Loving Styles [Brac Village 12] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (2 page)

“Damn it,” Kenway said from behind the large, glass enclosure. “You just made me lose a bet.”

Styles grinned at his friend. “And what bet would that be?”

“That you wouldn’t actually show up and get the donuts for the Santiago brothers.” Kenway chuckled.

“Which means Ross won,” Styles surmised good-naturedly. “He can buy dinner since he’s rich now.”

Kenway snorted. “I lost a dollar.”

That made Styles laugh. “You are such a cheap bastard.”

He spotted a few thermals of coffee off to the side, along with Styrofoam cups and some sugar. Now coffee he could use. It would hit the spot. Styles moved over to the small setup, grabbing a cup and pumping the Morning Blend coffee until it was near the rim.

“Okay, I need a dozen donuts, Kenway. If you dropped a few on the floor…that would be all right.” He winked at Kenway as he grabbed one packet of sugar and emptied it into the aromatic brew. “They’re not for me anyway.”

Kenway’s perfectly executed arched brow made Styles smile from ear to ear. “I’m not going to drop the donuts just because they are for the wolves.”

“A guy could try.” Stirring his coffee, Styles took a careful sip before heading over to where Kenway was standing. “Ah well, then just give me a dozen so I don’t have to hear Tryck’s mouth.”

Grabbing a flat cardboard box, Kenway began to construct it. “You should be getting along with them by now. You’ve been working there for over a year now. You can’t tell me that you don’t like at least one of them.”

Watching the buffalo shifter open the display to start collecting the donuts, Styles ignored the man’s statement. Kenway of all people should know how Styles felt and why he held onto his anger. His friend might get along with a lot of the residents here, but Styles wasn’t going to be so forgiving—even though no one in this town had technically done him wrong. Kenway glanced at him through the glass and he could see the man give a heavy sigh.

It seemed all the men he lived with were getting on with their lives while Styles felt as if his was stuck in the past, stuck in a limbo that ate at him every fucking day. It wasn’t that he wanted to live that way, but he couldn’t get past the fact that a pack of wolves had killed his parents and left him scarred for life. He refused to forget the times when he was a young pup and had gotten beat up by a few wolves who had nothing better to do than pick on the little coyote.

There were times in his early adult life when he had run-ins with a few wolves who thought themselves better and tried to prove it at Styles’s expense.

No, Styles wasn’t going to let bygones be bygones.

“Breathe,” Kenway said as he straightened. “You were having such a good morning.”

Styles hated that his morning was ruined. He wasn’t laid back like Reese and he wasn’t friendly like Kenway. It wasn’t that Styles was a sourpuss, but whenever he thought of the things that had happened to him in life, his blood always boiled.

Styles turned away, glancing at a shelf filled with fresh baked bread, trying to lasso his anger and rein it in. As he had done most of his life, he shoved the toxic emotions to the pit of his being and then turned back toward Kenway, nodding toward the box in the guy’s hands, and getting away from the subject of wolves. “Finished?”

He took a sip of his coffee, ignoring Kenway’s assessing eyes, hoping the man dropped the subject. He knew the buffalo shifter cared, but there were just some things Styles didn’t want to talk about.

“Yep.” Kenway closed the lid and set the box on the counter. Styles handed the man the twenty that his boss had given him the night before. “Coffee is on the house.”

Styles grinned, forgetting his momentary anger as he gave Kenway a quick wink, raising his cup at the same time. “Giving me freebees?”

Kenway shook his head, but Styles could see the humor in the man’s expression. “Don’t get used to it. Since this is the first time you’ve stepped foot in here, I’ll give it to you for free. You pay the next time.”

Styles once again felt guilty that he had never visited Sweet Delight before. But he wasn’t a sweet eater and he always had to be at work at the crack of dawn. He glanced around the shop, nodding in approval. “It’s a great place you have here, Kenway. You and Ross have done good for yourselves.”

