Attracting Anthony

"I can't believe I let you talk me into this," Anthony Carrow muttered to his friend as he looked around the club. It only took him two seconds to think about walking back out, but it took Steven weeks to get a membership to the club and he wasn't going to ruin it for his friend on his first visit.

No matter how much he wanted to.

Anthony felt conspicuous in his leather pants without a shirt, exposing both a pierced left nipple and the brilliant memorial tattoo on his back. It made him feel more naked than he was used to in public. The feeling gradually faded as he realized less people were looking at him than at the young man walking past him with a leash attached to the harness around his cock; a leash clasped in the firm grip of a slim man with silvery hair and a designer suit walking with the smooth grace of werekin.

In reality, with his magical disguise he drew less attention than the dozens of men standing around like they were waiting to take part in the Mr Beautiful pageant.

This is all a horrible mistake. The thought whipped through Anthony's mind in a dizzying fury, setting his nerves strumming so loudly he was surprised the noise didn't echo off the ceiling of the crowded bar.

Panicked, he turned to flee.

A strong grip clamped onto his shoulder holding him in place.

"No escaping. You promised you'd come with me and we both know you need to get out more," said Steven, Anthony's best friend. He watched the provocative pair with the cock leash pass with interested eyes. "You've barely dated since Drew died." He flashed Anthony a sympathetic smile. "You know he'd want you to move on, and although I appreciate your new look, I don't think you did it for me."

He stifled his laughter at Steven's rueful expression. Even though he agreed to accompany his friend to the club, he'd cast a strong suppression spell on his appearance so he wouldn't stand out in the crowd. Anthony didn't need a stampede in his direction on his first night out. Easing into the dating scene gently was the only way he could even think about dating again.

Looking at the clientele he had doubts he was going to find a nice, quiet man to dominate him. He missed his Drew, the strong master who'd been his lover until a heart attack killed him at the age of fifty. Anthony was brokenhearted at the death of his lover, knowing if he'd been home he might have been able to save the other man. Magic did nothing if you weren't there in time to use it. Instead he got home to find his lover dead on their living room floor. An event in his life he knew would stay with him for hundreds of years. Despite what they said about 'time heals all wounds', he knew some things never healed.

The spell he'd cast before coming to the club dulled his gleaming golden hair to a dirty blond and subdued his natural glowing skin to a light bronze. Features heart-stoppingly fine roughened under the weight of magic, changing his normally beautiful features into a pleasing but not memorable face. Everything else he left as nature made it, figuring there would be a lot of fit bodies in the crowd. He worked out every day to keep in shape. Immortality didn't mean a perfect body forever. Due to his spells he was now attractive enough to get a man but not gorgeous enough to overshadow his handsome friend.

However, as much as he wanted to find another person to share his life with, even the thought of dating sent pain ripping through Anthony's chest. Shifters as a group were fit, and as his eyes roamed over the room filled with hot flesh and eager partners all he could think of was that none of them were Drew. Images of his dead lover flashed before his eyes like a moving picture, peeling back his careful indifference to expose a loss so deep it threatened to drown him. Taking a deep breath, Anthony steadied his pulse and forced a reassuring smile to his lips, hoping to stave off the worried expression he saw in Steven's eyes.

Surely three years was long enough. He could do this. He was ready. Maybe if he chanted it a few more times in his head it would become true.

"You aren't asking me to go out more. You dragged me here because you want moral support for your mate hunt. Why you even want to mate is beyond me."

He didn't even want to imagine what would happen if Steven found and lost his mate. Werewolves bonded for life, something that could be good or bad depending on your mate.

"You have something against wolves?" Steven's tone was as challenging as any wild wolf, his eyes feral in the club lights.

Anthony felt an uncomfortable number of gazes turn towards him. Great, just what he wanted; to insult a room full of werekin. A low growl sounded near them. His temper flared but he firmly held it in check. Steven would never forgive him if he crumbled the building and ruined his mate hunting grounds.

"Don't be an idiot. We've been friends forever. If I had a problem with wolves you'd know it by now. I have something against mates."

He felt the surrounding people lose interest in their conversation now that they knew he wasn't a threat. Nothing would be worse than a hunter sneaking onto mating grounds. Anthony had heard of that happening in other cities and the resulting carnage wasn't good. The amount of damage the hunters did was nothing compared to the wolves' retaliation. Towns had lost whole populations in a shifter/human wars.

"Oh don't start that." Steven's voice wasn't unkind but the underlying firmness in his tone told Anthony his best friend was running out of patience. "Just because your lover died doesn't mean you can't find another. Besides, if you don't start dating again your parents will intervene and I've met your parents, they scare the crap out of me."

Anthony shivered at the memory of his parents' matchmaking skills. "Last time they fixed me up with a fairy."

Steven snorted. "I thought you didn't like labels."

"No. He was an actual fairy, you know, from Faeland."

That got Steven's full attention. "What happened?"

Anthony shrugged. "Let's just say it didn't work out." He wasn't going to relive the horrible details of that blind date, even for his best friend. Fae princes were a touchy lot. "Anyway, it just proved I wasn't ready to date."

"Fuck it, Tony, it's been almost three years. Even if you don't want a mate there are plenty of hot guys here for a hookup. Hell, even if I don't find the 'one' it'll still be fun shopping." His hungry eyes briefly scanned the crowd before turning to lock eyes with Anthony, his blue eyes filling with compassion. "I understand you lost your soul mate, but you can't go the rest of your life untouched. There are other people out there. If you didn't think it was possible to find someone else you wouldn't have come."

Anthony looked away, blinking rapidly. "I know. I do. It's just hard."

Sighing, he looked around the club. It was an extremely selective club; they didn't let just anyone join. He knew Steven went through a detailed screening process to get a membership, and to have Anthony put on the approved guest list. He was only one of a handful of friends who were on it. He knew he wasn't let in without a screening of his own, a wise move on the club owner's part. It would be all too easy for a hunter to persuade a naive shifter he was their friend only to wreak havoc once they got inside.

Everywhere Anthony looked there were men and women dancing, drinking, and doing things not usually allowed in public. There were certain advantages to belonging to a private club and, as long as no money exchanged hands between partners, just about anything was allowed between consenting adults.

Tonight it was Steven who was on the hunt.

A werewolf himself, his best friend longed for a mate but was unused to being around others of his kind. Anthony knew it was partly due to the fact that Steven's adoptive parents were full human and unable to understand the complex world of werewolf society. It wasn't for lack of trying, but there were only so many facts you could find on the internet. Werekin didn't give up secrets to people not of their kind or their mates. Steven's parents were sweet and tried hard, but they weren't werewolves.

Anthony wanted to be supportive of his friend's search for a mate, but it was hard. Part of his soul died with Drew and he doubted he'd ever be able to reclaim it. He worried that Steven's hopes of hearts and flowers would end in tragedy like his own love affair. It wasn't better to have loved and lost, it was fucking unfair.

Still, his friend was right, he couldn't stay alone for the rest of his life, and werewolves were known for taking charge in the bedroom. There was nothing he loved more than a firm hand.

With that thought in the forefront of his mind, Anthony looked the room over with new eyes. Instead of trying to keep hidden, he assessed the others to see if any would appeal to either him or to his not-so-discerning friend.

As if catching onto Anthony's thoughts, Steven shared a wicked smile and the pair prowled the room with new intent.