“Let me reiterate once more how much I hate this man,” Ash grumbled as he and Coby made their way down the street, his hands shoved deep in his pockets, his collar turned up against the sudden cold that came out of nowhere. Even Coby put his hood up, his arms jammed into the large pocket of his hoodie.

“And for the fifth time, noted,” Coby replied, rolling his eyes. “Seriously, Ash, he can’t be that bad. He’s your brother.”

Ash shot him a sidelong look. “You don’t have an older brother, do you?”

“I don’t have siblings, but I have a lot of cousins.”

“Did any of them torment you growing up? Pick on you relentlessly? Give you shit for a year when you came out?”

Coby grimaced. “He did?”

Ash nodded. “Just within the family, though, but that was bad enough. Eventually he stopped and let it go, probably because Dad smacked the shit out of him enough times to knock some sense into him. He apologized and everything, but it still created a rift I care not to bridge.”

“But you still help him when he asks.”

Ash grunted. “Like you said, he’s my brother.” 

They crossed the street and headed toward a large building with a red wooden facade and a large sign over the door that read Rhett’s Bar and Grill.

“When did it happen?” Coby asked as Ash reached for the door handle.

“What?”

“You coming out and all that.”

“When I was fourteen.”

Coby stared at him. “Seven years ago.”

The corner of Ash’s lips twitched. “I’m good at holding grudges, apparently. He pulled the door open, and Coby paused, narrowing his eyes. The heat from inside teased Ash who gestured widely for Coby to hurry up and go inside.

“After you, sunshine,” he said, a touch of annoyance in his voice. Coby guessed it was because he was cold so didn’t take it personally. Ash sighed loudly, shaking off the chill as they walked deeper into the building, heading toward the bar. 

Coby glanced around, impressed by the modest decor, the signs on the walls advertising various drinks, pictures, posters, and old street signs interspersed throughout. The wooden floor echoed as they walked through, passing round wooden tables scattered around, some occupied, most not. Coby supposed it was because of the time of day. It wasn’t even four o’clock yet, and according to Ash, it wouldn’t pick up for at least another hour or so, giving them plenty of time to get in and out before they wound up stuck there.

By the time he finally caught up to Ash, he was already talking to a man who was standing behind the bar, looking very similar to Ash, with the same dark hair and green eyes, just with more lines around his eyes and a full, trimmed beard.

The man glanced his way and nodded at him, a grin on his face. “Who’s your friend, Ash?” he asked, his voice playful and light.

Ash glanced at Coby, the look of complete annoyance fading slightly. “Coby,” he said, gesturing between the two. “Coby, this is Fuckwit, Fuckwit, Coby.”

“Rhett,” the man laughed. “So, you’re the mysterious merman from the beach. It’s nice to finally meet you, I’ve heard a lot about you.” He extended his hand. Coby stared at it, tensing slightly before turning his gaze to Ash. Rhett, realizing his mistake, withdrew his hand. “Oh, damn, sorry about that!” he laughed again. “I forgot you can’t touch anyone.”

“No one can touch him,” Ash corrected gruffly. 

Coby smiled good-naturedly at Rhett. “It’s nice to meet you, too,” he said, his soft voice smooth and friendly. Rhett’s eyebrows ticked up in surprise.

“You have an accent!” he exclaimed. “Very cool.”

Ash rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “English isn’t his first language, dumbass.”

Rhett’s brow furrowed. “Seriously? I thought it was common among all the mythics.”

“It’s common, but not among my tribe,” Coby said. “There are a lot more Sarathian’s who don’t speak English than do. Some even find it abhorrent.”

“But you speak it.”

Coby shrugged, thumbing at Ash. “He speaks Sarathian.”

Rhett chuckled. “Fair enough.”

“How did you hear about Coby, anyway?” Ash cut it. “It’s not like you talk to Dad every day.”

“It’s a small town, kid,” Rhett shrugged, tossing a towel over his shoulder. “Word gets around quick, you know that.”

“Yeah, that’s true,” Ash conceded. “So, what do you want?” 

“Ah, yes, straight to business,” Rhett said, slapping his hands down wide on the bar. “I need a favor.”

“Nope.”

“Ash, I can’t ask anyone else.”

“Don’t care.”

“I fired him if it helps.”

Ash’s eyes darkened. “Took you long enough.”

