Pride to Pack (The Mount Roxby Series)

by Aimie Jennison

  I should have listened.

  Jared will know I have left by now. Uncle Jack promised he would keep him distracted long enough to give me a good head start.

  I didn’t tell anyone where I was heading, so even if he does come looking, he isn’t going to find me. Even I hadn’t known where I was heading. I’d just closed my eyes, threw a dart at a map of Australia and chose the nearest town that had a werewolf pack. I burnt the map to ashes afterwards so there wouldn’t be any clues.

  I know you’re wondering why I left. If I was in love with the man who saved my life by duelling for me, for the last six years, why would I up and leave? Well let me tell you, that is exactly why I left. Jared didn’t deserve to fight every week to save his mate, or wife, from being killed. He deserves a mate that his pride actually like and accept. I don’t want him to resent me and that’s all that’s in our future, resentment.

  I only told Aunt Lily, Uncle Jack and Benji about my plan to leave an hour before my first coach left. Aunt Lily was heartbroken and Benji wasn’t far off, but once I explained my reasons Uncle Jack agreed it was for the best. We managed to calm Aunt Lily and Benji down in the end, but I think it will take them a while to fully come to terms with it.

  I am hoping to find a werewolf pack that will welcome me. From Pride to Pack, I’m dreaming of finding somewhere to finally call home.

  So here I am in Mount Roxby, thankfully off that stinking bus, with a back pack crammed full of my belongings, two hundred dollars in my pocket, and no idea what to do or where to go.

  As I stand on the pavement of the main road, taking in my surroundings, I find myself being drawn to a building across the road. It doesn’t look special; it’s a corner building and has a midnight blue facade, two double doors of the same colour, and a bright purple neon sign - Misty’s. There are no windows that I can see, making me think it’s a bar or club of some kind. I can’t help but go take a closer look.

  There’s a piece of paper taped to the door saying “cocktail mixer needed, apply within”. I'm going to need a job. I had worked in the only bar back home for the last couple of years, so I’m used to the bar atmosphere. Okay, cocktails weren’t ordered very often, but how hard can it be?

  As I push the door open I get a really strong sense of dread. It makes me want to turn my behind around and leave in a rush. I take a deep breath and ignore my senses. Once the door shuts behind me the dread goes with it, as if it’s just connected to the door in some way.

  The smell of cleaning fluids hit me immediately, along with a whole mix of people's personal scents. In the big rectangular room the solid wooden floorboards under my feet aren't sticky like you expect to find in a bar. The first thing I see is the bar’s counter which is directly opposite the entrance, stretching about eight metres in length from the right hand corner of the room, to the left. There’s a door next to the bar and then there are four booths along the wall; a stage - with a beautiful, glossy black piano stood on the right-hand side - is positioned in the far left of the room along that side wall. In front of the stage is a large open area which I assume is used as a dance floor. Covering the rest of the floor space is a mixture of circular and rectangular tables, with booths against the other wall until you come to the door again. Every available wall is covered in floor to ceiling height mirrors, which makes the whole place look twice as big. Even though there are no windows it isn’t dark and dingy, the lighting is used well. The space between the bar and the door is open apart from a few stools along the bar.

  There aren’t many customers; a couple sat at the right corner of the bar, a guy sat to the far left side, and another couple sat at one of the circular table’s right next to the dance floor. It doesn’t look very busy but it is only five in the evening, most people will only just be leaving work. It probably won’t get too busy for another couple of hours.

  I walk over to the bar where I can see a tall, at least six-foot, slim brunette serving. She looks a little puzzled as she looks at me and I start to panic thinking how bad I must look as I have just stepped off the bus, but as I channel her emotions I notice that she is feeling confusion. Surely that can’t be related to my looks!

  “Welcome to Misty’s. What can I get ya?” she says in a cute British accent. I can easily sense the lie. The door must have been warded, that's why I felt the dread. A witch's ward! A human shouldn’t be able to walk in and she probably knows all the supernatural beings in town. She must be wondering if it’s broken.

