by Gwen Knight
“Do you need something?”
He bobbed his grizzled head, his sharp gaze straying toward the picnic bench. The one currently teaming with female pack members. “Your mother and I had an interesting conversation last night.”
And there went my good mood. No conversation with my mother ever ended well. “Dare I even ask?”
“You’re making deals with vampires?”
Oh, for crying out loud. A deep growl escaped my throat before I could stop it. “Yes, I am. It’s about time the pride entered the twenty-first century.”
“What’s that have to do with anything?”
“Nothing nefarious happened, Papa. Clearly, I’m still in one piece. And I even managed to smooth things over with Kai a bit. I solved your warehouse problem.”
“It isn’t our job to smooth things over with that bloodsucker.”
“Right. Because, hey, six decades of fighting wasn’t enough, right? We share the city with them. We might as well attempt to be diplomatic about these things.”
My father caught my eye with his alpha stare, as though he believed that’d work on me. It hadn’t since I was a kid. “I didn’t give you the pride so you could start messing with leeches.”
“And need I remind you that you didn’t give me the pride. You’ve been grooming me since I was young to take over because I’m the best man for the position. I’ll run the pride as I see fit, Papa. I want to fix this problem. To put an end to the turf wars and unmitigated hatred. I know that’s hard for you to understand, but regardless of who took over the pride, you had to know they would make changes. Just because you’re my father doesn’t mean you can try to control me.”
My father sighed and leaned back against the bench. “Promise me you won’t get swept up by him. Kai is dangerous, even though he might not look like it.”
“All bloodsuckers are dangerous. I know.”
He nodded, and his attention strayed back to the children. “Your mother also mentioned you and Star.”
I swallowed a string of curses. “What?”
“Something about the two of you possibly becoming an item.”
Fuck. With a low growl, I raked a hand down my face. What the hell was wrong with my mother? Had she not heard a word I’d said?
“Was she not supposed to tell me?” my father asked.
“There’s nothing to tell,” I snapped. “I’ll tell you exactly what I told her. I have no intentions of dating Star. Zero. Zip.”
My father raised a thick brow. “That’s not the impression you gave your mother.”
I sucked in a long breath and counted to ten before releasing it. Maddening. It really was no wonder so many children hated their meddling parents.
“Mother has a way of seeing and hearing what she wants,” I griped. “Apparently, she’s desperate for grandkids and doesn’t care how I give them to her, so long as I do.”
“We’ve been waiting a while for you to settle down and choose a mate.”
“And you’ll wait as long as it takes,” I bit out. “I refuse to pick some random woman to appease the two of you. This is someone I’ll be spending the rest of my long life with. The last thing I need is to mate with someone I hate.”
“Maybe you would learn to love her.”
Like talking to a brick wall.
“Well, if not Star, then who? There are plenty of females over there.” He nodded toward the picnic bench. “And quite a few seemed interested in you.”
No, they were interested in becoming the alpha female.
I blinked at my father. “Are you serious?”
“Do you know how long it’s been since you’ve even been on a date?”
I groaned and tipped my head back. “Of course, I know how long it’s been. What kind of question is that?”
“Your mother and I are starting to worry. We don’t want to see you alone. And once you become the alpha, you won’t have much time to go looking for a mate.”
Ah, so that explained the sudden rush. “Listen. Whether or not I’m the alpha won’t stop me from taking a mate when I find the right woman.”
“You say that, but you don’t realize how busy you’re about to become. Dating doesn’t exactly rank on the to-do list when you’re managing a pride of sixty-three members.”
Hadn’t I mentioned something like that last night to my mother? “But that doesn’t mean I’m gonna settle for the first girl I see.”
“You know, it wasn’t love at first sight when your mother and I met. She couldn’t stand me. And I found her a bit…brazen.”
No kidding.
“But I didn’t let that stop us. I knew that your mother would make a fine mate. That she would be a fantastic mother. And our relationship grew from there.”
I blew out a sigh and turned back to the field, watching as the kids focused on their shifting. “That’s great, Papa. But I want more than that.”
“As did I. And your mother became that. I realized that no matter who I chose, I would come to care for her if I gave her the proper chance. I think you’ll find that, too.”
I shook my head. “That’s not what I want. I don’t want to settle. I don’t want to choose a woman because she’d make a great mother. I want a mate. Someone who makes my heart beat faster. Someone who would be the perfect match for me.”
“Your head is in the clouds, boy.”
“Maybe. But I think I deserve a chance to find her before I settle down with some random woman Mother chose for me.”
“Fine. Then how do you intend to find this perfect woman?”
My thoughts instantly strayed to the dating site Kai had mentioned. I’d signed up last night and spent a few hours navigating around the site, clicking through the many different available women. I hadn’t completed the questionnaire yet—the one that would supposedly match me with a few “perfect options”—but I had surfed through the other members. Women from all over the country had signed up, more than I’d thought possible. Some were human, but most were shifters.
“Leo?”
I cleared my throat. “There’s…a dating website I’ve been on.”
