by Cecilia Lane
“How very caveman-ish.” Leah stabbed a fork into the cinnamon roll and yanked away a bite. Holy moly, the thing was heaven on her tongue. It was all she could do to not moan in her mouthgasm.
“Yeah,” Becca sighed, “but it can be nice. You never need to worry about no one having your back again. And they’re devoted. I mean, Faith and Tommy make me want to gag and I tell them so frequently, but you can’t deny that they can’t even comprehend loving someone else.” Becca snapped her mouth closed and shook herself, then said in a rush, “So, I’ve thought about your problem.”
Leah cocked her head, but didn’t push. She suspected Becca’s overshare had something to do with the man who stomped his way into Tommy’s after their staring contest. “In the three seconds since you learned about it? Tell me, are you accepting new clients as a life coach? Because I have a ton of issues I’d gladly hand over for you to fix.”
Becca nodded sagely. “We’ll come back to those, I’m sure. But first, you need a job. I happen to know the owner of The Roost is holding interviews like, right now. That, newbie, is the bar a few streets down.”
Leah gulped down some of her coffee. “For real? That’d be perfect! My last gig was bartending. I can even do all the fancy tricks and shot pours.”
“It’s my first lead for anywhere that isn’t dealing with the Old Maids—town gossips, avoid those old boars at all cost, if you can,” she warned as an aside. “But Faith hasn’t fired me yet and you need it more than I do, so go. I’ll call ahead and give Gideon my recommendation.”
“Are you a hugger? I want to hug you right now.”
“Only if you promise to comp me drinks when you get the job.”
“Hey, Becca?” Leah tapped her finger against her lips and eyed the diner across the street. “Did Callum mention about calling anywhere else?”
A grin spread across Becca’s face. “He did not, but I imagine he would have called others in town.”
“Excellent.” Leah drummed her fingers against the table. “I just have one quick stop to make and then I’ll see about that job lead. Thanks again.”
“About time this town got some fresh blood and mischief.” Becca bumped her fist and disappeared back into the cafe.
Chapter 7
Callum idled at the corner behind the firehouse. One turn would take him back to the world he wanted to be in, filled with the men of his clan. Straight through the stop sign and one block over would take him to his father’s world. His temporary duties called, and he didn’t want to answer.
Leah had his head off balance. Not his bear, though. That monster under his skin knew exactly what he wanted, even when Callum knew only trouble would come of it. Leah was human. She was forbidden from even being in the enclave. But Bruce had forced his hand and his own idiotic actions that morning had sealed her fate. He should never have shown her his animal form. Another impulse from his bear that he should have clamped down.
He slammed a hand against his steering wheel and blew out a frustrated breath. The bear wanted her. Hell, he wanted her. She was all spice and attitude and that dash of purple in her hair made him harder than he’d ever been in his life. But she was still human and still a threat.
The bear roared with fury and tried to send him images of Leah in their den, Leah with golden eyes, Leah in her own bear skin.
Fuck.
He couldn’t—wouldn’t—change her. Outsiders didn’t stay in the enclaves. She’d leave, the first chance she got. A woman like her, with streaks of unnatural color in her hair, would never be satisfied with a quiet life in Bearden. He couldn’t sink time and fangs into something that would never work out.
The passenger door pulled open, and the truck rocked with the weight of someone throwing himself inside. Cole grinned at him. “You look lost, puppy. Need a good home?”
“Fuck off,” he said and slugged his younger brother on the shoulder.
“Come inside for a bit,” Cole jerked his head toward the firehouse.
Callum made a face and stared forward. “I need to get to work.”
“Fuck that. You need to come see your clan. The paperwork can wait.”
“I don’t know how Pop managed it. I thought dealing with you assholes was tough. Multiply that by the entire enclave.”
“I can’t keep them steady,” Cole said suddenly, eyeing his hands. He shook slightly, Callum could see. Not good for a man who needed to run the fire department and the bear clan. “Sawyer can barely keep to his skin. Hudson wants to fight everything that moves. Nolan is fucked up over Becca and he’s taking it out on everyone. Bruce is the worst. The only reason why he hasn’t tried to challenge me is because he’s after your position.”
“Bruce was a problem even under Pop. He just needs to fight it out and calm his bear down.”
Cole shook his head. “You and Pop both want to see the best in everyone. He’s rotten to the core, Callum. If he takes alpha, he will rip this clan apart. Probably all of Bearden, too, with his constant talk of opening the borders.”
“What do you want me to do? I’m not even alpha.” Callum ran his fingers through his hair and shoved the strands back. His bear rumbled in his chest.
“It’s yours in everything but name. You need to take it fully and declare yourself. Pop would understand if he were in his right mind.”
“It wouldn’t be right. Not now. I won’t even be there until I can find a replacement. And then we still need to deal with transitioning Pop out of the mayor’s office, so he doesn’t drop in on whoever takes it over.” And he needed to talk to Pop’s nurse and find out how he kept slipping away from her. She was supposed to be a damn boar and unafraid of backing down. One more thing to add to his list for the day.
“Pop managed all of us without being in the house,” Cole said in a rush. He clenched his hands into tight fists. The air grew thick and heavy around him in his agitation. He swiveled his head and locked golden eyes on Callum. “Just... come inside. For ten minutes. Remind them you exist. Remind them this is where you belong. It’ll do us all some good.”
Callum’s growl ended as a defeated sigh. Cole could barely keep his bear locked down. The others must be in bad shape. Guilt rattled through him. Running the town consumed him when he needed to be concerned with the clan. He felt like he cupped sand in his hands and no matter what he did, tiny grains of failure continued slipping through.
He threw his truck into reverse, then parked along the street and kicked open his door. “Need me to carry you over the threshold, m’lady?”
