by Macy Blake
“Savior complex?”
Shaq checked the bacon then looked back at Drew with a small frown.
“S-sorry,” Drew said. “I didn’t mean to be rude.”
“No, you weren’t rude. I get why you’re asking. Maybe it is a complex, but there was a time when I needed help and help appeared.” It had been in the form of a goddess and his life hadn’t been the same since. But Drew didn’t need to know that story. He was innocent of their world, at least from what Shaq could sense. “That help saved me so I try to always do what I can to make sure other people are taken care of when I have the chance.”
“Man, I’m such a jerk,” Drew said. “I’m sorry.”
“What I think you are is a guy in trouble who could use some help. So when you’re ready to talk about it, I’m ready to listen. And if you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to.” Shaq took the bacon out of the pan, put it on a stack of paper towels, and then cracked a few eggs into the hot grease. He started the toast and grabbed the butter out of the fridge, giving Drew time to process his words. Drew didn’t say anything else, so Shaq continued getting the food ready. When Shaq placed the filled plate in front of him a few minutes later, Drew looked up. Shaq hadn’t seen anyone look so lost in a long time. He went around the counter and hooked his hand behind Drew’s neck.
“You’re safe now, okay?”
Drew nodded, but he seemed to have a lot more doubts again. Doubts which had faded last night along with the sharp scent of fear. That was back now, and Meshaq didn’t like it. He didn’t like it one bit.
“Don’t know if you noticed, but I’m kinda a big guy. Would take a lot to get through me to you. Then there’s Sol. Did you notice him at the bar last night? He’s my bouncer. Former military. Tough as nails. And Achim and Teague work for me too. They’re the guys who were helping me watch out for you last night. Trust me when I tell you that no one wants to mess with them. We can keep you safe, Drew. You just have to let us.”
“This is so crazy,” Drew said even as he instinctively leaned into Shaq’s touch.
Shaq understood his draw, how safe he made others feel. It had served him well many times in his duties for the goddess, and now it made him happy that Drew was able to draw some comfort from him as well. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”
Drew nodded before sitting up and lifting his fork. He poked as his eggs, letting the bright yellow yolk spill out over his plate for a second before speaking. “It started a few weeks ago. I was working and this guy came in. He looked… I don’t know… wild. Like he was high or something? But I don’t think he was. He was acting weird and sniffing the air, but then he saw me behind the counter and he grinned. I swear that grin scared me so much I thought I was going to pass out. He didn’t look normal at all.”
A few weeks ago would have been the full moon. The next one was coming up soon. Although shifters weren’t forced to shift under it, many of them felt its pull, Meshaq included. “Did you call the police?” Shaq asked.
“No. He just looked at me and said I was pretty. I told him he should leave. He did the weird smelling thing again and said I was ripe. What does that even mean? He grinned at me again then ran off, though, so I just thought it was a crazy person and wrote if off as another story I’d be able to tell some day.”
Shaq tried to keep his expression blank, but his thoughts were spinning. He knew exactly what it meant for someone to smell ripe, but he’d never heard it used to describe humans, much less a human man. He leaned into Drew and breathed him in. He did scent something different about Drew, something underlying that he hadn’t quite been able to identify. It pulled at the protector part of him, the piece that wanted pack and family.
“Then what happened?” Shaq asked.
Drew bit off a chunk of bacon and sighed as he chewed. “So the next night, the guy comes back. But this time he has a friend with him. They were both being weird and freaking me out, but our maintenance guy was there. We had a toilet back up in one of the guest rooms, so I’d had to call him in. When Wayne came up behind me at the counter to see what was going on, they took off. So Wayne— that’s the maintenance guy— anyway, Wayne says I should tell the manager. I did, but there really wasn’t anything he could do. They hadn’t done anything, you know? But he did tell me to lock the doors earlier for a while. I had to buzz in anyone who came to the doors that way. So I did. They came back, this time with another guy. The third guy— he was intense. I refused to open the door and he just… he got so pissed off. He punched the glass on the door and it cracked. I called the cops then, and it was this whole weird thing.”
