Chapter Four Vincent

W ell, I survived the night. Whether that was cause for celebration was beyond me. But I was happy to see the sun rise. Thanks to my wolf healing, my lungs lived to breathe another day.

I laid in bed for a while, thinking about everything that had occurred the day before. Getting run over by River had honestly been the highlight of my summer so far. Running my own pizza shop was nice, but it wasn't exactly the pinnacle of happiness. It was still work that required my attention nearly every waking moment of every day. Yesterday had been one of the rare occasions that I actually took a day off. And honestly, I wasn't upset with how it turned out.

Being flirted with by a total stranger was kind of fun. I figured it probably wasn't going to go anywhere, because, let's be real, if I were a catch, I would've already been caught by now. I was approaching thirty at an alarming pace and the most relationship I'd had so far was the one that got me landed in Shifter Grove in the first place. But I didn't want to think about ancient history right now.

Instead, I wanted to think about those deep blue eyes and that mess of curly brown hair that River had. And maybe then I'd think about his strong arms carrying me all the way back to his van. And you know… maybe if I had been conscious, he could've spent an inordinate amount of time checking me over from head to toe just to make sure I was okay. I mean, that would have been the gentlemanly thing to do. And then, once all that was done, I bet he'd have to peel all my clothes off just to be sure.

By the time I realized how far down this fantasy I'd gone, the comforter was already tented around my waist. I tossed the covers aside, my hard cock springing upward. I ran a finger down the topside of it, a shiver running up my spine. It wouldn't take much to push the fantasy a little further and really let my mind run away with things.

It was tempting, but I pushed the thoughts away. Jerking off to the idea of him would just get my hopes up. Then, when he didn't come to the pizza shop to take me out, I'd be disappointed and sad. And I didn't like being sad. No, as far as I was concerned, a man as gorgeous as River wasn't going to have much to do with a guy like me. And he was going home in a month. Even if we got involved, it was just going to end.

It was probably best to let that fantasy remain dormant. Once he was gone, I could revisit it. But not right now while possibility still hung in the air like a hope just out of reach. The last thing I wanted to do was torture myself.

So, much like I did every morning, I grabbed my phone and pulled up some anonymous cruising porn and got to work. The motions were becoming a bit clinical, but the release gave me a quick rush of endorphins to help me get the day started. Tossing my phone to the side, I hopped out of bed and headed for the shower before the cum could run down my body and drip onto the floor.

I ran my shower nearly as hot as it would go to wake me up. It probably wasn't good for my skin, but neither was being still asleep when I was in the kitchen at the pizza shop. I checked my clock as soon as I got out to see it was already past ten. If I wanted to get breakfast before I went into the shop, I'd need to get my ass in gear.

Dressing was easy. Fitted jeans and a tight black t-shirt got the job done. I'd be wearing an apron all night away, so there was no reason to get too fancy. I grabbed my baseball cap on the way out, letting my hair air-dry before I stuffed it in my hat for the night. But all that was secondary to stopping at Amarok Cafe for breakfast. That was a tradition I never missed on Monday mornings.

The owner, Andy, was a good friend of mine, and the person I considered my rival in town. He was an excellent baker and ran quite the booming business for such a small town. However, he only covered the breakfast and lunch crowds. But me? I covered dinner and late-night needs. Plus I didn't get to bake my food ahead of time. Everything was made on the line as soon as it was ordered. I tried to give him as much shit as possible just to keep him humble. And he always dealt it back to me just as hard.

That's why, the moment I stepped inside, I heard his voice from behind the counter.

"Hey dickhead!" he called with a big smile on his face.

"Jackass," I nodded, heading for the counter.

Only a few of his customers turned to look, but they just smiled. This was a regular occurrence with us and they knew it was all in jest.

"Up as late as possible again I see," Andy smiled, leaning his elbows on the counter. "It's amazing that shop of yours opens on time."

"It's amazing all the people here put up with eating your day-old bread," I replied. I walked around the end of the counter and grabbed a cup, making my coffee as I always did. "How's business this morning?"