  “Hi I’m Bel. I’m new in town. I thought I’d try my luck with the sign on your door,” I tell her whilst holding my hand out for her to shake; she looks at it warily but takes it in hers whilst giving me a welcoming smile. I know the minute she senses my wolf energy, her smile turns genuine.

  “I’m Misty, nice to meet ya, Bel. Have ya worked in a bar before?”

  I look behind the bar which looks just like any other bar, spirit bottles lining shelves and work surfaces, and fridges with beer bottles and premixes in it. “Yeah, I worked in a little bar back home for the last three years, I can give you a number and name for a reference.”

  Misty screws up her face and shakes her head. “No, I don’t really like getting references; I prefer to see for myself. Are ya free tonight?”

  “I just stepped off the bus, I haven’t had chance to make any plans yet. So I’m all yours.” I grin. How lucky is that, a job from the first place I walk into? Now let’s hope finding somewhere to sleep works out just as easy.

  “Okay. Get ya self ‘round this side of the bar then and I’ll give ya, a paid trial tonight. Thursday’s aren’t very busy, so I should be able to keep my eye on ya.” She looks at me as if she’s weighing me up. I must meet her standard because she walks over to the little flap and raises it to allow me behind the bar.

  By the looks of things there isn’t much room behind the bar, just enough for three or four people to move around and serve comfortably. There’s no shelving with personal items on it, just glasses under the bar, fridges and spirit bottles behind it and the draught levers on top.

  “That will be great, thanks. Is there somewhere I can leave my bag?” I show her my backpack as I pull it off my back.

  She points to the door between the bar and booths. I notice there is a toilet sign on it, which I didn’t see during my observations before. “My office is through there, the code for the door is seven-two-five-nine.”

  I nod in acknowledgement chanting the code to myself over and over, and head through the door into a small narrow corridor decorated in wooden cladding on the bottom half of the wall which is finished off with a dado rail, the walls above it are white, but you can tell they are well overdue a fresh coat. There’s a door to my left with a beautiful Barbie-like woman painted on the full length of the door, and a couple of metres further up the corridor there is another door with a hot guy painted on it.

  I walk over to the guy’s door and find myself wondering if he is based on a real guy. He must have girls coming at him from all angles, if so. I meet his eyes and decide it can’t be a real person because his eyes, they look like emeralds, and no one has eyes that green.

  On the right hand wall about halfway down the corridor there is a steel reinforced door which has an electric code panel next to it. They must get some bad types in here if they have security like this. I didn't see any bouncers.

  The only other door is a fire exit at the end of the corridor, which is painted a charcoal grey and has one of those, press to release bars across it.

  I enter the code Misty gave me and watch as the light turns from red to green as I hear the lock click.

  As I open the door I realise the room is only small, one wall is covered in filing cabinets, and there are a few hooks on another wall with a coat and bag hung up. Next to the hooks is another door which must lead to a storage room of some sort because the hallway was too long for there not to be more room.

  I put my bag on the floor under the hooks, not wanting the weight of my bag to pull the ho
oks off the wall.

  The office is finished off with a metal desk in the middle of the room with a wooden chair from out of the bar. The walls are painted a cold grey/blue colour. It isn’t a very inviting office.

  I go back into the bar to find three more customers.

  Misty shows me how things run behind the bar, explaining that the customers mostly order cocktails since they’re mainly werewolves. I know better than anyone that we find it hard to get drunk. A big mix of alcohol like you get in a cocktail gives a little buzz at least.

  The guy from the couple that has been in here since I walked in, waves me over to the far side of the bar to take his order.

  My first order, here goes nothing.

  I give him a big smile as I reach him. “Hi. What can I get you?”

  “Can we get two Russian Roses, please?”

  I look at him puzzled, wracking my brain to think of what that drink could be, with no luck. Why couldn’t he have picked something simple like a Cosmopolitan?

