Denying Dare

"So, how long have you been in love with my best friend?"



Dare Moon dropped the bottle of alcohol he was twirling. Luckily the expensive top shelf vodka landed on the anti-fatigue mat. The spongy rubber prevented it from shattering on the cement floor.



"What are you talking about?" he gasped, trying to still his pounding heart. "I'm going to tell Silver to cut back your alcohol limit." There was no way he was going to admit any attraction. Not when the man he was interested in showed no sign of returning his affections.



Anthony gave a graceful shrug as he sipped his fruity alcoholic drink. "Silver's not overly concerned about my alcohol limits. I don't drink all that much." He batted his stunning amber eyes at Dare. "Now, about Steven. If you're not in love with him, why do you stare at him like you want to pounce and take him down like a squeaky mouse?"



Sighing, Dare gazed across the room where the dark-haired wolf trolled for someone to take home; someone not him. "Nothing's going on with Steven, and looking is as far as I'll ever get. He's made it clear he doesn't want a cat."



Fuck if that didn't break his heart. He couldn't change the fact he was a weretiger, even if he wanted to, any more than he could help pining for the handsome werewolf.



Anthony looked unimpressed by Dare's heartache. "As much as I love him, Steven's an idiot. In the past three months none of those pieces of ass he's picked up have touched a fraction of his heart. He's only determined to have a wolf mate because his adopted parents are human and he wants to belong to a pack."



Dare blinked back tears, dipping his head so the empathetic alpha mate wouldn't notice. "I can't give him a pack, weretigers only meet to mate."



"Shit, Dare. I can give him a pack if he wants a pack. What he needs is a soul mate and it's my job, or so Silver keeps telling me, to watch out for the packs' best interests. Well the pack's best interest is for its fabulous bartender to be happy."

Small bolts of lightning flashed in the beautiful blond's eyes; a sign of a storm of the worst sort, an Anthony storm. Shit. It took a lot to upset the sweet-natured alpha mate but he was an unstoppable force when he was crossed. Dare looked nervously at the wall of bottles. He hoped he wouldn't have to explain to Silver what happened to them. Anthony's anger had been known to shatter glass.

Before he could say anything else, Anthony slid off the bar stool and marched across the busy dance floor. Using some strange, mystical ability he walked directly to Steven while everyone moved out of his way in a smooth, natural style as if they were never even there. Dare shook his head. Although he'd seen the phenomenon many times, the process still amazed him.

Dare watched the smaller man approach his friend. He briefly got a glimpse of Anthony pulling something out of his pocket, but by then it was too late.