1. Zeke Castro

Chapter one

Zeke Castro

I had been surprised when my cousin Fabian told me that everyone would be going to northwest Colorado for his and Matt's wedding. Fabian had never left Miami in his entire life. Outdoorsy wasn't even a word I would've chosen to describe the man. Fabian went outside only to sit by a pool or transfer from one air-conditioned space to another. He claimed he would melt if he sweat too much—which was a lie since drag queens really did work that hard every night.

So I had to conclude that Fabian heading into the wilderness voluntarily meant he really was head over heels in love with Matt, his decidedly outdoorsy husband-to-be.

I was only going because I loved Fabian and wanted to support him in everything, but oh, I was so over love. That evil four-letter word had destroyed me in more ways than any one thing should have been allowed to do. I'd been in heaven—blissfully ignorant—when I'd thought I was in love and all because I'd trusted Anthony. In every way, I'd given myself to my man. I'd worked at his club, lived in his house, driven his cars, worshipped his body…

And then I'd found out that Anthony had a whole other life in Orlando with a wife and kids like some kind of telenovela villain with a yearly pass to Disney World.

Technically, it had been me not being able to continue being the side piece Anthony visited when he needed some dick that had me unemployed, homeless, and without transportation. I could've stayed and kept my life the way it was. But I just couldn't get over the betrayal of someone I'd given my whole heart to doing nothing but lie to me for two years.

The only reason I was able to be here this week with my friends was because they had pooled their money to pay for my flight and room. So, yeah, I was going to put on a happy face and pretend that I loved love for their sakes, but—

"Stand up and bend over."

I blinked and looked up to see Fabian standing next to me in the aisle of the shuttle bus taking us from the airport to the resort. Fabian was a delicate little thing, but there was a growly look on his perfectly contoured face just now. And what the hell had he said?

"Excuse me?"

"We're all going to spank your ass every time you go quiet and get that sour lemon look on your face." Fabian smiled like the imp that he was. "I volunteered to be first, so up you go, papi ."

I rolled my eyes. "You— None of you ," I said with a glance around at the rest of them, "are going to be smacking my ass for any reason, thanks."

Fabian turned around and sat himself in my lap. I groaned since I wouldn't be getting out of this conversation any time soon. I also dutifully put an arm around the little idiot's waist to keep him from falling off when we hit a pothole. Beside me, Charlie—another adorable twink in our party—giggled and scooted over on the bench seat, giving me a little more room.

"Ezequiel," Fabian said, "this is the only time I'm going to say this because I don't really want to be one of those brides." He grabbed the collar of my peacoat in both fists. "But I swear to god, sweet pea, this is my wedding and I'm going to have a fabulous time. I won't have a fabulous time if you're looking like Eeyore every time I see you. So either you stop, or I get Matt to staple a smiley face to your forehead." He cupped my face in his hands and grinned. "And I can get Matty to do anything I want."

"Em shorry," I said despite my face being squished. "Owl do be'er."

Fabian patted my cheeks and stood up. "Thank you, baby!"

The little shit tottered off on his high-heeled tennis shoes to rejoin his geeky, blushing other half in the front of the bus. Whatever he said to Matt had the poor guy's usual blush going from pale pink to fuchsia, so it must've been something inappropriately sexual. Fabian kissed Matt before snuggling into his arms like all was right with his world.

I shared an embarrassed look with Charlie, who patted my thigh sympathetically. "Just keep smiling," the little ginger said before going back to watching the scenery roll by.

So, okay, no more thoughts about disaster exes and the wreck that was my life. I really did want to enjoy this week and make sure the happy couple had a great time. I'd make more of an effort.

And, really, Colorado was an interesting place to visit. I had left Miami plenty of times, but I usually only flew over the middle of the country. I was a coastal sort of person, but pine trees and mountain ranges and white-water rivers were pretty cool. If I ignored the lovey-dovey aspects, I felt a little like I was in any number of Hallmark movies where the heroine went into the unknown and learned all kinds of life lessons in under two hours. I could embrace that and play my part, especially since Fabian was clearly the heroine and I was his sidekick.

The shuttle bus made a turn off the two-lane road surrounded by an autumn forest and… Wow . We were heading for a small village of buildings with a Bavarian charm, golden streetlights, and crowds of smiling people everywhere. I hadn't done much research on our destination because I hadn't thought I'd be able to go until a couple weeks ago. Was this the resort? It literally looked like a mountain village, but that was definitely the name of the resort on the sign we'd just driven under. Welcome to Lupassilva Resort .

