Free Phoenix Reborn: An Alpha Pack Novella by J. D. Tyler

insides were a tangled knot of anxiety. However, he was determined not to let anything ruin the day with his mate.
    Grabbing a shirt from his closet, Nix was arrested by the sight of Noah wearing only jeans riding low on his hips. His mate wasn’t very tall, and he was built slim, but he had plenty of tight, compact muscle on his frame. His skin was smooth and just a bit sun-kissed, a healthy look on him. Especially with those blue eyes and all that blond hair surrounding his sexy face. The guy made pulling on a T-shirt, look like an erotic act.
    Jesus, I’ve got it bad
.
    Forcing himself to get dressed, Nix pulled on a pair of jeans and boots. A dark T-shirt completed the ensemble, and he was ready to go. They walked to the hangar together, and as they approached the SUV Nix had borrowed for the occasion he frowned, wondering whether he should open the passenger-side door for his mate.
    Noah settled the issue by heading straight over, opening the door, and sliding inside. Once he was in, he noticed Nix still hesitating. “What?”
    “I was trying to figure out if I should get the door for you,” he confessed.
    Noah smiled. “At the risk of sounding sexist, I’m not a girl, man. I can get my own door, but thanks.”
    Nix laughed. “Glad we got that one out of the way.”
    “Several hundred to go.” His mate sounded pretty cheerful about the prospect.
    Nix went around and climbed in behind the wheel, and they were on their way. The drive to town was companionable as they chatted about a bit of everything.
    “What’s your favorite food?” Nix asked him.
    “Do I have to pick? I love to eat. Pizza, burgers, seafood, steaks, Mexican—”
    “I get the picture.” Glancing at his mate, he smiled. “You’re going to be easy to please when we go out, then.”
    “As far as food, yeah. You
do
like the opera, right?”
    “The what?” Oh,
hell
no.
    Noah burst out laughing. “You should’ve seen your face! Just kidding. How the hell would we ever go see the opera way out here, anyhow?”
    “Thank God,” he said in relief. “I don’t like musicals, either.”
    “Hey, now.
My Fair Lady
is the bomb.”
    “Jeez.” He shook his head. “What else do you like to do? Besides tease me, that is.”
    “Hmm. I like baseball. Movies. Shopping sometimes. I like to look at antiques.”
    “Me, too. We have more in common than I thought.”
    That observation scored Noah a bright smile, and the rest of the way was nice. When Noah’s hand crept across the seat of the SUV and took Nix’s free one, that was even better. Nix liked touching his mate. He tried to push aside the feeling that doing it now was all right since nobody could see them. He was working on that. Who cared if anyone saw? Right?
    On the main street in Cody, he pulled up in front of an old pizza place. “This okay? It’s probably been here longer than we’ve been alive, combined. But the pizza is to die for.”
    “Sounds good. I’ve never been here before, and I’m starving.”
    They got out of the SUV and walked to the front. Before going inside, Nix placed a hand at the small of Noah’s back and guided him to the door. Just that much of a declaration in public, among strangers, had Nix’s heart racing. But the look of sheer joy Noah shot him as they went inside made the fear subside some.
    Once they were seated at a booth near the back, a waitress came to take their drink orders.
    “Iced tea for me,” Noah said.
    “Diet Coke.”
    As soon as she walked away, Noah made a face. “Diet Coke? That shit is awful. I knew there was something wrong with you. This thing between us was too good to last.”
    Nix chuckled. “Shut up, dork.”
    Noah just grinned. Christ, he was falling fast for that face. That happy expression, and those eyes that seemed to see clear through him.
    They scanned the menu and settled on a large pizza with half all-meat for Nix, the other half ham, tomato, and basil for Noah. Once the waitress had taken their order and gone,