Sasquatch Surprise

by Anna Lowe

  When your wolf needs a break, she meant. Every shifter needed a chance to let their inner animals run free — and not only under the light of a full moon.

  “The building is over a hundred years old,” Tina went on, speaking louder again.

  Yes, she could see it in the detailed moldings, the ornate windows, the false front.

  “The ground floor is really three units, but two were combined for the saloon.”

  Jessica’s eyes kept traveling to the smaller place on the right. The cute one. “What’s in there?”

  Tina sighed. “It used to be a small art gallery. Before that, a café. But we haven’t been able to find a renter for it in years.”

  God, if she had some start-up capital… Jessica shook the thought off. It would take a hell of a lot of tips to get to the point where she could even think about that. And until she had peace of mind about the rogues hounding her… Why even wish?

  “You can live upstairs,” Tina said. “If you’re sure you don’t want to stay on the ranch. We do have the space, you know.”

  Jess wasn’t sure about anything, but living among a pack of strangers didn’t really appeal. Not even a whole pack of wolves as nice as Tina. Plus, neither Jess nor Janna had their own wheels, and even if they did, the forty-five-minute commute into town each day — and each late night — would be a bit much.

  “This will be fine,” Jess said, trying to keep doubt out of her voice.

  “It will need some work…” Tina warned.

  Jessica wondered if she meant the saloon, the apartment upstairs, or the whole new life she faced now.

  “…and you’ll have to share a bathroom with the guys…”

  “No problem!” Janna chirped.

  God, Jessica hoped not. That was the other unknown in the equation. She’d have to live under the same roof as her new boss or bosses. Who were the two men running the place, anyway? Shifters, was all she knew.

  “They’re good guys,” Tina added quickly. “Hard-working. Honest.”

  She sure hoped so.

  “…a little rough around the edges, maybe…”

  Jess pictured natty beards, worn jeans, western drawls.

  “…but I’m sure they’ll be fine. And they can really use your help.”

  That was another thing. Everything Tina didn’t say suggested the saloon wasn’t exactly off to a stellar start. Not that Jess minded hard work, but it would be nice to be part of a successful, competent team.

  “Anything you need, you let me know,” Tina said.

  “Thanks,” Jess said, meeting her eyes so Tina knew she meant it. The she-wolf had gone out of her way to help Jess and Janna from the very start.

  She’s got a soft spot for outcasts, Tina’s mate, Rick, had explained back on the ranch, when he’d looked at Tina like she was the sun and he was the moon, devoted to orbiting faithfully to the end of his days.

  The saloon doors — a pair of real saloon doors that swung both ways — split open, and a tall figure strode out.

  “Hello, Ty,” Tina said while Jessica and Janna hung back.

  Tina was probably the only person west of the Missouri who could greet that man so casually. Jessica’s eyes hit the ground, and not just because it was a required sign of submission to the alpha of Twin Moon pack. The man had a pointed, laser glare, and sheer wolf power sloughed off him in waves.

  “Hi,” he growled.

  Once upon a time, Jess had made a habit of showing such men she wasn’t easily impressed, but she’d been on the run long enough to know to keep her place. Just in case.

  “Don’t mind my brother,” Tina whispered out of the corner of her mouth, then swept right by him and into the saloon.

  Ty Hawthorne held the left half of the saloon door open in a surprisingly polite gesture for an alpha that powerful, and for a moment, the watch-your-step-on-my-turf aura he gave off softened to a more gentle, you’ll-be-safe-here.

  Jess took a last, deep breath and walked through the doors, feeling as if she were leaping into a deep, murky pool.

  At first, she couldn’t see anything, but as her eyes adjusted to the dim interior, she could make out the trappings of an authentic saloon. Four poker tables stood in the middle, and booths lined the sides. A weathered sign on the right read, Check your guns at the door, and it was hard to tell whether the message was a gag or not. Otherwise, the walls were decorated with black-and-white scenes of the frontier town in days gone by — all covered with enough dust to suggest that the new management hadn’t changed the decor. Or the menu, judging by the faded chicken-scratch on the chalkboard by the front door. Not a soul in sight, but then, it was ten in the morning — before opening time.

