Greedy eyes followed me as I strolled between tables and checked on customers. I should have known better than to touch Callie. Only go for women when you both want the same thing. But she desired to be claimed by the next alpha, and I wasn’t looking for a mate. When Cole was next in line, she had been all over him, and after news had spread that he had mated a human, Callie had moved on to me.
Usually I had enough sense to avoid trouble.
Laughter stood out amongst the sounds of drinking and chatter; the bachelorette party was well underway. The maid of honor had called ahead to reserve a table for her and the other nine women she had brought along from the lodge. I waited until they were settled into the large booth before approaching. They were already a little tipsy.
“Good evening, ladies, I’m Lance Tenbrook,” I said, gifting them my smoothest smile.
“Hey there, handsome,” said the busty brunette with the words ‘Maid of Honor’ stretched across her chest.
“Having a nice evening?” I asked.
“This is great,” said the one wearing a crown and a shirt that read ‘Bride’ in a curvy script. “So many burly guys. It’s like, so rural here.”
“Maybe we can get a lumberjack stripper,” a small redhead giggled to the girl beside her.
“I’d like to offer a round of champagne for the party. Thank you for making Sawtooth Den your choice to host your celebration,” I said.
“Woohoo!” another girl cried, and laughter filled the air.
I turned back toward the bar.
“Wait.” The maid of honor grabbed my wrists with a sweaty palm, and I met her glazed eyes. “Come back to my room with me, over at Sawtooth Lodge. Or if there’s someplace closer that we could get some privacy…”
She stroked my arm with her soft fingertips.
It wasn’t a bad offer. She accentuated her hourglass figure with a short jean skirt, cut off just below her round ass. Her white v-neck showed the lacy detail of the hot pink bra beneath and exposed smooth, rounded handfuls of ivory breasts.
But I needed to work, and I wasn’t interested in causing any trouble with Callie’s hawk eyes glued to my back.
I bent down and whispered in her ear, “I’d love to, but your friend looks like she needs you tonight.”
She looked back at the bride-to-be, who had her hand on the ass of a tall man who looked a lot more sober than she did.
I walked over to the bar to order their drinks.
The small blonde behind the counter smiled as she worked the men at the bar, swaying her hips and leaning forward to listen to their empty speech. Amy earned her tips and kept everyone happy, and kept the money coming in. She was reliable, and I knew we were lucky to have her.
“Amy,” I said, “Can you get a bottle of champagne and glasses for the ladies at the round table?”
“Yep,” Amy answered, and her pigtails bounced as she got to it.
I looked over at Harkins, who leaned against the wall watching every move she made. Poor sap had it bad. I reached over the bar and grabbed two longnecks, uncapped them, then headed over to the stout enforcer.
“Boss,” he nodded. Harkins watched the customers move around the room, eyes squinted and sharp, but avoided looking back at Amy.
“You should just tell her,” I said, and handed him a beer.
Harkins grimaced and groaned at me in response.
“If you don’t make a move, someone else might,” I said, and sat on the stool next to the brooding enforcer.
His brows lowered into a fierce scowl, highlighting the lines that ran down the right side of his face.
“Hands off,” he growled.
“Whoa, whoa, big guy. I didn’t mean me,” I said with a smile, holding my hands up in innocence.
I pointed a finger across the bar to the small table with two brothers drinking beer. Both men sat stiff and square in their seats as they chatted.
“What?” Harkins asked.
“Wait for it.” A few moments later, Witt looked over at Amy, eyes lingering too long to be just a glance.
Harkins groaned, then took a swig of beer and crossed his arms. “He can look wherever he wants.”
“It’s more than a look,” I said. “Trust me. He’s been eyeing her since we went to Ellistown for Hailey. Cole’s mated, and Amy’s ready to move on; she’s available, but she won’t be forever.”
Harkins looked down at the beer in his hand but didn’t speak.
“It’s just an observation,” I said. “How are you feeling? You look well-healed.”
