by Macy Blake
Shaq smelled them first, but only a second later he heard Sol’s whispered warning. He sought out Drew, who has busy clearing a table and hadn’t noticed the new arrivals yet. Achim and Teague appeared from the back room. They’d been watching the parking lot all night, waiting for the wolves’ arrival.
“Be right back, fellas,” Shaq said to his customers. He lifted the wooden slab that blocked him in behind the bar and walked around the side. He gestured for Achim to go to Drew then walked toward the wolves. They’d stopped mere feet inside the door, clearly sensing the presence of something else. Shelly saw him walking toward the men at the door and scurried behind the bar to fill in for him. He also noticed the double tap she gave to the kitchen window, alerting Walt of trouble. Even being surrounded by guys like Shaq and Sol, there was something about Walt that made Shelly feel safe. It was yet another reason why he liked having the guy around.
With his pack in position, Shaq stopped in front of the wolves and smiled. He flashed his eyes, letting them glow bright red and watched as the wolves stumbled back several steps. Shaq pushed forward, forcing the wolves to continue their retreat back outside. He’d never grow tired of being the bogeyman of the supernatural community. It came in very handy at times like these.
“There are humans in this bar, and if you don’t care about angering the goddess by breaking her rules, I highly recommend you care about angering me.”
They shared a nervous glance. “Our alpha sent us to retrieve his mate.”
“Your alpha needs to review the ancient law. A mate is one who is willing. Anyone who has run from your alpha is clearly not his.”
They looked at each other again, unsure how to proceed. “He doesn’t know. He is human and doesn’t understand. Our alpha—”
Shaq crossed his arms over his chest. “I understand. Return to your alpha. Tell him the alpha of the hellhounds sends his regards.” He added just enough push to the last of his words that they heeded his command and ran from the bar.
Unfortunately, Shaq had been so focused on them that he’d failed to notice Drew’s approach. Normally his pack would have alerted him to a human’s presence, but they’d allowed Drew closer. Achim winced and looked away when Meshaq frowned at him. He turned his attention back to Drew, though, and the scent of Drew’s fear intensified.
“It’s fine, Drew,” Shaq said. “They’re gone. Everything’s fine.”
Drew looked up at him, his heart beating at a rapid pace. “Hellhound?” Drew asked.
Shaq took a step forward, planning to reach for Drew’s neck and offer comfort, but Drew stepped back and the scent of fear that had faded over the past day returned tenfold.
“I would never hurt you,” Shaq said.
Drew crossed his arms over his chest and trembled. “I think I’m losing my mind.”
The words were the barest whisper, but Shaq felt them to the core of his being.
“You aren’t. I swear it, Drew. I need… there’s something I need to do. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Please stay here until I return. I’ll… explain everything to you then.”
“Shaq—” Solomon began.
“No. Stay with him, Solomon.”
Solomon bowed his head, acknowledging the order. Shaq took another glance around the bar then turned and walked out. He didn’t need to go far, only into the woods that began at the side of the building and stretched for miles. He’d chosen this location for that very reason. As he walked, he pulled off the leather band on his wrist, revealing the sigil for the goddess hidden beneath it. Once he was far enough in the trees and out of sight, he pressed his hand to the mark and transported to the gates.
Humans had a very fantastic notion of hell and its inhabitants. Although there were creatures there of myth and legend, it was really more of a place in between. The goddess was tasked with protecting the secrets of the supernatural creatures who inhabited both realms and Shaq served as her champion on earth. For the first time in his long life, he’d failed his mission. He’d revealed the secrets himself without her permission, a failing of the most basic duty he held.
Shaq dropped to one knee and lowered his head. She would sense his presence and appear when she was able. The wait felt like an eternity, but Shaq focused on her and his duty, knowing she would come to him. When he felt the first flutter of her magic, he couldn’t help but tremble.
“Meshaq,” she said, her voice a melodic beat against his mind, “what has you so troubled?”
She moved closer and reached her hand to his head. He opened his thoughts to her and let her see the events that had played out over the past day, including his failure. She sighed and ran her hand lightly over his head. “You have not failed me, Champion. The wolves were bound to reveal the truth, and in a much more frightening way. But this human of yours, he puzzles me.”
“There is something different about him,” Shaq confessed.
“Walk with me, Meshaq.”
Shaq pushed to his feet and slowly raised his head. Her appearance was never the same, always shifting and moving as her magic formed and reformed around her. No matter the form, her beauty always took his breath away. He held out his arm and she looped her hand through the crook of his elbow. Their surroundings changed as they moved, responding to her presence.
“The magic in the human world is changing once again,” she said.
Shaq reached over and covered her hand with his. “What can I do?”
She smiled, her energy flowing around him in a pleased pulse of warmth. “I chose wisely when I made you my champion. And now I have a new task for you. You must keep the human safe, Meshaq. His importance is a shadow to me, hidden in the fog of what-ifs, but I feel the truth of it. He is part of the change.” She closed her eyes but continued moving forward. He guided them through a path, letting her focus her attention inward as he attuned his eyes and ears to their surroundings. After a while, she slowed, then opened her eyes as she came to a stop. “Bring him to me on the full moon. Until then, follow your instincts. Trust in them as you trust in me.”