  Janna, of course, waltzed right in. “Great! A pool table.”

  There was a dartboard, too, a standup piano, and an old jukebox to one side. But the centerpiece of the saloon, and the thing that had Jess halt dead in her tracks, was the bar itself. A huge, oak masterpiece that took up all of the back wall. Bottles of booze glittered in the light bouncing off the huge mirror in the middle section, and an antique Winchester hung over the top. But it was the woodwork that caught her eye. Intricately carved wooden supports held up each of the many shelves, and a mountain scene was etched into the upper panel. A wolf howled at the moon, a bear waded in a stream, and an eagle soared overhead.

  “Gorgeous,” she murmured.

  A finely crafted latticework covered the entire upper section, all the way to the molded tin ceiling of the room. The bar itself was polished to a glow in the sunlight filtering through the windows, as was the brass footrail underneath.

  Two things were immediately evident. First, someone had put a hell of a lot of time into carving that bar a long, long time ago. Second, someone very recently had put a hell of a lot of time into restoring it all.

  “Nice, huh?” Tina murmured.

  “More than nice. It’s spectacular,” she agreed.

  “My great-uncle made it, ninety years ago.”

  Pool balls clicked behind them, and Jessica spun to see her sister blow at the tip of a pool stick like a gunslinger who’d just made the perfect shot. Knowing Janna, it was a perfect shot. But didn’t they have more important things to do, like meeting their new boss?

  Jessica looked around. Spider webs filled the other corners of the place, but damn did that bar gleam. If the guy put as much work into the rest of the place as he had into the bar, it wouldn’t be half bad. But the tables were crooked, the chairs chipped. The saloon had seen more than one brawl in its time. She was sure of that.

  “Hello?” Tina called. Her voice echoed down a narrow hallway that appeared to lead to the kitchen and a back room.

  “Coming,” a deep voice came from out of sight.

  Jessica’s wolf perked its ears. Froze. Practically pointed like a goddamn hunting dog, too. She gave it a mental swat, but the beast didn’t budge. What the hell was that about?

  Her nostrils flared, but all she could pick up was the scent of the shifters around her and the stale smell of French fries.

  “Be right there,” a second voice came. A low, rumbly voice, like that of a bear roused from his den.

  Her wolf soul had been slumbering for most of the morning, but now, it jumped up and down, growling at the bars of its cage. Wagging its tail frantically from a crazy cocktail of mixed emotions. Excitement with a splash of hope, a touch of arousal, and a whole lot of fear, clinking around like a couple of ice cubes in a whiskey glass.

  What? She wanted to scream at her wolf. What?

  Two square-shouldered forms stepped out of the shadows of the hallway, one half a step ahead of the other. Big, burly men who moved like bulldozers, confident that any living thing would back the hell out of their way. Each slowed to brush a shoulder against the doorframe as he came through, the way some shifters did to mark their turf.

  Short, sandy hair. Scruffy stubble. Dark, wary eyes. Huge, steely hands clenched into fists. Two men who couldn’t be anything but brothers.


  A warm rush of adrenaline exploded inside her and bounced around her veins, and her mind whirled. Not possible. It couldn’t be…

  Part of her wanted to flee; the other part wanted to leap into an embrace. The man in front looked permanently stern, while the one behind smiled. At least, he did until he spotted her.

  “Jessica Macks,” Tina started the introductions, “meet—”

  “Simon,” Jess blurted, looking over the shoulder of the first man toward the second. “Voss,” she finished, going weak in the knees.

  The man she’d never stopped loving, no matter how hard she tried. The bear shifter who still inhabited all of her dreams.

  Mate! Her wolf whimpered in joy. Mate!

  Blue eyes the color of the coldest, clearest alpine lake locked on hers and refused to let go.

  “Jessica,” he murmured, too low for human ears.

  Her wolf did a crazy tap dance. Mate! Mine!