“I’m better,” he answered. “It was rough, taking a second beating before fully healing from the first. I wish I could have stopped them.”
“I know. Cole knows. You did your best, and Hailey’s fine.”
“I know,” Harkins said. “What about you?” He turned his gaze up and met my eyes.
“I’m fine. I survived the ordeal relatively unscathed,” I answered.
“I mean,” he said, “Callie looks ready to pounce. You gonna mate her?”
“No. God, no,” I replied. “I’m not ready to take a mate. I shouldn’t have encouraged her by giving her the time of day. But you’ve seen her.”
The pictures she had left me flashed in my mind, the nude photographs taken inside my truck without my knowledge. She was lovely, but the photographs and the thong she’d left for me was taking things too far.
We both took swigs of our beer and looked around the room at the busy bar. Shea and Callie carried drinks to full booths. People gathered around the pool tables, watching others play. The bachelorette party had ordered more rounds of fruity cocktails. Nights like this were great for the business. I wished Cole was here with me, running our father’s bar by my side, but he seemed to hate being here almost as much as he hated being handed the right to claim alpha.
“People are talkin’ about you,” Harkins said.
“I know,” I said.
“They deserve an alpha,” he said.
“They do,” I agreed, then went back to greeting customers and putting on a smile. Between regular business and the bachelorette party, the bar raked in a solid haul for the night.
When it was time to lock up, Callie attacked.
“Hey,” she purred, pressing her small body against my hip.
“Hi, Callie. Good work tonight.”
“Carrying drinks is easy. I’d be happy to show you what I’m best at.” She smiled up at me, pressing her perky breasts forward out of her low-cut shirt.
“You have many talents,” I replied. “But I’m ready to call it a day. With Cole on his honeymoon, I have extra work to do in the morning. Maybe Reynolds or Witt would be up for a night out.”
“Neither will be alpha. You know I only want you.” Callie looked up at me through thick eyelashes.
It was the same look I had fallen for before, but I wasn’t willing to make that mistake again.
“Plus, you’ve never even taken me to your house,” she said. “You took me to your brother’s and we’ve played at my place. Take me home with you.”
I knew it wasn’t really about me. Callie made it clear that she was only interested in whoever held the best claim to be alpha. First she only had eyes for Cole, and now me. If Axel or Harkins had held the strongest claim, she wouldn’t waste time acknowledging my presence.
“I’m not ready for a mate, Callie,” I said. “And I’m not interested in putting in a claim.”
It was a half-truth, but the right thing to say. I wasn’t ready to put in a claim, to try to live up to my father’s memory. But supporting my pack, and being there when they needed me—that was something I wanted to do.
“Well, not tonight, but I have a few moves that will make you beg for more. I’ll give you a lifetime of great sex.” She rubbed a hand up my chest, and I knew she could do as she promised. Callie could provide fun, but that was all. We had nothing in common and I didn’t enjoy her company enough when we had our clothes on to promise my life to her. “Did you get my gift
?”
“The pictures? Yes, I saw them. I left them in an envelope in your locker,” I said.
“I know you liked them,” she said. “Why not keep them and think of me?”
“You’re pretty and nice, Callie. But I don’t want to lead you on. I’m not claiming alpha, and I’m not taking a mate. I’m not interested.” I turned back to cleaning up from the busy night.
She said nothing else, and I hoped this time she would listen. I didn’t want to be cold, but I had told her before that I wasn’t interested. Then she left me the pictures and panties. I hoped that wouldn’t be the case again.
Harkins waited for Amy to go before heading out. I said goodnight to both as they left. I was last to go, and rode home in my truck.
Just four blocks from work was the two-story Victorian I had grown up in. The light blue paint was the same shade my mother had chosen for the wooden siding when I was a child. It was the same hue as the apron she had worn when she used to bake me cookies. Windows around the block were dark, lights out due to the hour. I was the only one in the small town neighborhood arriving home from work at three in the morning. My father had done the same on the weekends when he had run Sawtooth Den.
