by Siobhan Muir
The other three bartenders–Laura Thomas, Gary Howler, and William “never Bill” Phillips–all worked the evenings, rotating the weekends so everyone got a chance for bigger tips. There were always two bartenders each night to spell each other and to work the rushes. Six of the waitresses were full time, three working Tuesday through Saturday, and three working Sunday through Friday. The last two were part-time workers who filled in shifts when someone was sick or needed some time off, as well as serving as backup on the weekends. Laura and William were human, as were four of the waitresses, but all the bouncers were west of left field. Julianna wondered what they did for security on the nights of the full moon.
The four west of left field waitresses were omega members of the pack, but they held their own with the humans and the other patrons. Most of the bouncers were beta, though one or two of them were omega, and deferred to the others. They stood up to humans without any trouble.
Julianna liked all the bouncers, though most of them belonged to Jeff as part of some sort of group she didn’t understand. They had their own ranking within the group, and the other bouncers outside the group deferred to them, regardless of rank. Despite their size and strength, all were intelligent and sharp and treated her with respect and deference, particularly after they saw her work with Woody, an omega bouncer younger than the others but well-liked.
On her third night at the bar, a young alpha and his beta friends got a little too worked up. Woody moved in to escort the young man and his rowdy friends outside so they didn’t disturb the rest of the bar. Julianna saw Woody gesture in his careful, polite way to encourage the offenders to leave, but she could scent the alpha’s anger and disdain all the way across the bar, and the hair on the back of her neck rose. The other patrons around them scented it, too, and edged away from the burgeoning confrontation. Julianna wove slowly through the crowd, watching the exchange very carefully.
Woody politely suggested they take their “discussion” outside, and the young alpha sneered at him, flipping him the bird and turning his back. Woody’s jaw clenched, but he, again, politely urged the party outside. Julianna was impressed with how “cool” his scent remained.
The betas around the alpha began to taunt the omega, calling him a carrion dog and insinuating his manhood was less than it should be for a grown man. Woody took it all stoically and pulled the chairs away from the table to allow the party room to move away. The alpha and his friends shook in inebriated fury and turned on Woody, snarling and shouting drunken curses at him.
Julianna slid past the other patrons, who backed hastily away, trying to catch the eyes of Zach or some of the other bouncers. She found Zach and they’d almost reached to the table when the alpha took a swing at Woody. The omega bouncer ducked and caught the alpha’s hand, using the momentum to swing it around the other man’s back and pin it there. The alpha screamed in rage and tried to throw him off, but Woody held on and shoved him toward the bar. The group of betas with the alpha leapt at Woody, but a sharp whistle aborted their motion, and Woody stilled.
“Hey!” Julianna shouted into the startled silence. Even the players at the pool tables looked up in surprise. “What’s all the shouting about?”
The young alpha jostled in Woody’s grip, but the omega bouncer didn’t let go.
“Lemme go, you mangy cur!” he bellowed, still struggling. He shot a venomous look at Julianna. “He’s got no right to hold me like this!”
Julianna looked over at Woody and nodded slightly, and the bouncer released the young alpha and stepped back out of reach.
“Now, sir, what seems to be the problem?” she drawled blandly.
“The problem is that stupid asshole grabbed me and dragged me toward the door for no damn reason!” the young man shouted, and his friends muttered assent.
Julianna raised her eyebrows. “Is that the way it seemed to you? Because I saw my bouncer ask you to leave politely, and you took a swing at him in response. I think he has every right to escort you to the door. However, if you’re willing to go under your own power, he’ll merely watch your back until you’re outside.”
The young alpha snarled. “He had no right to touch me or any of us! He’s only a—”
“Sir, you’re in danger of losing much more than just a night at the bar,” Julianna said sharply, and the young man glared at her, seething. “Now, I think everyone might be better served if you and your friends found other entertainment this evening.”
Julianna gestured toward the front doors.