“I will.”
She turned to face him and placed her hand on his neck. “You have my blessing, Meshaq.”
He felt the warmth of her magic around him, and then with his next breath, she was gone. He took a moment to bask in the gift of her blessing before activating the sigil and returning to the woods outside his bar. His senses immediately went into overdrive and he ran for the building in a panic.
“Thank the fucking goddess,” Achim said. “What took you so long?”
“What’s wrong?”
Achim held up a hand when Shaq went to move around him. “Drew is—”
His heart stopped. “Where is he?”
“He’s still here, Alpha. Hound Dog says he’s in shock.”
Shaq pushed past his packmate and hurried inside. Drew was huddled at a table in the back, and oddly, Walt was sitting beside him. He began to rush toward them, but Shelly stepped into his path. It took everything in him to not growl at her to get out of his way. He tried to sidestep around her, but she moved with him.
“Get out of my way, Shelly.”
“No.” She smacked him on the arm and he dropped his gaze from Drew’s dejected expression to her angry eyes.
“What?”
She smacked him again.
He did growl then, his control in tatters.
“Don’t you try to go all alpha on me, mister. I will knee you in the nuts so fast you’ll only wish you’d remembered to treat me with the respect I deserve.”
Her words broke through his haze and he stared down at her. “Shelly, I’d never—”
“I know you’d never hurt me, you big oaf. But you need to stop and listen to me.”
Shaq sucked in a breath and forced himself to focus. “Okay, I’m listening.”
This time, she gave his arm a gentle stroke. “Thank you. I know you’re drawn to him, and I can see that you’re really out of sorts, but Meshaq, you’ve got to handle this carefully. It’
s a delicate situation. You’ve scared the piss out of that poor boy, so what you do next is going to make a difference to what your future holds. You hear me?”
Shaq glanced at Drew, taking in how huddled down he was in the chair. He did look afraid, and it was not something Shaq wanted to be the cause of. “I hear you. What should I do?”
“Well, for starters, how about not running over there like you’re going to tear his throat out with your teeth?”
Shaq turned to her, his stunned expression no doubt clear on his face. “Excuse me?”
“Oh for heaven’s sake, Shaq. You think I don’t recognize an alpha when I see one? Do you know now many romance novels I’ve read? A lot, that’s how many. A whole lot. And I like those paranormal ones the best, okay? And if you say one word about it, I’ll smack the stupid out of you!”
He couldn’t exactly figure out how to process what she was saying but… she knew? “You know?”
“You’ve been my boss for three years now. Do you really think I haven’t picked up on the fact that all you boys are a little different? Well, except for Walt.” She glanced shyly over her shoulder at the other man who sat guarding Drew.
“Walt’s not exactly normal.”
“More normal than you, I’d wager. That’s not the point, though. I know you’re the alpha. I’ve heard the pack slip up once or twice, you know. One day maybe you’ll show me your wolf form. I’d really like to—”
“Wolf,” Meshaq yelped. “Woman, you really are an idiot if you think I’m some mangy—”
“Don’t you woman me, man. And wait… if you aren’t a wolf then what are you?”
Meshaq scowled down at her. “Not a wolf.”
“Oh, so now you’re going to get all huffy with me when I’m just trying to help?”
“Give me a second to think, okay?”
She crossed her arms over her chest and arched an eyebrow at him.
“How about you go have a pack meeting or whatever outside and Walt and I will stay here with Drew? You boys need to sort out your nonsense. Walt knows, too, you know. He’s a lot smarter than you give him credit for.”
Shaq stood there too stunned to speak, staring down at the little spitfire of a waitress he’d known for so long. She’d been so timid when she first came to him, afraid of her own shadow, and now she was standing up to him. Shaq pulled her into a hug, drawing a startled squeak out of her.
“Thank you, Shelly.”
She untangled her arms from between them and hugged him back. “You’re welcome.”
“And Walt’s an idiot.”
Shelly pulled away with a scowl. “He most certainly is not.”
“Yeah, he is. He hasn’t figured out yet that you’re the most amazing thing that could ever happen to him. That makes him an idiot in my book.”
Shelly blushed and looked away. “Yeah, well, we’re both damaged goods. It might not be—”
“It is. Now, why don’t you go back there and help Drew. I’ll head outside and get myself calmed down. You let me know when it’s okay to come back inside. Plan?”
She raised her head, pride on her face at his trust. He did trust her. With more than his life. He trusted her with Drew, even when his instincts were screaming at him and demanding he take some sort of action.
“Thank you, Alpha.”
He gripped her carefully by the side of her neck, officially scenting her as part of his pack. The rest of his pack, scattered around the bar, made huffing sounds of approval. He gestured for them to follow him, and made his way back outside, only sending one last longing glance Drew’s way before he did.
Drew
Drew knew time had passed since Shaq shocked him with his news and left. Everything around him had gone still and quiet. His hands shook. His knees buckled. Someone caught him but he didn’t even know who. Time stopped. Izzy and Shelly sat beside him, both tucked in close and whispering reassurances that he didn’t really hear. Then Walt appeared beside him, shooing the two women away. He glanced at the man, whose battle-hardened gaze finally broke through Drew’s consciousness. He made a noise and Walt looked his way.
