by C. D. Gorri
“Okay.” Relief was evident in her voice.
“Don’t worry. You don’t have to report me.”
She paused, the sound of a car door slamming through the receiver filling the silence. “It’s not a law I agree with, if that makes you feel any better.”
“Thanks. What do you want me to do?” He looked around for any signs of the culprit but found nothing. Whatever took this woman’s heart had to have massive claws or a wicked weapon.
“Get out of the alley and call Luke. If you can’t reach him, follow the chain. I’ll take care of the humans.”
“Hey!” Angel’s voice echoed down the alley. “What are you doing?”
“Shit.” He flicked his wrist, swinging the gate toward her and knocking her back into the street. He cringed at the sound of flesh hitting pavement and scrambled to climb the fence.
“Get back here, fucker!” Mitch plowed through the gate as Noah’s foot slipped.
He fell to the ground, smacking his head on the cobblestone, and his vision swam. Mitch hauled him up, slamming him against the brick wall.
“What did you do to her, you sick bastard?” Mitch pressed his forearm into Noah’s chest, squeezing the breath from his lungs.
Shit. What now? He glanced around the alley, searching for something he could grab with his mind to fight back, but Angel’s agonizing wail pulled his attention to the body.
“Bridget!” She dropped to her knees, folding forward at the waist and covering her face. “Oh my God, someone call the police.”
Half a dozen dancers hesitated at the alley entrance before creeping forward, their faces pale, expressions distorted in shock as sirens blared in the distance.
Noah was toast. He stopped struggling, and Mitch eased off his chest enough for him to speak. “I didn’t touch her. The alley gate was open, so I came in to look for her.”
Mitch’s eyes narrowed into slits. “Save it for the police.”
Another bouncer, even meatier than Mitch, if that were possible, sidestepped around the dancers and grabbed Noah’s arm. He could have fought back, but his second-born strength was no match for these beefcakes. Noah would have to use his magic to have any chance of winning, and he couldn’t do that in front of all these people.
Instead, he let them drag him to the street and cooperated as the police put him in handcuffs. Tiffany and Caitlyn, the women he’d met at the bar, stood on the sidewalk a few feet away, but he couldn’t meet their eyes.
He had royally fucked up. Whatever the human cops had planned for him would pale in comparison to the punishment waiting for him once he returned to the pack. This was the reason non-shifters weren’t allowed to patrol alone. They lacked the speed and strength to get out of situations like this. A shifter never would have been caught.
As the officer guided him into the back of the squad car, he caught a glimpse of Macey’s face before she headed into the alley. The disappointment and pity in her eyes was enough to tear him in two.
A werewolf arrested by the human police. He was a disgrace to his pack.
Chapter Two
Amber Mason strolled next to her mother up St. Philip Street toward O’Malley’s Pub. The hot June sun beat down on them, heating the top of her head and making her reconsider the bar’s standard black uniform. It was too damn hot for dark colors.
The surprise lunch visit had been pleasant, her mom filling her in on her parents’ move to Jackson, Mississippi, and how her dad was settling into his new role in the werewolf national congress. They talked about family and how Amber was handling running the bar on her own, Debbie placing just enough emphasis on the on her own part to make it clear this visit wasn’t simply social.
But Amber wasn’t taking the bait. If her mom had something to say about her current relationship status—or lack thereof—she’d have to work it into the conversation on her own. Amber sure as hell wasn’t bringing it up.
“How long are you in town for?” She opened the door and gestured for her mom to go inside.
Debbie paused and looked at her, tilting her head and giving her that I can’t believe you haven’t found a man look. It was unmistakable: the way her brows drew together and lifted at the same time, the twitch as the corners of her mouth tried to pull into a frown but she forced them upward into an awkward smile.
It was the look of pity, and though Amber favored her mom, with the same light-brown hair and blue eyes, she tried her best to avoid the facial expressions that somehow cut deeper than words.
Her mom placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze before she stepped through the door. “Just for the afternoon. I’m heading to Lake Charles to visit Vanessa this evening and staying a few nights there.”
Chilled air blasted Amber’s skin as she crossed the threshold, a welcome relief from the sauna of the Louisiana summer. Shaded lights hung from exposed beams in the ceiling, giving the quiet bar a dark, smoky haze. A couple sat in the corner, sharing an order of loaded fries and a pitcher of beer, and Chase stood behind the bar, chopping a lemon.
He lifted his head and grinned as he caught sight of Debbie. “Afternoon, Mrs. Mason. Where’s the old man? You leave him behind this time?” He stood on a plastic crate and leaned over the bar, stretching out his arms in invitation.
Debbie smiled and leaned in to hug him across the bar. “Us girls need to have a little fun without our mates every now and then. How are you and your witch?”
Chase chuckled and rubbed a hand down his dark beard. “We’re good. Perfect, in fact.”
“I’m so glad you found someone.” She gave Amber the side-eye and leaned against a barstool, crossing her arms over her pressed white blouse.
Amber fought her eye roll. “I’d offer you a drink, Mom, but since you’re driving, we better not. I’ll tell Luke you said hi.”
