Page 39 of Shifter Omegaverse AU

“Anytime. I’m glad things seem to have worked out for the best,” Hank said. “They look really happy, and now you two can enjoy the rest of your night.”

Sure, yeah, totally. Rowan would just go back to his evening like nothing had happened. He cast a desperate look at the dance floor, but Ray and Ruben were still there, with Ray’s arms wrapped around Ruben’s neck. They seemed to be talking more than dancing, both grinning widely at each other.

“Rowan?” Milo called, but it sounded like he was far away.

He should probably be trying to drink up every moment he had left with Milo, but instead, he found he could barely look at them.

“Sorry,” Rowan muttered, picking up the sweet drink and taking several slow sips. The sugar exploded on his tongue, and he had a distinct memory of drinking these as a kid. He couldn’t remember who had made them, maybe his omega mom or Raina when she came home from college? Her visits were few and far between, but Rowan had always looked forward to them.

“Everything turned out okay,” Milo said softly, and Rowan’s hawk gave a plaintive cry.

Everything was okay, for now, but how could he tell Milo that he very much doubted they would be okay for long?

He drank the remainder of the drink, steadfastly avoiding Milo’s gaze.

“I think…” Rowan finally said, not really sure where he was going with that, but feeling the need to fill the tense silence between them.

He was rather surprised Milo hadn’t tried to fill it, but maybe they were picking up on Rowan’s mood. He felt like he was vibrating in his skin as his hawk paced around in his head.

He tried to clear his throat and start again. “I think Hank might be right. I’m feeling out of sorts.”

“Do you want to go home?” Milo asked, straightening up from where they’d been leaning against the bar. “I can drive you home and then swing back for Ray.”

“Actually,” a soft voice said, and Rowan turned to find Ray standing there with Ruben right behind him. “I think I’m going to head out, too.”

Milo looked between the two of them. “Okay, I’ve got space for everyone if you need a ride, too, Ruben?”

Ray shifted back and forth between his feet. “I don’t think we’ll need a ride from you.”

Milo’s breath came out slow and measured.

“Ray mentioned that he’d never seen a refurbed Mustang before, so I offered to drive him,” Ruben said, the frenetic edge gone from his voice, but replaced by something else Rowan couldn’t place.

“Are you good to drive?” Milo asked.

Ruben opened his mouth, but Ray let out a quiet scoff. His hair parted on both sides of his head, and two black cat ears popped out. “He wouldn’t have offered to drive if he wasn’t being safe. He hasn’t had anything to drink tonight, just like you.”

That…was a surprise, actually. Rowan never monitored Ruben’s drinks, but he was fairly sure he drank when he came to the club.

“Right, Ruben?” Ray asked, looking over his shoulder at Ruben.

Ruben’s eyes were locked on Ray’s ears, a small, wonderstruck smile on his lips.

“Rube?” Ray called, and Rowan’s hawk gave an alarmed kee-aww. They were using nicknames? Seriously?

Ruben shook his head, as if awakening from a trance, and stepped up to Ray’s side. “Right. I never drink here. I don’t mix alcohol and sex, or…” He trailed off and turned his head to look at Ray, just as Ray looked up at him. “Or anything else. Like driving this cutie home and maybe finishing our conversation from the dance floor?”

Ray blushed, and his cat ears twitched. “That sounds good to me.”

That sounded decidedly not good to Rowan. “Finish our conversation,” my ass. If it had just been him and Ruben, he probably would have said as much, but Ray had hearts coming out of his eyes.

Although Milo didn’t look particularly excited about this turn of events, they shrugged and agreed.

With that, Rowan’s fate was sealed, and he felt he had little choice but to pay his tab and accept it.

“Will you need to get your car in the morning?” Milo asked as they all walked out to the parking lot together.

“No, Troy and I had a late meeting, so he dropped me off here.”