"Oh, you know, broke even for the day before you even got here," he smirked. "How about you?"

"Made enough Saturday night to take the entire day off yesterday." That was at least one thing I had on Andy. He was too busy to ever take a day off. "Just went out to the beach and lazed around. Got hit on by hot guys. You know the vibe."

"Uh-huh," he grumbled. "I'm sure they were just tripping over themselves to get to you. Just like they do for me."

That was one thing we had in common. We were single as fuck.

"Well, one of them did hit me with a surfboard."

"Did you deserve it?"

I scoffed. "He didn't see me. But he carried me back his van and made sure I was alright. It was kinda sweet."

Andy raised an eyebrow. "I can't tell if you're fucking with me."

"It's all true. Scout's honor," I replied, holding up three fingers on my right hand. "Although I'll probably never see him again because, you know, Alphas don't end up with dudes like me."

"He was an Alpha?"

"Next in line in his pack from what he told me."

"Wow. I bet he's hot then."

"Extremely."

"I wish I had an Alpha…" Andy got that dazed look in his eyes as he stared out the windows.

"Someone has to come to this town for both of us, right? Isn't that what we're supposed to believe?"

"Right," Andy laughed. "I'm sure some hot Alpha will just stumble into my life completely by accident. Probably this summer too. He'll show up, eat my food, fall in love with me, and it'll be happily ever after before the winter sets in." He scoffed, waving me away. "It's already mid-August. There isn't anybody on the way for me."

"Being defeated about it isn't going to help."

"Neither is wishful thinking. At least you have a chance at getting laid."

"A slim chance," I sighed. "I don't think he's gonna come looking for me. The guy was an easy ten. I'm like… a six on a good day."

"Don't sell yourself short. You're an easy six and a half."

"Gee, thanks." I stared at Andy for a long moment, the pair of us exchanging a mischievous grin. "So are you gonna get me a donut or what?"

"Is that what you want?"

"I mean, I'd take two."

"How do you stay so damn skinny eating nothing but carbs?" Andy went to the case and started taking out the apple fritters he knew I loved. "I swear I gain weight just breathing in this shop. I've taken up running just to keep fitting in my jeans."

"Please," I grumbled. "You've been tall and skinny since we met. Don't even start."

"And you've been a little twink."

"Thank you," I smiled, wiggling my head sassily. I picked up the bag of fritters on the counter and started toward the door. "If I see any hot single dudes, I'll send them your way, alright?"

"Are you gonna pay for any of that?" he asked, gesturing toward my coffee and pastries.

"Consider it in store credit at the pizza shop!"

Andy sighed but waved as I left. He was a great friend and so fun to mess with. If we had any sexual chemistry and he wasn't a total bottom, I would've hopped on that years ago. But that just wasn't the case. Even so, it was kind of nice to have a person to commiserate with now and then. He understood the struggle of being a gay werewolf in a small town—talk about a tiny dating pool.

Of course, some of us had found mates. Ace, the dark and silent cowboy, had found his mate early in the summer. Sam made sure to not only let everyone know, but to introduce Matt to all of us. They were a great pair and so in love. It was wonderful to see. But I couldn't help feeling a bit jealous every time I saw them. I wanted what they had. Then again, even if the right guy did come along, I wasn't sure I'd have the guts to go after him.

At this point, Andy and I's only chance of finding a mate was to hope another rogue wolf like us came into town. And that wasn't a fate I'd wish on anyone. Losing everything wasn't a great way to start a new life. Even so, I couldn't help wondering how we were going to find boyfriends any other way.

Maybe I'd grow a backbone and trying a human someday. But, until that happened, I was content enough to run my pizza shop and wait for the right guy to find me. In the meantime, I would try not to get my hopes up about getting railed by this River dude. Of course, the more I tried not to think about it, the more the images invaded my mind.

Good thing I was going to wear an apron all day so it could cover up my chub.