by Kimber White
The guy in front of me picked up the shot glass and downed his bourbon. His color didn’t look good. He’d turned positively gray. I leaned down, trying to peer into his face. If I could see his eyes, the color they flashed would tell me everything I needed to know. My arm grazed his. My God. He was burning up! It wasn’t wolf heat. It was something much hotter.
Then, I saw his eyes. I expected them to flash gold or silver. I wouldn’t have been that surprised to see the pupils turn to slits. Maybe he was a tiger or some other type of jungle cat. I hadn’t seen too many of those lately. But, this guy’s eyes went black as onyx. And I mean the whole eye. Even the whites.
“Hey! Hey, are you okay?” I put a hand on his arm. It was stupid of me. I knew better. Never mind me trying to figure out what he was; one touch and he might clue in to what was different about me.
Astor was going to kill me. He hated that I worked at the Blue Heron. Too conspicuous, he said. He accused me of looking for trouble. It was an ongoing debate. I told him I didn’t need to look for it. Trouble always had a way of finding me.
“What’s your name, buddy?” I asked. I gave the guy a gentle shake and looked for wounds. His smell was...off. Not unpleasant. Not gamey or woodsy. But, there was something. I had the sensation of fire crackling from my fingertips.
A spell, maybe. Could someone have cast one against this guy? But why?
“Hey,” I said, shaking him again. I expected him to keel over, but he stayed rigid.
“Calla,” Bobby said. “Here’s his order. When you’re done making friends, Owen’s getting slammed behind the bar.”
Heat seared my hand. I quickly took it off the guy’s arm. He’d broken out in a sweat, but Bobby’s voice seemed to snap him out of whatever trance he was in. I took the cheeseburger plate from Bobby and shooed him away. He shrugged and went without argument. Thank God we were busy as hell tonight.
I put the plate in front of my customer. His eyes were normal again. He even managed a smile. He took the cheeseburger with both hands and practically devoured it in one bite.
“There you go,” I said, my heart easing. Maybe I was reading way too much into it. Now, he just seemed starving.
“Thanks,” he said, recovering. “Sorry. It’s been a long day.”
“I guess so,” I said. “I’ll uh...I’ll let you enjoy your meal. Can I get you anything else right now?”
He locked eyes with me. Damn. He was easy to look at. There was that. He wore his light brown hair long, just brushing his collar. His chiseled jaw twitched as he swallowed. And those eyes. Light green and penetrating.
“Calla,” he said. A shiver went through me. I liked the sound of my name when he said it. He had an accent I couldn’t quite place. English, but subtle like he’d lived in the states so long he’d almost lost it. He sat ramrod straight with his shoulders back.
“That’s me,” I said, smiling. “What’s your name?”
He blinked rapidly. For a second, I wondered if he couldn’t remember. Then, he put what was left of his burger down. My eyes went to his hands. They were huge with long fingers. He had scrapes over his knuckles. Whoever he was, I’d bet my next paycheck he’d recently been in a nasty fight. Reason told me to steer clear. But, instinct was telling me something else.
“Kian,” he said.
“Nice to meet you, Keene,” I said, smiling.
“No,” he answered. “Two syllables. “Key-an.”
The name rippled over me. I’d never heard it before. But, somehow it sounded weirdly familiar.
“Gotcha,” I said. “Well, Kian with two syllables, I need to get back behind the bar. Take care of yourself. Bobby will take over from here.”
Kian’s eyes lingered over me. He had fire in him. That was obvious. Those green eyes of his glimmered, but they didn’t change again. Whatever he was, he’d gotten pretty good at hiding it. He felt so familiar, but I knew I’d never seen anything like him before. An alarm went off inside of me. I wished there was a way I could force the issue and get him to reveal himself without making too big a show of it. If he planned to stick around in Shadow Point much longer, I’d need to know what I was dealing with.
“Calla,” he said my name as if he liked the taste of it in his mouth. He had full lips framed by a dusting of stubble. “You’ve been...kind to me. What’s it like here in Shadow Point?”
