14. Sebastian

14

Sebastian

S ebastian could have kicked himself in the butt as he walked back to his house. He almost said something that he couldn't take back. The spark was absolutely there and was nothing like he had ever felt before, but he didn't want to admit it to Talia yet. He was relatively certain that she thought the same thing, however, he always kept his feelings close to his vest. He knew that he was being a stupid, stubborn ass. However, those were traits he possessed his entire life. He also knew that he needed to get over those traits.

"Maybe I could take a class in that," he muttered. "Kind of like anger management classes, but for stubborn people."

He grinned and shook his head at the thought.

Part of the problem was that he wasn't quite sure how to put it. "There is a spark between us, but I'm not in love with you" sounded a little mean. "There is a spark between us, and I like you a lot" sounded a lot like they were still in high school.

Sebastian decided that he would talk to Rory about it tomorrow. His older brother had always been better at talking to people, which was why Rory was an attorney. He could sell ice to an Eskimo, as their father used to say.

Rory laughed at him the next morning when Sebastian refused to come to the office. "Fine, we'll compromise. I'll buy you lunch at Howlers', and we'll talk about the situation with the guys Julian fried the other night and their friends."

It was crowded as usual when they walked into the bar and grill, but they managed to grab a table in the back where they could talk relatively easily and not be overheard. Elaine brought their drinks and food and then ran off again without stopping to talk.

"Poor girl is running her legs off," Sebastian said. "You should leave her a big tip."

"I'm buying lunch, you get the tip," Rory said. "That's the rules."

"Fine, I'll leave her a big tip," he said. "What did you find out?"

"First, that they were all using their own product. They claimed you guys turned into wolves and a dragon before attacking them. Their proof was the burned faces of their buddies. However, there was a bonfire there, and they had fallen into it. They were too stoned to know. Sheriff Greene made sure that there were remnants of a bonfire there."

Sebastian smirked. "Julian will be glad to know that he's a bonfire. I told him not to roast anyone."

"He needs to listen better, although he did take out four of the bad guys by himself while you and Anthony only got one each. You two are getting soft."

"Ouch."

"None of them had any information that you and your people hadn't already uncovered. They'll be going to jail."

"Bummer. But at least we had a fun night out," Sebastian said.

Rory raised his eyebrows. "That's your idea of fun?"

"You have your fights in the courtroom, I have mine in other places. You have the brains, and I have the beauty and brawn."

Rory rolled his eyes and shook his head.

"You also have a way with words. I wanted to ask your advice."

"Really? Okay. This is new."

Sebastian grunted and then explained what happened the night before and what he almost said. He asked what he should say.

"It's not sophomoric to acknowledge that there is chemistry between the two of you and that you like her or care about her. You should talk to her."

Sebastian left a hundred on the table for Elaine and went back to the office. He texted Talia asking her if she wanted to go for a run and then have grilled hamburgers and macaroni and cheese at his place.

About an hour later, she texted back. Sounds great.

As they drove to the mountain, she smiled at him. "I really appreciate you going for a run with me all the time," she said. "I know these woods like the back of my hand, but I'm not so sure about the people and other shifters that might be hanging around."

"I understand. Rory got attacked by some shifters not too long ago. His wife's best friend, Beth, and her daughter Taryn, are healer witches. It took their powers plus Savvy's ability with spells to help him recover."

"Wow," Talia said. "I will definitely avoid running alone. I'm not much of a fighter, especially against other shifters, and if there is more than one."

He patted her arm. "I've got your back."

They had a nice run. Sebastian always enjoyed running alone just because he liked the peace and quiet. It gave him time to think and to move at his own pace without having to worry about anything else. However, he realized he looked forward to shifting and loping about the mountain with Talia.

Talia headed to her place to take a quick shower before walking back over with a plate of cookies. He had showered and had the grill fired up when she returned.

"Are they homemade?" he asked.

"Yep," she said. "It's the recipe that comes from the back of the generic chocolate chips bag. I always thought that was the best recipe out there."

"Anything you make would be delicious." He grinned wolfishly at her.

"Why, sir, are you flirting with me?"

"I'm trying, why?"

"Maybe you should stick with asking me my sign or saying something like, ‘did it hurt when you fell from heaven?'" she teased.

"How about, ‘Do you have a sunburn or are you always this hot?'"

"That's terrible," Talia said, wrinkling her nose.

"I've got a hundred more," he said.

"The problem is that they're so goofy that they probably work on most women."

"Would they work on you?"

She leaned close to him and said, "Well, now, I guess that all depends on who's spouting them."

"Me."

"They would probably work, especially if you're buying me a drink at the same time."

He handed her a beer and grinned.

She laughed.

