I take out my cigarette pack and remove one of them with my teeth. “I had a handle on it. You didn’t have to step in like this. Panther shifters are a pain in the ass, you know. They’re going to come looking for you once they get their s**t together.”
A lighter is held out in front of me and I blink.
When did he get that close to me?
Warily, I allow him to light the cigarette for me, and allow myself to enjoy my first drag.
“That stuff is going to kill you, you know?” He sounds a little amused for some reason.
“Yes, well,” I let out another puff. “It can get at the back of the line.”
When he doesn’t leave, I study him. “You new in town?”
“Yes.”
“Figured.”
The silence between us is comfortable, and then he asks, “Is it normal for so many Others to gather around here?”
I’
