by Ezra Dawn
We stop at a stoplight and I roll the window down as the SUV pulls up beside of us, ready for anything. My mouth drops open in shock at the guy behind the wheel. I’ve never seen him in town before. He’s wearing a hoodie with the hood up, and sunglasses so I can’t see his face but he’s rocking the fuck out. Drumming on the steering wheel, nodding his head to the beat and singing so loud I could hear every word even without my heightened senses. “My life’s so pitiful, give me one good reason why I shouldn’t end it all…..and I try every drug I find except maybe heroin and cyanide.”
He turns in a different direction than we do and I bust out laughing. “Well, that was interesting.” My dad laughs and pulls up to the restaurant a few minutes later. We’re actually early so, we get a booth in the back that faces the door and wait for Bastille to arrive.
He finally enters the restaurant about fifteen minutes later, with three women trailing behind him. We rise to greet him. He and my father shake hands and we all squeeze into the booth. Bastille then goes on to introduce the three women he brought with him. “This is my mate Lilith, and our two daughters Shiloh and Mirajane. Mira here is the youngest at 93.” He looks at my dad and says “Why don’t we give them some time alone? That way he can make an informed decision while we discuss the terms of the truce.”
My dad nods and says “Sounds good to me. We’ll be over there if you need us.”
“We’ll be fine.” Once they’ve moved to another table I look at both girls and say “So, tell me a little about yourselves.”
Shiloh starts first by glaring at me and saying “Well, I’m 125, I don’t want to be here. I like to swim, hunt, and fish. I play video games, and cheat at cards. I work as a tattoo artist. Oh, and I’m a lesbian.”
I stare at her blankly and say “Well then, Mira how about you?”
She smiles and says “Well, I teach first grade classes at the elementary school. I love kids. I love the outdoors. I like to camp out under the stars. There are tons of other things but if I told you all of them I’d probably bore you to death.”
I laugh and say “You’re probably right. So, how soon can you move in? I’d like for us to be around each other so that we can develop our relationship and get to know each other a little better. You’ll have your own room until we get to that point where you’ll move in to mine.”
She nods and says “Okay, I can move in, in a few days. Will I still be able to work?”
I nod. “Of course, it might be a longer commute but you don’t have to quit. If driving so far becomes too hard on you though, we could have you transferred to a school around Asphalt Bay.”
She smiles and says “Okay, that’s fine with me.”
At that moment Bastille, Lilith, and my father walk up to the table. Bastille looks at me and says “Have you made your decision?”
“Yes sir. I’ve decided to take Mirajane as a mate.”
He raises an eyebrow and says “Are you sure? She’s not too young for you?”
I smile and say “I’m sure. Age doesn’t really matter.”
Bastille nods his agreement and says “So, we’ll set the date for the mating ceremony a month and a half from now? Before your father retires?”
I nod. “Sounds like a plan. Mira will move in with me in a few days so that we can get to know each other before the ceremony takes place.”
“I understand that. We’re looking forward to becoming in laws. See you in a month and a half.”
He turns to his daughters and says “Come on girls.”
Mira hands me a napkin as she slips from the booth. “This is my phone number. This way we can call each other or text, and go over ceremony plans together.”
I laugh and say “I’ll leave that to you but, thanks for this.” She kisses my cheek and runs out after her family.
My father smacks me on the back and says “You chose well son. She’s a very pretty girl.”
“Thanks dad.”
He stretches and says “Well, let’s get something to eat before we head home shall we?”
“Sure.” We sit at the table and order steaks for lunch.
Once our meal is finished and we’re back on the road my father takes the time to give me a speech. “I’m proud of you son. I know I don’t say it often because you tend to sleep with anything that moves but after everything you’ve done these past few days I couldn’t be prouder.”
“Thanks dad.” He looks at me all serious and says “and if you need help with any of the ceremony planning, call your mother. She’ll know what to do.”
I laugh. “Sure thing, dad.”