Rhett frowned. “He was a good worker, regardless of what else he may be.”

“So why fire him if he was so wonderful?”

Rhett’s gaze flicked briefly over Coby before returning to Ash. “I’m sure you can guess,” he said in a low voice.

Ash’s jaw clenched.

“Look, we might have our differences, but you’re still my brother,” Rhett said, folding his arms over his broad chest. 

“So you did take my side after all,” Ash said, giving him two thumbs up. “Awesome.”

“Of course I did,” Rhett said, his brow furrowing. “Plus, he helped it along by bringing his bullshit to work and I wasn’t having it. I canned him not long after everything went down.”

Ash sighed, leaning on the bar and running a hand over his face and into his hair, one foot kicked up on the silver step-pole that ran the full length of the bar. Coby kept his gaze on him, not sure if he should say anything, especially since he really didn’t know what the two were talking about. Whatever it was, Ash wasn’t happy and was fighting the anger building up inside him.

“I told him not to come back and banned him from the establishment,” Rhett said, his tone more gentle. “He won’t bother you here, I promise.”

Ash groaned, letting his head hang between his arms. “When do you need me?” he asked.

Rhett grinned broadly, his teeth glinting in the artificial light. “Saturday night, seven to midnight like usual.”

Ash dropped his left arm, turning to Coby. “Will that be okay?”

Coby’s eyebrow ticked. “What will you be doing?”

“Cooking,” he said with a sigh. “And probably waiting a few tables.”

Coby frowned, teasing his long braid. “You were going to take me to the hills, weren’t you?”

“Yeah,” Ash said apologetically. “I still will if you want me to. I’m happy to tell this jackass to fuck off instead.”

“But you want to help him.”

A muscle under Ash’s eye twitched, giving him away. “I mean, it is extra money…” he muttered.

Coby shifted nervously, fidgeting with his beads. “Could I hang out here while he works?” he asked Rhett, but the other man wasn’t looking at them, his attention drawn to something behind them.

“Shit,” he breathed out slowly. 

“What?” Ash said.

“Uh, Ash, why don’t you guys head on upstairs, and we can talk more in a little bit. I need to—”

“Hey, baby.”

Ash’s entire body went rigid, his fingers curling into his palms so hard his knuckles turned white. 

Coby glanced behind them to see a young man a little shorter than Ash approach them, his blonde hair slicked back, his blue eyes glistening. He didn’t even bother to glance Coby’s way as he slid one hand over Ash’s shoulders and down his bicep.

Ash shuddered but didn’t look at him. 

“I’ve missed you,” the other man said, tilting his head with a pout. “Why haven’t you been returning my calls?”

Ash said nothing, just continued to stare blankly ahead. Rhett’s own expression darkened.

“I told you not to come back in here,” he said, his previously warm tone now ice cold. “Get gone. Now, before I call the cops.”

The stranger rolled his eyes. “I’ll leave in a minute, I just wanted to see my man first.”

Coby’s heart jammed itself in his throat, all the blood leaving his face.

“He’s not—”

Before Rhett could even finish his sentence, the man grabbed Ash’s face with both hands, and kissed him.

Coby felt the floor drop from under his feet and he had to grab the bar to keep from falling with it. 

This man…he was…who the hell…Ash…Ash said there was no one else, so who…

Ash put both hands on the man’s chest and shoved him off, wiping his mouth in disgust as he stood in front of Cody, his eyes burning with rage.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” he growled. 

“What do you think?” the other man chuckled. He turned ice blue eyes on Coby. “Saying hello to my boyfriend.”

“I am not your fucking boyfriend,” Ash snapped.

The other man rolled his eyes. “Of course you are. Come on, baby, I’ve been trying—”

“DON’T FUCKING CALL ME THAT!”

The entire place went dead silent. Coby jumped, taking a step back, his entire body shaking.

“Scott, get the hell out of here before I throw you out myself,” Rhett snapped. 

Scott snorted, unimpressed. “Go ahead and try,” he said in a voice so low only those with excellent hearing could hear him. He turned those glaciers back on Coby. “Who’s this?” he demanded cooly.

“None of your damn business,” Ash replied, putting his arm out in front of Coby as though to protect him. Coby took another step backward, glancing between the two, confused, shaken…and hurt, the feeling of utter betrayal sinking into his bones.

