Free The Spur of the Platypus by Jackie Nacht Page B

came close to the real deal. Flex had a wide, full mouth with a dimple that, try as he might not to, Prescott kept returning to look at. He glanced over his shoulder again, and Flex smiled at him. Prescott rolled his eyes and swiftly looked down at the tan, wet muscles. Couldn’t someone give the damn venom a shirt?
    His hair was swept back, and even wet, Prescott could tell that it was brown with pale-blond streaks in it. Flex must live in the sun. And Prescott was still staring. Clearing his throat, Prescott turned to stare at his friend Reese.
    Reese was chuckling.
    “What?” Prescott passed one of the little ones some dried meat.
    Reese snorted. “Nothing. It’s just...” Reese snorted again.
    Reese, Leif, Julius and he had been through a ton together. From surviving in the wild to being hunted because they were anti-venom, and for his friends, they found love in a world that was filled with violence and hate. Prescott was happy for his friends. It was good to see Reese smiling after all the years of suffering.
    However... “Spill, Reese.”
    Reese glanced over at Leif who was sitting next to Prescott. “I think you’ve met him.”
    Prescott raised a brow. “Who?”
    Shy, quiet Julius out and out laughed. “You know who. Flex. He’s the one.”
    “Flex wants a piece of ass, and he’s a manipulator by keeping me out of the fight.” Prescott was still angry about that. There were a lot of people he considered family going to fight, and he wanted to help.
    “Uh...no. He’s protecting you. You know what that means?” Reese waggled his brows.
    “That Flex doesn’t know me very well.” Prescott gave his three friends a droll stare.
    Dammit, he had been protecting his friends for years. They were his family. He didn’t need the protection. He might be smaller, but he always used that to his advantage and always came out on top.
    Leif chuckled. “You’re mates. Just accept it.”
    Prescott chucked his thumb over his shoulder. “To Flex? No way. He may be good looking, but well...hell, he knows it. Flex isn’t my type anyway. Honestly, I don’t know whether to smack the smirk off his face or kiss him. And he knows that, which ticks me off.”
    Julius stared at him, whispering, “I think Flex is exactly what you need.”
    Prescott shook his head. “The platypus doesn’t have a serious bone in his body, and we are on the brink of war.”
    Every night, Prescott slept with a weapon. He couldn’t even lie down without one from having to do it for years. Fuck, when was the last time that I actually slept, like really slept? Had I ever? The constant fear of losing one of his friends made it so he spent a lifetime on guard, nights where he was panicked that one of them would be dragged off into the darkness.
    Yeah, his friends were mated, and their mates were ruthlessly protective. But how did you stop after years of worrying?
    Reese reached over and grabbed Prescott’s hand. “You know I love you, but I think he’s exactly what you need. You need fun, love and to laugh. You’ve...” Reese took a deep breath. “You’ve been strong for all of us for so long that it’s time you enjoy a little of life. Get to know him before you make a decision. You shouldn’t just slam the door.”
    “We’re going to war, Reese.” Prescott felt the need to point that out again.
    Leif nodded. “And like us, you’ll need someone to come home to at the end of the night and see that it’s all worth it. Someone to care for and be cared for by that person.”
    Prescott scrubbed a hand over his face. “I have that. I have all of you.”
    Reese shook his head. “You look out for all of us, even now. It’s time you have someone for your own, a partner. Someone to care about more than a brother.”
    “I don’t have time for any of this. I have to...” Prescott groaned.
    “Live,” Julius interrupted. “You need to live, Prescott. We all have mates now. You don’t need to stay awake all night worrying you’re