Serving Sera

by Bonnie Rose Leigh

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  Serving Sera

  Copyright © 2008 Bonnie Rose Leigh

  ISBN: 978-1-55487-212-1

  Cover art by Martine Jardin

  All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.

  Published by eXtasy Books

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  Serving Sera

  By

  Bonnie Rose Leigh

  Dedication

  To my readers for always asking for me. You keep me writing on days I’d rather be cuddled up in bed reading someone else’s words. Thank you.

  Prologue

  The crowd had started gathering around the sheriff’s office before dawn this morning. Word about the cultists’ activities had spread quickly. He grew hard as he remembered the terror in Willow Kincaid’s eyes when she woke tied to Leonard’s altar. It saddened him that she’d eluded her fate. If those mates of hers hadn’t shown up when they had, he would have feasted on her blood, using her life force to summon his demon. In the end, he’d had to sacrifice one of his followers to summon the demon forth.

  As he watched Willow and her mates follow the sheriff into the station house, he clenched his fists at his sides. Somehow, he’d make them pay for thwarting his plans. He just needed to find a suitable substitute, someone that the threesome would grieve over when he made his move. It shouldn’t take him long to find the perfect prey. Not long at all.

  He could feel the fear spreading throughout the town, could smell the unease thickening the air. It invigorated him knowing that everyone in town sensed the danger brewing and could do nothing to stop it. They didn’t know who hunted them, had no idea who had used the cultists to summon their demon lord. The citizens had no idea the amount of power he controlled, the ease with which he could take over this small town.

  He’d let them alone for now, let the good people of Serenity grow lazy as time passed without an attack. In the meantime, he had plans. Big plans.

  Scanning the crowd gathered around the Sheriff’s Department one more time, he relished the edgy panic he could see in everyone’s eyes. Soon. Soon, they’d have true cause for panic and no one would be safe. He couldn’t wait.

  Chapter One

  The sun had just slid past the horizon when Noah Andrews and Chance Mercer hit the outskirts of Serenity. With the danger to Derek and Quinn’s mate, they’d decided to get a pulse of the town before heading straight toward their place. The sooner they started gathering information and began the hunt for Serenity’s new resident demon and his summoner, the sooner the newly mated threesome would be safe.

  Reaching over, Noah gave Chance’s arm a little shake, knowing he took his life in his hands waking the man from a sound sleep. Since getting word from Derek that he and his partner needed help getting rid of the trouble brewing in Serenity, they’d travelled non-stop with very little rest to reach the sleepy little town. Their friends didn’t often need a favor, and they’d jumped at the chance to help fellow Hunters in need.

  Chance grunted, but kept his eyes closed and his chin tucked against his chest. “What?” he growled.

  “We’re here. You know Quinn and Derek offered to let us stay at their place, but I’d feel more comfortable staying in town, especially newly mated as they are. Sit up and see if you see any signs for a motel or bed and breakfast.”

  Chance lifted his head and opened his eyes, wincing as he rubbed the back of his neck. “All right. I’m awake already, but you could have looked for a place on your own.” Noah almost laughed at the way Chance could whine like a two year old when woken up, but held back knowing he wouldn’t find it amusing.

  As Chance rolled down his window to inhale the crisp mountain air, Noah searched both sides of the road for some place to pull over and ask directions to the nearest motel.

  A couple minutes passed before Chance cleared his throat. “Noah, didn’t Derek and Quinn say that their mate owned The Howler when he called asking us to come?”

  Noah nodded. “Yeah he did. Why?”

  “Because I see a sign for the place a couple blocks down. It looks like as good a place as any to find out information about this town and its citizens.”

  “Good idea. Maybe we’ll even get a chance to scope out their new mate and see just who has our friends wrapped around her fingers.”

  Chuckling, Chance reached into the back seat and grabbed their jackets. Even though they were shifters and they could regulate their body temperature at will, they dressed and acted like the humans around them to fit in. “Don’t let the cousins hear you say that. Those wolves are too dominant to admit that their woman is in charge. From the contentment in their voices when they speak about Willow, I don’t think even they realize how much their happiness revolves around hers. ”

  Shaking his head, Noah spotted The Howler and pulled into its parking lot. Though it was still early, the place looked packed. He finally found a space to park his SUV around the back between a beat up pickup truck and a sheriff’s squad car. “It looks like The Howler does a brisk business, even in the afternoon. Hopefully, Willow will have time to talk to us.”

  “That’s if she’s even here,” Chance added. “Those men of hers might have her locked up at home for her protection.”

  Smiling, Noah turned off the ignition and opened his door. After donning his jacket, he turned to face Chance who stood on the other side of the rental. “I can’t imagine those two hunters settling down with one woman. They’ve always been the love ‘em and leave ‘em type.”

