Insurgents could be hiding in that bordered up shop with the For Rent sign on it. I should stay on this side of the street.
I catch myself and take a deep breath. I don’t have to do this anymore.
That life is over.
I can reprogram my brain and be as carefree as any of these civilians walking by. Just another night on the town… No violence in sight.
I shake out my hands and head over to the bar. The guys are already there, probably three drinks in by now.
We drew straws and I got the short one, which meant I had to stay back to feed the horses and get them ready for the night.
“Hello,” an older man says as he passes with his wife. It’s all smiles around here.
This town is so sweet and welcoming. They have no idea how dark the world can be.
That man has no idea he just nodded at a trained killer.
Ex-trained killer, I have to remind myself.
The sun is starting to set and the stars are popping out. It’s a real show around these parts in the middle of the night. You don’t need a telescope to see it either. Up here around midnight, the galaxy is on fire with starlight.
I walk by the candy shop and the diner on my way to the bar. The firemen are out with no shirts on, cleaning the firetruck.
Fucking show-offs.
Can they be bigger attention whores?
My Kodiak perks up in my chest when I smell the scent of their grizzlies wafting over. He growls.
I should cross the street, but I don’t. There are three of them out and I would like a nice cold beer before I get into a fight, but I don’t want to show any sign of weakness.
We are the new bears in town after all.
The big one with the full back tattoo tosses his sponge into the bucket and struts over to the line on the sidewalk. He puffs his chest out and digs a fist into his palm as he stares me down.
The fucker is trying to intimidate me. He’s trying to make me cross the street or turn back.
If he knew what I’m capable of… Knew that I killed bigger, stronger shifters than him without breaking a sweat, he’d be the one backing away right now. He’d be the one hightailing it out of here.
I stare him down as I approach, keeping my chin in the air, keeping my walk nice and relaxed.
His friend with the beard spots me and he shakes his head. “Let him go, Grey. You know the boss is going to whip your ass if you’re caught fighting on the street on a busy Saturday night.”
Grey huffs out a breath as he steps back.
“Yeah, go back inside and polish that pole with your tongue,” I say with a grin as I walk past him. “Like the little bitch that you are.”
He charges at me, but the two other shirtless firecunts grab him and pull him back.
“Fuck you, Cameron!” he shouts. “You and your cocksucking brothers!”
I just grin at him over my shoulder. So far, this night has been great and I’m not even at the bar yet.
The country music and laughter from the bar hit my ears long before I see it. I can smell the stale beer, cheap perfume, and sweaty men as I walk across the street when it comes into view.
There’s something in the air around here and it’s not the fresh mountain breeze. I cough as my throat starts to burn. It’s like breathing in flames. I can feel it searing its way down my throat and into my lungs with every step I take toward the bar.
“What the fuck?” I mutter between coughing fits.
It’s not just my lungs that are acting up either. My bear is on a rampage, charging around inside like a damn maniac. He’s snarling and thrashing around like someone just stole his dinner.
“What the hell, you big bastard?” I whisper to him. “Calm the hell down. We’ll go kick that firecunt’s ass another time, okay?”
He doesn’t settle. He just gets more whipped up with every step.
At least the acid flowing through my lungs starts to soothe. The pain in my throat dulls to a tingling as I open the door and walk in.
It’s getting busy in here with most of the tables taken and one lone girl at the bar who I recognize from the grocery store.
I scan the place for my brothers and suck in a sharp breath when I see them. Jacob is soaking wet for some reason and glaring at a girl who’s getting up from their table.
My bear finally settles as if saying, “See?! See now?!”
I definitely see…
It’s her. The one I’ve been waiting for. My one and only mate.
My senses heighten as my body ceases all movement.