Wild Warrior (The Weavers Circle 2)

“Tired of getting your ass kicked?” Wiley asked with a cheeky grin.

“Yeah, yeah. You’ve got my number. I thought I saw a few racing games on your list. Let’s try that now.”

Wiley snickered and logged them into a new game. “I don’t know if this is going to work better for you. Remember, I’ve seen you drive.”

“Hey, now! I’m an excellent driver,” Baer said with a laugh. “And a fast one.”

“Fast isn’t the only thing that matters in this game. You’ve got to have enough of your car left to actually get across the finish line.”

“Don’t worry. Driving is the only thing I’m fast at. Other important things I take very, very slowly,” Baer teased because he simply couldn’t help himself.

A bright flush brightened Wiley’s cheeks, and the young man pointed a stern finger at him. “That kind of distracting talk counts as cheating!”

“Yellow light,” Baer said smugly.

Wiley whipped his eyes to the TV and swore as the light flashed green, signaling the start of the race. They were off, and Baer couldn’t stop laughing. While Wiley swore occasionally in their day-to-day conversation, racing games turned him into a sailor fresh off the boat. The controller in his hand was swung back and forth as if the movement could help turn the car in the direction he wanted it to go.

The young man’s cautious and meticulous approach to the fighting games did not help him with the racing games. Baer beat him in four out of six races, and the two Wiley had won were damn close. Baer was all about speed and risk, but he knew just how far he could push things before they turned disastrous.

A great way to play a racing game. A shit way to live life.

With a groan, Wiley put his controller on the floor and stretched his arms over his head. “I give up. You win. Racing is not my strong suit.”

“No, just kicking my ass at the fighting games.” Baer grunted as he picked himself off the floor where he’d sat next to Wiley and moved up to the lumpy old couch. It smelled of dust and maybe a little mildew, but it was softer than that floor.

“Yeah, it makes me a little worried about you fighting the pestilents,” Wiley said, unable to completely hide his teasing smile. He twisted around so that he was facing Baer while resting one arm on the couch cushion behind him.

“Well, none of those fighting games let me change into a tiger and bite a face off.”

Wiley snickered. “Okay, you got me there. And I have seen you in action, which was impressive.”

“Thanks. You’re really good with strategy. Just remind me to not let you be my getaway driver.”

Crying out, Wiley grasped his chest as if Baer had mortally wounded him, which only made Baer laugh.

“You’re a nut,” Baer murmured.

Wiley straightened back up and leaned his head on his hand. “Do you ever wonder what you’d be doing if you weren’t here with all your superpowers and evil enemies?”

Baer shrugged. “Not really. I’m having a lot of fun here with you and the rest of the Circle. I don’t miss my old life.” He stopped and scratched his bearded chin as he struggled to even remember his old life. “Before the restlessness hit, I was living in Colorado and working for the forestry. Mostly protecting nature where I could and keeping an eye on the tourists.”

Wiley’s brow wrinkled a little. “Was it lonely? Being out in nature sounds like you didn’t spend a lot of time with people. And babysitting tourists?” His wrinkled brow became a full-fledged dark frown. “Not my idea of fun.”

A loud laugh left Baer and he shook his head. “The tourists weren’t too bad, and it didn’t feel lonely. Rather peaceful. Restful. You work from home? Do you get lonely with your job?”

Wiley shook his head. “First, I’m an introvert, so I don’t mind working alone at all. Plus, I get a lot of emails during the day, and there’s a group of artists I’m in a chat with. If I get lonely, I pop on there for a little while. And if I get really starved for companionship, I just walk to a coffee shop not far from my apartment complex. Five minutes in line with grumpy people usually cures me of wanting to be around anyone.”

A low chuckle rumbled up Baer’s throat. “And after your last coffee run, I’d be surprised if you ever left your apartment again.”

Wiley laughed with him. “Definitely got more than I bargained for.” He shoved a hand through his blond hair, pushing it back from his eyes. “Did your old job make dating hard?”

Baer shrugged. “I’ve never been particularly good at dating. Mostly just some hookups here and there. My last boyfriend didn’t work out so great. Turned out he wasn’t big on monogamy but left me to find out the hard way.”