Emberly (Tails Book 3)

by R. E. Butler

  “At the bar.”

  “The shifter bar?” Her voice rose slightly.

  “Yes.” Emberly looked at Diesel. He put his arm around her for comfort and she leaned into him. “He’s a shifter. I thought I should check in with you, because you seem to have a problem with his kind.”

  “Damn right I do! There’s no way in hell I’ll allow one of those people into my wedding. You come alone or don’t come at all.”

  “Now hold on a minute. What’s got your panties in a bunch about shifters, anyway?”

  “Hello! My Uncle Jeb was killed in a car accident because of a shifter.”

  Emberly blinked a few times with a frown. “I remember his funeral, but what did a shifter have to do with it?”

  “A damn wolf shifter chased a deer across the road, and Jeb swerved to avoid hitting them and died of complications at the hospital from the wreck. The shifter was never held accountable. Everyone said it was an accident, that the wolf couldn’t control himself during a chase. I tell you something right now...” Chloe’s voice rose again, tinged with anger. “If you’re dating a shifter, not only are you not in the wedding but we’re not friends anymore.”

  Emberly scoffed. “First of all, I found a great guy last night and you should be happy for me. It shouldn’t matter that he’s a shifter.”

  “Oh, it absolutely does. I’m not kidding, if you don’t drop him immediately, we’re done.”

  Diesel could see that Emberly’s hands were shaking, and he supported the phone she held.

  “It doesn’t make sense to hold the actions of one shifter against all of them. I’m really surprised at you, Chloe. I thought you were a better person than that.”

  “Screw you, Emberly. Don’t bother showing up today. If you’re going to cavort with shifters, then I don’t want you around, anyway.”

  “I’m sorry you feel that way,” she said, but her last words were cut off as Chloe ended the call. She stared at the phone screen, her lips pursed.

  “Oh, sweetness,” he said, pressing his lips to her temple and breathing out a sigh. “I’m sorry.”

  She put the phone on the bed and turned into him. He held her close, wishing he could say something that would make it all better. But he’d learned a long time ago that some humans just flat-out didn’t like shifters and there was nothing that could be done to change their minds.

  “I can’t believe she’s so closed-minded.”

  “Some people think there’s something wrong with shifters, like we’re more animal than human and can’t be trusted. It’s unfair that she treated you like that.”

  “Well,” she said, leaning back and blinking rapidly a few times to dispel the tears in her eyes, “while Chloe and I were good friends, she wasn’t my best friend by any stretch. We’re what my mom calls ‘hold-over high school friends.’ The kind of people you hang around with because you knew them in school and they still happen to be in the same town. I’m disappointed, but I think I’m actually more upset that she thinks badly about you without even meeting you more than not being in the wedding or still being friends with her.”

  He chuckled. “She’s losing out by cutting you out of her life. But people like that only see what they want to see. In her mind, all shifters are bad simply because one wolf made a bad decision.”

  “Have you ever chased a deer across a road?” she asked, leaning back and looking at him.

  “We don’t leave the territory when we hunt, so no. Our territory is really big, so there’s no need to venture where humans are. If I had to guess, the wolf was probably young. When we first start shifting, it can be hard to control the animal instincts, so he might have just given chase without thinking about where he was. I’m sure he was sorry, but it wasn’t his fault. No different than a natural wolf scaring a deer into jumping out into the road and causing an accident.”

  She sighed deeply. “I guess we don’t have plans for the night.”

  “We can still go out,” he said. “I haven’t taken you on a proper first date.”

  “To be fair, we only just met.” She smiled, her eyes clearing of sadness and glittering with happiness.

  He’d never thought that his mate might lose friends because of him, but there were lions who would disown a family member for mating with a human, so the hate went both ways. He was thankful his mom wouldn’t care that Emberly was human and he could still stay in the pride, but he’d have been willing to walk away for her in a heartbeat. He didn’t begrudge the human her preconceived notions about shifters, but he was sorry for the pain his mate was going through.

  “I have an idea,” he said.

  “A naked one?” she asked, her eyes darkening.

  “Now I do,” he said with a laugh. “But actually, I was thinking there’s a theater near the pride that has a pretty decent dinner menu – nothing fancy, but it’s good food. We could catch a movie and dinner, and I could take you to my place for the night.”

  “I’m allowed in the territory, right?” she asked, crawling up the bed and giving his hand a tug so he could join her.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Good. Then I’d like to go to dinner and a movie and stay at your place. But first, I want to explore your naked idea.”

  Chapter Eight

  Diesel knocked twice on his mother’s front door before opening it and calling out, “Mom?”

  “Family room, honey,” his mom called back.

  “Ready?” he asked as he gave Emberly’s hand a squeeze.

  “Yep.”

  He could feel she was nervous, but he knew he’d be nervous meeting her parents, so he didn’t bother telling her not to worry. While he knew his mom would love her because she was his heart-match, nerves seemed to be a usual thing.

  His mom was sitting on a couch, a pair of knitting needles clicking swiftly together as she worked on what appeared to be a blanket. She put the needles and yarn on the coffee table and stood, giving him a hug and greeting Em.

