Shifted Plans

by Brandy Walker

  Detouring, Avery slid onto the empty bar stool, picking up a menu. She didn’t need it, but it would give her something to do while her friend flirted.

  She could practically taste the seared rare steak she planned on getting, the slight burn of the marks, and the red, juicy meat that would melt on contact. Her mouth watered, and her lioness purred in approval. She caught the eye of a waitress, signaling her over. The woman nodded in acknowledgment, holding up her finger in the universal sign for give-me-a-minute.

  Mission accomplished.

  Avery got comfortable settling in to watch the scenery.

  Girlish giggling erupted from Reese making Avery chuckle. Depending on the guy, her friend played the ditzy card even though she was far from one. She’d once told Avery powerful women intimidated men even before a woman came into her power. It made dating, Reese’s sole goal in college besides getting her degree, hell.

  Looking for her mate never entered Reese’s mind. In fact, she confided in Avery she knew she wouldn’t find him until much later.

  Avery perused the bar patrons while Reese focused on the male. Maybe there was a guy out there for her to flirt with. Or maybe blondie had a friend. She sneaked a peek at the guy then fixated beyond him. No typical cluster of horny college guys watching intently to see if their friend scored.

  Must be a lone wolf.

  Fidgeting in her chair, she impatiently waited for the waitress, who got waylaid by another table. The woman shot her an apologetic look and continued taking the order from her current table.

  Bored and with no food or drink in sight, she thought about interrupting Reese when someone rudely bumped her chair. She jolted forward, catching herself against the table as a group of men walked by, none of whom bothered to apologize.

  So preoccupied with their rudeness she was thrown off guard when her lioness shifted violently within. The scent of tall grass and crisp, earthy musk swirled in the air, making her head spin. Still gripping the edge of the table, her claws emerged to dig into the wood, keeping her from falling off the chair.

  Holy shit. That’s never happened before.

  Shaking her head, she took a fortifying breath, pulling in the scent. Her grip on the table tightened in preparation of the same dizzying effect, but she was surprised when her lioness chuffed, urging her to get up and follow blindly.

  Ever so casually, Avery surveyed the bar, trying to see where the group of men went. Much to her disappointment, they disappeared into the crowd. The man the scent belonged to must be with them, she mused. Nothing else made sense.

  Her lioness demanded action. Mate. Follow.

  “Oh, hell no!” she exclaimed louder than she expected.

  Reese stopped talking, turning her attention away from her companion. “What’s wrong, Av?”

  What was wrong with her? For the last six years, she’d hoped to run into her mate, and now she had. Sorta. An embarrassed blush filled Avery’s cheeks as Reese continued to stare at her with concerned green eyes. Blondie didn’t appear too thrilled at the interruption. His eyes narrowed and firm mouth lowered into a frown.

  “Um, nothing.” Quickly glancing about, she came across the perfect excuse. “The waitress is going to another table. Again. I refuse to wait any longer. I’m starving.”

  “I can get her over here if you want.”

  Avery turned to her friend in time to see Reese raise two fingers to her mouth. No way in hell would she allow her to let loose a loud, obnoxious whistle, drawing undue attention to them.

  “No. Don’t! I’ll go to the bar and order. I can get my drink quicker, that way.” And I can look for my mate. Follow his scent. Hunt him down and make him mine.

  Before Reese could protest, Avery hopped down from her chair. Snatching her purse off the back of her chair, she slowly threaded her way to the bar, all the while looking for the group of men from earlier. He had to be with them. No one else walked by, that she noticed.

  She followed the grassy, musky trail until it tapered off, lost in a clashing mix of perfume, cologne, steak, and beer. The arousal wafting from the bodies grinding together on the dance floor didn’t help matters.

  Damn it, where can he be? She bit her bottom lip in frustration, torn between searching the bar more and getting food as her stomach rumbled in protest.

  Face it. She’d lost the scent.

  Would she be able to recognize it if she came across it again?

  Who knew?