“Sounds scary.”
“It was. But it was just at work you know? And I had it handled between locking the doors and calling the cops. But then a couple days later as I was leaving work, the scary guy was waiting by my car. He tried to flirt with me or something, but it just came off as stalkerish so I told him to go away. He pushed me up against the car, but a couple of our front desk folks were coming in so they yelled at him to leave me alone. He snarled at them. Like, full on snarled. It was crazy. But he took off. My friend Paige, she was one of the people who yelled, she said I needed to be really careful. I tried to be, you know? And Paige, she said she had a friend who would be able to help, so I thought everything was fine. Then two nights ago, the scary one showed up at my apartment. Started saying things like I was his and I needed to stop fighting it. That he would take care of my little friends. And no one would keep me away from him. Then he grabbed me and tried to kiss me and he was so fucking strong.” Drew’s heart began to race so Shaq leaned down and looked into his eyes.
“You’re okay, Drew. I’m here.”
“He told me he was coming back for me so when he left, I just… packed and got in the car and drove. I left my phone at home and didn’t use my credit cards, but I swear, I could almost feel him following me.”
Shaq didn’t want to break the news to Drew that they’d found the tracker on his car. Regardless, if he didn’t have enough of a head start, the wolves could have scented him enough to follow. Even Shaq found himself drawn to Drew’s scent, and he wasn’t nearly as affected by the full moon as wolves were. Legend had it that true mates always smelled sweetest at the full moon so their counterparts could more easily find them. But it was just that. A legend. No one had found their true mate in the entire time Meshaq had been a hellhound. He’d heard of them, of course, but he’d heard a lot of things that weren’t exactly true. He had no idea how to explain any of that to Drew, though, especially considering he had no idea what kind of world he’d stumbled into.
“Your breakfast is getting cold,” Drew mumbled against his chest.
“I prefer cold eggs,” Shaq said.
Drew huffed out a laugh and lifted his head again. “I don’t know what I did to find someone like you, but I’m really glad I did.”
Shaq grinned and lowered his forehead to the top of Drew’s head. His hand crept around to cup Drew’s neck again. Drew may not understand the significance of the gesture, the acceptance of an alpha to a pack member, but Shaq wanted to scent him and offer him comfort at the same time. When he moved away after a moment, Drew began eating again.
“So, I think you should come hang out with me at the bar tonight,” Shaq said. “One of my bartenders is sick so I’ve got to work behind the bar again. I would like the company.”
“What if…”
Shaq shrugged. “We’ll deal with it. Would rather get it over with, if I’m honest. Besides, can you imagine what the guys at the bar would do if some idiot showed up sniffing the air and talking crazy? I’d pay good money to see it, I can tell you that much.”
“They were a bit surly.”
“Only a bit? They’ll be disappointed. It’ll be busier tonight since it’s Saturday. And hey, if you’re really lucky, I may put you to work.”
Drew smirked and continued eating.
After breakfast, they separated and went to shower. Shaq waited until he could hear the
water hitting Drew’s skin, and then called Sol.
“Morning, bossman.”
“You know I hate it when you call me that. And it’s afternoon.”
“Not for me. Not even out of bed yet. How’s your newest orphan?”
“In more trouble than I first thought, and he has no idea who…or should I say what…he’s up against.”
“Shit,” Sol said. “He’s not in the know at all?”
“Nope. No clue, and I’m not sure how to tell him. But after hearing his story, I can guarantee you we’ll have company. I’m honestly surprised we haven’t already.”
“Depends on how smart he was. If he made a lot of random turns, kept on the move… he could have put enough distance between them to lose them for a while. With the car parked in our lot for so long last night though, we’ll no doubt see them tonight.”
“Come loaded for bear,” Shaq growled.
“When’s the last time I needed anything other than claws and teeth for a wolf?”
“That depends. When’s the last time you went up against an alpha who thinks he’s found his mate?”
“Oh, fuck. Couldn’t you have led with that? And Drew didn’t feel the pull?”
“Nope. He’s terrified of the guy. I’m going to have to go see the goddess later. I have a few questions.”