  “Wow!” Janna exclaimed, clueless as ever. “Simon?” Then she turned to the older brother — the one who was bigger, broader, and burlier, but only by a hair. “Soren? Oh my God! It really is you.”

  “Good to see you,” Soren mumbled as his eyes darted between Jess and Simon.

  “This is amazing!” Janna declared.

  Tina tipped her head sideways in a gesture that said, This is unexpected.

  Jessica shook her head furiously, trying to break Simon’s unwavering gaze. This is not possible. No way. No how. The man who’d pretended to love her, then cast her aside?

  “This…” Simon uttered in his deep, edgy bass. A sound like a shovel scraping against rock, guaranteed to send tingles to every fenced-off corner of her body and mind. “This will never work.”

  Jess edged toward the doorway, trying to keep the wobbling pieces of her heart together long enough to make her escape.

  She shook her head and echoed him, trying to convince her wolf. “This will never work.”

  * * *

  Of course, it will! Find out exactly how these destined mates work their way back into each other’s arms. Get your own copy of Damnation today! It is available as a single title and as part of the Blue Moon Saloon, Volume 1 box set.

  Sneak Peek: Lure of the Dragon

  Aloha Shifters: Jewels of the Heart, Book 1

  Nothing is forbidden to this elite corps of bodyguards and private investigators — except falling in love.

  LURE OF THE DRAGON

  Good dragons? Bad dragons? Twenty-four hours ago, private chef Tessa Byrne didn’t know about the terrifying world of shifters. Now she knows too much, like the fact that a ruthless dragon lord is determined to claim her — forever. Tessa flees to Maui, where sunny skies, swaying palms, and a handsome stranger conspire to play tricks with her heart. Can she truly trust Kai Llewellyn and his band of battle-hardened shapeshifters to save her from a gruesome fate?

  Don’t trust a human, and never, ever fall in love with one. Those are lessons Kai learned the hard way. But Tessa is different. Her emerald eyes mirror the mysterious pendant she wears, and her flaming red hair makes his heart race. Is his inner dragon just greedy for a new kind of treasure, or is Tessa his destined mate?

  * * *

  Tessa took two shaky steps toward the ornate gate of the private driveway and stopped. Was she really going to do this?

  You can trust them, Ella had said. Ella, the neighbor who’d come along at exactly the right moment and saved her life.

  Tessa bit her lip. The fabric at the shoulder of her shirt was ripped, and her throat ached from the attack. Her fingers were still shaking, and her mind was haunted by visions of a terrifying beast. How could she trust anyone after what had happened less than twenty-four hours before?

  You have to trust them. No one else can protect you from that monster.

  Crickets chirped from the lush foliage, and a bat flew overhead, a splotch of black against the dark night. Palms swayed in the tropical breeze, echoing Ella’s words. No one else. There’s no one else.

  Tessa shivered in spite of the balmy night, unwilling to trust her own senses. Sure, the sea was whispering over the shore in a reassuring way. And yes, the moon’s rippling reflection over the Pacific should be soothing, like the sweet scent of hibiscus. But even the island paradise of Maui could try to deceive her. Nightmares could break the deepest peace — real-life nightmares she couldn’t block out of her memory no matter how hard she tried. She could still see the glowing eyes of the creature that had attacked her.

  Mine. You will be mine, his voice boomed in her mind.

  She drew a deep breath and looked over her shoulder, wishing she hadn’t sent the taxi away. The past twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind. She’d barely slept, and fear pulsed through her veins like poison. How could she possibly judge whom to trust?

  She tipped her head back at the stars and gulped. She was alone at night in a remote corner of Maui, far off the beaten track, about to knock on the door of a complete stranger for help.

  A very rich stranger, she decided, inspecting the gate. There was an elaborate design in the middle, but she couldn’t quite make it out. Something swirly. Toothy. Wait — was that a tail? Shit, was it a dragon, or was she seeing things?

  She shook the thought away and told herself to think. A gate that massive must protect a hell of an estate — a seaside estate in Maui that had made the taxi driver whistle when she gave the address back at the airport.

  “Koa Point Estate,” he’d said. “You’ve got the right friends, miss.”