“Why, thank you,” Ross said as he walked out into the shop from a small door to Styles’s right. “I’m glad you finally came to see the place.”

Styles liked Ross. Even though the man was a vampire, he was pretty cool people. Ross was the most androgynous man Styles had ever met, but that only added to his character. The guy also won a shitload of brownie points for the way he treated Kenway. Styles always saw them at home, taking care of one another, smooching, and damn if they didn’t look blissful.

“Try this.” Kenway slid a piece of buttered bread onto a small paper plate and handed it to Styles. “I know you don’t like sweets, but the bread is pretty damn good here.”

“That’s because we lucked out with Baker and Robby,” Ross said. Styles didn’t know who they were talking about, but he took the plate. The bread did look delicious. He could feel the warmth of the plate and see the butter melting, making Styles’s mouth water.

Before he could take a bite, a short, slim guy with blondish-brown hair and hazel eyes walked from the back. Styles stared at the man, thinking how damn cute the guy was. Styles felt his blood begin to simmer and his body tingle when the man cocked his head to the side, one dimple showing when he smiled.

Styles was riveted to the spot as the guy winked at him. He gave a low chuckle, liking that the smaller man had such confidence to openly flirt. The scrawny guy cocked an eyebrow at Styles and he saw a glimmer of amusement in those entrancing hazel eyes.

“Wow,” Ross said, almost breaking the spell. “I can feel the attraction as if it were a damn breathing entity.”

A frisson of nervous energy passed through Styles. He set the plate down, appreciating the gorgeous perfection—because the man was, he definitely was, hell, he
really
was—but mostly because the stranger was so focused on him. Styles was instantly aroused and that was something that had never really happened before. Not this instantaneously.

“Uh, Styles,” Kenway began as he waved a hand in front of Styles’s face. “That’s Robby, my head baker.”

The man might be slim, but he was pure male and was flirting with him. Styles’s grin widened, as he felt his libido go crazy. He took a step forward, ready to ask the guy out when he caught Robby’s scent.

A heavy lid slammed down on what he was feeling, his senses putting up walls all around him. But to his dismay, his cock was still hard in his jeans.

Robby was a fucking wolf.

Figures.

How could he have been attracted to—the coffee cup dropped from Styles’s hand, hitting the floor as his breath caught in his lungs, a second, more powerful scent invading him.

“Oh shit,” Kenway said as he came around the counter, pushing at Robby. “Get back into the kitchen.”

A rough growl ripped from Styles’s lips as he stared menacingly at his mate. There was
no
goddamn way fate had given him a fucking wolf. There had to be a mistake—a huge one.

“But why?” Robby looked from Kenway over to Styles, his blondish-brown brows pulled together.

“Because he is about to attack you,” Ross said as his eyes widened and he stepped in Styles’s path. “And not in a good way.”

Robby’s hazel eyes filled with utter bafflement. “But he’s my mate. Why would he attack me?”

“Fuck!” Kenway cursed loudly before literally picking Robby up and taking him into the kitchen when Styles felt his canines descend.

“Now, Styles,” Ross began as he held his hands up. “Don’t do anything rash.”

Styles turned and slammed his fist into the display case, the thick glass shattering as rage filled him to overflowing. He paid no attention to the way his hand was bleeding as he stared murderously toward the kitchen door.

Snatching the box of donuts up from the counter, Styles headed toward the door and walked outside.

He got far away from the bakery and then walked to the side of the bike shop where he pressed his back into the wall. Styles rested his head against the wood, glancing up toward the cloudless sky as he let go of his rage and let the knowledge that his mate was a wolf sink in.

He thought about that single dimple, those big hazel eyes, and that short, blondish-brown hair. His heart began to hurt knowing that Robby was the very same breed he hated with a vengeance. Why would fate do that to him?

Sometimes you don’t get what you want, but what you need.
The words made sense to him now. Somehow the alpha had known that Robby was Styles’s mate.

Don’t give up on him. It’ll be the worst mistake of your life.

