He flinched when Bryce reached over the counter, unprepared for the beefy hand that landed on the shoulder of his Scorched arm.
‘You be careful lad,’ Bryce said, giving his shoulder a light, concerned squeeze. ‘Weren’t right, what happened to your parents. They pushed too far, too fast. Some things you shouldn’t meddle with until you’re ready, and some things… well. Some things maybe you shouldn’t meddle with at all.’
Cam bristled. ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’
He was taken aback by the grief in Bryce’s eyes. ‘Just that I don’t want to see you meet an early end, kid. You don’t have to carry the Walker mantle to your grave.’
‘I’ll keep that in mind,’ Cam said heavily.Fuck. It’s too early for this.
Who the hell did Bryce think he was, coming out with shit like that after they hadn’t seen each other in—what? Five years? Six? Not even a phone call when his parents died. Who the hell was he to tell Cam how to live his life now?
Sure, Bryce had been there for him when he first ran away from home. At eighteen, a soft couch and an indifferent ear to listen to him rant against family ‘duty’ and bullshit magical responsibilities had been exactly what he needed. But where had he been in the last three, when some real-world advice about that same magical bullshit could’ve come in really fucking handy?
Cam cleared his throat and gestured to Bryce’s team of hunters in the corner. ‘Well, if you need anything, you know where to find me.’
‘I’ll keep you updated. If I need any witchery, I’ll let you know. How about that? In the meantime…’ Bryce smirked, lighting up his hard face with silent glee. ‘How about you get me a breakfast roll, sweetheart? I’ll take a coffee, too.’
‘Coming right up,’ Cam said dryly.
He watched Bryce join the table of monster hunters. Their heads bent close in murmured conversation, apparently no longer interested in Cam or, indeed, the rest of the café. A sting of resentment crept over Cam. He felt dismissed. Of no consequence.
He stamped crossly into the kitchen, startling Lachlan with the heavy slap of his dishcloth against the work surface.
‘You okay?’ Lachlan asked, wide-eyed and dripping a patch of spilled stew on his apron, ladle still held halfway to his mouth.
‘Sorry,’ Cam said instantly, reaching to dab at Lachlan’s apron. ‘Didn’t mean to make you jump. I just wasn’t ready for… I wasn’t expecting Bryce to show up here, that’s all.’
Lachlan cocked his head, slowly setting down the ladle. ‘Are you not on good terms? You seemed friendly enough with each other out there.’
‘That’s not exactly… I mean, yes, we are.’ Cam scratched the back of his neck, as much conflicted over what to share as he was over Bryce himself. ‘I guess I owe him a lot. But his being here isn’t a good thing. We need to be careful.’
Lachlan placed a hand on his arm, mouth tensing with concern. ‘How so?’
‘He’s a monster hunter,’ Cam explained. ‘Aprofessionalone, Lachlan. Not like those other jokers who come out here with a picnic and an Instagram audience to hunt the Loch Ness Monster. Bryce knows what he’s doing, and he’s bagged everything from hobgoblins to piskies and lindworms in his career. He’s one of the best. Maybethebest.’
‘And he’s here for me?’
Cam shook his head. ‘Luckily, no.’ He repeated what Bryce had said about the possible werewolf he was hunting.
‘And he’s single-minded,’ Cam finished. ‘Kind of a shoot first, ask questions later kind of guy. My parents were friends with him, but I remember they… disapproved of his methods. Kept him at an arm’s length. If I’m honest, it’s why I went to him for help when I wanted my parents to leave me alone.’
Lachlan seemed to be chewing it over, though his expression remained remarkably serene. ‘So, what’s the problem?’ he eventually said.
‘Haven’t you been listening? If Bryce finds out what you are—’
Lachlan interrupted by pecking a kiss on his cheek. ‘I heard you. But he’s not looking for me, is he?’
‘I just think we should be extra careful. Who knows what he’d do if he stumbled across you by accident.’ Cam pulled a face. ‘Look, maybe I could talk to him. Explain it all, head off the possibility…’
Lachlan went wooden. ‘No, thank you. The fewer people who know about me, the better, I think.’ His left hand drifted unconsciously to his abdomen, hovering over the place where a brutal-looking scar was the only remaining evidence of the harpoon attack he’d suffered decades ago.
He’s good at hiding it,Cam realised,but heisworried.
Cam covered Lachlan’s hand with his own, startling him out of a troubled reverie. ‘We’ll make sure he doesn’t find out. I promise.’
Lachlan nodded and folded readily into his arms. His nose pressed into Cam’s neck, huffing a gentle sigh. ‘Honestly, I’m more worried about the werewolf,’ he murmured. ‘I’ve never tackled a monster on the land around my loch before.’
‘Bryce is dealing with it,’ Cam said firmly. ‘And I’m going to search the area around the Teapot. To make sure everyone’s safe.’