  “Mom, this is my heart-match, Emberly Greer. Baby, this is my mom, Marlene.”

  The two females hugged, and his mom said, “It’s so nice to meet you! Welcome to the family.”

  “Thank you so much.”

  “Sit, please,” Marlene said, gesturing to the couch. As they sat, she said, “Can I get you anything to eat or drink?”

  “No thanks,” he answered. “We’re going to dinner and a movie in a little while.”

  “Sounds fun. So, Diesel said that you two met at Tails, and you had some trouble with your friends and their dislike of shifters. I’m so sorry that happened.”

  Emberly nodded, telling her in more detail about the end of her and Chloe’s friendship.

  Marlene gave her a sad smile. “I’m sorry you lost your friend, but I’m not sorry that you and Diesel found each other. I’ve been so hopeful he’d find a worthy female to be with, and I honestly couldn’t be happier for the two of you. Your friend is missing out, because lions are pretty amazing. I might be a little biased, but still, it’s true.”

  With a chuckle, Emberly said, “I wouldn’t have wanted to continue being friends with her if I’d known how she felt about shifters. I can’t imagine holding the actions of one person against an entire group.”

  “Probably they didn’t like shifters anyway, and the accident just gave them a reason to put on the face of their bigotry. You’re far better off, anyway. Once you and Diesel have children, it would be a shame to expose them to hatred like that,” Marlene said.

  “Mom, we’re not talking about kids yet. We just met last night,” Diesel reminded her.

  “Oh fine. But I hope you don’t wait too long to give me a grandcub.”

  “Grandcub?” Emberly asked.

  Marlene hummed in confirmation. “That’s what we call them. Lion offspring are called cubs.”

  “That’s adorable. But would you still call them cubs if they can’t shift? Diesel said that mixed matings don’t always produce shifting children.”

  “It doesn’
t matter in the least; they’ll still be my grandcubs and I have every intention of spoiling them rotten.”

  “Pump the brakes,” Diesel said with a laugh. “First things first, I need to meet her parents, which I’ll do on Monday.”

  He felt Emberly relax as they spent time with his mom, the two females finding lots in common including a love of crafting.

  “I’d be happy to teach you how to knit,” Marlene said. “This blanket is for a mating gift for Duke and Ree. I was in the middle of another project when they announced their mating, so I didn’t get to start it in time. But I did get to ask what her favorite colors were and get yarn to match.”

  “It’s really pretty,” Emberly said.

  “What are your favorite colors?”

  “Well, I like gray, actually. And peach.”

  “I’m sure I can find yarn in those colors. I’ll make you a blanket when I’m done with this one. If you’d like.”

  “I’d love that, thank you.”

  “You probably need help moving? Your Uncle Teddy’s truck is in the shop right now, but I’m sure someone else could lend a hand,” Marlene said.

  “Moving?” Emberly asked.

  “We haven’t discussed living arrangements.”

  “Oh, oops.” Marlene smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, it’s the lion in me. It’s easier for lions to move forward quickly because we just assume a lot of things. Mates move in together right away. But you two have your own timetable and whatever it is will be right for you.”

  Diesel glanced at his phone. “We should get going to the theater.”

  Marlene and Emberly embraced again. Diesel kissed his mom on the cheek.

  “Have fun tonight,” she said.

  “It was so nice to meet you,” Em said.

  “I’m looking forward to getting to know you,” Marlene said. She waved at them as they walked down the sidewalk and then shut the front door.

  “That wasn’t too bad, right?” he asked as he opened the passenger door.

  “Nope. She’s so sweet.”

  He bent and kissed his mate and then shut the door. When he turned on the engine, he said, “I’m sorry if she laid a lot of heavy stuff on you right away. It’s part of being a lion.”

  “I’m not freaked out by what she said. In a way, it feels like I’ve known you forever, even though it hasn’t even been twenty-four hours yet. Is it because we’re heart-matches?”

  “I think so. I feel the same way.”

  “It’s pretty neat. I don’t want you to worry about saying what’s on your mind, though.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Do you want to talk about living arrangements? I got the feeling when your mom brought it up that you wanted to pursue the topic, too.”

  “I don’t want to rush you.”

  “You aren’t, I promise.”

  “I was wondering where we’d live. I want to be with the pride, but if you’d prefer to live in Cabot’s Mill because of your parents and the coffee shop, I understand that, too.”

  He glanced at her and she was chewing her lip. He gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

  “I honestly don’t know.”

  “Then we won’t worry about that decision. It’s not like the world is hanging in the balance.”

  “Good point.” She laughed. “I can’t believe I walked into a bar, met a guy, and he turned out to be my Mr. Right. Life’s funny, isn’t it?”

  “Funny but awesome.”

  “Indeed.”

  * * *

  Monday morning, Diesel showered and shaved, eyeing the curtain that was keeping him from watching Emberly soap up. His cat made a curious sound in his head, and she peeked out at him.

  “I heard that. We don’t have time.”

  “I didn’t say anything.” He tried to hide the smile, but he loved that she seemed to know what he was thinking.

  “Oh please, I’m all wet and soapy in here. If you weren’t thinking sexy thoughts, I’d wonder if something was wrong.”