“I bet.”
“Hey, Sol, did Drew…” Shaq paused, unsure how to even finish his thought.
“Did he what?”
“Did he smell… different to you?”
“Other than smelling like wolf? No.”
Shaq ran his hand over his hair before squeezing the tension out of the back of his neck. It was going to be a long night. “Okay. I’m going to get in the shower and head to the bar. Drew will be with me.”
“I’ll meet you there. Want me to text the boys and have them come in early?”
“I think that’s a good idea.”
“On it. See you shortly.”
After taking one more moment to listen to Drew moving around in the other room, Shaq went to his own and got cleaned up. He unwrapped his bracelets, revealing the Goddess’s sigil on his arm. He gave the mark a gentle stroke and asked for her blessings for the evening ahead. He meditated for a few minutes, calming his mind further, then continued his evening rituals. By the time he came out, dressed and ready to go, Drew was waiting for him in the living room.
He was wrapping the final piece of leather around his arm and Drew watched as his fingers moved against the black leather. The moment built and Shaq paused before twisting the final knot. He waited until Drew finally realized he’d stopped moving and looked up with a blush.
Shaq couldn’t quite hold back his grin, and Drew’s blush deepened further. “You ready?”
Drew seemed puzzled by the question. Shaq stepped closer, unable to stop himself from carefully breathing in Drew’s scent. “Ready?”
Goddess, Meshaq couldn’t stop himself, even though he should. He reached out and caught Drew’s neck in his hand, scenting him yet again. Marking him with an alpha’s touch. Not just an alpha. The alpha. He was marking Drew as one of his. He was the most powerful alpha on the planet and all other creatures knew it. Placing Drew under his protection would keep him safe.
“Ready to go to the bar,” Shaq explained. His voice was low and husky. Drew trembled in his hand, his pulse thumping against Meshaq’s palm.
Meshaq
On Saturday nights, the bar stayed steadily busy from about five through closing. More customers came in later, but some of the older crew were in and out by nine. He had some others who came in only for Walt’s Saturday dinner special. The gruff man was another of Shaq’s orphans. Walt hated people, loved to cook, and preferred to be called by his nickname, Hound Dog. During the week, Walt was content to serve up the easy stuff like the wings and potato skins Shaq had given to Drew the night before. The weekends were another story, though.
Shaq hadn’t wanted to turn the bar into a restaurant, but he’d let Walt convince him to have one meal a week as a special. It was either that, or the regular menu options. No more. No less. It was the first time Walt had actually asked him for anything, so Shaq hadn’t really had a problem letting him give it a try. Nothing had changed at first. Then one of his regulars had mentioned Walt’s amazing beef stew to his blogger son, and suddenly he had people showing up on Saturdays because of some Help or Kelp app or something that gave him good reviews.
Solomon had laughed for days.
Solomon was a giant asshole.
Shaq led the way into the bar, pleased to see several tables already full. The special started exactly at six, and not a minute before. And when it ran out, it was done. He had people show up early and get their orders in just to make sure they got whatever it was Walt made that night. The man practically had a cult following. Of course, if he knew that, he’d probably stop doing it. He really was a pain in the ass sometimes. Shaq guided Drew to a seat at the opposite end of the bar from the entrance, tucking him in next to the register and where the servers picked up their orders. It was also right beside the kitchen pickup window.
“You can hang out here for the night,” Shaq said. “Only don’t go over to the window there, okay?”
Drew glanced that direction with a puzzled frown. “Okay?”
“My cook doesn’t like strangers. We call him Hound Dog. His bite is definitely worse than his bark, though, so we just let him do his thing and leave him alone.”
“You really are a white knight, aren’t you?” Drew asked with a smile.
Shaq huffed and squeezed Drew’s shoulder as he settled on the empty stool. “Sol hangs out back there,” Shaq said as he gestured toward the back where Sol was talking to Izzy and Shelly. They were both working nights for the weekend. “You need anything and I’m not here, just ask him.”
“Okay.”
“You need anything now?”
Drew shook his head.