“I’ll call a pack meeting tomorrow afternoon and make the announcement. You don’t have to be present if you don’t want to be but, I would like for you to be there. After all, we have this truce with the Coal Springs Pack now because of you.”
“Okay dad. I’ll be there.”
He drops me off at my house and says “I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
I nod. “Yep. Tomorrow.”
I walk inside and immediately get assaulted by Crispin. I go down hard yelling “Ambush! Ambush!”
He laughs and says “Shut up drama queen. I got you didn’t I?”
As I peel myself off the floor I say to him “Yeah, asshole you did. How did you get in here anyways?”
He laughs and says “Back door was open.” “No it wasn’t but, I’ll ignore your breaking and entering in exchange for you telling me what you’re doing here.”
He smiles wickedly. “Your brothers invited me.”
“They what…Oh shit!” Before I can react I’m tackled to the ground by the three aforementioned wild animals.
Wyatt says, “So, word on the street is that you’re going to take a bond mate from the Coal Springs Pack.”
Joshua says, “Yeah. So tell us brother, who is this mystery mate of yours?”
Caleb says, “Yeah, tell us.”
I laugh and say, “Get off of me and I will.”
They shake their heads and say “Nope, tell us anyways. Or we’ll torture it out of you with string cheese and lemon candies.”
I stare at them wide-eyed not sure how they’d pull that off but they probably could with their mischievousness. “Fine, fine. I’ll talk. The youngest daughter of the Alpha. Her name is Mirajane. She’ll be moving in with me in a few days.”
Wyatt stares at me wide-eyed and says, “Dude, you totally skipped the appetizer and went straight for the main course.”
I laugh and say, “Yeah, I know. Now, let me up my limbs are going numb.”
They groan like it’s a hassle to move but finally let me get off the floor. Once I’m standing I hug each of my brothers and say “So, other than coming here to harass me was there anything else you guys needed? Are you staying for dinner?”
They all look at each other and Wyatt speaks first. “We want to throw you a bachelor party before the ceremony. We’ll have it at my club in Venetian Hills and invite your friend Crispin. It’ll be fun.”
I smile “I meant to ask you how things were going with the club. You know it being south of here in the city and all.”
He smiles and says “It’s going great we’ve got a DJ that plays regularly but I’m looking into getting a house band to play as well so that I can alternate them.”
I nod. “That makes sense. How are things working so far with it being Paranormal only? Any issues?”
“No issues. It’s members only. You have to be a member to get in or pay a guest fee which is pretty high but it’s at a level that Paranormals can afford it easily. Humans who aren’t privy to our world that apply for membership get rejected. We come up with reasons for it. There are some humans that are members just because they’re either mates of a Paranormal or they know about us another way. It’s a complicated system but it works and it protects everyone.”
I smile wickedly. “So, a bachelor party huh? Will there be strippers?”
They laugh.
“What? It’s my party, if I want strippers I shal
l have strippers.”
Wyatt shakes his head “I’m sorry brother but, I can’t have strippers in my club. It’s just not that kind of club.”
I sigh. “Bummer. Oh well, so when are we doing this?”
He exchanges looks with the others and says “Three weeks? That should give us enough time to plan and it puts the ceremony date three weeks away after the party. In case you get cold feet and back out. It gives you plenty of time to either run or come up with a new plan.”
I smack him upside the head “Asshole. I’m not going to back out. You guys staying for dinner or what?”
Joshua shakes his head and says “Nah, I have to get back to the apartment and finish cleaning up the mess my ex left. That’s what I get for getting all romantic with my roommate I guess but the sex just wasn’t right. My wolf didn’t like her so I gave her the boot. She wasn’t happy. I now have to clean the room she trashed plus put out an ad for a new roommate. Not fun.”
I manage to wait until he’s finished before I bust out laughing. I laugh so hard it brings tears to my eyes. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t laugh but damn. You treat women like shit. I know you can’t smell but seriously. You could’ve been a little nicer. I’m not one to talk though. I’m worse than you when I kick my one night stands out the next morning.”