  The scent could have had been a manifestation of her own creation. Her romantic side’s feeble attempt at a last hurrah when it was really the newest men’s cologne of the season. She had been thinking about finding her mate earlier. Made the choice to not look for him. She could have fooled herself into believing in the imaginary. Old habits did seem to die hard.

  Fool. Dejected she propped herself up against the end of the bar and waited for one of the bartending twins, Levi or Landon, to make his way to her.

  Levi and Landon were Nik’s younger twin brothers, the ones he swore he constantly had to keep out of trouble. Avery thought they all attracted the crazy female type, and there was no way in hell any of them would shy away from it. The twins were tall and devastatingly handsome like their older brother. An inch or two shorter than Nik, they still commanded their fair share of attention. Knowing their appeal to the sexes and using it to their advantage.

  Damn horny bears.

  She studied the tight fit of Landon’s jeans as he leaned on the bar opposite from her, flirting with a group of women. The well-worn fabric cupped his ass in the most fantastic way, calling out inviting people to touch and fondle. Following the tight fit down his muscular legs, she confirmed what she assumed before. Beat up, black shit-kickers were on his feet. Landon’s signature wardrobe piece. Levi preferred biker boots.

  A frown dipped down the corners of her mouth, her forehead crinkling in thought as she took in the detail of the stitching on the back of his ass. Where was the spark of arousal she should feel? The compulsion to find out exactly how tight and firm his ass was?

  Thinking back over the years, she didn’t recall ever being tempted by the Braun brothers. Even before Reese hooked up with them.

  The bears loved sex. Lots and lots of it and they didn’t care who with. It didn’t matter what kind of shifter, male, female, or if the person pure human. She’d heard enough stories from Reese about Nik to know the man and his brothers were good in the sack. She should want a taste of them, shouldn’t she?

  The correct answer would be yes. That’s what Reese would say. Something in the back of her mind didn’t agree, told her it would never happen, even if one of them were remotely serious when hitting on her.

  Regardless of her attraction or lack of, it didn’t mean she didn’t appreciate a good-looking man in a nice fitting pair of jeans though.

  Tired of waiting Avery knocked on the bar, garnering the closer twin, Levi’s attention. He nodded and started toward her. It took him a minute or two to reach her through the throng of women attempting to get his attention.

  A bra whizzed by her head and landed on his chest right before he stopped in front of her.

  “Nice,” she said, tilting her head to the side, pretending to study the silky confection. “I’m not sure seafoam green is your color. You look more like peach.”

  Levi wiggled his eyebrows lasciviously before plucking the garment off and tossing it on the wire strung above his head. “Good thing I don’t plan on wearing it then. What can I do for you, Avery?”

  “Steak, rare, and a Black and Tan. Tall as they come.”

  “Partying it up tonight? If you need someone to keep you company later, I’d be happy to help out.” A grin kicked up the corner of his mouth, his eyes glinting with interest.

  Nope. No blips on the sexual radar. Bummer.

  Avery shook her head and surreptitiously took a glance around the room. “I appreciate it, but I’m good.”

  “If you change your mind, you know where to find me.” He shrugged and
reached for a glass.

  She kept her gaze on the people in the area, searching as he made her drink, not noticing when he set it down in front of her.

  “I’ll have Tammy bring your steak out. You sitting in the usual spot?” He nudged the beer toward her expectantly.

  “Oh, sorry. Yeah.” She dug into her purse, pulled out a couple bills, and handed them over.

  “You seem preoccupied. You finally see someone you’re interested in?”

  “No,” she bit out quickly. Avery ducked her head as embarrassed heat spread to her cheeks. She wasn’t a good liar, and he would have no problem figuring it out. Picking up the beer, she took a long drink. The cool liquid rushed down her parched throat. “I thought.…” She broke off not even sure what to say. “Never mind. It doesn’t matter. Thanks for the beer, Levi.”

  “Sure thing, Avery.” He looked at her quizzically, as if attempting to figure something out. “If you need an ear, I’m happy to listen. I am a bartender after all.”

