Sweeter than Sweets {M/M} (Dogs, Bats & Monkey Series, Book III)

Chapter 7

I'm back. The surgery went well, but I got sick right after they took out my stitches. It messed up with my updates schedule, and I'm still catching up. And finally: a STS update. I hope you'll enjoy it!

PS: This is actually my second Wattpad update for the week. I posted that interview with Adrian on Friday in the Dogs, Bats & Monkeys Series: EXTRAS book. Link in the comments.

Walking into the Woodville mall, I headed straight for the Milk & Cream. I knew Riley was supposed to be on shift today and I wanted to get some info out of him. After my father's call last Friday, I was very reluctant to visit the Silver Bullets pack; after all, I didn't want to make it seem his words had actually prompted me to action.

It had been the usual: a worried, tired voice, lots of sighs and 'Why are you doing this, son?'

I scoffed.

'Son'.

If Everett was so worried about me, he should've taken me away from the Maksimoffs when I was a child. He kept saying that they didn't let him and were too influential to fight - which, they kind of were - but I couldn't figure out why Bolek would fight to keep me with them. Surely after a few years, he'd realized his experiment in cross-breeding had failed. Neither Vika, nor I displayed any particularly valuable abilities that would make him overlook my shifter blood and her human one. Not that Bolek knew of all of my abilities.

No.

There was one particular thing I've kept only to myself and Vika, although I was pretty sure Adam had also figured it out when I'd given him the opportunity a few years back.

I wondered how good ol' grandpa Bolek would react to my secret. And then I wondered how Everett would react. Didn't bother wondering about my mother since after she'd fulfilled her filial duty of introducing shifter blood to the Maksimoff's bloodline - as per grandpa's instructions - and birthed me, she hadn't really bothered much to raise me.

Everett on the other hand... Yes. My father would be very, very interested in that specific secret.

But I wouldn't be talking to him today. Instead, I'd be talking to his brother-in-law, unless Riley had changed his schedule.

I opened the door to the Milk & Cream café, a bell chiming above my head, and went straight to the bar where the guy in question was doing his famous coffee art under the impressed gazes of three girls in their mid-teens.

I sat on a stool next to them and the one closest to me, glanced my way. Then she did a double take and a little stagger. Her two friends turned to see what was going on and just like the first girl, I could read a mixture of unease and desire on their faces. They wanted me, but at the same time their instincts were telling them 'This is someone dangerous'. I ignored the trio, leaned an elbow on the bar and cupped my head in my palm, giving Riley one of my most lustful smirks.