Sebastian couldn't remember when he last had so much fun just being goofy. She made him smile just by hanging out.

"Soup's on," he said, putting the hamburgers on a plate and piling on some mac and cheese.

"That was the first time I've ever seen mac and cheese made on the grill."

"All you have to do is boil water. It boils just as easily over a flame as it does on an electric eye."

"True enough," she said.

She took a couple of bites and said, "This is delicious."

"I work my own blend of spices into the meat before forming the patties."

"What spices are those?"

"Top secret. Sorry."

"You don't want to tell me so I'll keep coming back for more. I know how you people work. The first burger is free to get me hooked, and then the price keeps going up," Talia said in mock seriousness.

"I guess that works if hamburgers are your drug of choice." Sebastian laughed.

"I'm addicted to eating. I try it at least three times a day, usually with nibbles in between."

They ate in a comfortable silence for a minute and then Sebastian said, "I love spending time with you. There is a connection between us. I would like to see where our relationship goes."

Her face lit up and she smiled widely. "I kind of like you, too. You're alright. I'm game."

He laughed and said, "You're a booger."

"Thank you."

Sebastian handed her another beer and asked, "What are your pet peeves? I want to make sure that I aggravate every one of them."

She giggled and said, "People who chew with their mouths open. Mmm, people who tailgate. I hate it when people interrupt me, especially in the middle of a sentence. I also really hate it when people don't replace empty toilet paper rolls and remember beards, yes, mullets, no. How about you?"

"I will always remember to put toilet paper on backward." He grinned. "I definitely hate it when people who drive slow stay in the passing lane and drivers who don't use turn signals."

"I can see why the second one. That can be very dangerous to someone riding a motorcycle."

"Yep. Not a big fan of people who slurp their food and don't cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze."

She nodded. "I'm with you there."

They sat in a comfortable silence for a minute. "Did you always want to be a teacher?"

"Yes. Specifically, a science teacher. I used to line my stuffed animals up on the bed and teach them about the solar system or the life cycle of a frog."

He grinned. "Did they ever sass you?"

"Sometimes, but I told them why they had to behave and it was all good. What about you? How did you get into your field?"

"I did a stint in a special unit of the Army Rangers comprised only of shifters. We did a lot of rescue missions and dangerous ops. I only stayed in for six years. I figured that I could do the same thing, at home, on my own terms, and make a hell of a lot more money. I would also get to choose what jobs I took. I refuse to work for the bad guys. Some of the guys came home with wounds, both internal and external, and needed a place in the world."

"Sounds noble."

"Not really. I have a lot of freedom and work with people I trust with my life – I would trust my life with Cat's and Drake's lives. The boss can be a jerk sometimes, but at least I understand him. None of the people I work with are afraid to stand up and tell him when an idea isn't going to work, they don't agree with me, or whatever. There's a lot of satisfaction in that."

"Unlike my job. I have to be very careful with every step I take and every word that comes out of my mouth. My job changes at the whim of the government, school board, the principal, or anyone else who happens to come along."

"Yet you still do it."

"I believe in the kids. A lot of them need someone to believe in them."

He smiled. They talked for a while longer and then she said, "I guess I'd better go. I can't sleep through class or they'll staple me to the wall."

Sebastian walked her back to her house. He gently cupped her face and kissed her.

"Go inside. I'll wait until I hear the locks engage."

Smiling, he walked back to the house. He felt good about their conversation. His mother would either have a heart attack from shock or start planning the mating ceremony if she knew that he was in a relationship, even though she knew something was between them because of the way they acted at the picnic.

It's a good reason to not announce it to the world.

As he got ready for bed, he thought about Rory's comment about fated mates. It didn't seem to be as much of a foreign concept as it had in the past, although he was nowhere near ready to take the plunge, so to speak.

There's no hurry and part of the fun of a relationship is getting to know each other.

Sebastian had some time the next morning before he had to be in the office, so he decided to shift and run. He was about ready to head back when he ran into a bear shifter that didn't belong in the territory. His hackles raised and he was on guard until he realized it was Sallie.

He shifted and demanded, "Are you following me?"

Sallie shifted. "No. I just happened to be in the neighborhood, and it's a coincidence that we ended up in the same place. Now that we're here, though, we could have a roll in the hay."

"You just happened to be out and about at six in the morning? Really? As for the offer, I'm not interested. Not now, not ever. Besides, I'm involved with someone else."

She laughed. "That milk-faced twit could never keep a man like you satisfied. I, on the other hand, would make sure that all of your needs were taken care of."

"Give it up," he said and shifted back.

She laughed as though it was some kind of game to her.

Who knows, maybe it is, he thought.

Then, he wondered how she knew about Talia and growled. He wouldn't put it past Sallie to approach Talia and try to scare her off.