(CW: This chapter has some sexual content!)
Dark green had seeped into the sky by the time Liam appeared. Theron saw him through the small window in the back door, strolling under the raindrops, and opened the door with a glare. In the distance, lightning flashed behind the clouds.
Theron walked him down the hallway and pushed him into a vacant office. They went to the far back of the room, behind a pile of abandoned renovation materials and beside a window with closed blinds. He glanced back and forth between the door and Liam, hoping he was sufficiently hidden. "This has to be quick," said Theron.
"I'm not sure it will be."
Theron frowned.
"Okay, here's the thing," said Liam. "I'm not interested in competing with you, Theron."
Theron's eyes hopped between the rain spots on Liam's sweater before vaulting away, indifferent. "What are we competing for?"
"You tell me. I feel like you'd be happier if I wasn't around."
"Sometimes? Yeah."
"Why?" Liam asked incredulously.
"Why do you think?"
Liam stepped closer. There were only a couple inches' difference in height between them, Liam thinner, athletic and lean, unlike large and muscular Theron. He locked eyes with Theron. "Give me a straight answer."
Years ago, he could make Liam flinch with just a stare. Now Liam stood as tall as Theron, his fists tight, his lip hard. The scar, a half-inch-long dash under his right eye, crinkled slightly. Theron hated being cornered. "Everything. I feel like we're competing over everything," he said. Because Liam knew exactly what was going on—Theron had waged a one-sided war against his friend and was exhausting both of them with it.
His friend shook his head and laughed, soundless. "You think I'm trying to take something from you?"
"I'm just being protective of Kitra," Theron deflected.
"I'm not trying to take her away," said Liam.
"Well you could've fooled me," Theron said between his teeth.
Thunder rumbled dully. A couple seconds later, lightning flashed.
"She came to me," defended Liam. He slipped beside Theron and fingered through the blinds, looking into rainy twilight. "She asked me out."
"She's supposed to be off-limits."
"I can't control how girls feel about me, Theron."
"You can say no."
"What if I don't want to?"
"Too bad! That's how friendship fucking works."
"Is it?" Liam peered at him.
Theron shoved Liam against the wall adjacent to the window. "I don't care how you try to justify it. I'm not okay with it. You could get her hurt, or expose her to Sadie who, by the way, has Kitra on her hitlist, and worse is I can't help but feel like you're just doing this to piss me off. I have enough shit to deal with, you think I have the energy to worry about how close my sister's getting to being ripped apart by my rogue ex-girlfriend?"
Liam backed against the wall. "Is this about me or is this about Sadie?"
"Don't even fucking talk about Sadie."
"If you're so worried about Sadie getting Kitra, why did you agree to ask Frank to let her in?"
"I wanted to make her happy!"
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BLOOD DREAM (Ongoing)
Paranormal24-year-old Theron was the spoiled brat son of a wolf shifter Alpha--until his fated mate, a puma shifter named Sadie, murdered his father. As the consequences of his abusive behavior, Theron lost his friends, girlfriend, and the respect of his pack...