“Who are you, bitch, to tell me what to do?” he sneered, his body bristling with cocky rage. “You might be the newest bitch in town, but you’re nothing! You can’t tell me what to do or where to go, so you can just fuck off!”
Julianna’s temper began to boil, and she narrowed her eyes, but she carefully considered her next move. Drunk as a skunk and feeling his oats, the young idiot was in no condition to fight more than one bouncer, and they’d have him and his friends out before he knew what hit him. She’d opened her mouth to call more bouncers when a low growl filled the silence. The base animal inside her screamed in panic, demanding she hide from the oncoming deadly predator.
Turning her head, Julianna’s gaze caught Jeff stalking toward them through the crowd. His face was composed and looked even mildly amused, but Julianna scented the fury rolling off him in waves. Excitement zinged through her at the sight of his furious beauty, and she inhaled shakily.
Holy God, he’s frickin’ sexy!
“Is that any way to talk to a lady, Bobby?” Jeff said, his voice deceptively calm.
He stopped next to Julianna and cocked his head like a curious wolf. Bobby swallowed hard and held very still.
“I’d appreciate it if you kept a civil tongue while in my bar. I don’t tolerate insults to my employees, and this lady is the bar manager. Not only is she an employee, but she’s also in charge of the bar. What she says goes. You been making trouble in my bar tonight, Bobby? Did you take a swing at one of my bouncers?”
Bobby took a breath to say something, his expression rebellious.
“Think carefully before you say anything,” Julianna admonished. “You’re already treading a very fine line. Don’t compound your troubles.”
Bobby glared daggers at her until her words sunk in through the alcohol soaking his brain. His eyes widened and shifted to Jeff’s forbidding presence beside her. Whatever he saw there killed his belligerence, and the color washed out of his face. His head dropped into a submissive position as his eyes slid to one side, no longer challenging either Jeff or Julianna.
“I’m sorry, J—” Bobby stopped and swallowed hard when Jeff growled, dropping his head lower. “I’m sorry, Mr. Lightfoot. I’m not myself tonight.”
Jeff raised his eyebrows expectantly.
Bobby cleared his throat. “I’m sorry, Ms. Morris. I think I’ll take your advice and go home.”
“I think that’s a wise choice, Bobby,” Jeff said. “I’ll tell your dad hello the next time I see him.”
Bobby’s face, already white, paled even more. Apparently, his father still held sway at Bobby’s household. The young man nodded jerkily, retreating backward, never turning his back. A few loose chairs toppled to the floor as he and his friends fled.
Julianna let out the breath she didn’t even know she’d been holding as she watched the other patrons regroup and relax. When the doors closed behind the troublemakers, she turned her attention to Woody. He stood silently, his face a mask of impassiveness, but she could smell his unspent fury. This close to the full moon, he’d held back admirably well.
Catching his eye, she gestured with her head toward the back of the bar, and he followed her, his strides stiff and sharp. He stubbornly refused to look at her, and Julianna’s frustration rose until she remembered an omega wouldn’t challenge an alpha by looking her in the eye.
“Nice job, Woody. You kept your cool and held your ground. Good work.”
“Did you think I wouldn’t?” he snap
ped, still not meeting her eyes. When she raised her eyebrows, he added quickly, “I’m sorry, Ms. Morris.”
“In answer to your question, I never thought you couldn’t do the job for which you were hired,” she said, stuffing her anger down deep. “On the contrary, most men wouldn’t take a verbal assault as calmly as you did, and I was both impressed and pleased with your performance. I was merely expressing my approval and trying to offer you a compliment. If that offends your delicate sensibilities, I’ll keep any praise I have to offer to myself.”
Woody breathed out roughly, staring at her chin to remain submissive despite his greater height.
“Forgive me, Ms. Morris. Those taunts were hard to take. I’ve worked hard for this position and earned my place. I didn’t mean to take my frustration out on you. It won’t happen again.”
“Good.” Julianna nodded. “I don’t enjoy being snapped at any more than you do. Why don’t you take a five-minute break to let out some of that frustration and then come on back in to finish your shift.”
