So much for her guiding magic. It seemed more like magic was guiding her.
Silver returned the smile with a nod of his head, then pulled away from the bar cursing under his breath. “Come on, Cole. You been tendin’ this bar for how long, and you’re still not able to attach a keg?”
Violet smiled after Silver as he disappeared behind the bar, glad to see him out and with the others. This was good for him. Things were going to get better.
Glancing to her side, she saw Rodolphe standing there hunched over, staring at the beer in front of him. He hadn’t even taken a sip, which was kind of surprising, since he said he was there to get drunk.
“You know, you have to drink it, if you want to actually get drunk,” Violet commented as she slid down the bar to her mate’s cousin. “You look like you’re thinking about something.”
“Someone,” Rodolphe answered, still staring at the beer. “You know who I’m thinking about.”
Oh good. This meant she wasn’t going to have to slide into the conversation awkwardly. She could just... hit it straight on.
“Is she why you want to get drunk?” she questioned, raising her brow. “And why you’re also still staring at the beer instead of drinking it?”
She knew things about Sam. Knew a lot of things about Sam. Things that she suspected Roddy knew as well. Whatever had happened between them, it was painfully obvious that Sam had fallen hard and fast, which terrified her. Of course it would, given her outlook on relationships and commitment, which all stemmed from her parents...
And alcohol.
“When I’m with her, everything is calm,” Roddy finally said, his words slow, practiced. Completely unlike him, as far as she could remember, and Ariana had confirmed. He was always running a mile a minute, both literally and figuratively. For him to be so calm and slowed down... “Didn’t know it would hurt like this.”
“It won’t be like this forever,” Violet insisted, and reached out to grab his hand. It was strange, still, to do that, to touch others. She could sense almost immediately the turmoil in Rodolphe, but also the sadness and loneliness. He was missing his mate. Of course he would feel this way. “I promise.”
“You can’t know that,” Roddy said as he reached down to pick up his beer, still staring at it. “You don’t know what she said to me.”
“I know that you won’t have to wait much longer,” she insisted, and squeezed his hand before pulling away. “She’s going to find her way here. And if not, I’ll go grab her and throw her in the back of Henrik’s truck.”
Roddy snorted as he set the beer back down on the counter and gave her a nod. He was standing a little straight as well, proving himself to, in fact, still be taller than Henrik.
Some things never really changed.
Colburn set a glass in front of Henrik, and she nodded at him as she realized it was for her. He was definitely listening in on all of the conversations, and now that she was done conversating with the boys, she was ready to return to her mate.
The girls, she would catch up with in the morning at Gina’s diner, while the boys slept off the after effects of the new moon.
Henrik lifted his arm as she approached, and she slid underneath it, tucking herself against his side. They were the perfect height difference like this, with him shortened thanks to sitting on a stool, and her standing tall, with heels on, of course. She felt more like herself than she had in years, dressing in little shorts and a tank top, showing off her ink.
Without the fear of touching someone else...
“You look like you’re about done with everyone else,” Henrik commented as he gestured to the drink in front of her. “Give that one a try, and then we can head home.”
“No, I’m having fun,” she insisted as she turned to kiss his cheek, then picked up the drink. She took a small sip, then hummed. Alright, that she did like. “Good choice, Gina. This is why you’re my favorite.”
“Love you too,” Gina answered from a few stools down, causing Tristan to tug her back against him and go in for another kiss.
Wow, they really were hot together.
“Don’t lie to me,” Henrik insisted as he kissed her temple, then her ear. “You’re overwhelmed, aren’t you.”
She was, but she wouldn’t have said anything.
The amount of energy in the bar, with so many wolves, and so many pheromones... Her intuition felt all over the place, and the magical energy was teeming with life. Too much was happening here, and it was draining her.
“Finish your drink, and I’ll take you home to continue where we left off,” Henrik murmured into her ear, even though they both knew all of the wolves could hear, if they were listening in.
“You mean with me on top, and—”
“We still have the rope Mardoc and Scarlett sent over. Think we should ask for tips on how to use it?”