He blushes and says “It’s not that I can’t smell it’s just everything smells the same. I only don’t smell anything at all occasionally. Besides, I’m waiting for my fated mate. I know Dad says we’ll never find them but it’s not like we don’t have one. So, if I have sex with someone and don’t feel the urge to bite them I kick them out. I know it’s harsh but it’s the only way I can find my mate.”
I stare at him with a raised eyebrow. “I understand where you’re coming from. I didn’t know you could actually smell things. I always thought you couldn’t smell anything at all. What does everything smell like to you?”
He laughs and says “Cinnamon toast and roses. All the time. Cinnamon toast has always been my favorite breakfast but I’m not sure why I smell roses too. I’m not all that worried about it of course. It’s always been like that.”
I nod and say “Well, maybe your mate will smell different to you?”
He shrugs and says “Who knows. I’ll catch you later.” He walks out and I turn to my other two brothers.
“How about you two? Are you guys staying for dinner?”
They shake their heads and say “Nope, sorry brother but we’ve got a top secret bachelor party to plan. Later.” They wave as they walk out the door and I’m suddenly left alone.
I shrug and pull a steak and veggies from the refrigerator. Looks like I’m dining alone tonight. Tomorrow I’ll make sure the spare room is ready for Mirajane but for now I think I’ll kick back, relax, and enjoy some good food and a beer. As soon as I cook this that is. I can’t exactly eat it raw. Well, I could if I shifted. My wolf has no problem with raw meat but that might be a little weird. Shifting just to eat a steak because I don’t want to cook it. Yeah, so not happening.
Chapter Six
Lykos
After the whole rogue vampire fiasco I decided to take a little vacation. I figured it was high time I went back home for a little while. Well, that and Krealik totally kicked my ass. He and Valik showed up at the hotel the day after I had to call for a pick up. Once Krealik heard the full story of what happened he kicked my ass for my stupidity and told me to go on vacation for a while.
Said I needed to take a break because I’d been working too much. I had to wear sunglasses and a hoodie for three days to hide the bruises. They healed pretty quickly but I still looked like a friggin’ raccoon. Which brings me to now, sitting outside my mother’s house like a fucking stalker because I don’t want to go home to an empty house.
The place is surprisingly secure. I had to go all “I’m with the Paranormal Council” on the patrol wolves so they would let me through. It’s only a matter of time before the Alpha comes looking for me. I parked my SUV near the front gate and walked the rest of the way. Using cologne to mask my scent. I really don’t want to be discovered too quickly. From what my mother has told me I know she and the Alpha don’t live in the main pack house. His office is there and he handles meetings and business there but their house is actually one of many on the pack lands. It’s one of the bigger ones and I only found it because she said she had the front door painted yellow.
Apparently, she thought the house could use some color, the rustic log cabin look just wasn’t doing it for her. I understand the feeling completely. The bad thing about this decision is my mom doesn’t know I’m here and she also doesn’t know about my job. I never told her. She’s a sweet woman and she doesn’t need to know about the awful shit I have to do for work.
So, here I am outside their house hiding in the bushes like a creep, trying to catch sight of her. I pull out the stash of baby carrots I have in my jacket and start munching. What? Sitting on the ground in the bushes basically staking out their house is making me hungry. Don’t look at me like that they’re good! They’re full of….I don’t fucking know what but they’re healthy snacks. So, so, just fuck off.
Anyways, now that I’ve had my snacks I can focus. I don’t do well on an empty stomach. I situate myself on the ground with my legs in a pretzel shape. I take a deep breath and focus on my surroundings. It’s kind of like meditation. I kind of center myself so I can focus my senses on things around me. That way if someone tries to attack me I’m ready for it but I wasn’t ready for the huge ass male that tackled me to the ground. I went down so hard it felt like I was hit by a freight train. It totally came out of nowhere.