“You’re fine, boy. Settle down. Shelly, get the boy a Coke. Extra ice.”
She hurried to do as Walt asked, even though Drew wanted to protest that he didn’t need anything. But the icy cold drink appeared a second later, before he’d even been able to formulate his thoughts enough to vocalize the protest. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. Walt held the glass up for him, and the striped plastic straw bobbed in front of his lips. “Take a drink,” Walt demanded.
Drew did, because he couldn’t seem to do anything else. The caffeine and sugar hit his empty stomach and he shuddered.
“Wh-what’s h-happening?”
“You’re in shock,” Walt said matter-of-factly. “Don’t worry. You’re going to be fine. I’ve seen this before. Just do what I tell ya, and everything will be okay.”
He held up the glass again and Drew took another drink. His hands were shaking so badly he couldn’t even control them. He crossed his arms over his chest and tucked his hands away beneath his armpits. He was cold, his skin clammy and chilled and the cold drink had hit his stomach like he’d dunked himself in ice. He shivered again, drawing Walt’s attention.
“Cold?”
Drew nodded.
“Shelly, grab that old jacket Meshaq left in the back room, would ya?”
Before he could process, Shelly was back, and a black leather coat was spread around his back and over his shoulders. She helped him guide his arms into the sleeves before kissing him on the head and leaving them.
Walt patted his shoulder then leaned back in the chair, stretching his arms over his head as he watched Shelly walk away. Walt really was a good-looking man, even if he was incredibly intimidating. All of the people in Shaq’s bar were. Well, except Izzy and Shelly. They weren’t intimidating. They seemed nice.
Drew faded in and out of awareness until Shaq stormed back into the bar, his eyes blazing with anger. Drew shivered, but before he could voice his fear, Shelly stepped in front of Shaq, stopping him from coming any closer. Then she hit him in the arm. Twice. He had no idea what she said to the… hellhound. Hellhound. What even was a hellhound? How did that…
“Drink,” Walt demanded.
Drew drank. Shaq left the bar, but the look he sent Drew’s way before he did promised… something. It wasn’t something bad, though. Drew just didn’t know what it was. Shelly sat down on his other side and looked across the table at Walt.
“He didn’t even know we knew,” Shelly said.
Walt made a snorting sound.
“That’s what I said.” Shelly laughed and turned to Drew. She patted his arm and smiled. “Don’t you worry, honey. I’ve sent him outside to get himself together before he comes barging in here like a bull in a china shop.”
“Aren’t you… afraid?” Drew asked.
“Of Meshaq?” Walt said. “Nah, he’s a puppy at heart.”
Drew couldn’t help but laugh, even if it did sound a little on the hysterical side. “A puppy? I don’t think hellhounds have puppies.”
“Hellhound,” Shelly gasped. “No way. Did you know that?”
Walt shook his head. “Knew he was something. I was guessing wolf.”
“Me, too! He acted like I’d mortally wounded him when I said that’s what I thought he was.”
Drew reached a shaking hand toward the glass of soda. “You… you really aren’t afraid of him?”
Shelly leaned into Drew carefully, pressing their shoulders together. She smiled over at him, letting him get a look at her face, he was sure. She was a smart lady. He liked her already.
“I promise you, Drew. I’m not afraid of him one bit.”
He looked at her, really truly looked, and he could see her sincerity. “Okay.”
“Good, now that’s settled. You hungry?” Walt asked. He pushed to his feet and stretched again.
“N-no?” Drew said.
“You
telling me that or asking me, son?”
“I-I’m a little hungry but I don’t think I can eat. My stomach is kind of…”
“Oh, I bet,” Shelly said softly. “Walt, you think we should switch him to ginger ale?”
“I… I don’t like ginger ale,” Drew said quietly.
“There you have it then,” Walt replied. “I’m going to go do some dishes. Everything’s piled up back there after all this excitement. I’m not going to get any sleep tonight. Meshaq’s paying me overtime for this.”
“I’ll help,” Shelly said. “Let me go get him in here so he can talk to Drew.”
Walt scowled after her as she hurried away once more. “Damn fool woman should go home and get some rest.”
Drew sipped his Coke and looked up at Walt.
“Don’t give me that look,” Walt protested.
“She’s a hard worker and a nice lady,” Drew said quietly. “Someone hurt her in the past, didn’t they?”
Walt stared toward the door where Shelly stood talking to Meshaq and his… pack? Drew didn’t even know what to call anyone.
“Yeah. Now don’t get all worked up again, you hear me? Shaq’s a good man even if he’s something else, too. He takes care of his people.” Walt looked at Drew again. “Got it?”
“I do.”
“Good. Oughta make you two do the damn dishes. Messin’ up my schedule,” Walt grumbled as he went into the back.
Drew couldn’t help but smile as he watched Walt make his way into the kitchen. He acted like he was some grumpy old man, but he couldn’t be much more than forty.
“Drew?”
Shaq stood a few feet away, watching him nervously.