Randulf barely waited for the meeting to be over before stalking out of Antton's house. He was almost to his truck when he heard Lew say, "Wait up a minute." He debated ignoring him.
"Don't," Lew said, moving swiftly to stand in front of Randulf. "Don't brush me off."
Staring at him with displeasure, Randulf muttered, "That's your trick, if I remember correctly."
Lew sighed. "Still galls you that I walked out."
"Walked? No, Lew, you ran for your life."
"Not even. I just saw the writing on the wall long before you did. It wasn't working, it never worked, and it never would have, no matter how hard we tried. We're opposites, Randy." He grinned when Randulf scowled at him. "All right—Randulf. See, that's part of the bigger problem we had." He leaned against the fender of Randulf's Dodge Ram, stroking it. "Still hanging on to this old girl, I see."
"It runs… does what I need it to do."
"Which is what you want out of everything in your life. To conform to your specifications and damn them if they don't."
"Not true," Randulf spat out. "But I do think I rate at least a little respect when I'm in a relationship. Stepping out on me with… Fuck it, this is old history. Move it. I'm out of here."
"Not until you admit we could have made it work if you'd just been less rigid. And for your information, I wasn't stepping out on you. I told you that a hundred times. I just needed to be with someone who saw me as… as interesting in my own right."
"Someone who looked at the packaging and ignored the conceited bastard inside."
"What's wrong with having a good package? Okay, perhaps I should rephrase that, although you never seemed to mind my 'package'. Yeah, I'm good-looking, and yeah, I know it, and I play on it. But while we were together, which wasn't all that long in the grand scheme of things, I never bedded anyone else—male or female—unless it was…"
"The fuck you didn't!" Randulf said derisively before Lew could finish. Walking around the truck, he got in, turned it on and revved the motor. When Lew jumped back, Randulf chuckled. Not that he was happy. Far from it. But at least he figured he'd thrown a small scare into Lew. Putting the truck in gear, he made a U-turn, pulling up beside his ex-lover. "Remember, tonight you're looking for Alanna, not the first woman who's willing to spread her legs for you." With that said, he roared off down the drive to the street.
*****
"And fuck you too," Lew spat out angrily. He felt someone's hand on his shoulder and spun around, in the mood to deck whoever it was. Instead, he smiled slightly when he realized it was Mag standing there.
"I'd ask if there was trouble in paradise but from what I'm getting, there never was a real paradise between the two of you," Mag said.
Lew shrugged. "For a couple of weeks, maybe a month. We're both alphas and want our own ways. Trouble is, he's more alpha than me and felt he had to be in control of every situation. And why the hell am I telling you this?"
"Maybe because I'm human and new to this whole world so, to some extent, I'm unbiased. I don't really get the total alpha thing when it comes to relationships. In other ways, sure. Antton's the head man in this area because he's got the power and the know-how. From what everyone was saying earlier, Randulf's the perfect Enforcer—warrior, I guess. He's big, he's smart, and he knows what to do to deal with whoever you all are after."
"You think I don't?"
"No clue, since I've never seen you in action. But you wouldn't be with the Enforcers if you weren't good at something."
Lew snorted out a laugh. "True. I'm not in Randulf's class as a fighter, or even Antton's or Ulrik's, when it comes down to it. My skills lie elsewhere, but I can and do hold my own when I have to."
"A lover, not a fighter," Mag said, smirking.
Lew chuckled. "When needs be."
"And you played that card when you had to, while you and Randulf were together?"
"Yeah," Lew admitted. "But it was never personal, despite what he thinks. He should know that, damn it."
"It sounded…" Mag paused. "Maybe I shouldn't say this, but it sounded like something happened that might have gotten him killed because of you."
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