The ding on his phone brought his attention to the present. It was an hour before opening, and he still had to battle traffic. In a city like New Orleans, there were always people on the road. There was no one time the traffic was much worse than any other, really. For some reason, there were just as many people on them at eleven in the afternoon as seven in the morning.
Jasper, Austin’s good friend, was texting to tell him he wouldn’t be at the bar that evening. Jasper was a regular at The Kamp, and as a good friend, he knew Austin was the owner. Jasper not coming in had Austin’s suspicions up, but he wasn’t the man’s keeper. Jasper was a bear shifter as well, as were most of the people that frequented The Kamp.
As accepting as people were of shifters in today’s society, they still tended to stick to their own. Being at a human bar with a bunch of drunk males thrashing about usually ended badly for a shifter male. Shifters treated females with reverence whether they were their mate or not. Women created life and continued family lines. Some human males, more often than not, seemed to have a much different take on their treatment of females.
Austin grabbed his keys and wallet and headed out the door. The day was cold and dreary. People tended to think Louisiana was nothing but hot and humid, but there were a few days out of the year when it was actually cold enough to wear a coat. Today was one of those days. As a shifter, though, Austin didn’t need one. His skin tingled at the thought of being in his fur out in the cold. His bear loved the cold weather. It was hard on him on some of the hotter days, but he had a pool put in over the fall that would help next summer.
Once he pulled into the bar, his staff was already there and had the place opened and ready for customers. He took pride in the fact that he hired some of the best workers in the area. They rarely called in sick, and they seemed to genuinely enjoy the job. He liked to think he was a decent boss to work for as well. The hours were good, and he paid just a shade over the area’s going rate for bar work.
“Hey boss, you ready for tonight?” his bartender, Greg, called to him as he walked in. Austin growled at the boss reference but nodded. “Should be a busy one. With the weather and it being a Friday night, people will want to be inside getting drunk since they can’t be outside.”
“It’s New Orleans. Do people need a reason to be drunk?” Austin snarked back.
“Not really.” Annie, his floor bartender, laughed.
Austin shrugged his coat off and took his usual seat by the door. Most people assumed he was the bouncer since he was there every night and tossed people out regularly if needed. He preferred them to think that. The typical early birds slipped in and started filling everybody in on their days. Nobody questioned whether Greg or Annie wanted to hear their personal bits, they just assumed. The two of them were either genuinely interested or amazing actors because they always made people feel welcomed.
The night had just started getting rowdy when she walked in. Austin felt his bear surge forward, and he knew his eyes were glowing. She was his mate. Everything about her was perfect to him. Even from across the room he could smell her sweet scent. A low growl slipped out when he realized what she was wearing. Her tight jeans and form-fitting shirt showed off the body that now belonged to him. He tried to remain seated as she made her way through the bar with another female.
Once they took up residence at the bar, he sauntered over. Usually, he could be pretty smooth with ladies, but he could already feel himself clamming up around her. He was afraid everything he was feeling would just tumble out of his mouth. She would surely run for the hills if he just walked up to her, and told her she was his mate. That he desperately needed to touch her to make his bear feel at ease with all the males in the bar so close to her.
The fact that she had beautiful blue eyes told him she wasn’t a shifter. Her scent didn’t have the faint smell of animal either, like it would have if she was a shifter. Plenty of shifters in the area had mated with humans, so he knew it was normal. What he didn’t know was how to pursue a human mate. She wouldn’t understand any of it, and it would more than likely take time for her to come around to the idea of completing the mate bond.
Humans were sometimes courted for years before they got married. Marriage was a far cry from the mate bond; it was laughable to compare the two. Her eyes stayed downcast at the bar while her friends scanned the men all around the bar. When she finally looked up, her eyes landed on him. He felt all the air leave his lungs with just a look. He knew then that even if it took decades for her to come around, he would wait. He would follow her around like a cub.
Her shy smile invited him the rest of the way over to her. Even though she quickly diverted her eyes when he got next to her, he could feel her response to him. Her soul sung to his bear and made Austin want to reach out and touch her. His body was rigid with desires of all kinds. His life had felt so lonely, and now, just being in her presence, he felt whole.
“Hello, my name’s Austin.” He extended his hand out to her, knowing social etiquette would be on his side, and she would accept. Any small touch at this point would make his bear relax.
“Kate.” Her voice was whisper soft. After a brief hesitation, she placed her delicate hand in his. His chest rumbled with pleasure, and his eyes glowed again. Surprise flashed through her eyes, and she quickly pulled her hand away.
“You’re a shifter?” Her voice was still small, but fear was making it a bit louder.
“Yes, I am. I would never hurt you, Kate.”
“I’ve never met a shifter before.” Her eyes had him under a spell. He was having trouble focusing on what she was saying. He just wanted to drink her in. Getting her out of the bar was high up on his list of wants as well. All of the unmated male shifters this close to his mate without a mate bond made his bear anxious.