  “Then again, so have we, Noah, but if we ever run into our mate after dreaming about her for the last ten years, you and I both know we’ll be settling down with her for the long haul, too.”

  Noah had to admit Chance had a point. They’d been dreaming about their mate for so long, if they ever did meet her, she’d never get away from them. Those dreams kept them going, kept them on the move, hunting rogue Supernaturals while they searched for her in every town they visited. They’d find her eventually and, when they did, they were not going to let her out of their sight until the bond between them developed fully. They’d not take the chance of losing her, not after searching for her for so long.

  “You’re right. If we ever do track her down, I’ll do my best to make sure she never wants to apart from us. So, let’s worry about making sure Derek and Quinn’s mate remains safe so we can go back to searching for our own.”

  They were almost to the front door of the bar when Noah stopped, cocked his head to the side and inhaled. “Chance, stop. Do you smell that?”

  “Smell what?”

  “Dammit! Close your eyes and scent the wind.”

  When Chance obeyed, then immediately growled low in his throat, Noah knew he hadn’t imagined that scent, the scent of their mate on the wind.

  Chance’s eyes snapped open. “Where is she?”

  “I don’t know. Her scent is al
l around out here. She must frequent this place often. Now that we’ve tracked her to this bar, she won’t be able to escape us.”

  With renewed energy, the pair headed for the bar. Now they had more reason than one for ridding this town of its evil. Their mate lived here and, after searching for her for nearly half their lifetimes, they’d not allow any harm to come to her.

  * * * *

  Weaving her way through the crowded pub, Sera Serveti headed toward the bar, intent on dropping off Sheriff Marcum’s order for coffee before heading to the back room for a two-minute break. Ever since the Leonard Cultists had attacked her boss, Willow Kincaid, over a month ago, the pub seemed to be even busier—if that were possible. The tips were great, but on days like today where the place was hopping from the moment it opened, she wished she didn’t have to wear the mini-skirt and heels. They ensured she brought home enough money to live comfortably and still have plenty to put away for an emergency escape fund.

  Setting the tray on the counter, she called out her order to Quinn Donovan who was covering the bar. His cousin, Derek, and their mate, Willow, were in the back receiving the weekly alcohol delivery. “I need two coffees, black, Quinn.”

  Quinn met her gaze, his expression thoughtful. “Have you taken a break yet?”

  Shaking her head, she reached behind and rubbed her lower back. “Not yet, but I think I’m going to go into the office and sit a spell once I bring the Marcums their coffee.”

  “I’ll have Marcia carry it out to their table. She just came in for her shift ten minutes ago. She can cover your tables for a few.”

  Sera smiled. “If you weren’t already taken, I might have serious thoughts of seducing you, sugar. You’re a good man.”

  Quinn chuckled. “Go on, get out of here. I promise not to tell Willow you said that.”

  Knowing this might be her only chance to sit down until after closing, Sera winked at Quinn and then sauntered toward the kitchen. She’d kill to take her shoes off, but then she’d never get them back on. Getting off her feet for a few was the only other option until her shift ended.

  She pushed open the swinging door when the strangest sensation skittered down her spine, bringing her to an abrupt stop. She turned slowly, all too aware that people still hunted for her. If they’d found her, she needed to know it. She fiddled with her apron as though looking for something and slowly scanned the pub. Something had set off her internal alarm, now she just needed to find out what.

  After scanning the pub twice and not spotting anyone watching her, she relaxed her stance. She’d run so long, always looking over her shoulder, that she’d become paranoid. She had to do something about that or it wouldn’t be long before her actions made those around her suspicious. Which was the last thing she wanted.

  Once again, she pushed open the kitchen door, this time ignoring the little voice inside her head that protested turning her back on a potential enemy. No one in this town knew about her past. Feeling more at ease, she walked straight through the kitchen to the small break room across from Willow’s office.

  She moaned and dropped into the nearest chair. She eyed the sofa, but chose to stay where she was. If she stretched out she’d never want to get up and go back to her customers. Five minutes later, she stood and prepared to go back to work, but first she needed to stretch out her kinked back muscles. With her arms above her head, hands clasped together, she twisted from one side to the other. After stretching out the kinks, she sighed, grabbed her apron and headed toward the front. She wrapped the apron strings around her, grumbling when the knot came untied, and barreled into an immovable object. She gasped, looked up and met the laughing blue gaze of an absolute stranger. Normally, white men just didn’t do it for her, but this guy, she’d make an exception for. His blond hair seemed to glitter beneath the fluorescent lighting and his blue eyes twinkled with merriment. He had a strong face, with a cleft in his chin and the fullest lips she’d ever seen on a man. “Whoa, are you okay, ma’am?”

  His husky voice sent shards of pleasure zipping down her spine and goose bumps pebbling across her skin. “Uh, yeah, sugar. I’m just fine.” Looking around, Sera only just realized they were both in the kitchen. Alone. “Are you supposed to be back here?” she asked, knowing he wasn’t. She’d have recognized him if she’d ever seen him around the pub before.