Shaq gave his neck another gentle squeeze then went over to the kitchen window. “Evenin’ Hound Dog. I’m working the bar again tonight. Cody’s still out sick. Smells amazing at usual.”
Walt had arranged the kitchen so he could be out of view most of the time. He hobbled around the corner, his damaged leg clearly giving him fits again. Shaq made a mental note to check in with the doctor at the VA hospital to see what they could do. All he’d been able to get out of Walt was that he’d been shot doing his duty. He refused to get more help unless Shaq forced the issue.
“Pork chops and scalloped potatoes is on special. Make sure the girls tell ‘em these ain’t those cheese-covered, tasteless pieces of shit that come out of a box. No cheese, you hear me? Onions and mushrooms, soaked in the juices of the chops. They don’t like it, they can fuck off.”
Shaq grinned, used to getting orders from the cantankerous man. “Got it. I’ll let Izzy and Shelly know. I’ve got a friend here tonight. He’s sitting in my usual spot. I let him know you like to cook in private, but just in case you notice him, I wanted to give you a heads up.”
Walt nodded, giving Meshaq a glare as he adjusted the toothpick he had clenched between his teeth. “The boys seem on edge. Something going on I need to know about?”
“Might be a little trouble later. Nothing we can’t handle.”
“This have something to do with your new friend?”
He couldn’t get anything past Hound Dog. Shaq wondered if he’d gotten his nickname because of his ability to sniff out trouble.
“Yeah,” Shaq confessed. “He has a guy after him who won’t take no for an answer.”
Walt growled. The sound was entirely human, but Shaq appreciated it nonetheless. “Well, if trouble comes, send your boy back to me.”
“Thanks, Hound Dog. And I know Drew and I are going to want dinner later so will you set some aside for us?”
“Made an extra pan for you and the boys. Should be plenty to serve one more, even with the way Achim eats.”
Shaq gave him a nod of thanks then ma
de his rounds. He always checked over the bar before they started for the night. Along the way, he greeted his regulars, made sure Izzy and Shelly had everything they needed, and then got an update from Sol on security for the night. He’d not called the rest of the pack home because of the threat, even though he’d considered it. They rarely took time away from each other, but some concert or another was going on and Vice had wanted to go. The band had been his favorite back in his human days and when he’d heard about the reunion tour, Shaq had agreed to let him go. He took Jedrek and Calliope with him. Even though they’d be pissed if something happened and they weren’t there, Shaq also didn’t want them to miss out on the event. Besides, the day he and Sol couldn’t handle a pack of wolves was the day he asked the goddess to put him out of his misery.
After taking his place behind the bar, Shaq began mixing drinks and filling mugs. The girls had handled the first few rounds on their own while he got ready, but it was still early enough that they were able to manage. Most of the people at the bar this early wanted soda or beer anyway. Right before six o’clock, another rush of customers arrived, and Shaq got busy getting them all served. The moment the clock switched over to six, filled plates began appearing in the kitchen window. Shelly and Izzy hurried over and began delivering the special to the early birds.
Shaq carried a bottle of water over to Drew, who looked puzzled by the rush. When Drew noticed him, he gestured toward the tables. “I never saw them take orders.”
“They didn’t. They’re all here for the Saturday special.”
“I’m guessing that’s what smells so good?” Drew asked.
“Yep. I had Hound Dog set some aside for us.”
Drew grinned. “I feel like I should be helping.”
Shaq returned the smile and reached across the bar for Drew’s shoulder. He couldn’t seem to help himself from adding yet another layer of his scent to Drew’s. “You can help later. Maybe clear tables? It’ll start getting busier later on.”
“I can do that.”
Another wave of customers arrived, pulling Shaq away from Drew. The crowd began to pick up, and before Shaq knew it, it was after ten and the bar was in full Saturday night swing. He had a crowd around the bar with every stool filled. The tables were all full as well, and Shaq kept busy filling orders for Shelly and Izzy’s tables while making sure the customers at the bar were served as well. Drew had jumped right in and began clearing tables once things picked up. He had a bin full of empty glasses in his arms when the door to the bar opened and two wolf shifters walked in.