“Actually…”
Oh lord. Here it comes. She’d all but dismissed the woman. Couldn’t she go on her way without bringing up the inevitable?
“I was hoping we could talk somewhere privately about a family matter.”
Apparently, she couldn’t. Amber rolled the stiffness from her neck. The headache this conversation would bring was already inching its way into the base of her skull.
She gestured to the side door. “We can go in Luke’s office. There’s more room in there.” And it wasn’t in the same state of perpetual disarray as her own office. She didn’t need to give her mom anything else to chide her for.
Debbie strode toward the door. “Is your brother here? That would be even better.”
I wish. Luke would make the perfect buffer for this conversation. He’d been through all this with their parents already. “He’s on a jobsite.”
“Too bad.”
Amber followed her mom through the swinging door, down a short flight of brick steps, and into the back corridor. A storage room filled with cases of beer and restaurant supplies opened up on the right, and she reached across to the left, pulling her office door shut as she passed it.
The alpha’s office lay just beyond the storage room, and Debbie didn’t stop to knock before she pushed the door open and disappeared inside. Amber stood in the entrance as her mom ran a hand across the back of a green chair, a sad smile playing on her lips as she stepped toward the massive oak desk and picked up a small Eiffel Tower figurine on the corner.
“I remember when this was your father’s office.”
“Yeah, well, it wasn’t that long ago.” She dropped into a chair and crossed her legs. “What did you want to talk about?”
That same scrunched-brow look of pity contorted Debbie’s features. “You’re twenty-nine years old, sweetheart.”
She folded her hands in her lap. “Last time I checked.”
A small chuckle emanated from her mom’s throat. “You get your sarcasm from your father.”
“And his alpha blood and all the laws that come with it. Is that what you wanted to talk about?”
Debbie laced her fingers together and leaned aga
inst the desk. “You’re obligated to take a mate by the time you turn thirty.”
“Which is ridiculous.”
She held up her hands. “It’s not my place to agree or disagree with the law, but it is the law. I don’t want you to go through what your brother did if you wait until the last minute.”
“You mean when he found his fate-bound, but the law almost forced him to mate with someone else when they ran into trouble? Don’t worry, Mom. That’ll never happen.” Amber wasn’t meant to be anyone’s fated mate. If a wolf in the pack was going to claim her, it would have happened by now. “No one wants me.”
“That’s not true. Any man in the pack…in any pack…would be happy to take you as his mate. You have—”
“Alpha blood. I know.” And that was the perfect reason to spend the rest of her life with someone, wasn’t it? Not because he loved her, but because she could bring him into the inner circle, give him a child with alpha blood. No, thank you.
“It’s within your brother’s authority to select someone for you.”
Amber’s mouth dropped open. Was her mother actually suggesting she let Luke assign someone the task of mating with her?
Debbie slid into the chair next to her and patted her knee. “He would never choose your mate, dear, but if there’s someone you had in mind, he could…” She shrugged.
“Do you hear yourself, Mother? If I were a man, would you suggest I force a woman to become my mate? Take away her choice, her free will?” Her parents were so old school it was a wonder she and Luke turned out the way they did. This wasn’t her father’s pack anymore, and she would not succumb to these crusty old antiquated laws.
“No, that would be different.”
“It’s exactly the same.”
Her mother pursed her lips and blew out an irritated breath through her nose. “Your brother nearly brought shame upon our family…in front of the congress, no less. If things hadn’t worked out for him the way they did, the congress could have brought in new leadership. Our family could have been exiled.”
Her heart sank. Luke had to have a mate to become alpha. While Amber would never hold any position of authority, it was her obligation to ensure the bloodline continued undiluted.
“Your father could lose his place on the congress if you… Please don’t put our family in another situation like that.”
“I won’t. I’ve got plenty of time to find someone I can stomach spending the rest of my life with.”
Her mom frowned. “You have six months.”
Amber’s smile faded, and she placed her hand on Debbie’s. Where had the time gone? “I won’t let you down.”
Her mom rested her free hand on top of hers. “You never have. If there aren’t any men in the pack who pique your interest, we could plan a soiree. Plenty of men from the neighboring packs would love to meet you.”
“No. Absolutely not. This isn’t the 1800s.” She tugged her hand from her mother’s grasp and stood, pacing around the desk. No way in hell would she allow herself to be put on display like that. She was a grown woman, for Christ’s sake.
Debbie nodded. “You’re right. That would make you look desperate.”
“Which I’m not.” She’d dated a couple of pack members when she was in her early twenties. It had quickly become obvious they were more interested in her position than her personality when they preferred having dinner with her parents over spending time alone with her.
“No, you’re not.” That damned look of pity crossed her mother’s face again before she smoothed her features and rose to her feet. “I had better hit the road. I’ve got an early dinner reservation.” She glided toward the door, pausing and turning to Amber. “I almost forgot to ask. How’s Noah? You didn’t mention him at lunch.”
A flutter formed in her stomach, but it quickly turned sour. “I haven’t heard from him in nearly a month.”
“That’s odd. He’s one of your best friends.”