The look on my father’s face was priceless. To him, the Internet was evil incarnate. As was all modern technology, including laptops and cellphones. He didn’t understand the modern era any more than I did the past.
“Good Lord, son. You’re going to bring home some gothic hyena woman.”
I burst out laughing at the description. I’d actually noticed a few hyena-shifters online, but they hadn’t interested me.
“Just…don’t tell your mother. You’ll give the poor woman a heart attack.”
“It’s not what you’re picturing,” I said, still laughing. “It’s a site where people upload their photos, talk about their likes and dislikes, and hopefully find their match. The owners of the site are actually a shifter and a vampire.”
My father wrinkled his nose. “Vampires. Should have guessed.”
Rolling my eyes, I glanced back at the field to find two of the boys had shifted into lion cubs. Joy swelled within me at the sight of them romping through the grass and wrestling with each other. The future of our pride.
“So, that’s what the world has come to then, hey?” my father pressed. “Dating sites. Where the lonely go to find the desperate.”
I shot him a side glance, carefully picking my next words. “You know, if you and Mom are so desperate for me to find a match, I did notice an upcoming cruise they’re running.”
My father caught my gaze, his thick brows furrowing. “A cruise?”
“You’re both worried about me not having any time to myself once I take over the pride. And you’re both so desperate,” I said, using his own words against him, “for me to find a mate. Maybe I’ll go on this cruise. And who knows, maybe in a few years, you’ll be watching your grandcubs wrestling in the grass.”
I almost laughed at the expression on my father’s face. The longing that softened his glare as he watched the children out in the field.
“If you were to go on this cruise, who would handle the pride?”
“I’m sure you could handle everything for a couple more weeks, right?”
“And you would meet a woman while on this boat?”
“That’s the idea.” As was drinking and swimming and a whole lot of sunlight. When I’d stumbled across the Hawaiian Halloween Cruise itinerary the night before, I’d been tempted to sign up right then and there. It’d seemed the perfect way to end my old life and kick off my new one. My responsibilities to the pride had stopped me, but maybe this was something I could take a chance on.
“Don’t think I’m not onto you,” my father grumbled. “This is merely some excuse for you to party for a couple of weeks. But you say there’d be single females on board?”
“Exclusively.”
I saw his resolve weakening. Not that I needed his permission. But it sure would make things easier if I didn’t have to fight my parents every step of the way. With the transfer of the pride and the business, it would be simpler to have them on board.
“Fine.” He placed his hands on his thighs and pushed to his feet. “If this is what you feel you need, then I don’t see a problem with me handling things for a few more weeks.”
I stood next to him and placed a hand on his forearm. “Just promise me you won’t make things worse with Kai.”
With a curled lip, my father shook off my arm and marched back toward our estate, likely to spill the beans to my mother.
I could only imagine her face when he told her the plan.
4
Kendra
When my sister had suggested we get a drink and talk, I’d expected a dank pub with sticky counters and dirty glasses. Something somber to fit my equally solemn mood. Not a flashy club with bright strobe lights and a booming bass that made my teeth shake. How the hell were we supposed to talk in here? I couldn’t hear anything above the roaring music.
I should have known something was up when she’d insisted on driving tonight. One vehicle. No escape. Sounded about right. The second we’d pulled into the parking lot, the massive glowing sign blinking Hell’s Gate at me, I should have run. I knew better than to trust my sister. Our whole lives, she’d been the one to get us in trouble. The one who’d snuck out at night or skipped school. The one who knew more about clubbing than I ever would.
Ignorant to my discomfort, Brittany clutched my hand and dragged me out into the middle of the dance floor. Within seconds, we were swallowed whole by a writhing mass of sweaty, gyrating bodies. I’d heard of Hell’s Gate in passing. This was the place, as the slogan said, where you could party in sin. A club specifically catered to the paranormal community. Their specialty consisted of a staff of grade-A vampires trained in the art of seductive bites. All you had to do was cough up a little cash, and your blood would flow. Vampire bites were all the craze right now. They’d long since perfected the talent—an evolutionary trait to guarantee a return meal. A few years back, some lucky entrepreneur had taken a chance on employing a vampire for that purpose. Once his business started booming, other businesses had adopted the practice. And now, blood whoring had become a thing.
My gaze flicked to Brittany. She swayed erotically to the music, her long blond hair brushing the small of her back as she moved. The smile on her face told me she didn’t give a damn about the numerous bodies pressing in on us, or the fact that a strange man had slipped in behind her, his hands on her hips. This sort of place was her thing. Always had been. Didn’t matter that she’d long since outgrown her clubbing years—I was beginning to suspect she’d still be partying on her hundredth birthday.
Me?
I was so over it. Had been for several decades now. Not that I was old and gray, but definitely finished with this scene.
The warm press of two unfamiliar bodies against my sides incited a surge of claustrophobia. I wasn’t ready for this. For the past year, I’d kept to myself, braving the outside only when necessary. I wasn’t ready for the world to come screaming back to me. When Brittany had promised a drink and a place to talk, I’d truly thought she’d meant a pub. I’d even found myself depending on it earlier today while crouched in front of Daniel’s grave. So, when a third stranger’s hand grazed my thigh, a wave of anger tore through me. This was too much, too fast.
