Predatory

24: Family Issues

DRAKE POV

"I still can't believe that you haven't kissed her yet," Xander fumes. He's barely talked about anything else since we left Sherwood Forest a couple hours ago, and I'm getting real sick of it.

"Not all of us feel the need to shove our tongues down a babe's throat at the first meeting, all right? Leave it," I growl, trying and failing to focus on my game of Skyrim.

"What makes you think he got any interest in havin' their first kiss in front o' you?" Callum adds, raising a very valid point.

"That's exactly it. I want it to be...more private."

Xander rolls his eyes. "Oh, please. Cut it with all the romantic crap, will you? Fucks' sake, man, it's bad enough we all had to watch and listen to your cutesy bullshit with her all afternoon—"

"Not everyone wantin' the same stuff in relationships," Callum interjects. "You still enjoyin' her company, Drake? 'Cuz to me, that's the most important thing, even if she do seem to have a habit of needin' to leave kinda suddenly."

"What are you talking about? That morning in the metro park, it was her alarm for stats, and no one can help when a family emergency comes up," I defend her.

"That wasn't the main point, Drake. You enjoyin' her company?"

"Oh, come on. It's not like you actually have to ask," Xander scorns while I fumble for words, remembering how perfectly her body fit against mine while I was correcting her shooting form. My nerves are still flashing fire, hours later, from all the times we touched this afternoon.

"I...I've never reacted to anyone like this before. She's...." I shake my head. The right words don't exist. "This afternoon was the best time I've had since before we left Maine."

"Bro, if just hanging out with her is that good for you, can you even imagine how good it'll be once you start getting some action? How is it possible that you haven't—"

"Xander, can it," Callum snaps.

"I'm just trying to get him to speed things along—"

"Drake, you play any mo' of yo' guessin' game with her today, before she left?"

"Yeah. I asked about the serpent shifter thing," I answer, grateful for the change of subject.

"And?"

"That's not her, either. Which is good. Might've been a deal breaker for me, honestly."

"Didn't think you were that squeamish about snakes," Xander jibes. He still hasn't learned his lesson. Xander's like a brother to me, but a brother I won't hesitate to beat the living daylights out of if he keeps saying stupid shit.

"That's helpful, though," Callum muses. "Snake shifter and her family situation don't go together, far as I know."

"Would make most sense for her to be a lycan, to have family issues like hers."

"We're not the only species with close families," I mutter sourly.

"Right, but that do narrow things down a bit," Callum points out. "She given you any details on what's going on?"

"Not really. She hasn't wanted to talk about it. All I've really got to go on is that finances are tight and there's some issue with her brother. I think there's a great-aunt involved, somehow."

"You ain't texted about it or nothin', since they left? I got these pictures from Effie a little bit ago, from our time in Sherwood Forest. Says Angel took 'em. Do you want me to forward them to you?"