As he began to turn away, she added, “You’re a better man than he is, Woody.”
Woody paused with his body turned three-quarters away from her then nodded sharply before he left the bar through the back. Julianna bit the inside of her mouth thoughtfully but turned her attention back to the crowd. She didn’t see Jeff anywhere, and disappointment thumped with each beat of her heart. She knew it was probably for the best. He couldn’t show her favoritism, and she couldn’t push him up against the wall and kiss him.
Yep, definitely better that he’s not here.
She did notice the other bouncers and Zach watching her impassively. As she caught Zach’s eyes, he inclined his head respectfully, and she thought she saw some gratitude flash through his expression before he returned to impassiveness. The tightness in her shoulders eased a little, and the rest of the night passed without incident.
At the end of the night, just before closing, Zach came up to her and touched her elbow to get her attention.
“Oh, hi, Zach,” she said as she gathered her things. “What can I do for you?”
“I wanted to say thank you for sticking up for Woody, Mistress Morris.” His voice wasn’t as deep as Jeff’s, but she sensed quiet authority in it all the same. Still, his body language and scent offered nothing but respect.
“You’re welcome. Woody did his job well in a difficult situation. When he’s doing his job, the patrons had better listen to him, regardless of their status.”
“Still, thanks.”
“Welcome.”
Zach gave her one of his rare smiles and turned away to help close up. Julianna realized he was younger than she’d thought and quite handsome when he dropped his stoicism. She grunted softly to herself and returned to her duties. She marked down the few changes to the schedule and left it in the office for Jeff then grabbed her purse and her keys, and headed for the door.
To her surprise, Leo, one of the bouncers, peeled off from the others and followed her outside. He didn’t say anything, but his expression was watchful and protective without being oppressive. She didn’t scent any resentment in him, and she thanked him when she got into her car. He nodded, closed her door, and stood back while she drove out of the parking lot. She smiled to herself, both amused and grateful to have someone watching her back.
* * * *
For the next two weeks, things remained quiet at the bar. When the full moon rose into the sky over Callowwood at the end of the first week, Sebrina came and took Julianna out into the mountains north of town. Julianna had wanted to fight her, but the wolf inside her recognized Sebrina’s superiority, and she followed reluctantly behind after calling her mom to let her know she’d be gone. They stayed away from town for three days, running as wolves to continue Julianna’s education, and Julianna learned that all the candidates, not just her, had left town to keep the competition impartial. The call of the Lady Moon was too strong to fight their natural urges, so the candidates were removed from the proximity of the Successor to keep it fair. Julianna agreed it was probably wise, but her Sister wasn’t pleased.
Julianna resumed her morning training with Sebrina before she went to work, alternating mornings with Beth for breakfast. Beth had started to heal from her grief, and her smiles, while still bittersweet, came more frequently. She commented on Julianna’s physique, and Julianna told her she’d been “running” every other day to reduce some of the stress weight she’d gained after Gerry’s death.
“Is that the only reason you’re getting in shape?” Beth had asked, a smug twinkle in her eye.
“What are you talking about, Mom?”
“How did the date with Jeff Lightfoot go?” her mother had countered innocently.
Julianna laughed and said, “It went fine.” Beth looked pleased.
With Sebrina, Julianna learned the protocols on how to deal with the hierarchy of the pack, which alphas came after the Alpha Pair, the order of betas and omegas, and how to know which omega was higher ranked than the others. It was complicated, and Julianna hoped she’d get it right when it counted. It had to do with age, experience, familiarity within the pack, length of residency in the “home range”, and services rendered to the Alpha.
“Dear God, I don’t think I’ll ever keep everyone straight,” she’d remarked with a sinking feeling. Sebrina just smiled faintly and said, “You’ll pick up on it eventually, daughter.”
