Bite the Big Heartache (Monstrana Paranormal Romance 2)

“Yeah, she’s over there,” Garret said, turning to point at the dart boards. If at all possible, his smile grew even brighter. “And if I may say so, your sister is looking very pretty tonight.”

Billy scowled at his friend again and followed the direction of his finger. The moment he saw his sister, and the company she kept, he shot straight to his feet. Adrenaline coursed through his body and he gripped the bar counter to steady himself.

“Hey, dude, check yourself.” Garret eyed his friend warily. “You’re losing control.”

Billy glanced down at his hand. His nails had begun to transform into a set of wicked claws and thick tufts of hair had sprouted on the back of his hand.

“I am in control,” he hissed, rubbing his hands together. The claws disappeared, but the pounding in his head didn’t go away. It wouldn’t go away — not until she did.

He began to weave through the crowd, all the while glaring at the woman standing next to his sister. She hardly resembled the young girl of seventeen he remembered from his dreams. As much as he begrudged the idea, time had been kind to the werewolf princess.

Her complexion was smooth, her cheekbones more defined, and her generous lips reminded him of the Corvette Rally Red paint job he’d been admiring at a car show in Murdo last week. Where she’d been rail-straight before, nature had granted her the softest feminine curves in all the right places.

Despite his disdain for her very presence in his hometown, his body reacted to the sight of her dancing in a flimsy sky-blue dress, her hands held high in abandon and a smile lighting up her face. Heat began to build deep in his gut and his hands shook. The treason of his own body only made him scowl harder.

“I need to talk to you.” He grabbed his sister by the shoulder and pulled her toward a dark booth.

“Hello to you, too, Billy,” she slurred happily.

Great, she was already drunk and it wasn’t even past nine. This was starting to become a trend with her.

“What are you doing with Anastasia Pavlosky?” He let go of her shoulder and glared at her, waiting for an answer.

“She just showed up,” Ashley said, her eyes narrowing as she swayed in place. “We’re catching up on old times. I’ve missed her so much.”

“You don’t miss her.” He raked a hand through his hair and huffed. “And she didn’t care a wink for you.”

Or him. But that was another matter.

“That’s not true.” She pointed a finger at his chest and poked him roughly. “And just because you’re my brother, doesn’t mean you get to order me around. You’re not my alpha. You’re not anyone’s alpha.”

He winced and took a step back. Immediately, sober recognition flickered in her eyes and her face fell.

“I’m so sorry, Billy, I didn’t mean...”

“No, you’re right.” He put his hands up and swallowed hard. “I have no right to tell you what to do. Just be careful. You know what happened last time she was here.”

Ashley studied him for a second, pressing a fingertip to her lips. “Yes. She broke your heart.”

A huff escaped his lips, but he couldn’t find the words to argue back. Instead, he looked up to see a pair of honey-brown eyes gazing into his. Stasia was standing next to the jukebox, a drink in her hand. She studied him carefully, lines appearing on her forehead.

He resisted the urge to snarl at her and instead marched himself back to the other side of the bar, as far away from the princess and her influence as possible. Sinking back onto his bar stool, he crossed his arms tightly across his chest and growled.

“You look like a little boy that’s had his favorite toy snatched away,” Garret said next to him with a hearty laugh. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were sent away with your tail between your legs.”

“That’s not what happened.” Billy stared across the room, unable to take his eyes off the image of his sister and Stasia bouncing up and down to the tune of some old country song. A sour feeling filled his mouth. “It’s not like I can control her. Or any woman, for that matter.”

Garret chuckled and stared dreamily at Ashley. “No, you can’t. Isn’t it great?”

He huffed again and bit the inside of his cheek. A memory from childhood came to mind. It had been a hot summer’s day, the kind that made the pavement melt and grannies sit on their front porches desperately fanning themselves with yesterday’s junk mail. He’d taken Stasia to the swimming hole that day. He could still recall how pretty she had looked in her cutoff denim shorts and yellow bikini top.

It was meant to be a romantic outing — his chance to finally confess his feelings for the girl he’d fallen for over that long month she’d spent in Molodoy. But his little sister, Ashley, had snuck along for the trip, popping up from the brambles just moments before he was about to spill his heart. He could remember Stasia laughing so hard she snorted, and then taking his sister by the hand to jump into the swimming hole together.

The memory would’ve been a sweet one, had Stasia not turned around days later and stomped on his heart. Now, it was one twinged with pain.

“Don’t look now, but the Wilson brothers just showed up.” Garret elbowed him painfully in the ribs. “And they’re headed your way.”

Billy looked up to see Reggie and Colt Wilson glaring at him. The two werewolves belonged to the local Fang pack and possessed some minor standing, but had never been alpha material. Several years older than him, they’d managed to miss each other in school, but ever since Billy moved back to town it seemed they’d made it their life mission to make him miserable.