“Oh.” Moose grinned. “Congrats.”
“Thanks?” Nester wasn’t sure what to say or think. He was starring in The Twilight Zone. Nothing made sense. Absolutely nothing.
“Vampire attacked someone in the bathroom,” Moose said. “The owner shut the café down, and my mate has been trying to track the vampire down.”
Nester blinked rapidly.
“I took care of him,” Pyke said. “Son of a bitch tried to attack me in the alley. You should call your mate and let him know the body is still there.”
“What can I get you?” Moose asked Nester.
“A lobotomy.” Nester rubbed his temples. He had to get out of here. It seemed the whole town was loony. The two were talking as if killing vampires was an everyday thing. As casual as talking about the weather.
“He just found out about us,” Pyke said. “He’ll need time to absorb things.”
Moose gave Nester a weird look. “Try not to break his mind. Humans need to be handfed. I’ll get him some chicken, too.”
Moose walked away, and Nester felt panic set in. “I have to use the bathroom.”
Unfortunately, the bathroom didn’t have any windows for him to escape. He paced the small area, racking his brain on what to do. He had to get away from Pyke before he became the guy’s next victim.
Nester splashed some cold water on his face and then stared at himself in the mirror. God, he looked like shit. His hair was greasy and flat, and dark circles were under his eyes.
Pyke worked on the restoration job. If Nester hadn’t just killed a guy, he would have used him to find out if a phone had been found.
But Nester wasn’t willing to risk his life to find out.
Chapter Two
Pyke strummed his fingers on the table as he looked toward the men’s room. His mate had been in there for at least ten minutes. Pyke knew he had a habit of coming on strong and wondered if he’d really melted Nester’s brain.
Worried, Pyke got up and stepped into the men’s room. He found Nester pacing in front of the sink, his arms tucked around his midsection.
“Everything okay in here?”
“No.” Nester stopped pacing and faced Pyke. “I’m having an existential crisis, questioning my sanity, and could use some alone time to contemplate my existence.”
Pyke leaned a hip against the counter and crossed his arms. “I sometimes forget that honesty isn’t always the best policy, but I wanted to be upfront with you. I’m not very good at subterfuge, and I’m sorry if I short-circuited your brain.”
The terrified look on Nester’s face said there was more going on here than his mate’s eyes being opened to the nonhuman world. Pyke had seen that kind of look before, that level of panic, and he wanted to know what Nester was running from.
There was an innocence about Nester that drew Pyke to him. He wanted to help in whatever crisis his mate was having. He was still in shock that he’d met his mate.
While killing a vampire.
Talk about the worst timing ever.
Pyke wanted to reach out and pull Nester to him, to fold his mate into his arms, to soothe his worries away. Pyke’s bear snarled at the idea of anyone making Nester so anxious, but his gut told him that Nester wouldn’t welcome his touch.
So Pyke curled his hands into fists and kept his distance. He watched his mate, gauging his reaction, trying to assess his mental state. Nester’s greenish-yellow eyes were a bit large, like when someone was in a panicked state. His hands wouldn’t stop moving as he touched his neck, his nape, and cheek.
“Why don’t we finish dinner and then go for a stroll?” It was cold out, but Pyke wasn’t ready to end their time together. From the greasy limpness of Nester’s hair, the dark circles, and the way he looked as though he would fall asleep standing up, Pyke’s gut also told him that Nester was homeless.
He could have been wrong, but he’d learned to trust his gut a long time ago, and that instinct had saved his life on more than one occasion.
Pyke had to find a way to offer his spare bedroom without Nester thinking him some pervert for trying to take him home moments after they’d just met.
“We should go eat.” Nester headed for the door. “I don’t want you wasting your money on uneaten food.”
A twenty-dollar dinner was the least of Pyke’s worries. Even so, he waved a hand at the door, and Nester smiled before he exited the bathroom.
As soon as Pyke walked out, he saw the rain past the window. There was no way he was letting his mate walk out in it, possibly catching a cold. He slipped back into the booth just as Moose brought them their food.
“Let me know if there’s anything else you fellas need.” The waiter walked away, leaving behind two plates of delicious-looking chicken and crisp golden fries.
“This smells so good.” Nester licked his lips and shoveled a few fries into his mouth, only to blow out and wave his hands in front of his lips.
“Fresh from the kitchen.” Pyke winked. “Gotta be careful. Everything is fresh and hot.”
“Thanks, Captain Obvious.” Nester looked past the window, a gloomy look in his eyes. He pulled his attention back to Pyke. “I’m sorry. That was rude of me.”
“You can make it up to me.” Pyke dug into his food. He really was starving after working all day. Plus, he could eat anyone in the diner under the table with the exception of Moose, who was also a bear shifter.
“And how is that?” Nester looked at Pyke warily as he cautiously bit into another fry. It seemed his mate was a fast learner.
Pyke spread his arms and gave Nester his most charming smile, trying his best to seem genuine and sincere. “It’s like fate dropped you into my lap.”
Nester pursed his lips as he chewed. When he swallowed, he said, “You already said fate made us perfect for each other, and that’s if I even believe what you’re selling.”
Pyke wasn’t going to try and convince Nester of their mating. First he had to win over his mate’s trust. “I’m talking about the project I’m working on. I could use some help, and the job pays.”
Nester’s eyes brightened. “Are you serious?”
“And it also provides room and board.” Pyke knew he was stretching things, but hopefully Nester didn’t turn him down. Now all he had to do was think of a project at home. He’d said the first thing that had popped into his head, and now that Nester looked eager, maybe his countertops could use a makeover.
“What kind of project requires a roommate?” Nester picked up a piece of chicken and bit into it, moaning as his eyes rolled back.
Fuck, his mate was sexy as sin. How could eating food look so damn erotic?
“Like I said. Fate.” Pyke wiped his mouth with his napkin. He believed in honesty when it came to his mate, but a little stretching of the truth to get Nester somewhere safe wasn’t technically lying. “I’ve been thinking about getting a roommate. One, it sucks living by yourself. Two, I could use help around the house. I work long hours, and it would really be nice to come home to a hot meal and company.”
Okay, so he was stretching the truth so far that it should’ve snapped. Pyke wasn’t lying about having someone to come home to, though. Living alone really did suck.