I looked over my shoulder. Owen was staring laser straight at me. So was that damn bear. I could feel him spoiling for a fight. Damn shifters and their testosterone. Owen gave me a grim nod. He owned the place and clearly wasn’t too keen on me hanging out at Kian’s table for much longer. Owen was human, but even he could sense the tension coming from the bear’s table as he stared at me. The bar was filling up again.
“Depends on what you’re looking for,” I said. “We’re pretty much pure hipster these days. People started figuring out it’s a little bit cheaper to live out here than in Seattle or one of the bigger suburbs. Most everybody commutes into town though. But, it’s clean here. Quiet. For normal people, that is. For people like you?”
“Like me?” he asked. He had an odd way of glancing away from me. I was pretty sure he was trying to keep me from seeing something in his eyes.
“You know, people who run hot.” That got his attention. Kian’s fists curled. When he looked back at me, those green eyes started to darken. But, that was all he would give me.
“Calla!” Bobby shouted from two tables over.
I turned to him. “I’m on it, Bobby, thanks.”
“Anyway,” I said. “Let Bobby know if you need anything else. I belong behind the bar.”
Kian’s lips curved into the hint of a smile. I got the strangest feeling that he didn’t do that very much.
“Thank you,” he said. “The burger’s delicious.”
“I’ll make sure to tell Owen. We’re trying out a new cook this week.”
No sooner had I said it when I heard a crash coming from the kitchen. Owen’s new hire had a temper on him. I did a quick scan. The wolves were still at the bar. They’d shifted their attention to a table of women in the opposite corner. I’d keep my eye on them, but so far, it seemed harmless.
The bear though. Shit. He was gone.
“Good to meet you, Kian,” I said. I handed Bobby my tray as I made my way toward the kitchen. Owen shouted at me when I didn’t make a left turn to get back behind the bar.
I pushed through the kitchen doors. “Adam?” I shouted for the new cook. He was a decent enough guy and talented. But, so far he wasn’t making too many friends.
“He went out back,” Stevie, our dishwasher, said.
“Thanks,” I said. I took a breath. I knew what Astor would say. If that bear was making trouble, it was none of my business. He hated the idea of me even working at the Blue Heron. It was way more attention than suited Astor’s comfort level. But, I had to pay the bills somehow. I refused to stay cooped up inside all day. I’d done that for so many years growing up.
Owen burst through the kitchen door. “You still planning on having a job here tomorrow, Calla?” he shouted.
“Keep your pants on,” I said. “Bobby needed some backup. Now Adam’s gone AWOL. I’ll handle it.”
“You’re supposed to be handling the bar!” Owen said.
“Go!” I answered. “I promise, this’ll just take me two seconds. You saw that bear too.”
Owen was usually a pretty good-natured guy but the shifter drama that seemed to always find its way to Shadow Point grated on him. My first week on the job, he figured out how good I was at defusing it. He called me the Shifter Whisperer.
“I swear to God,” Owen said. “I’m getting to the point we need to have a policy against them. Stinking things aren’t fit to even be out in public.”
I scowled at him. “Stop it. You’re not a bigot. I’ve got this, Owen. Promise. Two seconds.”
“I don’t even know why I bother,” he said. But, he was already on his way back to the kitchen. I shot a wink to
Stevie and headed out the back door.
It took far less than two seconds to find our cook, Adam. He was at the end of the alley, snarling. I caught the scent of the bear immediately. He’d cornered Adam and looked about a half a breath from shifting.
“Hey!” I shouted, breaking into a run. With each pounding step, I could hear Astor lecturing me about how this was none of my business. Except, in a way it was. If one too many shifter bar fights broke out at the Blue Heron, business would dry up. Plus, I didn’t care for bullies. The bear was practically twice Adam’s size.
“I catch you near her again, I’m going to rip your teeth out one by one. You feel me?”
The bear had a hold of Adam’s shirt. He lifted him off the ground. Damn. It wasn’t even close to a fair fight. Adam wasn’t even a shifter.
“Hey!” I shouted again. I slid to a halt beside Adam and the bear shifter.