Shaking his head, Styles glanced at his feet, wondering if the alpha was right. He knew what a rare find a mate was. But he couldn’t seem to get past the fact that Robby was a wolf. The remembered way that Robby had smiled at Styles was like a punch to his gut now that he knew the truth.

It had been the sexiest smile that Styles had ever seen.

But it would be the last time Styles would see that smile because he wasn’t going anywhere near the man again.

Robby was a wolf, Styles’s sworn enemy, and he wasn’t going to make any exceptions.

Not even for his mate.

“Uh, what in the hell was that all about?” Robby asked as he walked out of the kitchen, seeing Kenway and Ross cleaning up the broken glass. Baker was helping, sweeping up the shards from the floor.

The stranger had been his mate. Robby had felt that deep in his soul. His wolf had howled to get free and go after the man. So why did the guy have such a violent reaction when he found out Robby was his mate? It made absolutely no sense to him.

“We need to talk.” Kenway pointed toward the office, leaving his mate and Baker to clean the mess up. Robby wanted to help them, but he wanted answers as well. That was the most violent reaction he had ever witnessed to someone finding their mate and he wanted to know why his mate had lost his mind.

Heading into Kenway’s office, Robby took a seat and waited for his boss to start talking. He had wanted to knock the man out for pulling him away from his mate, but Robby had worked with Kenway for some time now. He knew there had to be a reason that the buffalo shifter had forcefully moved him into the kitchen against his will. That wasn’t like Kenway.

Taking a seat behind the desk, Kenway ran his hand over his head, shaking it a few times before he glanced up at Robby. “I’m really fucking sorry that Styles is your mate.”

Well, damn. That was pretty harsh. “Why?” he asked, his tone brisk. He didn’t appreciate the way Kenway was acting, like his mate was some sort of mass murderer. But at least now he knew the guy’s name.

Styles.

He could scent that Styles was coyote. Robby liked that his mate was a different breed of shifter. But he had a feeling that was a bad thing.
Gee, what makes you think that? Maybe because Styles busted a very thick piece of glass.

Giving a heavy sigh, Kenway sat up straight. “There is no easy way to say this, Robby.” His boss looked him straight in his eyes and said, “Styles hates wolves with a deep passion.”

Robby stiffened, his posture going rigid as his lips parted. A sudden coldness hit his core at Kenway’s words as his wolf rebelled at the idea that his mate hated him. He felt dizzy at the knowledge. He lowered his head, pressing his lips together. He had done nothing wrong and shouldn’t be held accountable for someone else’s slights against Styles.

“I know this is disappointing,” Kenway continued. “But—”

“Why should I be disappointed?” Even though his heart felt like it was shrinking. He lifted his head, staring directly at his boss.

“Because Styles is going to refuse you, has refused you,” Kenway replied, confusion in his blue eyes.

“I’m not giving up on him.” Pure confidence filled his voice. “He may hate wolves, but he’s my mate. Whether Styles wants to face that fact or not, I’m not going to let him toss me aside like trash. He’ll be mine, Kenway.”

A wide smile spread across the man’s face as he dipped his head in acknowledgment. “Good for you, Robby.” And then Kenway’s features grew serious, fine lines etching around his eyes and mouth. “Just be careful. He has a lot of rage inside of him.”

Robby had witnessed that rage. He had been glancing out of the small window that lay in the center of the door, watching as his mate shattered the display. It had been the most violent scene he had witnessed. “Can I ask why he hates wolves?”

Kenway sat back and gazed at Robby. “His parents were killed by wolves. Styles watched it happen. He was also scarred by those very same wolves. His legs are pretty fucked up. He’s also had a few run-ins with some unsavory men who happened to be—”

“Wolves,” Robby finished for Kenway. Jeez, no wonder Styles hated his kind. But Robby hadn’t been the one who had hurt Styles and he was determined to show his mate that not all wolves were evil.

“Yep.” Kenway nodded. “It’s kind of hard to like a breed that has done you wrong your entire life.”