Was one of her best friends. When he skipped the full moon gathering last month, she’d assumed he was on patrol with Cade or James. But when he didn’t respond to her texts the next few days, she’d received the message loud and clear.
“I think he must have met someone.” Saying it out loud, the words solidified into steel and pierced her heart. Noah was never serious about anything, especially dating. Whoever was occupying his time these days must have had her hooks in him deep.
Her mother’s pity face twisted the blade. “I’m sure he would have told you if that were the case. Noah’s kindness and concern for others are some of his best qualities. Wonderful qualities for a potential mate.” She raised a brow.
If she was trying to plant a seed in Amber’s mind, she was wasting her time. The idea that her feelings for Noah ran deeper than friendship had sprouted a while ago, but right before she could express her interest in him, something about their relationship had changed. He’d backed off, acting awkward around her. She didn’t dare risk ruining their friendship by trying again. He was the only single man in the pack who didn’t look at her as a breeding machine.
Amber crossed her arms. “I’m sure he’ll make a great mate for someone someday.”
Debbie’s lips curved into a sly smile. “I’m sure he will. Give your brother a hug for me. I’m sorry I missed him.” She blew a kiss to Amber and slipped into the hall.
Gritting her teeth, Amber shuffled to the door, waiting until her mom exited into the bar before making her way to her own office. She dropped into a high-backed leather chair, spinning in a circle as she chewed her bottom lip. As the chair came back around to face the desk, she planted her feet on the floor and let her elbows thunk on the wooden surface.
She inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly, willing the tension in her shoulders to ease. That conversation could have been worse. At least this time her mother didn’t suggest she lay off the fatty bar food if she ever wanted to land a man. Still, the insinuation that Amber’s greatest contribution to the pack would be having a baby sat sour in her stomach like expired buttermilk.
Her second-born psychic ability was occasionally useful. So what if she only had gut feelings about the future and could rarely give specifics? She’d given the pack a heads up about danger on several occasions. Who knew what would have happened if she hadn’t? And she ran this bar and maintained the offices and innerworkings of the pack headquarters. This place would fall apart without her, dammit. She didn’t have time to fuss with a man.
Unless that man was Noah.
Fisting her hands, she pressed her knuckles against her brow, squeezing her eyes shut and willing the thoughts away. But her will didn’t work on her feelings for her friend any more than it did on easing the tension creeping toward her temples.
Her mother was right about one thing: Noah did have all the qualities of a good mate. He was kind, honest, funny, smart, and… Lately she’d begun to find him physically attractive as well, which was weird. Growing up, even when the other girls in school were fawning over him, she’d never thought of him in that way.
Something had changed in the past year, though, and now she couldn’t look at the man without a smile tugging at her lips and warmth blooming in her belly. He had thick, auburn hair she wanted to run her fingers through and dark brown eyes she could imagine sparkling with mischief in the bedroom. A shiver shimmied up her spine.
Maybe it was hormones…what shifters called their mating instinct. Amber’s wolf was dormant, but it was possible she still had the reflexes. She was getting dangerously close to thirty, and while the arbitrary deadline placed on her was fabricated by the ancient geezers in the congress, most werewolves did find their mates around this age.
After watching her brother find so much happiness with his fate-bound, Amber decided she would never mate with a shifter unless his wolf claimed her as his own fate-bound. She couldn’t take that opportunity away from any man. It wouldn’t be fair.
Noah’s wolf was dormant too, so it didn’t matter that he hadn’t clai
med her. He wouldn’t be claiming anyone. Not as a fate-bound…but perhaps as a soulmate just the same. Even humans believed in that concept, so why not?
Whatever it was, she couldn’t deny she had feelings for her best friend. She also couldn’t deny the jealousy burning in her chest at the thought of him spending so much time with another woman. He could’ve at least had the decency to reply to Amber’s text and let her know he’d be indisposed for the rest of his life.
Especially after what happened with Nylah. Amber and Noah had both been crushed when his twin went rogue, abandoning them without so much as a goodbye.
It seemed hasty departures ran in the family.
She snatched the pile of papers strewn across her desk and shuffled them into a neat stack, tapping the edge against the wood to even them out. It was time to get her life in order. She had an obligation to the pack, and pining over a man who was obviously not interested in her would only hold her back.
The office phone rang with an internal call, and she hit the speaker button. “Yes?”
“Shipment just came in,” Chase said. “If you’ll man the bar, I’ll move the cases to storage.”
“On my way.” She ended the call and rose to her feet, stretching her arms above her head before rolling her neck and straightening her spine. Her mother was gone, so she could forget all about the ordeal…until her next visit.
She strode through the hallway into the bar, where Chase had stacked four cases of Abita onto a dolly, and the front door swung open before Luke stepped through. She took two strides toward her brother, but Noah entered the bar behind him. Her heart slammed against her chest, and she froze. He hadn’t spoken to her in nearly a month, and now he showed up at her bar? Oh, hell no.
“You can stay here, Chase. I’ll move this to the back.” With her foot on the crossbar, she pulled the dolly toward her, angling it onto its wheels.
“You sure?” Chase asked. “It’s heavy.”