“Oh, it very much is my business, seeing as we’re still together,” Scott replied, glaring at Coby, a self-satisfied smirk on his face.

“No the hell we are not,” Ash said, his voice shaking with quiet rage. “And we never will be again.”

“Ash…” Coby’s voice was a hushed, confused whisper. “What…”

Ash turned, his gaze softening on his face as he took his shoulders. “Baby, I promise, I wasn’t lying to you, okay? Do you trust me?”

Coby’s lips were frozen, his entire body numb as he stared at Ash’s mouth, the mouth another man just kissed. A mouth he was meant to kiss…to claim…maybe not right now but someday. His eyes slowly rose to meet Ash’s desperate gaze.

“Coby, please, I’m begging you to trust me.”

Coby couldn’t say anything, his blood raging in his ears, his head swimming. He wanted to trust Ash, but this man…this Scott person…was making it hard for him to. The way he was looking at Ash, the way he touched him, kissed him…he was claiming Ash, letting Coby know who Ash belonged to, and it wasn’t Coby.

He swallowed hard, a tear falling loose from his lashes. 

Ash bit his lip, both hands going into Coby’s hair, his lips pressed to the top of his head as he inhaled sharply. Coby stood there, frozen, unable to react in any way. 

He was so stupid…so incredibly stupid to believe Ash could really be his. Fated mate or not, someone else already had a claim on him and Coby couldn’t interfere with that. It’s how things were in his tribe; a mate claimed, fated or not, could not be taken by anyone else, even if that person was already bound to another.

“Fuck,” Ash breathed, laying one hard kiss after another on Coby’s hair. “I need to fix this. I’m going to fix this.” He tried to get Coby to look at him but it was impossible. Coby was lost deep within himself, his heart shattering so loudly even Ash could hear it. He swallowed hard, his forehead to Coby’s. “Don’t go anywhere, okay? Please…baby, please, don’t leave. I’ll be right back. I swear, I’m coming right back to you. I’m yours, remember? Just yours.”

He released Coby and turned to Rhett. “Take care of him or die.” 

“You got it,” Rhett nodded.

Ash grabbed Scott by the collar and pulled him toward the back of the restaurant, out of Coby’s sight. A moment later, Coby heard a door slam shut, and shortly after that, the noise in the bar resumed, all attention on Coby and the others lifted.

“Coby.” Rhett’s voice came to him through a tunnel, hazy and unclear. He was sure he was saying something other than Coby’s name, but he couldn’t tell what it was. Everything was white noise, nothing made sense. 

How could Ash say he was Coby’s if Scott had claimed him? He was Scott’s boyfriend, that’s what he said. 

But Ash had told him the night before he had no boyfriend, that he’d broken up with him…that there was no one else…that there would never be anyone else…

He felt something touch his elbow and he inhaled sharply, startled out of his thoughts. He turned to Rhett whose eyes went wide, mouthing words Coby didn’t understand, his lips moving in a blur.

“Here,” Rhett was saying, handing him a napkin. “You need this.”

Coby glanced at it dumbly before bringing his gaze back to Rhett’s face. Rhett set the napkin down, his head hanging between his shoulders. 

“I’m going to assume Ash didn’t tell you about Scott Tulle,” he said after a brief silence that seemed to go on for ages in Coby’s scattered mind.

Coby just stared, his mouth still agape, his limbs frozen, the ability to move completely lost to him.

Rhett nodded to Coby’s silence. “Scott Tulle is an angel in Ash’s class. He also used to work here as a waiter before I fired him for talking shit and bringing his little fuckboys in here to parade around on the off chance Ash might be here. Which, by the way, is hardly ever.”

“Why…” Coby felt like he had sea urchin spines jammed down his throat. “Why would he…do that?”

“To make Ash jealous and get a reaction out of him.”

A tear fell off the end of Coby’s chin and he realized why Rhett had handed him the napkin. His face was streaked with countless, painful tears. He slowly reached for it, his hand shaking.

“Ash is…he…”

Rhett shook his head. “No, Coby, he’s not.”

Coby met his gaze, the older man’s green eyes kind.

“Scott Tulle is Ash’s ex-boyfriend. One who’s about to have his wings burned off.”

Coby’s eyes widened. “What, why?”

“I thought that one was obvious, kid,” Rhett said, giving him a crooked grin that was similar to Ash’s. “He targeted you.”

**