The sloped driveway ended at the front of the house. I parked in the same place I always did and stepped noiselessly across the stone sidewalk to the front door. Snow speckled the ground, and the moist, crisp air suggested more would soon fall.
As I removed the keys from my jacket pocket, Sparky, the German Shepherd that lived next door, barked from inside the window of the Freedmans’ living room. I snarled back at him, and he went silent. The same thing every night. One of these days I’d remember to keep my keys in hand after I climbed out of the truck.
After Sparky’s greeting, the street was peaceful. Golden beams of the streetlamps followed me to the door, but were left behind with the cold night air when I entered the house. I stepped into the warmth and blackness of my living room, where my eyes adjusted quickly to the darkness.
Without delay, I ascended the stairs toward my waiting bedroom. Before entering, I looked down the hall to the lifeless, empty bedroom my parents had shared. I had packed up their belongings but couldn’t get myself to take over the master bedroom. The house was too quiet without them, though I knew I would have moved out if they had still been alive. Maybe Cole and I would have moved into an apartment together, but that never happened. I had inherited this house, and now the duty to take over as alpha. Cole didn’t want it, and I didn’t know how to fill our father’s shoes. John Tenbrook had balanced family, business, and pack. He had built friendships between Sawtooth Peaks and the surrounding territories, and was adored by all. Now the pack was just a shell of what it had been, and the relationships with surrounding pack leaders had died with him. I wanted to be the alpha my father had been, serve my pack and protect them. But John Tenbrook had cast a long shadow.
I took in a deep breath and continued to my room. Before settling into bed for the night, I emptied my pockets and dropped my clothes in the hamper, then pulled on a fresh heathered t-shirt from the dresser. The soft fabric was cold against my bare chest, as were the sheets on my bed. I stared up at the exposed wooden beams on my bedroom ceiling and waited for sleep to take me. Before long I would need to get back up for work—another day of covering for my brother while he was away. Another day filled with people waiting for me to claim alpha.
Chapter Three
Trixie
Howls of pain echoed through the night. Destruction and cries surrounded me from every direction. Moonlight lit the town where the street lamps had gone out. Terrified people ran from their homes and their assailants as smoke billowed from rising flames on scattered buildings. I wanted to help them all, to save everyone. When I heard his voice, everything else faded into a blur.
Weaving through the commotion, I raced toward the center of town, toward Stratton’s pained wails. A blend of smoke, blood, fear, and the scent of unfamiliar wolves filled my nostrils. Why was this happening? My heart raced as I bounded through the frantic crowd. Stratton, my mate, my best friend. I had to find him.
One last cry and I knew I would never hear his voice again, but I had to reach him no matter the cost. My paws pounded the earth as I crossed the courtyard to the only building left lit by streetlights around the mayor’s mansion. A crowd of gray fur gathered on the front steps, snarling and tearing at something spread silently beneath them.
His scent was clear above the rest—sandalwood, oak moss, and leather. I knew it was Stratton. I had to see him, do something to save him. Recklessly bounding into the group of wolves on the stairs, I sank my teeth into the thigh of the one closest to me. Metallic fluid hit my tongue, and the beast howled in pain. The group snapped toward me, leaving their prey in my sight. I looked at his motionless body, his tattered fur, his unblinking eyes. No.
Cold earth pressed against my side, my head, and my vision blurred. A hole tore inside of me, as I tried to blink my eyes into focus to see him one last time. Sharp claws pierced my neck, tearing down over my shoulder, and a horrible voice filled my ears.
You must be Beatrice. What a lovely prize to claim.
Fingernails scraped down my shoulder, pulling the blanket from my back and trailing red lines down my furred skin. My eyes shot open and darted to the hands touching me. Pained moans escaped Mara as she lay next to me on the sofa bed, clenching her fists on my paw. I exhaled and pulled myself out of her crushing grasp, then shifted back to human form. Grabbing the first thing I could find, I threw on a sweater from the floor. The fire had burned out, leaving the room much too cold for human form.