  She laughed and turned away, taking her drink with her. “Thanks for the offer. I’ll keep that in mind.” As she made her way to her table, she didn’t smell the alluring scent of grass or earthy musk. It had to have been a fluke. A strange combination of cologne and arousal grabbing her attention.

  Hell, her lioness was probably protesting the lack of food and drink. She did manage to skip lunch earlier in her rush to get to the townhouse.

  Chapter Three

  Declan Weller reached for his beer, downing the remnants. He wanted, no needed to get out of Chugs. The place may be the spot for the students of Shifter U, but it was in no way, shape, or form his idea of a good time. The music thumped, voices rose minute by minute, and the sickly sweet scent of arousal and musk was damn near overwhelming. He expected an all-out orgy to break out on the dance floor due to pheromones pouring out from the occupants.

  The only reason he stepped foot in the establishment was to meet up with a couple of the guys on the River Rock police force who would be taking the same Law and Ethics course as him. Conflicting schedules preventing them from meeting at work and with a week before class, it was a now or never kind of deal. Nothing beat hanging out on a Saturday night at a bar filling up with obnoxious shifters away from home for the first time.

  He grunted in disgust as two fresh-faced girls teetered by with a gaggle of guys behind them. One of the girls listed to one side, almost spilling her drink on an unsuspecting man when the leader of the pack grabbed her arm, pulling her in close.

  One more class. That’s all he needed, and he would be out of River Rock, headed to Mischief and the job in the sheriff’s department.

  He could…not…wait. New place. New people. New shifters. If luck would have it he would even find his mate in Mischief.

  If he had to be honest, he wouldn’t mind not finding his mate until he turned twenty-eight. Two more years. That’s all he needed.

  It would give him plenty of time to finish his degree, move, get settled in his new hometown, and get comfortable with the job. Then, and only then, did he think he would be ready to find his mate and start popping out the cubs his mother constantly nagged him about.

  Declan skimmed the area. Anything to distract him or give him an excuse to leave would be welcome. His gaze snagged on a honey-brown brunette as she laughed and turned away from the bar. He could swear he heard the husky tone from where he sat twenty feet away. His dick stirred behind the fly of his jeans, and he began to think Chugs couldn’t be all bad if customers like her frequented the establishment.

  He sat mesmerized; her hair bounced around her shoulders as she gracefully weaved between the tables along the dance floor. He found himself leaning from side to side in the attempt to follow her path, trying to see what table she stopped at and whom she was with. No way in hell would a woman as beautiful as her be at the bar alone.

  I bet she’s gorgeous shifted. The thought struck him out of nowhere, knocking him for a loop. He had no idea what species she belonged to. For all he knew she could be pure human.

  Declan couldn’t resist the compulsion to head toward her. A glance at his companions and he knew she would be a hell of a lot better company than them. The guys had spiraled downward from talking about work and the upcoming school year to rating how hot or not the women in the bar were. Childish and asinine, and something he would have done not even a year ago.

  Declan stood, tossing some money on the table.

  “You going somewhere, Weller?” Mark Stevens, his partner on the force, asked.

  “Yep.” Declan grabbed his jacket off the chair and pulled it on.

  Mark shoved out of his chair, tossing a couple dollars on the pile. “You aren’t leaving without me,” he mumbled.

  Declan snorted. He knew all too well why Mark didn’t want to be left with the rest of the group. The other guys weren’t bad, just young and still a bit on the immature side. Hence, the hot or not conversation they wound up in.

  Now, you’re sounding like an old man.

  Declan and Mark moved as one away from the table. The past three years working together definitely leaving an impression.

  “So, where we going?” Mark asked when he must have realized they weren’t headed for the door.

  “Saw someone.” Declan said blandly. The complete opposite of the nervous anxiety filling his system. Someone he was drawn to like a moth to a flame.

  Mark grabbed him by the arm and turned him. “Are you sure it’s just someone?”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Confusion knit his brow.

