Embrace the storm or be swallowed by it.
~Kaes, God of Storms
1
Caelan Talos
Caelan bit down on the inside of his cheek as he watched Drayce march over to the tall blond talking animatedly to her friend. Caelan winced when Drayce reached her and found that she was much taller than they had estimated. Drayce was of average height, but this woman had at least six inches on him.
The bar they’d selected just a few blocks over from the university was packed, but that wasn’t out of the ordinary for a Thursday night. Rowdy but happy conversation filled the air along with the scent of cheap beer and fried food—all the things that made for a good distraction from a long day.
They’d been lucky to get a small circular table in the back corner where he could hide a little better and still have a good view of the people milling about in colorful T-shirts and shorts. The walls of the bar were covered in beer advertisements, glowing neon, and various bits of sports memorabilia. It wasn’t often that they could sneak away, but this was one of Caelan’s favorite places to hide from the world. Or maybe just hide from his mother.
Next to him, Eno let out a loud bark of laughter that rose above the noise and music. “I can’t believe he actually did it!”
Caelan nearly rolled his eyes at the man. When had they ever known Drayce to retreat from a dare? Especially when it was Eno delivering said dare. The answer to that question was never.
Of course, it wasn’t helped by Drayce running his mouth and proclaiming to the two of them that he had no problem walking up to any woman in that bar and asking her out. But this had all evolved from both Drayce and Eno once again complaining about their lack of social lives. As conversations went, it was an oldie but goodie.
Smirking at the large man on his right, he leaned closer so he could be heard over the noise. “That’s precisely why he did it—to prove you wrong.”
“And because she’s hot,” Eno added with a shrug of his shoulder, as if it wasn’t the most important detail, before he returned to scanning the bar for potential trouble. It was a shame Eno couldn’t enjoy the night off, but that was never going to happen in a crowded place like this with Caelan present.
Eno stood out only a bit, being nearly ten years older than most people in the bar. Of course, the other bar occupants didn’t seem to mind since Eno was also tall, broad shouldered, and had thick black hair. His face was a rugged, harsh kind of handsome. Caelan had met Eno while he’d still been in high school and had been forced to watch as both men and women fell over themselves when it came to Eno’s bad-boy vibe.
It didn’t help Eno’s ego—he knew exactly what kind of a furor his looks stirred up—but he was also not the type to be distracted from the task at hand. And right now, that was keeping Caelan safe and unnoticed for as long as possible. Not that Drayce’s antics amounted to much of a distraction. Caelan had to wonder if Eno had challenged Drayce just to amuse Caelan. It wouldn’t be the first time.
Turning his full attention to Drayce, Caelan smiled broadly to find that his best friend now had the woman in question laughing as he talked to both her and her friend. His lean body was relaxed as he told whatever funny story came to his mind. Caelan should not have been surprised. Drayce had this easygoing manner that made everyone feel like they were his best friend. The man could talk to anyone about anything.
Of course, it didn’t hurt that his spiky blond hair, sharp emerald-green eyes, and narrow face made him an eye-catching figure in the crowd. It also didn’t hurt that his tight-fitted black shirt was molded to impressive pecs and a flat stomach.
For only a moment, a little bit of jealousy slithered through him, and it wasn’t all due to the woman resting her hand on Drayce’s arm. His friend could walk up to anyone and talk to them, and Caelan could not. Okay, so maybe a woman wouldn’t have been his first choice or even his fifth, but putting that aside, striking up a conversation with a stranger with the hope of it leading to something physical wasn’t an option for him.
But before the jealousy could swell to more than a thin thread, reality crushed it hard. What if he wasn’t himself? Would he really have the balls to walk up to a total stranger and hit on them?
That thought alone was laughable.
No, being Caelan Talos was not what was stopping him from meeting someone new, from dating, from having wild, headboard-breaking sex. The only thing stopping Caelan—for the most part—was Caelan. He just couldn’t talk to people, couldn’t relate to them in the same way that Drayce could. Talking to anyone in high school and college had been painful. If he wasn’t performing some prescribed duty with a set script and set expectations, Caelan was completely tongue-tied when forced to have a normal conversation.