Mara moaned. Her face was lined from whatever nightmare had disturbed her sleep. Her fists balled in front of her, and I wished she had felt ready to shift to wolf form for the night. She would have slept better and stayed warmer. Then again, I might have woken to fangs tearing my flesh instead of dull fingernails scratching my skin.
Climbing back to her side on the sofa bed, I pet her yellow hair in an attempt to gently wake her.
“Mara,” I whispered. “Mara, you’re safe now. It’s just a dream.”
“Hmmm.” The tension melted from her face and she rolled to her back, staring up at the ceiling.
“Hey,” I said.
“Hey,” she replied.
I smiled at the first word she had spoken since Troy had abandoned her in Dashiell’s prison.
I would have asked how she had slept, but I knew the answer.
“I need to go by the inn today,” I said. “I’ve been putting it off too long. You’re welcome to come, but I understand if you aren’t ready.”
“I can’t go home,” she said, brown eyes wide.
“I know,” I replied. With as hard as it was for me to come to this broken house and reminders of the mate I had lost, I knew it would be infinitely harder for Mara. Her mate was still alive, and reminders of him would be reminders of what he had done to her. “You can stay with me as long as you want.”
The lines on Mara’s face faded and the tension in her shoulders lessened. She nodded in response to my words.
“I’ll be right back,” I said, then slipped on my pants, boots, and button-down jacket.
Mara sat on the edge of the sofa bed and watched me as I bundled up.
“I’m just going to the kitchen,” I said, then walked through the sheet that acted as my door.
As chilled as the air was in the living room, the kitchen was at least ten degrees colder. I kept my arms crossed tight against my chest to conserve warmth as my boots crunched on the slick floor beneath. A thin layer of white and clear crystals encased the dirt and boot print-covered tiles, shimmering in the morning sunlight.
Careful of my footing, I tread slowly across the snow and ice. It would have been easier to cross in wolf form if I hadn’t needed to reach the cabinets.
All of the fresh foods had spoiled, but I still had a few cans stashed. Cans of tuna and peaches in hand, I grabbed two forks and filled
the tall thermos from a jug of water. Thank God we had prepared for winter blizzards with cans of food and gallons of bottled water.
Mara sat exactly as I had left her, watching me as I reentered the room.
“I brought breakfast,” I said, holding up the two cans as proof.
Mara slumped against the back of the sofa. “I don’t know if I can eat.”
I knew how she felt. It was difficult to move forward, hard to make myself eat. I hadn’t been hungry since Stratton died, and the lack of food while we were imprisoned in the mansion made every bite seem like too much.
“You need to,” I replied, then picked up the can opener that sat on the bricks by the fireplace. I stuck a fork in each can and offered my sister-in-law the peaches first, knowing it was a dish she favored. The strong scent of the tuna made it harder to stomach, but I knew I needed to eat, so I did. After three peach slices, Mara put a hand over her tiny stomach and set the can down. Given her size and condition, I took three pieces as a victory.
I offered Mara some water, then stood and put a backpack over my shoulders. Stratton’s black baseball cap sat by the empty fireplace. He couldn’t help me. I put his hat on anyway, hoping to borrow some of the courage that had made him such a strong pack leader.
“I have another coat and bag you can use,” I offered to Mara, pointing to the pile of linens beside the bedroom door.
“Thank you,” she replied, then put on the black wool coat. She looked like a child playing dress-up in her mother’s closet with my coat hanging off of her tiny frame. I knew I didn’t look much better.
After Mara put on the backpack, we went out into the icy cold.
She followed close behind me as we made our way down the street. Some houses were burned completely down, others looked mostly intact. Targeting abandoned buildings with easy entries, we entered the homes of neighbors who were long gone. We salvaged canned goods, clothing, and blankets until our bags were full of food and our arms were full of linens. After reaching our limit, I led Mara to Ellistown’s only guest quarters, the Come On Inn.
Werewolves & Whiskers: Sawtooth Peaks Wolf Shifter Romance Box Set Page 29
