Sunglasses at Night (Claws Clause 3)

Adam got that.

He still fucking hated Maddox Wolfe, though.

“Change your mind about staying in Grayson?” Colt shot over at him. “Looking for a place of your own in Little Transylvania?”

Give up the house he worked his ass off to pay for in exchange for a tiny closet living near other Nightwalkers?

“What? No. Not happening.”

“Then what are you doing in my territory?”

The Bumptown might be a settlement made up of all different kinds of paranormals, but the Zoo—the area claimed by shifters who wanted to live further out of complete pack control—had the most residents and took up the most space. As an alpha wolf shifter, Colt was the de facto leader. When he said my territory, he meant it.

There was no point in lying. Colt might not have Adam’s unerring former cop’s instinct, but he didn’t need it. He could tell from the way a person’s scent changed whether they were telling the truth or being dishonest.

He gave a jerk with his shoulder. “Visiting Deb. That’s all.”

“Yeah? Were you gonna stop by our place when you were done?”

Adam’s silence answered the question for him.

Colt pointed a finger at him. Since his wolf wasn’t currently riding the shifter, it was a blunt finger. In a heartbeat, if Colt lost control, it could be a claw that rivaled Adam’s own. “You’ve been avoiding us.”

“I went down to the apothecary just the other night.”

True. He’d been looking for anything that would help him with the renewed thirst ruling him. When he first was turned into a Nightwalker, he spent weekly sessions with Shea at her shop, allowing her healing magic to wash over him in an attempt to dull the worst of the thirst. It wasn’t long before he realized that the only way he’d get over it was by getting past his aversion to drinking blood.

Only a few nights ago, he stopped by right before she closed up, asking if she’d be willing to give healing him one last try. Forever helpful and kind, she did, but the healing didn’t take.

So then he vis

ited Hudson Moonshadow.

Claudia had been there. Two other of Hudson’s Donor buddies, but Claudia was the only one to stand out. She was a beauty, with a come-hither stare in her black eyes. Like the first time he met her at Hudson’s place, she offered him a bite, though he knew from the lust pouring off of her that she’d give him even more than that.

That’s when he knew that he was in deep shit. Last time? He’d at least felt a tiny twitch.

This time? His stomach turned. The idea of biting anyone but the little blonde slayer actually made him sick.

And then it made him pissed because, damn it, he shouldn’t want to bite anyone!

“I’ve been calling you,” Colt said, cutting into his thoughts. “You haven’t picked up once, cop. Kind of blows holes in your story that you’re not avoiding us.”

Adam grit his teeth together. He knew Colt only called him that because Adam got a kick out of referring to the clean-shaven, dimple-sporting, too-pretty-for-his-own-good shifter as pretty boy. Since Adam didn’t plan on dropping the teasing nickname anytime soon, he gave up on scowling whenever Colt got him back with cop.

“Like I said. I saw Shea just the other day.”

“So it’s just me you’re avoiding? You’re lucky I finally decided to like you. An insult like that would’ve had me snapping my teeth at you in the old days.” Colt barked out a laugh. “God, I fucking miss them.”

From behind his shades, Adam rolled his eyes. He knew that Colt was just being a dick on purpose. “I heard about your promotion. Congrats.”

A scowl twisted his pretty features. “That’s actually why I’ve been trying to hunt you down. Ever since Mad got bumped up to the top dog position, he’s been needing me for more and more pack shit. Then with Evangeline… he has half the pack on babysitting duty. I’ve just enough time to spend with my own mate and, if I’m lucky, maybe crank out a piece of woodwork or two a week. But that’s the issue. If I don’t get some time in my shed, my wolf gets an edge. Trust me when I say, none of us wants that. So I can get the pieces done, but that’s about all.”

“What are you saying?”

“I want you to work for me. Nothing too much, and it would be for me, not the pack. I’ve got the van. Plenty of clients who are willing to sell me lumber at crazy hours, or accept drop-offs and deliveries once the sun’s gone down. Don’t know if you noticed yet, but I ain’t such a friendly guy. Dodge… he can’t help me with this. Shea’s got her shop. Hudson… he’s fucking Hudson, right? You’re the only one I trust with the job.”

Adam almost didn’t know what to say at first. He was actually kind of taken aback at Colt’s blunt assessment of his personality and the handful of people he actually tolerated. To think that, after their rocky start, Adam had somehow become one of Colton Wolfe’s trusted friends… wow.