  “It’s because you’re so enticing.”

  “I’m pretty damn amazing, too.”

  “Abso-fucking-lutely.”

  “Stop being adorable, I have to finish up.” She yanked the curtain closed with a giggle and he turned his attention back to the mirror to finish shaving. Sunday had passed quickly. He’d wondered if she’d hear from her ex-friend or someone from the wedding party, but her phone had remained quiet. She seemed to be in good spirits about it, but he knew it had to sting to be tossed aside.

  He’d never had a friend behave the way that Chloe had, so he wasn’t sure what to say to help her get through the rejection. All he could do was be there for her and be damn thankful that she had chosen him.

  They left the house an hour later, stepping out into the bright summer morning. His cat was a little nervous to meet her parents, wanting them to approve of him. While he knew in the end it really didn’t matter if they liked him or not – he and Emberly were mated and that was as good as married to shifters – he wanted her to be happy and right now that hinged on him and her parents getting along.

  “Tell me about the coffee shop,” he said as he backed out of the driveway.

  “My parents met in college at a coffee shop. Neither of them had any money, and the shop had bottomless coffee for a dollar, so they both would go on Fridays in between classes and drink a gallon. Since they met at a coffee shop, they always thought it would be fun to have one of their own. My dad changed his major from marketing to finance so he could handle the books for the business, and my mom was already working on a business degree.”

  “That’s sweet,” he said. “How long was it before they opened one?”

  “A couple years. They both found part-time jobs working at the shop on campus so they could learn about the business from the inside. On their honeymoon, they came into Cabot’s Mill for dinner and fell in love with the town. The coffee shop used to be a Laundromat that went out of business because the owner never took care of the machines.”

  “You basically grew up in a coffee shop, huh?”

  “Pretty much.” She chuckled. “I used to bring coffee to my teachers.”

  “Do you like working there?”

  “Yeah, I do. It’s fun and low key. I like getting to know the regulars, and I do love coffee. Do you?”

  “Definitely. What’s your favorite?”

  “In the morning I like light roast, nothing fancy. But if I’m dragging in the afternoon, I like an iced cappuccino, vanilla or mocha.”

  “Sounds good. I’ve honestly never had an iced coffee.”

  “Well, I’ll have to make you one, then.” She leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder, stifling a yawn.

  They rode in silence for a little while, and then she asked why he wanted to work at the bar.

  “Partly because it’s pride-owned. Because of my leg, I worked out a lot more to give myself an edge physically since I’m limited some with the injury. When I was eighteen, the old bar owner told me he needed someone to work the door on the weekends if I was interested. I thought I was pretty cool.”

  “I’ll bet.”

  “When he wanted to retire, Duke and Titus bought out the business. All the workers are like family. We joke around and torment each other sometimes, but we’ve always got each other’s backs.”

  “That’s awesome.”

  “I know it’s not a great job, or anything. I’m not changing the world as a bouncer. But I like it and it pays well.”

  “There’s nothing wrong with being a bouncer. You like your job and in my book, that’s what counts. I’m not exactly changing the world with coffee either, but I’m content.”

  “And if I wasn’t a bouncer, we might never have met.”

  “Super great point.” She beamed up at him.

  “Do you think you’ll ever take over the coffee shop?”

  “That’s the plan. My dad says it’s the family legacy, and since I’m an only child, it’s all on me, but I’m okay
with that.”

  The realization that their schedules were not going to mesh well annoyed his cat. When would they see each other?

  “You got really quiet. Are you okay?”

  “I’m wondering about our schedules.”

  “Hmm, that passed through my mind just now as well. I usually work from seven until three a few days a week, and then on the weekends I work afternoons until we close at nine. How about you?”

  “I’m off Thursday and Friday, and the rest of the time I work from open at seven until close.”

  “You work the door the whole time?”

  “For the most part, but there are always two of us at the door, so if it’s slow, Titus might pull one of us into the bar to start cleaning or help behind the counter. What’s your favorite drink?”

  “I don’t really have one. I’m not much of a drinker, but when I do have one, I like something sweet like a daiquiri.”

  “I have no idea how to make one of those, but I’ll learn for you. Then maybe you can come to the bar and I’ll have a drink with you when I’m on break.”

  “That sounds fun.” She pointed through the windshield. “It’s on the left. See the sign?”

  He flipped on the turn signal.

  “Got it.”

  Wide Awake was a small standalone building on the tree-lined main street. The coffee shop was one of a handful of businesses that included a pet groomer, a hair salon, a nail spa, and a florist.

  He parked in front of the shop and helped Emberly out.

  “Ready?” she asked as he shut the door.

  “I am. I want this to go well.”

  “It will. They’ll like you because I do. You’re awesome, and I’m lucky to have you in my life.”

  “I’m the lucky one, sweetness, trust me.”

  She looked up at him for a moment, her eyes bright. “This has been the craziest weekend. I just want you to know how happy I am. I know we just met, but you’re like the center of my world.” She tapped the space over her heart. “Do you know what I mean?”

  A lump formed in his throat. He cleared it as he pulled her close with a soft purr. “I do, Em. You’re the center of my world, too.”