The shifter snarled at me, his eyes going yellow then dark. Oh, his animal was right there, all right. What the hell was in the air tonight?
“Adam, go on back to the kitchen,” I said. “You’re backed up.”
I put a hand on the bear shifter’s arm. His muscles tensed. He was easily two hundred pounds of pent up rage. This might not have been the brightest idea I ever had, but I had no doubt Adam was facing a beatdown if I hadn’t come out here.
“Your friend here needs to learn some manners,” the bear said.
“You’re out of your mind,” Adam said. “Duncan, you need to chill. I’m not after your woman.”
Duncan the bear let out a growl that echoed through the alley. Damn.
“Adam,” I said, keeping my voice low and even. “Go inside. Now.”
Adam sneered at Duncan. “Sure. Crazy asshole. You stink.”
That’s when I realized Adam had a damn death wish. I stepped forward. Duncan drew back a fist. Adam flinched.
Then, an avalanche slammed into Duncan’s back. Kian came out of nowhere. He let out a roar that vibrated straight up my spine. He grabbed Duncan by the shoulders, picked him up, and threw him backward so hard, his feet went over his head. Duncan tumbled out into the street. His bear eyes went pure black. His claws came out.
“Adam,” I said, mustering more calm than I thought I had in me. “Run!”
He did.
Kian whirled around. I couldn’t see his face, but Duncan did. Duncan froze mid-shift. His fingers turned to claws, but that’s as far as it went. Whatever animal Kian had inside of him, I could feel it ready to blow.
“That’s enough!” I shouted. I got between Kian and Duncan. I put a hand on Duncan’s chest and another on Kian’s. I couldn’t afford to look back at him, so I kept my eyes locked with Duncan’s.
“You’re done here,” I said. “I will not have you in this bar messing with the staff and riling up the patrons. Shadow Point’s not for you.”
I kept my tone low and measured. Duncan narrowed his eyes. Whatever he saw in mine and Kian’s was enough to keep him from completely losing it. Then, the door opened and Owen and Stevie came running for us.
Duncan let out a growl, but kept his bear in check. He dusted himself off and got to his feet.
“You tell that piece of shit if I catch even a whiff of him anywhere near what’s mine, he’s a dead man.”
Then, Duncan turned and sprinted in the other direction. Owen and Stevie got to me and froze. Stevie’s face went white.
“Hey, Calla? There’s something wrong with your friend.”
I turned around. Kian’s skin was ashen, his eyes blood red. He jerked backward, his back going rigid. Then, he crumpled to the ground in a dead heap at my feet.
“Shit,” I said. Owen and Stevie just stood there with their mouths gaping open.
“Well, don’t just stand there. Help me get him upstairs!”
Chapter Three
Kian
I’d been hit in the head with a mallet. The pull started in my chest and spread all the way out to my fingertips. Ash filled my mouth. I had the fleeting thought that maybe my brothers had finally caught up with me. For the first time, I started to believe that was for the best.
“Sit up!”
Her voice cut through me. I had a thought it was my mother, Avelina, at first, but that didn’t make sense.
“Kian!”
My eyes snapped open. I couldn’t quite focus. She hovered above me, her face changing colors like an opal against the light. It felt...other. Damn. It would be just my luck to have gotten caught by a fire witch like my brother had. Finn said it was something like this. He felt as if he’d been struck straight through the heart by lightning, then he couldn’t focus, let alone move.
“Sorry,” she said. Then she threw water in my face. I sputtered and choked from it. Little droplets sizzled when they touched my skin. Instinct kicked in and I rolled away. She wouldn’t understand why my skin burned so hot. If she touched me…
“Kian, wake up!”
I did.
I was on a bed, lying face down. The sheets were drenched with my sweat and the cup of water she’d just thrown on me. My nose dripped. I shook my head like a dog and managed to sit up.
Calla. Her name was Calla. She sat on a chair beside the bed. She still had on her Blue Heron Bar t-shirt. Her dark hair hung loose around her shoulders. It was thick and straight. The woman had an anvil-sharp jawline. Those eyes. I could disappear in them. They were the palest green I’d ever seen, her pupils barely visible.
