Chapter 13

I stare at my two hole cards for a moment, hiding them with my hand so Azaire won’t see. He’s tried a few times already, but I always shoot him a glare. One time I even slapped his arm to get him to look away, and that seemed to work for a few rounds. Alexander is awesome, though. He’s loud and dramatic, but he’s amazing. He’s got the most chips right now, while Aiden is almost out, and Azaire and I are about the same.

My cards are actually kind of good. I have the ten and Queen of spades. I can only hope the community cards are just as good, and that I’ll end up with something awesome, so I can beat Azaire and take all his chips. I’m quite competitive, which I had forgotten during these past five years, being on my own. We all place our bets, and Aiden eventually flips over the first three community cards, the flop, revealing a Jack and Ace of spades and a three of diamonds.

Hope builds inside me as I see my chance at a royal flush. I only need the King, now, but the chances are so low, and right now I just have a high card, the Ace that everyone else has, too. I have to put all my money on that one King, and I have two chances at it. The worst thing would be if anyone else has it in their holes.

I stare at the cards on the table, until Azaire leans in close, brushing his lips across my shoulder, and whispering to me.

“It’s your turn,” he whispers, making me close my eyes and fight a moan.

“Oh, please, if you’re gonna act like that, just go home. We’re playing cards,” Alexander says sternly, staring at Azaire, not even looking at me as he scolds him.

I smile, feeling like Alexander is somehow trying to help me. I nudge Azaire with my shoulder, pushing him away from me and scowl at him.

“Yes, you should listen to him. He’s a smart one,” I say, before turning my attention back to the game. “I see you.”

I toss in the extra chips Azaire put into the pool, and I send him a smug smile, after listening to Alexander’s laughter.

“You should be glad you’re my mate, or else I’d-“

“You’d what? Hurt me?” I ask, raising my eyebrow at him.

“Like he could hurt anyone,” Aiden snorts, as he reveals the turn.

It’s an eight of cloves, not at all the card I need for my royal flush, and I force myself not to swallow. I have to make them think I have something good, even if my last card doesn’t come.

Azaire snorts, and rolls his eyes before looking down at the newest addition to the collection of cards on the table. His smile grows just a little at that, and I watch as Alexander scrunches his nose up, just like I do when I’m unsure and thinking a little negatively. I bite my lip to stop myself from doing just that right now, and I keep my eyes on Azaire, as it is his turn.

“I raise five hundred,” he says, bringing almost the rest of his chips into the middle of the table.

Alexander sighs and leans back, while eyeing me, and Aiden grimaces and leans forward to stare at the cards on the table. It’s clear that they’re both having a bad round, and I debate in my head whether or not I should raise Azaire’s bet, or just see him.

“I see you,” I mutter after a few more moments of consideration, and push an equal amount of chips towards the middle.

“Fuck this,” Alexander sighs and throws his cards away.

Aiden folds too, without even a word, and raises an eyebrow at Azaire, who is currently staring at me. I think I know why. He wants to know if I actually have good cards or not, to see if it’s worth it. I stare back, and I almost don’t register it when he taps twice in the table, signaling that he’s content with his bet.

My eyes move slowly towards Aiden as he burns a card from the top of the deck, and then places the river. He starts grinning as he looks at both Azaire and I, and keeps the card hidden. Alexander nudges him, as if he’s annoyed by the childish behavior, and I have to say I agree with that. I look up at my mate, and he seems to be unfazed by the whole thing, he acts like he doesn’t care what the card will be.

Finally, Aiden moves away to reveal the card and it’s… not what I needed. I smirk, knowing that I have to uphold my poker face, and it’s harder than I thought. Azaire’s face quivers a bit, and I fight the urge to bite my lip. I have to figure out a way to get him to think I have something really good, and hope that he folds. But since he put five hundred in there, it’s not likely that he will back off without thinking I absolutely have something that’s better. I look at Azaire, and he pats his finger twice on the table again. It’s suddenly my turn, and I feel like I’m going to burst. This is not at all what I thought werewolves did on their free time. If I ever let my mind drift to think there was more than just me, I thought they’d be running through the forests, howling at the moon and playing tag or something.. Which sounds just as crazy now. I actually imagined them running around in their human bodies, howling and acting all mad, because I didn’t know one could shift outside of the full moon.