  A smirk lifted one side of Mark’s mouth. That cocky I know shit and you don’t smile that got under Declan’s skin. “I hate to break it to you, but your eyes are all glowy and shit.”

  “Fuck off. I’m not in the mood for your games tonight.”

  Declan studied his partner and friend when Mark did nothing but stare right back. The truth of his words written all over his face. “You’re serious.” It was a statement.

  “Yeah, man. The outer part is turning golden. That means what I think it does, doesn’t it?”

  “Shit.” He looked off in the direction the woman had gone. He couldn’t see her, couldn’t smell her, but he knew she was there.

  Yeah, it meant what Mark thought it did. Fuck! He’d jinxed himself hoping he wouldn’t find his mate yet. Karma just bit him in the ass.

  But if she wants to bite me….

  “You okay, Dec? You look a little pale. I take it you weren’t in the market for a mate.”

  “No, not even my field of view,” he said honestly. “I’ve got too much on my plate at the moment. Add in a mate and the shit that goes with it—no thanks.”

  “The Fates don’t always work on our timetable. You’re living in a fantasyland if you think they do. What’s the plan?”

  Declan still stared off in the direction his mate had gone.

  Mate. He couldn’t stop the groan from leaving his throat.

  The lion within perked up, urging him forward. Investigating its priority at the moment. The beast may not know precisely what was happening but it knew they needed to find her. In that respect, he and his lion were of the same mind.

  What did he plan on doing? He snorted. Fuck, if he had a clue.

  Spinning on his booted heel, he made his way to the door. Before he got to it, his body slammed to a stop, the beast taking over, refusing to budge. Refusing to let him take the last step to freedom, the last step away from its mate. Everything in him screamed to stop the foolishness, to go find her. Figure out if what he thought was true or if someone else in the bar called to him.

  Instead of heading in her direction, obeying the beast’s demands, he pivoted and went to the bar. Mark stayed right on his heels, backing him up without question.

  He snagged a bartender’s attention. “Did you serve the brunette at the bar a couple minutes ago?”

  The guy’s eyebrows shot into his hairline in surprise. “Man, if you haven’t noticed, there are a lot of br
unettes at the bar.”

  Declan frowned. “She would have been at the other end of the bar. Walked away with a two-tone beer. Shoulder-length honey-brown hair that swayed when she walked. Husky laugh that grabs you by the balls.”

  The guy chuckled and turned to the man behind him. “Levi. You serve a honey-brown brunette with a husky laugh a little bit ago? Would have been at your end of the bar. Two-tone beer?”

  Levi joined what turned out to be his twin. “Dude, there are a lot of brunettes here but honey brown and a husky laugh?” He looked out over the crowd, brows furrowed in thought.

  Declan ground his teeth as his patience wore thin.

  The guy’s eyes lit up as he turned toward Declan, a ghost of a smile on his lips, as though he remembered her fondly. Declan suppressed his building irritation and jealousy the guy’s smile incited. Making an enemy out of the guy who could help, a big mistake in his opinion.

  “Yeah. I did. Steak, rare, and a Black and Tan,” Levi said, not elaborating. His lips curved into a grin. “She does have a bit of a husky laugh now that I think about it. Not sure why I never noticed before.”

  “And her name is…?” He let the words trail off in hopes the guy would pick up where he left off.

  Shaking his head, Levi remained mum.

  After a few seconds that felt more like minutes, he couldn’t stand it anymore. “Her name,” Declan demanded.

  “Listen, I don’t know you and you obviously don’t know her. She’s a friend, and I’m not about to send a douche bag without the nerve to approach her himself to her door.”

  Declan growled in frustration. He pulled his badge from the interior pocket of his jacket. “I’m a god damned police officer. Give me. Her name.”

  Levi snorted, as did Mark, who stood next to him. The bastard should have been on his side. The other twin had already walked off, thankfully, or he probably would have snorted, too. Declan knew he sounded like a pompous ass on a power trip. He didn’t care, though. Not as long as he got what he wanted.