Brittany’s eyes snapped open and met mine.
I didn’t need to say anything. She could smell the emotions pouring off me. And it seemed she wasn’t the only one. The crowd dispersed, the scent of my rage encouraging them to dance elsewhere. Finally, I could breathe.
I caught the subtle motion of Brittany’s sigh before she took my hand and dragged me off the dance floor and through a pair of heavy doors. The second they sealed behind us, the music faded into little more than a dull thump. Without a word, she pulled me toward a nearby table, pushed me down into a padded booth, and slid in next to me.
“I’m sorry, all right?” she said, her words carrying over the high-pitched whine echoing in my ears. “I thought you could use a little fun tonight.”
Heat broiled beneath the surface. It wasn’t her place to decide what I needed.
“Look, I know how hard Daniel’s death has been on you. I’ve tried helping you, but you kept pushing me and everyone else away. I thought maybe if I took you out, reminded you what it felt like to have fun, maybe I could bring you back to life a little.”
“In case you forgot, I did agree to go out. But not here. You said someplace quiet.”
“Actually, I said a dark corner. And look, here we are.”
I blinked at her, astounded. This was what she called a dark corner?
“Let’s start over, okay? Forget about the dancing. We’re here, we might as well have some drinks. And we can talk.”
Except, I just wanted to go home. Visiting Daniel’s grave this afternoon had wiped me out. I hadn’t expected the emotions to hit me so hard. When we’d first buried him, the worst moment was watching them lower his coffin into the earth. Afterward, the hardest moment had been watching fresh grass grow over the mound. New life on top of death. But those hadn’t even registered on the pain radar compared to today. One year. It was really, truly over. I’d come to that realization long ago. But today, it was like a fresh kick to an already broken heart.
“I think I’m gonna go.”
“No.” A sharp note invaded Brittany’s voice. “Would you stop? Have a drink or two first, all right? We can talk about anything. It doesn’t have to be Daniel. In fact, let’s avoid that topic altogether. Stay, and you’ll see there’s so much more to life than grieving.”
“Brittany—”
“Come on.” She reached across the table and cupped my hands. “Mom’s going on a vacation, did you know that? Without Dad.”
I sighed. She’d never give up. And maybe that was for the best. Resigned, I leaned back in the booth. “How’d that happen?”
“She got tired of waiting for him, I guess. He never wanted to go anywhere with her. So, she finally said screw it and booked herself a European getaway without him.”
That sounded like my mother, all right. Instead of finding something they could enjoy doing together, she intended to leave him behind and go on her own adventures.
“She…misses you.”
My defenses slammed into place. I knew better than to believe that. My mother was the most selfish person I knew. I’d been around long enough to know she’d been that way her entire life, and showed no signs of changing. Everything was about appearances with her, and her love conditional—so long as we never made her look bad. It was a lesson hard learned.
“She talks about you,” Brittany continued. “Often asks me how you’re doing.”
I snorted. “I bet.”
“Honestly, Kendra. Maybe you should call her.”
When pigs learn to fly.
“Anyway, Mom’s vacation got me thinking…”
Never a good sign.
“Maybe you could use one, too.”
All right
—was it me, or was my head starting to hurt? First, it was the club. Now, a vacation? I pinched the bridge of my nose and leaned my head back against the plush booth. When would this end? When would people understand that I was moving at my own pace? Why did they have to keep pushing?
“Hear me out, ’kay? I think the reason you’re still so…lost is because you spend all your time in Daniel’s cabin.”
“Our cabin,” I corrected.
“All right, but that doesn’t change my point. You’re up in the mountains, sequestered away from the rest of us, living in the home he built. Even if you did put away his things, you’re physically living in something that’s a reminder of him. You need a fresh start.”
They just wanted to tear everything away from me, didn’t they?
“So, let’s go on a vacation. You and me. No one else. And while we’re gone, we can look for some new places for you to live. Or hell, move in with me!”
I released my nose and stared at her. “With you?”
“Sure! Anything to get you out of that place.”
Living with Brittany didn’t exactly appeal to me. I was the older sister. For some reason, moving in with my younger sibling set my teeth on edge.
“Look, Kendra, wolves are pack animals. And so are we. You’ve been alone too long. It isn’t healthy for you.”
I would be the judge of that.
“Okay, don’t freak out…”
Usually, a good reason to freak out.
Brittany reached into her purse and fished out a tablet. She placed it on the table and lit up the screen. A few quick taps and she brought up a colorful website. Then she slid me the tablet and gestured toward it.
I shot it a glance, and immediately wished I hadn’t. Fury lit every synapse in my head. “A dating site? You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!”
“Hold up, just calm down.” Brittany held her hands out peaceably. “It isn’t what you’re thinking.”
“Really? Because it looks to me like you’re trying to convince me to join some damn dating site.” I pushed to my feet, about to storm out, but Brittany was quicker.