I ran a hand over my dripping face. I did a quick inventory. Nothing seemed broken. I was all skin, no scales. I flexed my fingers. No talons. Thank God. Only...a flash came to me. I saw Calla. A bear ran toward her. I felt his fury, his lust. He was ready to rip her apart if he couldn’t have her.
Shit. Had I killed him?
“What happened?” I asked, afraid to hear the answer.
“You stuck your nose in where it didn’t belong,” she answered. “Is that something you do often?”
I blinked hard. “I don’t...there was a bear.”
She pursed her lips and crossed her arms. Calla had dark, severe brows. She arched one toward the sky.
“There was a bear, all right. He was protecting his mate. Or...he thought he was. I’m not really clear on what set him off”
Heat flared up my spine. His mate? I only remembered him going for Calla. Was she…? A predatory rumble went through me. I tried to cover, erupting into a fit of coughing.
This time, Calla handed me the glass of water instead of throwing it. I accepted it from her gratefully and took a sip.
“So, you’re a bear’s mate?” I asked, trying to keep my voice even.
“Hardly,” she answered. “Listen, you’re new in town. But, you’ve made a bunch of people nervous already. I had things under control. I don’t know what you think you were doing, but…”
“Control?” I said, my voice booming. Fragments of my memory came back. I had no earthly clue who that bear was, but I knew exactly what he was after. He was going to kill that cook. He didn’t care who stood in his way, and Calla got between them.
“Yes,” she said. “It’s kind of my job. I work in a bar, after all.”
“You work in a shifter bar,” I said.
I drew in her scent but tried not to be obvious about it. She definitely had magic. But, she didn’t have that “witchy” smell to her. On the other hand, I might have just been losing my touch.
“The Blue Heron isn’t a shifter bar,” she said. “It’s just a bar. You should know, Shadow Point does tend to attract shifter types. Usually it’s just people passing through. I don’t get too many shifter regulars. I don’t know what you are, Kian. I can tell you’re not human. I know it’s none of my business, but that bear wanted to kill you. He still might. I think you better lay low for a while.”
“I’m not afraid of a bear,” I said, then instantly regretted it. Calla knew too much already. She worked in a shifter town. For all I knew she could be spying for some wolf pack or God knows what. The instant I
thought it, that predatory heat rose within me. I needed to get a handle on it, quick. Fire simmered in my gut, just itching to get out.
“Where am I?” I asked, trying to change the subject.
“I brought you to one of the rooms above the bar,” she said. “Owen rents them out. I used to live in this one. He’s grateful you tried to keep that bear from tearing his new cook apart. He said you could stay the night. If you’re still looking for a place to stay tomorrow morning, I’ll just leave that to the two of you to work out.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“You sure you’re okay?” she asked.
God. I couldn’t imagine what she must think of me. She didn’t know what I was. She’d just seen me throw a full-grown bear shifter across the street. Then...well...she saw me nearly lose control. I wasn’t so far gone I couldn’t cloak my dragon, but Calla had likely seen me in the throes of what would have looked like a seizure. I decided to go with that.
“Yeah,” I said. “I have...a condition. I waited too long to eat tonight. I’m sorry if I startled you.”
“Hmm. I just don’t understand why you did it,” she said. “If you’re not afraid of bear shifters, you should be. I mean...I am. That particular one has it in his head that our cook is making eyes at his mate. I think. He’s not going to give that up. He’ll be back. And he’ll be angrier. I suggest you not be here when he comes back. It’s bad for business. We attract shifters in Shadow Point, but it’s peaceful here. Most of the time. I’d like it to stay that way.”
I finished the bottle of water she gave me. Calla reached for it. Her pinky touched mine, setting off what felt like a shower of sparks down my arm. I froze. I was afraid to move. Afraid to breathe. My dragon stirred.
When I looked at Calla, her green eyes glittered like emeralds. She felt something too. She was quick to recover though, and took the water bottle from me. She crunched it and tossed it into a trashcan in the corner of the room.