I hadn't expected this level of all-inclusiveness outside of Mexico, but that was actually excellent. I could wander away if I needed a break from the wedding party shenanigans and visit shops, restaurants, and… Well, I'd figure out what else there was to do around here in mid-autumn. Maybe I could learn to ride a horse or photograph bears or something rugged and butch like that.

Speaking of … The bus rolled to a stop in front of the hotel and right beside where a tall, muscular man was chopping wood like some kind of backwoods porn star. I couldn't tear my gaze away from the sight of all that glistening skin and bulging muscles. A whispered "dear god above" beside me had me nodding and guessing the rest of the queers sitting with me were just as ensnared by the view.

"Alright, gents," the driver said with a chuckle. "Do me a favor and pop your eyeballs back in your skulls, roll up your tongues, and get off my bus like the class acts you are without hitting on the resort owner's son, okay? That's it. There you go."

I snorted a laugh and stood up, glad the man was cool with all of us. Before stepping into the aisle, I bopped Charlie on his head since he looked moments away from licking the window.

"Are you seeing this?" Charlie said with stars in his eyes. "I didn't think we'd get lucky this week, so I didn't bring anything with me. Now I need to buy all the condoms and lube."

"Pace yourself, kiddo," I said on a chuckle. "You'll want to be able to walk at the end of the week."

"Will I, though?"

I shook my head as I grinned— ah, youth —and slung my backpack over my shoulder before heading down the aisle to the front of the bus.

It was a few minutes of the bell hops unloading and sorting by guest way more luggage than was entirely necessary for a one-week stay at a five-star hotel before everyone was able to sashay into the lobby. Though taxidermy and antlers were on full display, it was still warm and cozy with huge fireplaces, dark wood paneling, and leather furniture. It was very clear that I was definitely not in south Florida anymore.

Or balancing on the tip of America's dick, like Fabian was fond of calling it.

A woman in a smart black pantsuit hustled right over to us, zeroing in on Fabian and Matt. Soon she had a team of people collecting our IDs to check us in, handing out champagne, and herding everyone over to a sitting area beside a fireplace big enough to stand inside. The wedding party had landed.

"Listen up, ladies!" Fabian said with a clap of his hands. "Not all of our rooms are ready and we have lunch reservations at one so how about going to do some shopping for the next hour and a half?" He grinned before he said, "And, yes, we're walking all over the village."

I rubbed at my scruffy chin to hide my smile as the princesses among them—Fabian was the only one allowed to be called a queen this week—did their best not to cringe or run away screaming. A couple of them looked down at their chosen footwear with worry in their eyes. I started stretching, fully expecting to end up carrying someone before too long.

"Which one do you want?"

I straightened up from stretching my back and realized Duncan, one of Matt's friends, was beside me. Since he had one arm crossed over his chest to stretch his muscles, I chuckled to realize we were both on the same page about future duties rescuing damsels with blisters.

In looking at Duncan, though, I noticed that rugged-looking blond who'd been chopping firewood was restocking the fireplace across the way while watching us. Me. The guy was staring right at me.

"Seriously, which one is yours?" Duncan asked. "I don't want to step on anyone's toes."

"The blond," I found myself saying.

"Like 'em big, do ya?" Duncan laughed and smacked my shoulder.

"Huh?"

I dragged my gaze away from the blond guy to see Duncan pointing at Barney, the six-six bouncer from the club who was a great guy but not at all my type. And now Duncan thought me and Barney were together. Before I could clear that up, Duncan was heading toward Charlie like a wolf on the prowl.

We really shouldn't be pairing off with anyone. Including resort staff.

I didn't look at the muscly blond guy a second time, though it was weirdly difficult to stop myself from glancing over there. He was just some dude. With blue eyes that I could see from across the room and a massive set of pecs that were straining his t-shirt. Nope, stop that .

Arm in arm, Fabian and Matt led everyone back out of the lobby and into the crisp mountain air. Aside from the questionable footwear on a few of us, we had all correctly anticipated the chilly temperatures of October in the Colorado mountains and had dressed well for them in downy coats and long pants. I had to assume anyone not bundled up was either a local or from a place where it was already snowing. I had a feeling I'd be buying a hat before long.