“I’m glad I could be your first. May I buy you a drink?” The idea of her drinking didn’t sit well with him, but it seemed like the next best course of action. She looked back over her shoulder at her friend. The woman was too busy flirting over the bar with Greg to pay attention. Kate turned back to him and licked her lips. He could tell she was nervous. It was a different type of nervous, not just because he was a shifter but something more.
“Yes, please.”
He beamed with pleasure and raised a hand to gesture to Greg for Kate’s drink. Greg fixed another of whatever concoction her friend was drinking and slid it over to her. He never took his attention away from Kate’s friend while he worked. Greg was a natural that way.
“Are you from around here?” She whispered her question into her drink. He didn’t like that she was so timid. He wanted to see her vibrant and vigorous. He gripped his hand at the thought of someone breaking her to be so timid. He would kill anyone who harmed his mate in any way. The thought made his bear anxious again, so he tried to focus on her question.
“Yes, I was born and raised here. What about you?”
“Same. I didn’t realize shifters lived in the city. I guess I just assumed you would prefer someplace more rural.”
“Some do. I never did.”
Silence spread out between them, but it wasn’t awkward. Austin could sit in silence with her for hours just listening to her steadying breathing. Her friend laughed loudly at something Greg had been saying and brought Kate’s attention to the two of them. Kate whispered something to her friend and then blushed. He wished he could hear what she had said.
Suddenly a mob of women showed up and made a beeline towards Kate and her friend. They all began squealing and talking at once. Kate was quiet and stayed to herself while they all bounced around. Then one of the women came up and embraced Kate fiercely. Even from behind he could tell Kate became emotional. The strength of her sadness washed over him and caused him to jump to his feet.
The woman pulled back then and gripped Kate’s shoulders.
“Don’t fret another second over your marriage to that loser. He didn’t deserve you. We’re your family now, and we’ll take care of you.”
&
nbsp; Austin stepped back and knocked his chair over in his haste. His bear roared to life to hear that she was married. For the first time since he had bought the bar, Austin hustled behind the bar and back into the office. He leaned up against the door and tried to refrain from shifting. He growled low in his chest, and even though he wanted to roar with anger, he held it in. He held it all in.
His bear never understood humans, and where his life was black and white, Austin’s human side knew the gray areas. Even though she had been married, it seemed that the marriage was over. Nothing would have stood in his way when it came to Kate, but it was good for the ex-husband that he was on his way out the door. He must be a fool to give up a woman like Kate, but he would be an even bigger fool to try and keep her.
After an entire half hour of coaxing his bear down, Austin journeyed back out into the bar. Thankfully, the Friday night crowd kept people too preoccupied to be interested in what he was doing in the back office. His eyes quickly scanned the crowd, looking for Kate. She was on the dance floor with her friends. He had no idea what the song was but the way her hips twirled and dipped made it his new favorite beat. As much as he wanted to go up behind her and pull her close, he went back to his regular place by the door.
“Something up, buddy? I saw you go back into the office and you looked like you had seen a ghost,” his friend, Justin, also a bear shifter, said while nursing a beer. He and Austin had been in a foster home together when they were teenagers and had been friends ever since.
“Not a ghost, just my mate,” Austin said, pointing towards Kate. Her eyes landed on his immediately. She flashed him a shy smile as she continued to move. Austin was hypnotized by her. Justin was saying something to him, but he hadn’t a clue what. Everything in his world was centered on Kate and would continue to be for the rest of his life on earth. The thought should have scared him, but a sudden peace and happiness settled over him.
Chapter 3
Kate
Kate danced and ground to the beat. Between the alcohol and the music, she felt carefree and happy for the first time in a long time. Her friends were all around her doing the same. Austin, the shifter who had first approached her, continued to watch her. His gaze was intense and sexy. Several times she had to draw herself back from going over to him. His blue shirt made his golden eyes shine and showed off all the muscles underneath. His jeans were tight in all the right places as well.
Maybe it was the fact that she was sex-deprived and drunk, but she wanted to devour him. Emma caught Kate watching him for the millionth time and finally called her out on it.
“Would you quit just staring at each other and go over there?”
“No, I can’t do that.”
“Why not? He’s obviously interested, or he wouldn’t have come over to you earlier, and his eyes haven’t left your body for a second.”
“Maybe I just need to take a break. I haven’t got drunk in forever, and I think the alcohol is affecting my senses.”
“Or maybe you need to go talk to Mr. Sexy and let him take care of you. I bet he can do magical things with those hands.”
Kate felt a flash of rage at Emma’s appreciation for Austin’s looks. She shook her head at herself. Feeling jealous over a complete stranger was the last straw. She needed to sober up. The music was slowing down, so the girls made their way back over to the bar. They all started ordering more shots, and Kate tried to decline. They weren’t having any of it, though.
“How about you dance with me?” The voice was close to her neck and chills spread out all down her body. She didn’t have to turn around to know it was him. His effect on her was chemical. She looked at the shots lined up on the counter and then back at him. For the time being, he seemed like the lesser of two evils, so she placed her hand in his and followed him out onto the dance floor.