  Noticing my predicament Misty shouts the ingredients across the bar as she points each one out. “Shaker, vodka, triple sec, pink grapefruit juice, rose syrup, basil and the juice of two lime wedges.”

  “Thanks Misty. I haven’t heard of that one before.” Great, my first drink and I don’t even know it. What kind of cocktail mixer do I think I am?

  “No worries Bel. Ya’ll probably get a few ya don’t know. Ya’ll get used to them all eventually. There’s a book in the office in case we get a real obscure order but most of the customers know what they are ordering. If in doubt ya can always ask them. Although ya might get a sneaky customer or two trying to catch ya out on purpose. We have some jokers like that around here,” she says, mixing drinks for one of the new customers.

  I’m just squeezing the limes into the shaker for the Russian Roses, as I get a whiff of Werewolf. I barely get chance to register the scent before I get hit with a rush of power that can only come from an alpha. The alpha’s power wakes the wolf inside me; she starts to stir, making my skin restless and my heartbeat raise. I knew there was a large werewolf pack here but I never imagined I would meet the alpha within the first couple of hours of arriving. I thought I’d be able to meet a few submissive wolves first; instead I get the most dominant of them all. Great!

  I put the lid on the shaker and start to shake it. I turn around to get a glance at the alpha and can’t believe my eyes. He’s the gorgeous guy that the men’s toilet door painting is based on. I am doing everything possible to not run off to check he’s not just stepped out of the painting. He’s got a lovely muscular body - but most weres are in good shape - he’s about five-foot-eight, with strawberry blonde hair, and he’s wearing dark jeans and a baby blue t-shirt.

  I pour the drinks out and take the guy’s money. I hope he gave me the right money because I can’t concentrate enough to count it or even think about change. He’s started a conversation with a new customer next to him so I don’t think he is waiting for change.

  I can’t stop glancing at the painting guy.

  Just as I’m about to go and take the painting guy’s order, Misty beats me to it. “Hi, Theo, how are ya today?”

  Smoking hot! Is how he is! I think to myself. While I’m admiring him I realise he is looking at me as if waiting for me to answer a question I didn’t hear him ask. I look at Misty hoping she can clear it up.

  “This is my new cocktail mixer, Bel. You could have warned me there was a new Were in town, I thought the wards were down when she walked in here,” she jested.

  Painting guy - Theo, Misty called him - puts his hand out for me to shake. As our hands meet a tingling sensation shoots from my hand through every fibre of my body. I jump and try to pull my hand back but Theo is just staring at my hand as if he’s never seen a hand before.

  What the hell was that? I’ve felt other weres test power but it’s never felt like that before. A test of power feels more like a pressure against your skin but then I’ve never had a werewolf test my power before, maybe they feel different to werelions.

  His gravelly voice breaks my inner dialogue, “I’m Theo, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He lifts my hand up to his mouth and places a gentle kiss on it. I notice his nostrils flare as he takes in my scent. Okay... Weird!!

  As I look into his alluring emerald green eyes, that look just as much like real emeralds as the ones in the painting did, I distractedly reply, “The pleasure is all mine.” Did I really say that out loud?

  Oh my goodness, please let the floor open up and swallow me.

  Any time now would be nice.

  He just lets go of my hand and laughs.

  Nice one Bel, you look like a bloody idiot, I chastise myself.

  I notice Misty is back at her end of the bar again, thank the angels she didn’t witness me act like an idiot.

  Okay ask him for his order already, he’s only a guy.

  “What can I get you?” I can’t seem to wipe the embarrassed look off my face. I can feel the flush in my cheeks.

  “Do you know what a Johnnie Black Sazerac is?” He’s still smirking as if he can’t quite stop laughing at my idiocy. Thankfully it’s one of the cocktails I actually know. I have made enough of a fool of myself for one night.

  “That’s Johnnie Walker Black and Pernod isn’t it?” I ask with a questioning look.

  Better to be safe than sorry, or embarrassed again in this case!

