement in this town without being accosted, so step off before I crash out on you."

Alister gasped, his fingertips pressing against his chest, and then he lunged at the hussy. "You have no idea who you're fucking with, bitch!"

"Kick his ass, Alister!" Sam shouted from Morgan's shoulder.

Before Alister's hand made contact with the blond's face, the hussy backhanded him.

Everything happened so fast, yet it felt like it happened in slow motion.

Paris's expression was savage as he cocked his arm back, but Cannon damn near tackled him, hauling his mate away.

Simultaneously, Wyatt curled an arm around Alister's chest, but when his mate yanked him backward, Alister threw his leg up and connected his foot with the bitch's jaw.

The blond landed on his ass. He clutched his face as he cried out. Wyatt twisted around, swinging Alister away from the guy as a patrol car drove onto the grass and stopped five feet away.

A small crowd had gathered as Alister fought to get out of Wyatt's hold. "I'm going to break his fucking jaw!"

"You better let me go!" Paris shouted, trying just as hard as Alister to get to the blond.

One of the new deputies slipped out of his cruiser, and although Alister had been introduced to him when he'd gone to the station to pick up his car, he couldn't remember the tall, massive guy's name.

"What's going on?" the deputy asked in a relaxed, professional tone.

"Settle down, butterfly," Wyatt said in his ear then told the deputy, "Cuff the one on the ground. He assaulted Alister."

"I need a hospital," the blond yelled, his hand still pressed to his cheek. "I can't believe he kicked me in the face!"

When Alister realized he'd used more force than he'd meant to, the fight drained right out of him. He was still pissed about being backhanded, but Alister was ten times stronger and shouldn't have put so much strength behind his kick.

"You can let me go," he said to Wyatt.

His mate's arm slowly eased from around him, as if he didn't trust that Alister wouldn't go after the blond.

"Call him an ambulance, Deputy Tenshi," Wyatt said. "He's still being charged with assault, but he needs his jaw looked at."

"Don't charge him," Alister said in a low voice to his mate. "He's probably got a broken jaw. That's enough punishment." He wrung his hands, worried he'd really hurt the human.

"His jaw isn't broken if he can demand a hospital," Wyatt said. "Plus, he touched my mate. He should consider himself lucky I pulled you away instead of letting you unleash on him."

As Alister looked around, he noticed that Sam and Paris had also settled down, though Sam was glaring at the twink. The crowd was watching them, some recording the drama on their phones. There wasn't any doubt in his mind the fiasco would be all over the internet in no time.

An entire hour had gone by before Alister could finally leave. During that time, he'd watched the blond being loaded into an ambulance and had given Deputy Tenshi his detailed statement.

After the day he'd just had, all Alister wanted was to go home. It seemed like there was no limit to the madness today, and he was over it.