  “Actually, maybe you can help me. Quinn said Derek was back here, but I don’t see him. Any idea where he might be?”

  “You know Quinn and Derek?”

  “Actually my friend and I are here at their request. So, have you seen him?”

  “If they aren’t in the storage room, they might be in the office. Second door on your right,” she offered, stepping around the big man. If they’d come at her bosses’ request, then that meant they were probably hunters, and best to be avoided. Which was a damn shame cause she’d sure like to take a bite out of him.

  “Thank you for your help.”

  Sera smiled, then waved. “Any time. Now I better get back to work.” Without waiting for a response, she headed out the swinging doors and into the crowded pub. As soon as she escaped, she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.

  Shaking her head, she went back to the bar, gathered her tray and made another round throughout her assigned tables. Although she would have liked to have gotten the blond’s name, it was smarter to stay far away from him until she figured out what it was about him that had her wolf pushing at the edge of her consciousness, desperate to run free. In the meantime, she had a job to do.

  Chapter Two

  Chance Mercer smiled at the waitress rushing away. He didn’t know her name yet, but he would. Now that they’d found her, their mate wouldn’t get away. He and Noah had scented her the second they’d walked into the bar, knew that she was there, somewhere. Tracking her to the kitchen took but a few minutes and a quick word to Quinn gave them permission to follow her there.

  Quinn understood what it felt like to scent your mate for the first time, how hard his beast would be to control until they marked and mated her. While Noah learned what he could of their mate, Chance’s job was to make first contact—simple enough to place himself in a position for her to run him down, but he wished she hadn’t been in such a hurry to return to work. If not, she would have caught his scent and realized he didn’t need her help in locating Derek. She would have known that his wolf gave him an eerily accurate sense of smell, but she hadn’t even batted an eye at his explanation.

  He had smelled her nervousness, felt her need to escape, so he hadn’t stopped her from running from him—for now. Soon though, they would have to pursue her. They wouldn’t dare let her run free for long, not with the evil running loose in this town. Hell, who was he trying to kid? Even if they weren’t going to be hunting a demon and the person who summoned it, they wouldn’t have left her to go free for long. They’d waited too long, had searched too many years, for her to let her escape them now. She was everything and more than they remembered from their dreams.

  She wore her long black hair in thick braids. Her cocoa caramel skin reminded him of fresh chocolate. Her brown eyes practically sparkled when she smiled. She wasn’t overly tall, maybe five feet four inches without the heels. Her body had all the curves he’d imagined in his dreams and then some. But her smile struck him in the heart, giving him a glimpse of the sweetest dimple in her left cheek and lush lips he couldn’t wait to nibble on.

  Shaking his head, he headed toward the room she’d pointed him toward, knowing full well Derek and his mate were in there. As he approached the door, his thoughts once again turned toward his mate, curious as to why she’d wanted out of his presence so badly. He knew for a fact she found him attractive, he could smell her arousal, see her eyes dilate, as she looked him over.

  He’d find out the answers he needed soon enough. In the meantime, perhaps Derek and his mate, Willow, would have the information about who they suspected were the remaining cultists from the Halloween attacks.


  After knocking on the office door, he heard quite a bit of shuffling and cussing and couldn’t help but smile. He could smell sex thick in the air and knew he’d interrupted an intimate moment between the two of them. Soon enough, he hoped to be in the same position with his own mate. Several more seconds passed before Derek opened the door. His shirt remained partially un-tucked and his hair looked like Willow had tracked her fingers through it.

  Willow Kincaid sat behind her large desk, her legs tucked beneath the wooden monstrosity. Her shirt buttons were misaligned and her long red hair looked tousled, like it been gripped in passion by her mate. She had a lovely blush spreading across her cheeks. Chance cleared his throat, then looked away from the young woman. She seemed embarrassed at being caught and he didn’t want to make her any more uncomfortable than she already was.

  Focusing his attention on Derek, he gripped the man’s outstretched hand. “Noah and I just got into town. He’s questioning Quinn about your waitress and I came back here to ask about the cultists.”

  “What waitress?” Willow asked, “And why do you need to know about her.”

  “The African American woman with the long braids that was just in the kitchen. She’s our mate.”

  Derek sucked in a deep breath. “The woman you’ve been telling us about for years?”

  When Chance nodded, Derek laughed. “That’s Sera Serveti. She’s been working here for a few months.”

  “She stays to herself, seems to be a loner,” Willow added.

  Nodding, Chance straightened up, then approached the desk where he took a seat. “That’s good to know.” After stretching his legs out in front of him, he crossed his ankles, then folded his hands upon his stomach, and looked from Derek to Willow. “So tell me what you know of the remaining cultists.”