Fabian gave a little squeal just before everyone shifted to the right and started heading for…a magic shop? I frowned, having never known Fabian to give a hoot about magic or crystals or… Oh, there were tarot card readings. Fabian did like the idea that fate and destiny were real—he insisted that was why he and Matt were together.

I hung back, holding the door open as everyone trooped into the shop.

The inside smelled like some kind of incense and old books, two scents that I happily inhaled. With endless aisles stretching out in front of me and two stories of bookshelves with library ladders on either side of me, I hesitated there on the threshold. The place looked like a cross between a wealthy eccentric's mansion and a rare book shop. And despite there being a checkout counter nearby, no one manned it. There was also a small snack counter, but it was dark and dusty, as though it hadn't been open for months. Should we even be in here? Maybe this place was actually closed.

"Welcome," a quiet voice rumbled just before a tall male figure stepped into view beside the crackling fireplace. Lean and poised, he was dressed like a Victorian lord on his way to an evening at the theatre, complete with top hat and cane. Striking and yet nondescript, the only part of him that truly stood out to me were his fathomless sable eyes. "How can I help you today?"

Several of the boys swarmed the poor man, exclaiming over his aesthetic and asking for photos. I left them to it and wandered over to one of the bookshelves.

Immediately, I noticed that I'd found the paranormal fiction section. Every book was about some kind of supernatural creature, from vampires to werewolves to Mothman. I'd never heard of some of the things the books focused on, and it was amazing how they pretended to be fact-filled scientific explorations.

The selection of werewolf books was much bigger than the rest because of a leather-bound series that looked pretty old. The author's name was Lupescu, and the volumes were all titled as a family history. Though I was curious about what the books contained in seven volumes of a werewolf family history, I left them where they were because old usually meant expensive.

"I'll give you the family discount if you buy the whole series."

I flinched back to find the shop owner standing nearby. "Oh, um, I'm just browsing." Wait, had he said family discount? Who's family? "And I'm not fam—"

"Might I suggest this instead?"

In the man's long-fingered, very pale hand was a small purple bottle that looked like cologne. On the label, though, it simply said "love potion" in fancy script.

"A love potion? Oh, no," I said on a disbelieving laugh. "I've had about enough of love."

"You have yet to know true love. This will help you find your destined life mate."

"My what?"

The shop owner took my hand in his icy fingers and placed the bottle against my palm. "It's all natural. An organic concoction of essential oils. It's also good for relaxation and will help you find release from all that troubles you."

"Right…" A love potion that would help me find release… Uh-huh . I resisted rolling my eyes as I turned the bottle over in my hand and saw the price.

"Sixty-five dollars!" I made to hand it back, but the man wouldn't take it. Which had me realizing I was being rude. "I'm sorry. I just can't afford something like this. I recently lost my job and, um…" A complete stranger didn't need to know my life was circling the drain.

The man's severe expression softened the slightest bit as he smiled. "Consider it a gift."

"Oh. Uh. I really shouldn't…"

"Take it." He cupped his large hands around mine, closing the vial inside. "It could have no more worthy owner than you."

I huffed a laugh, uncomfortable all over again. "Sure. Thanks," I said, taking the out. I could consider it a souvenir, or maybe give it to Fabian so he could tease Matt. Or maybe I could leave it on a random shelf on my way out the door.

As if sensing that plan, the shop owner kept me in his sights as I tried to find where the others had gone off to. Why did it feel like the shop got bigger every time I turned around? I hadn't even gone that far inside to look at the books, but now I couldn't find the exit. And the shop owner was standing over there and looking like he might enjoy the fact that I was starting to panic.

"Ezequiel!"

With a gasp, I turned at the sound of Fabian snapping my name. For a second, I had no idea what the hell had just happened because I was literally standing with everyone else right beside the checkout counter. And the shop owner wasn't lurking in a dark corner but actively ringing up everyone's purchases and smiling at them as they paid him.

" Papi ," Fabian said with a pout as he fussed with the collar of my coat. "Please stop being so lost and melancholy. I really don't want to have to bite you."

I snorted a laugh, feeling calmer even though I had no idea what had been messing with my head. It was like I'd lost time or had an out of body experience. Why I'd taken the shop owner with me, I had no clue.

"Oh, what's this?" Fabian asked as he plucked the bottle right out of my hand. Before I could say a word about it, Fabian squealed in rapturous delight. "A love potion? That's perfect!"

And without further ado, he spritzed both sides of my neck with the stuff.