  Tessa gnawed on her lip. These weren’t friends. They were complete strangers. And anyway, the man who’d attacked her in Phoenix was rich, too. Rich didn’t mean trustworthy — or even human.

  A tremor went through her at the memory of her attacker’s fingernails turning into claws and reaching out for her.

  Mine. You will be mine.

  Tessa shook her head and turned back for the road. Who knew what secrets lay behind that gate? It would be safer to head back to Lahaina and find a hotel for the night. After a good night’s sleep, she could—

  The beams of twin headlights blinded her, and a powerful engine purred into the driveway. Tessa froze as a vintage Jaguar approached then stopped. For a moment, nothing happened, and Tessa considered whether to run, but her legs stayed rooted to the spot.

  The driver’s door opened, and a tall man climbed out. Tessa squinted against the lights, trying to make out his face as he stood silently inspecting her for a full minute.

  “Have you decided yet?” His deep voice boomed, making her jump.

  Tessa clutched her bag to her chest. “Who are you?”

  He stepped forward, and a tiny grin formed at one corner of his mouth. “Who are you?”

  Tessa tried to form an answer, but her lips were shaking, as was the rest of her body. Was this man a potential ally or a deadly foe?

  His dark hair and bright blue eyes contrasted with the pure white of his dress shirt, open at the neck. Sharp, angled features cast their own sub-shadows over his face. Tall and imposing, he seemed perfectly at home in the night.

  Vampire, her subconscious screamed. He must be a vampire.

  Tessa discarded the idea a second later. Surely a vampire would give her creepy vibes. Despite the fine cut of his clothes, this man exuded an untamed, animal feel, like a lion or a wolf. A predator just as capable of ripping an enemy limb from limb as he was of protecting the one he loved.

  A little shiver went down her spine.

  Tessa tried to shake the feeling off and collected her thoughts. She doubted he was a vampire. Ella had sent her to a band of shapeshifters, right?

  “I’m Tessa. Tessa Byrne.”

  She hadn’t intended to give her full name, but damn. There was something fiercely commanding about the man — that, and he was so blindingly handsome, even in the dimness of night — that her brain had short-circuited.

  “So, Tessa,” he murmured like a man savoring a new brandy. “Have you decided yet?”

  “
Decided what?” she asked, taking another step back.

  “Whether you’re coming or going.”

  Coming, part of her brain said. The part that couldn’t help noticing the ripple of muscles under the thin fabric of his shirt.

  Going, the terrified part of her soul screeched. Go, quick.

  But she didn’t move. She couldn’t. Or maybe she didn’t want to, because that might mean losing sight of him — and being alone when instinct screamed at her to stay.

  “I’m…I’m not sure.” God, she hated being indecisive. Her whole life she had been confident, capable, and strong. But ever since she’d been attacked by something not-quite-human, she didn’t know where she stood anymore.

  He stood studying her for a full minute before speaking again. A minute in which his eyes grazed over her body and his nostrils flared. A lot like her attacker had, and yet in a totally different way. For some mystifying reason, this stranger put her at ease, whereas she’d been wary of her attacker long before he’d shown his true self.

  When the man locked eyes with her, her heart thumped hard and heavy, and an achy sensation set in under her ribs. An inexplicable yearning sensation, as if she’d been missing something terribly important all her life and only realized it now.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  She shook her mind back into focus and asked herself the same thing. A gentle sea breeze kissed her cheeks, reminding her where here was. Maui. A speck of an island in the middle of the Pacific. Would she be safe here?

  “Ella sent me. She said to come to Koa Point and ask for help. She said to explain what happened.”

  “And what might that be?”

  “I was attacked by Damien Morgan. Last night, in Phoenix.”

  The words came tumbling out, and when the man didn’t react, Tessa panicked. Had she said the wrong thing?

  Then she realized he had gone stiff all over, and his eyes were no longer on her, but sweeping the darkness behind.

  “Come with me,” he said curtly, tapping a keypad beside the gate.

  Fear nipped at her heels, and she hurried toward the car. His voice was that urgent, that convincing.