The Unveiling (D'Shar Men 2)

He'd never felt so cold in his life. He exhaled. A fine mist expelled.

"In a way it's freezing you from the inside out. Rushing through your blood, seeking out the chemicals that react in The Wanting."

His heart grew sluggish, and sharp slices of pain began.

He opened his mouth to scream and found his vocal chords were frozen just like the rest of him.

He jerked his thoughts away from the painful memory. Had The Purge begun to fade? There was no time frame, or rules. He sifted through the past memories. His disinterest in relationships and sexual gratification were the same. He scratched the itch when it became too persistent to ignore. However, what occurred with Rivka couldn’t be ignored. Desire had slammed into him like a freight train. Maybe she was a wakeup call to the changes happening in his body. There was only one way to find out and as much as he hated to do it, he had to ask for help. He made it inside at a fast clip, grateful when he didn't see Phelan or Zasha. He wasn't in the mood for small talk right now. In the sanctity of his room he pulled out his phone and dialed. It rang three times.

"Hey Bro, what's going on?"

"Hey Mars, I need a favor."

"Sure."

"I need a date."

Pfft! Whatever Mars had been drinking was sprayed over a surface right now.

"I-I'm sorry, what did you just say?" Mars asked.

Bastien scowled. Of course he wouldn’t make this easy. "Are you really going to make me repeat myself?"

"Umm—let me think about that a minute—Yes! It might be the only time I ever get to hear you say this."

Bastien grunted.

"Do you want me to hang up?" he asked. His face grew hot as blood rushed to his cheeks and the tip of his curved ears. This was bad. Emotions crashed over him like an avalanche. It wasn't a new development he liked.

"Okay, okay. You can't blame me for poking a little fun. I've never seen you on a date before!" Mars said.

"Can you help me?"

"Of course I can. What are you looking for?"

"A Shar woman."

"Oooh. Old-fashioned. It doesn't surprise me. How about we set things up tonight? I don't want to give you time to change your mind."

"How are you going to do this on such short notice? It's five o'clock now."

"A master never reveals his secrets. You already getting cold feet?"

"No." Yes.

"Good, we'll head over to Shar Bar. Good thing about going to a place run and frequented by Shars, if you flounder people will have sense enough to keep it to themselves!"

"Hey!"

"I'm just saying, emotions aren't your forte. You might want to hit the Internet for some dating tips, because you're going to need them!" Mars chuckled at his own joke as Bastien scoffed.

"Worried I'll have more game than you?"

"Not a chance," Mars said.

"We'll see," Bastien countered.

"Why don't we add to this comedy of errors by inviting Kade. The kid needs to get out."