The song was slow, but not enough to slow dance to. Austin pulled her up against him and set the pace. Kate wrapped her arms around his neck, and let the music take over.
“I find you fascinating, Kate.”
She giggled in response and tried to think of something to say back. Her mind wasn’t firing on all cylinders, though, so she mumbled something about his muscles and then buried her head in his chest. His smell was intoxicating, like man and spice.
They continued to move against each other to the music. Kate’s body molded to his perfectly and she couldn’t help but wonder how it would feel if he kissed her. Emma had kept telling her she needed to hook up. Kate had never been the one-night stand kind of girl, but she had never felt so drawn to somebody.
Austin’s hands roamed her body more than she should have allowed but it felt nice. She finally pulled back from his chest and looked up at him. It felt like they were in a world all their own. His eyes seemed to shimmer while he looked down at her. There was something familiar about him. Like she was having a déjà vu moment of meeting him another time.
“Do I know you from somewhere?”
“No, but I wish I had met you sooner.”
Kate licked her lips. Austin’s eyes watched her every move. The tension between them somehow grew, and she knew he was going to kiss her. She felt torn between dying for him to kiss her, and feeling like she should run. The music stopped, giving her a reason to pull away from him and solving her problem. He looked hurt that she would pull away but didn’t say anything. He slid his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels.
“Thanks for the dance,” she whispered and then took off back to her friends. She decided that he had definitely not been the lesser of the two evils. He would suck her in and spit her out. Just being that close to him made her feel dizzy. It wasn’t an alcohol-induced dizzy either. It was from being so close to a man like Austin for too long.
“Well, that looked sexy,” Emma teased her when she returned. She shook her head, begging Emma not to push it.
“Let’s do a shot!” Kate shouted to everybody, drawing the attention off of her and Austin’s steamy dance.
The girls swarmed the bar and started shouting out shot suggestions. Kate didn’t care what she drank as long as it was something to numb her to everything and everybody. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Austin across the room. He was sitting back at the table full of other gorgeous men, but his eyes were on her. A cold chill raced down her body, and she quickly turned away.
She had come out to the bar to forget her ex, and she had been successful. The problem was now she was trying to avoid another man. This man, though, seemed like the kind that wouldn’t go away so easily. His presence filled the room, and no matter how much she tried to ignore him, she was hyper-aware of him. Her body responded to him just by meeting his eye, and his voice made her feel like Jell-O.
Emma tugged her arm, dragging her back out on the dance floor. She was thankful for the reprieve from her own thoughts. As long as she was dancing or drinking she wasn’t obsessing over the sexy stranger in the corner. She just prayed she could avoid him the rest of the night.
Chapter 4
Austin
Most of Kate’s friends had taken off with other men as the night progressed. He grew more agitated with their lack of self-preservation as the night went on. Leaving her behind drunk and with no way home was unacceptable. He gravitated towards her throughout the night, and sometimes she would welcome him. Other’s she would run off or turn her back. He could tell he affected her, but she was too drunk to realize how much.
When he had decided he was going to take her home with him he knew he had to work. She was by herself now at the bar drinking some girly drink Greg had just made her. There were only a few people left at the bar.
“You two good to close up tonight?” He asked Greg. Greg gave him a wink and a nod. Greg was a human so his concept of how shifters worked was ridiculous. He didn’t believe in the mate for life thing, and said he’d believe it when he saw it.
“Kate, can I give you a ride somewhere?”
“Mr. Sexy, you may not give me a ride.” She slurred
her words and it seemed like she was trying to bat her eyes seductively. If she was going for sexy she failed, but she had nailed adorable.
“Mr. Sexy, that’s a new one. I think your friends have all left.”
She gave him a pouty face and nodded her head.
“Yeop, they’re all gone. I was supposed to stay with Emma, but I don’t think so now.”
“I’ll give you a lift, anywhere you want to go.”
She stood up and took his extended hand. Just as he was about to open the car door for her, she stumbled. He caught her and tried to steady her. She looked up at him and smiled. Then she passed out. He swung her up and cradled her in his arms.
Just like he knew she would she fit perfectly there. Even drunk and passed out it felt good to hold her that way. He hated that he had to put her in the car. He leaned the seat back and then laid her down, buckling her up before shutting the door.
Her snores filled the car ride over to his house. He smiled to himself loving that his mate would probably be mortified come morning. He had always imagined meeting his mate to be a day in his life where the stars all aligned and everything seemed magical. Instead it had been a night at a bar with a drunk who snores. He chuckled to himself. Life had a way of throwing curved balls. This was a more pleasant curveball.
He carried her upstairs and even though he wanted to put her in his bed he went past to the guest bed. She never batted an eye while he laid her down and covered her up. Austin couldn’t resist kissing her on the forehead before standing up. He watched over her for what felt like hours. Sleep finally weighed him down too much. Even though his bear was furious, he went to his own bed. It had never felt lonelier than knowing his mate was just in the next room alone as well.
Chapter 5
Seduction of the Bear (Bear Kamp Book 1) Page 2