After the protocols, including who was served first at a “state” dinner and how each visitor was greeted at the door, Sebrina told Julianna the Stories of the Lady Moon and the First Canid. Julianna was intrigued, not just because these were the creation myths of the Moon Singer People, but also because they were great teaching stories, with morals, adventure, love, and deep understanding of how to integrate several kinds of people living together.
Her favorite Story was titled “The First Canid.”
“In the time before we knew our places beneath the sun and stars,” Sebrina began patiently, her hands working a beading loom, “the Lady watched over all the Peoples with Her opalescent eyes, but Her favorites were the Wolf Peoples because, though they were vicious when hunting, they were true to their natures and kept the other Peoples from overpopulation.
“One of the Wolf People was called Ho’a’tote, Thinks Before He Eats, and he was a magnificent wolf. He spent much of his time observing the other Peoples around him, learning from them, discovering new things about them, and trying to understand points of view other than his own. His family and friends thought him odd, but harmless, so they tolerated his presence among them without fuss.
“In those days, the Lady walked among the Peoples, bestowing blessings, healing hurts, and keeping the balance of life. One day, She noticed Ho’a’tote watching the Beavers building their dam to hold back the water in the stream. At first, She thought he was hunting the Beavers, so still did he lie there, so patiently. But when he didn’t move for hours and hours, through many moments when the Beavers would’ve been easy prey, She realized he was doing something else and stopped to ask him.
“‘Ho’a’tote, what are you doing?’
“‘I’m watching the Beavers building this dam,’ he replied in a fascinated voice. ‘I think they will stop up the water to make a pond and it will benefit all the Peoples because it will make it easier to drink the water.’
“‘Why do you watch them so carefully? Are you hunting?’ She asked.
“‘No, I’m trying to learn how they do it so my People may do it in other streams and have enough water when the world becomes too dry in the summer. It also makes a good way to cross the stream without getting wet.’
“The Lady just looked at Ho’a’tote, who’d gone back to watching the Beavers. She only shook Her head and went on Her way. But a few days later, She found Ho’a’tote staring up into a tree, watching a little tiny bird flit in and away.
“‘What are you doing, Ho’a’tote?’ She asked again.
“‘I’m watching a B
ushtit making her nest for her little ones,” he replied, his attention never wavering.
“‘Why, Ho’a’tote?’
“‘I’m trying to learn how to construct a safe place for me and my children to stay when the weather turns foul. The Bushtit knows how to build such a protective place.’
“Again, the Lady shook Her head and went away. Sometime later, She found Ho’a’tote on the coast, watching the water most carefully. She followed his gaze and found Sea Otters smashing clams on their chests with rocks.
“‘What are you doing, Ho’a’tote?’
“‘I’m watching Sea Otter using rocks to get to his food,’ the wolf replied. ‘It’s a very smart use of his strength. The rock does his work for him.’
“Later still, the Lady found Ho’a’tote watching Raccoon pick through berries for her meal after washing her hands in the stream.
“‘Tell me, Ho’a’tote, why you want to learn these things?’ She said then. ‘You are a wolf. You have claws and teeth and are able to run fast to catch your dinner. Why do you wish to learn these other skills of the other Peoples?’
“Ho’a’tote left off looking at Raccoon and said simply, ‘I want to learn everything I can. The more I understand about others, the better I can live with them, in balance and harmony. I don’t want to give up my own skills, but I don’t wish to be limited by them.’
“The Lady cocked her head to one side and asked, ‘What would you do if you had such an expanded understanding?’
“‘I would protect my family,’ he answered solemnly. ‘Learning about others, their strengths and weaknesses, protects us all, strengthens us all. It keeps the balance and encourages harmony.’
“The Lady considered. ‘Very well, Ho’a’tote. I shall grant you your wish to be more than just wolf. I will give you a form so you may fit in with the Human People, who have all the skills you seek and share this land with you. However, there’s a price to be paid. You must wear your wolf skin three nights of every month when my Eye is full and watching you. Your People may be born in either form and will keep that form until the change into adulthood. Then they will be free to shift shape at will.’
