Maverick Danker [Beyond the Marius Brothers 5] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour ManLove) by Joyee Flynn

almost dropped to my knees in sorrow when I saw he was packing. Asterio made a distressed sound, verbalizing how I was feeling.
    “So, you’re packing to come stay at Barnabas’s house, right?” I asked, my voice cracking slightly.
    “No,” he whispered, shaking his head, still not turning to face us. “I’m leaving to go start over someplace where people don’t know me and maybe try living among humans. I could get a construction job building houses, have a peaceful life, and never hurt again.”
    “Then we’ll come with you,” Asterio offered.
    “Right, because you guys aren’t the main reason I’m leaving anyways.”
    “But we’re not the only reason.” And just like that, the lightbulb went off over my head. “We won’t ever let the demons take you again, cub.”
    His shoulders went stiff and I saw him flinch. “I decided to leave when I got back and Ayden pissed me off. Obviously even the people I thought were my friends think the worst of me as well. I’m tired of my past and being a wolf clouding everyone’s judgment of me.”
    “I didn’t understand, Tyler. I’m so sorry,” Asterio pleaded as he stepped forward and took the clothes Tyler was folding out of his hands. “Please just hear us out. If you still want to leave after that, then we won’t stop you.”
    “You going to stop me now?” He growled, his teeth becoming exceedingly long as he shook. Was he going to shift?
    “Um, well, no?” Asterio stuttered. Yeah, I didn’t have an answer for that either. “Maybe? Not forcibly or anything but yeah, I’m going to do everything including lying down in front of your truck to keep you from leaving me.”
    Tyler’s face almost instantly went from an expression of anger to pain. “Why do you care? You have Mav.”
    “Cub, don’t do that,” I said gently as I reached out and cupped his cheek. “We fucked up and hurt you. We know that and we’re here to apologize for that and make things right. But don’t act as if we’ve never showed we care. We had days together, Tyler. Please don’t forget them and let a mistake wipe away that memory.”
    “I’m not really that upset with you if fae blood fucks with you,” he admitted as he stared at the ground. “I can’t necessarily relate, but the fear is overwhelming me.”
    “What fear?”
    “Are you fucking shitting me?” He laughed darkly as he pulled away. “Fear that you’ll get tired of your screwed-up cub and push me off the couch again. Fear Asterio won’t ever see me as anything but a common whore and slut. Fear you’ll love each other and only put up with me because we’re mates.
    “Fear that I’m so fucking depraved and wanting anyone to show me the slightest affection I won’t be faithful when you screw up. I’m scared the demons will come or my Alpha will find me. I’m scared that I just can’t function around people anymore, and being on my own might be the only way to keep me sane!”
    “Let us help you,” I said gently as I tried to hug him.
    “Right? So you can pull the happiness rug out from me again? No thank you. I’m not a horse who follows the carrot to walk into shit over and over again.”
    “Interesting analogy but not quite the same thing here,” I replied with a growl and tossed him onto the bed. He snarled at me as I followed him down, pinning his arms over his head. “Now let’s address your comments one by one, shall we?”
    “Get off me!”
    “No.” I kissed him quickly, pulling back when his teeth got scary again. “I’m sorry I was a douche. I can’t even describe to you how bad I feel about it and the panicky manic-ness I felt when I had his blood.”
    “Are you okay? It didn’t hurt you or leave any lasting effects, right?” He looked so worried that I think he finally felt something else strong enough to break through the fear. There was my mate!
    “I’m okay now.” I gave him a soft smile and another kiss now that his teeth went back to normal. “I woke with one