  As I look at him I feel myself wanting to reach out and touch him. I want to feel that power again. I stop my hand before it moves towards him.

  “You’re good; I usually always have to list that one up when someone serves me for the first time.” He seems like a nice guy. I’d expect an alpha to be more serious and commanding. I don’t feel at all intimidated by him. I just want to rub myself against him, I’m glad the bar is between us, because it’s the only thing that’s stopping me.

  “The last place I worked was full of men, and that’s a man’s drink, so to speak.”

  As I’m mixing his drink I notice there’s a picture of a wolf howling at a full moon on his t-shirt. “That’s fitting,” I say with a chuckle.

  He looks down to where my eyes are looking and gives his own hearty laugh, “I like to state the obvious,” he says with a shrug. “Did you put a request in to come into town?” he asks as I’m admiring the shape of his body through the tight fitting t-shirt.

  “Request? I didn’t know I had to,” I inquire with a worried face.

  “Any supernatural being that wants to come into town, whether it be for a long or short stay, needs to make a request to me or the leader of the Mount Roxby Vampire’s. He likes to be called the King.” He raises his eyebrows in exasperation. “I’d recommend me, I don't bite, unless you ask me to,” he jokes.

  “Oh. I’m sorry; I didn’t know anything about it. I’m from a small town that didn’t get many newcomers; it’s mainly just the pride that lives in the town.” I catch the confused look on his face as I say the word pride and quickly clarify, “I was brought up in a werelion pride.”

  “A werewolf in a werelion pride. That’s new. I can put you on the system if you want?”

  “That will be great, thanks,” I say as I pass his drink over. He gives me some money and I place it in the till like Misty showed me.

  “How did they react to you leaving? Being brought up with them; they would have seen you as one of their own, wouldn’t they? I wouldn’t have thought they’d be very happy to see you leave,” he asks.

  “Far from it. No, they were glad to see me leave. They had never really accepted me; even though my Auntie was married to one of them.” I stare off into the distance, thinking about how I was treated by the Pride.

  “Once I turned eighteen I was challenged nearly every day and I didn’t even want to be classed as Pride. It was duel after duel, I needed to get away.” I snap out of my memories, realising I’m telling my life story to a stranger. He’s so easy to talk to, I feel like I’ve known him all my life. Realistica
lly I’ve known him ten minutes, if that!

  “I’m sorry. You don’t want to hear all that,” I say as I shake my head.

  “Can I get another?” A customer down the bar waves me over thankfully, before Theo gets a chance to comment on me blurting all that out to him.

  The bar seems to have filled with vampires and werewolves whilst I’d been distracted by Theo. I better get back on with the job or Misty will be firing me before I even really got started.

  2. UNWANTED ENCOUNTERS

  Theo

  I can't stop staring at Bel, the new barmaid. I can't believe it… But I felt it. The tingle when we touched, my wolf nearly burst out of my skin. That shouldn't happen.

  Unless… No.

  She can't be.

  There's no other explanation though.

  I'm dying to touch her again to see if it happens a second time. It's taking every ounce of concentration to stop myself from vaulting the bar to get to her. Her floral scent is making my mouth water.

  A heavy hand on my shoulder pulls my attention from my staring. "Who's the hot new barmaid?"

  A growl leaves my throat before I can stop it. Thankfully I catch my energy before it flares. I don't need the whole pack's attention. I turn to face Eddie who is standing with his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

  "Whoa, obviously someone I shouldn't be looking at." He sits on the empty stool next to me.

  "Sorry Ed, she's called Bel. New wolf in town,” I say as Bel walks past to serve someone further along the bar. I watch as Ed's nostrils flare when he catches her scent.

  "Fuck, she smells good."

  As much as my wolf wants to rip his head off for even scenting her, I hold it in. I have no claim over her. I'd only met her not long ago.

  My wolf disagrees, Mine, he thinks as he pushes against my skin trying to get to her.

  "Did you track the vamp down?" I ask Ed. Ed is one of my enforcers or soldiers as some people call them.