“Today, please,” Azaire sighs, tapping his fingers impatiently on the table.

He is leaning his gorgeous head on one of his hands, while the other is resting on the table top, restlessly. He has an eyebrow cocked up, too, looking at me as if he thinks he’s gonna win. I’m gonna wipe that smug smile off of his face and replace it with adoration. He’s gonna worship the ground I work on when I’m done here today.

“All in,” I say, pushing the rest of my chips into the pool.

Alexander sits back, grinning with his eyes as his mouth turns into a perfect O. Aiden chuckles, before leaning back against his chair and he puts his hands up behind his head as if to watch the show. I arch my eyebrow back at Azaire, challenging him. I can faintly hear him muttering a “what the fuck”, before he’s staring at the cards for a long, long time.

I feel a foot touch my calf under the table and turn to look at Alexander, who’s still grinning, but motions for me to show him my hole cards. I shake my head and smile amusedly back at him, as I lean back, just waiting for Azaire’s next move. If he calls, I’m done. I know he has something, otherwise he wouldn’t bet that much before. Unless he was bluffing, like I am now…

Either way, this is slowly killing me. Especially since I have no idea how these people usually play.

Aiden and Azaire are suddenly locked in an intense gaze at each other, and just a few seconds after I notice, Alexander sighs heavily and punches his boyfriend, I think that’s what they are, on the upper arm. Aiden groans in pain, but I think he’s exaggerating, before he rolls his eyes.

“I told him I can’t help him,” Aiden says, leaning back against the chair again.

“You told him?” I ask, furrowing my brows, until I remember the whole talking-to-each-other-through-ones-mind-thing. “Never mind.”

“Wait, what?” Aiden questions, looking at me. “Why did you question that?”

He then sniffs the air, and looks over at Azaire, who is now glaring.

“Don’t you say a word, Aiden,” Azaire warns, reaching over to hold my hand. Hard. I’m not sure if it’s protectively, or so that I won’t run, but either way I feel the familiar sensation of his touch, and I gulp a little. My eyes meet with Alexander’s, and he narrows his eyes at Azaire’s tight hold on my wrist.

“Hey, why don’t I show you around the house, Yohanna?” Alexander asks, getting up from his seat.

“Uh, sure,” I say, unsure if I want to stay here for whatever confrontation Azaire and Aiden has got brewing between them.

I get up, and Azaire lets go of my hand after a firm look into Alexander’s eyes, and Alexander leads me back through the living room, towards a set of stairs. His phone dings just a second later, and he looks at it before smiling warmly at me.

“Those two are like brothers. They have each other up their throats, but they love each other and one can’t live without the other,” Alexander says as he climbs the stairs. “Their parents thought they were going to be mates when they grew up, but when they turned fifteen nothing happened.”

He grins a little, after we’ve gone up to the second floor, and he puts his arm around my shoulders.

“What do you mean, nothing happened?” I ask.

I look around me at the colorful decorations everywhere. There’s a piñata hanging from the ceiling, and if I’m not mistaken, it’s a lamp. I smile a little at the cheery feeling I get inside this house, and something tells me Alexander has more say on the decorations than Aiden does.

“They didn’t have the sparks, or the attraction. I mean, I can tell you’re still not finished with your training, so I wouldn’t expect you to know that much, but what about the basics? No one ever told you?”

I look up at him, and shrug.

“No, I… I was alone when I turned fifteen. And before that, I grew up with humans,” I admit, trusting my gut that this man is worthy of my trust somehow. There’s something there.

“So did I,” he says, hugging me tighter. “I grew up with humans, too, and I still struggle with some of my abilities, since I didn’t learn them as a pup, like mindlinks.”

“Oh.”