Cause you all have been so awesome, here is another one.

Trick was buried deep in his books when Kenzi swung her way down his stairs. He let her get away with more than any other human. He wondered if she knew how far she had wormed her way into their little group, all they had done to protect her.

He looked at her. Dyson was right. Kenzi was strong. Determined, far more than someone of her stature and abilities should be. She would make a good member of Dyson's pack, for sure. The wolf had been alone for far too long.

"Hey Trick, my man." Kenzi's swaying arms betrayed her nervousness. She wiped her palms against her jeans and put them in her pockets, whole body swaying back on her too tall heels. There was a certain sort of elegance to Kenzi. He feigned ignorance.

"Sorry Kenzi, I'll be right up in a second to grab you a drink. An ale, or are you feeling something stronger?" Trick closed the book, not wanting her to see what he was reading.

"Yeah, I'm feelin' something…" She started wistfully. "Y'know, if this was any other time I'd be outta here. I'm not used to all of." She waved her hand to show the expansiveness of Trick's rooms. "this. This is some storybook shit right here, and it scares me."

"You want to talk about Dyson." Trick motioned for her to sit down on his lounge, and she did, but her nervousness did not abate.

"No." She stopped, burying her head in her hands. "Yes. I don't know." She sighed. "I'm a kickass sidekick. I don't want to talk about this sort of thing with you Trick. But I don't know who else to talk to."

Trick understood. His power had often afforded him the spotlight, whether he wanted it or not, but he had known long ago what it was like to be secondary. To be forgotten. It had been…pleasant. But it also was lonely. Like now, when he had become this simple bar keep at a waystation. The Dal might have been his domain, neutral territory by some power unknown to most of its patrons, but no one knew he was the Blood King.

"Kenzi, I'll listen to whatever you have to say." This was twofold. He wanted to offer the human comfort. She was part of Dyson's pack now, and Dyson was important to him. But he also wanted to hear about it from her side so he could have a greater understanding of the situation.

"Ok." Her voice was small and he was once again reminded of her relative youth. "Trick, I don't know what's wrong with me." He sat down next to her on the couch and rubbed a hand along her back. "I feel him all the time. Maybe I can't handle it? Maybe it's because I'm human? Is it supposed to be like this?"

"You've got to be more specific." Trick coaxed.

"God this is weird," she wiped her eyes on her long sleeves. "It's like talking to my gran." She smiled at him, "no offense."

"Kenzi, I am far older than that." Trick smiled comfortingly.

"I want him all the time. Not just the sex. Not just that. No, I want him near. I want him there when I sleep, there when I eat. I don't want to be out of his presence." She looked at Trick. "It scares me. It doesn't feel like me." She sighed. "And I'm jealous."

"Jealous?" Trick was pretty sure he knew what she meant, but he wanted her to say it.

"Of Bo. Of what they had. What they have." Kenzi shook herself. "They're mates Trick. And wolves mate for life. I can never have that with him. I'll be like every other woman in his life that has ever loved him, and only gotten a piece of him. I can never have all of him." She stood up suddenly, shushing him with a movement of her hand. "Listen to me, going on and on to a bartender about my sad, sad love life." She smiled at him. "Don't tell Dyson, ok?"

He nodded, unsure what to do. She smeared her make-up and her tears on her shirt sleeves as she left.

Trick watched her leave, returning to his book when she was safely out of the room. He flipped open the page he had been on. Along the top, in an ancient language, it read:

"Wolves and Their Human Mates"

He sighed. He had to talk to Dyson.

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