He jerked me to my feet and forced my hands behind my back. “Walk. I’m taking you to the Alpha. You can explain to him why you were watching his house.” I sigh. Shit. My luck is really going downhill lately. First vampires and now this. Wonder what kind of situation I’m about to walk into. I doubt it’s going to be pretty. Oh well, let’s just go with it. Might as well since I have nothing better to do.
The guy, who I assume is either an enforcer or a tracker takes me to the pack house and downstairs to the cells. He forces me into one and says “The Alpha will be here in a few minutes. Don’t try anything stupid.” He moves away from me to stand outside the door to the cells. Which was a mistake. I could have escaped at that moment had I chosen to but there wasn’t any point. Idiot didn’t even check me for weapons. Not that I was carrying many but still. I sit on the small cot cross legged and wait.
It doesn’t take long. The Alpha and the enforcer walk in a few minutes later. The Alpha grabs a chair from the corner, turns it around so the back faces my cell, and sits down. He says “My name is Orion and you are?”
“Liam.”
I don’t want to give him my real name just yet.
He nods and says “So, Liam. Want to tell me why a scout from the Paranormal Council is watching my house?” I stare at him wide-eyed before laughing so hard I nearly cry.
He stands and glares at me. “What is so funny?”
I wipe my eyes and say “Is that what you think I am? A scout?” He nods.
I flinch dramatically. “Ooo…sorry to break it to you sweets, but I’m not a scout. I’m a fixer.”
His face goes completely pale and he drops back into the chair. “A fixer…watching my house…but why? We haven’t done anything wrong.”
“It’s personal. I’m not here on orders. That’s all I’m willing to tell you.” He goes to say something else but my phone starts to ring. I hold up a finger at him signaling him to wait.
He hisses at his enforcer. “You didn’t take his phone?! Are you insane?!”
I snicker and answer the phone. “Hello?”
My mother says, “Hi honey. How are you doing?” A huge smile makes its way across my face. “Hey Ma. I’m doing as well as can be expected.”
She says, “Oh no, what happened?”
I sigh. “Well, I decided to surprise you with a visit but I think I went about
it the wrong way.”
She says, “Oh honey, I’m so happy! I can’t wait to see you! Just wait until you meet the family. I told them all about you and they’ve wanted to meet you for so long but I wanted it to be your choice. Don’t worry though, only Orion knows your real name, everyone else knows you by the name Liam.”
My mouth drops open in shock. “Really?”
“Of course. You’re my oldest boy. When I needed to keep my other boys in line I always threatened to call you. They fell in line right quick too, let me tell you.”
I laugh and say, “That’s great mom but, I um kind of got myself into a little trouble.”
She gives me the mom voice when she says “What kind of trouble?”
I look the Alpha dead in the eye when I say “The kind that has me locked in the pack cells right now.”
She shouts loud enough for everyone to hear. “LYKOS CASSIDY!! WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!!” I hold the phone away from my ear to protect it from her shouting.
I say into the phone “I’m sorry mom.”
“SORRY MY FOOT!! I’m coming down there right now!”
She hangs up and I stare at the phone. “Oh shit.”
The Alpha…Orion stares at me wide-eyed and says “You’re Vicki’s son?”
I run my fingers through my hair and say “Yeah? Sorry we’re meeting like this. I wasn’t sure if she’d said anything to you or the family about me or not so I stayed away. I was trying to protect her. I’m here because I wanted to see her that’s all.”
He looks over his shoulder and shouts “Keith open this door! My stepson shouldn’t be in the cells. If he’s in there when his mother gets here, she’ll kill all of us.”
Keith says “It’s not locked. He can walk out.”
We both look over at him and say “You didn’t lock it?” Keith shrugs and walks off. I look at Orion and say “Dude, you really need better help than that. He didn’t even check me for weapons.” Orion shakes his head and we walk up the stairs together. We reach the top and find my mother standing there tapping her foot with her arms crossed.
