Heat Race - Tanya Chris Page 0,64

to think of Elias as, well, sexy.

Elias had been so quiet through their high school years—so easy to skip over. But the sparring he’d been doing with Jasper had toned his muscles and brought out a confidence Saul now realized had always been there. Elias’s confidence wasn’t the cocksure assumption that he would rule under all circumstances, like what Lon had—a confidence not backed up by anything and easily proven false. Elias’s confidence was the sort that came from having actual abilities. He was confident about intellectual subjects because he was good at them, and as he worked with Jasper, he became more confident about his body.

Saul found Elias’s new swagger sexy, and he’d developed a deep affection for Elias’s courage and equanimity. Elias said what needed to be said, dragged things out in the open to be poked at rather than cower away from them the way Saul instinctively did. Saul had plenty of physical courage, thanks to a father who’d thought physical courage was the most important aspect of being an alpha, but Elias had courage that went beyond the physical.

Once Saul had finished his business at the hardware store, he headed for the library. He was only just going to peep into the dance studio on his way, maybe catch a glimpse of Jack Henry in his dance shorts, but as he approached the studio, something drew his focus to the other side of the street. Was that his father disappearing into the electronics store?

Saul stopped. Why would his father be in Galvetta? Not to go to an electronics store, that was for sure. There was nothing you could buy in Galvetta you couldn’t get cheaper in Ferris, and his father wasn’t one to tinker with gadgets. But that broad back had been so familiar, even down to the shirt stretched across it.

Saul crossed the street to peer through the store’s windows. Given the current limitations of their available electricity, they didn’t need any additional electronics, so he’d never had any reason to go inside this particular store. But he knew who owned it—a gruff and grumbly alpha named Miller who was one of the disgruntled townspeople Jasper had been keeping an eye on.

Saul opened the door, causing a bell to ring with a strident jangle. The store was a jumble of parts and equipment, the shelves dusty as if no one had replenished the stock in a long time. The narrow aisles between them were empty, and no one came out to see what he wanted.

He wandered deeper into the store, past a display of gaming systems. He’d only ever played video games at the arcade in Ferris, but being able to play at home without an endless stream of quarters sounded like fun. Maybe someday. As he reached the end of the shelving, he heard voices—two male voices, deep and guttural, muffled by the door separating the store from the back room. He moved toward them, trying to pick up on what was being said, until the door opened abruptly and Saul found himself face to face with Miller.

“Want something?” Miller asked. Hardly a welcoming attitude.

“Just looking. Might, um, be interested in a video game system?”

Miller pointed at the shelf Saul had passed, and Saul returned to it. He glanced back over his shoulder to see if he could catch sight of whoever Miller had been talking to, but Miller kicked the door shut behind him. He went to the counter and stood behind it, his arms crossed as he watched Saul pretend to consider which of the gaming systems to buy. He couldn’t afford one and wouldn’t know which to choose if he could, but he dallied, hoping that whoever was behind the door would come out. Could it really have been his father?

Eventually, he had to give up. “I’ll think about it,” he said, though he could tell Miller wasn’t fooled. “I can’t make the decision alone.”

“Right. Gotta ask the boss man, dontcha?” Miller’s attitude was so exactly like Saul’s father’s that Saul couldn’t help peeking at the door again. “Fuck off then,” Miller said. “I don’t have time to waste on pussies who gotta check with their mates before they can spend a dime. Come back when you’re the alpha of the family.”

Saul wanted to leave. He really did. He’d rather be with Elias in the library or Jack Henry at the dance studio or Jasper on the farm than in this confrontation. But his feet wouldn’t move. If he left, he’d