Cole pressed his hand to his forehead. “What a prince you are. Tell me, is this before or after you got your fairytale kiss? I hope before, but bless your mate if she puts up with someone who makes a frog’s ass look good.”
Keeping his grin contained, Callum punched Cole in the arm again.
“Look what asshole I found outside,” Cole announced as soon as he pulled open the door to the station’s mess area.
Three of the others were seated on the oversized couch in various states of undress. Nolan had pulled breakfast duty, and was laying out a buffet of food in the kitchen. Only one missing was Bruce.
“Gross. Someone forgot to take the garbage to the dump again,” Sawyer said and wrinkled his nose.
Gray planted his hand on Sawyer’s face and shoved him into Hudson. “Nah, man. I think you just didn’t flush.”
“Would you fuckers keep it down? I’m trying to watch something here,” Hudson glared at them both.
“Breakfast is served, dickholes,” Nolan rumbled from the kitchen.
Gray scrambled over the back of the couch. “Doesn’t count if you just had Tommy make it for us. All who agree, say ‘aye.’“
A chorus of ‘ayes’ filled the room and Callum grinned. He missed these men. Crazy, all of them, but they had each other’s back when anything got tough. He’d saved or been saved by all of them in fires throughout the years. Cole was his blood brother, but they were all his chosen family.
He needed to keep
them together. Underneath the roughhousing and teasing, they were tense. Cole was right. Their eyes were a little too wild, and they snarled a little too easily. They needed someone to step up and take the alpha title entirely.
“What’s on the schedule today, boys?” Callum folded his arms across his chest and leaned against a kitchen counter.
“You’d know if you ever bothered to show up here,” Sawyer joked with a grin, but his tone didn’t hide the tightness to his eyes.
“Yeah, Chief,” Gray nudged Hudson with an elbow. “Hudson is pouting as much as Nolan without you around.”
“Cole’s Chief,” Callum corrected automatically. That’d been the first promise he made to his brother when Pop became too confused to work anymore. Cole would take over as Bearden Fire Chief and he’d step back entirely. They didn’t want the clan or the town confused with the chain of command.
Cole snorted. “Until there’s a mutiny and these fuckers murder me. Then you’re out of luck.”
“Aw, Cole, you’re flattering them,” Hudson said around a mouthful of food. “You and I both know they’re lucky enough to find their own dicks. No way those two are smart enough to pull off a murder.”
“I got it for you right here,” Sawyer grinned and rocked his hips at Hudson. Gray choked on a gulp of coffee.
Bruce entered through the same door as Callum and Cole and the air in the room immediately changed. Callum watched as each man stiffened when his nose picked up the new scent. They didn’t even need to catch sight of Bruce to get their bears riled up.
The man was slowly poisoning the clan and Callum didn’t know how to inoculate them against it. It was his job, though. Just as Cole said, he was alpha in all but name. While Pop still held the title, keeping the clan in line came down to him. That included Bruce.
“Where’s our new woman?” Bruce boomed, rubbing his hands together and waggling his eyebrows as he joined the rest of the crew at the breakfast bar.
Callum slid his gaze to Bruce. “She’s not to be harassed, Bruce.”
The man grinned widely. “No harassing. I just want to take her out. Show her around a little.”
Callum shut his eyes and tried to find some shred of calm. His bear wasn’t having any of it. The beast tore at his control. He wanted to rip into Bruce and make him stay far away from Leah. If Bruce was poison to the clan, what damage would he do to a human woman?
A growl rattled in his chest and his eyes opened to Bruce still grinning. “You will stay away from the human,” Callum ordered.
Bruce hooked his hands on his waist and chewed on his cheek. “Sure, I’ll stay away from this one since you want her so bad.” Triumph sparkled in his eyes. “If you open the borders and let more inside.”
Callum could feel his bear staring at the man. It’d be so tempting to let the animal have his skin and taste blood. Bruce’s words struck a cord that he didn’t want to consider. Humans were forbidden from the town, forbidden from being taken as a mate. Leah was off limits, especially to a man who needed to set an example for the rest of the enclave.
And under that accusation was Bruce’s renewed demand. A growl leaked out of his chest, low and dangerous. Bruce was in no position to make any demands, much less one involving access to more human women. “You should never have revealed yourself to her. It’s forbidden and now I have to decide what to do with her.”
“We’re keeping her here. I thought that was already decided. You’re too good of a man to slit her throat, aren’t you?”
“You’re on shaky grounds, Bruce. Don’t push me. You put the enclave at risk with your actions.”
Bruce started with a curse, “By the Broken—”
“The Broken have nothing to do with this!” Callum roared. “You know what I see? Not the Broken. I see our people watching the roads. I see our people patrolling the territory. Our people manage the shipping warehouses for what we can’t make or grow here. The Broken have done nothing for us since they fell. It’s up to us to respect what they left us, and you pissed all over that protection when you showed your shift to an outsider.”
The poor bastards slept under Bearden, hands covering the orb created by fae magic. Their energy kept the barriers in place and everyone inside the enclave safe. They sacrificed themselves to keep future generations safe.
And now Leah was within that group. Bruce brought her into the fold, Callum solidified her place in Bearden, and he would make sure she stayed safe.
Callum pointed a finger at Bruce. He pulled on his bear to add power to his words. He wasn’t alpha yet, but he reeked of dominance. He almost wished Bruce would test him, just so he could rip into him with claws and fangs. “You’ll stay away from her, do you understand me?”
A puzzle piece in his head slid into the right spot. Protecting Leah was something he needed to do. It felt right. Too natural. And it had his bear rejoicing. The stupid creature practically pranced through his mind.
Fuck. Leah was trouble for him, for his bear, and for the entire enclave.
She was an outsider, just like his mother. And like his mother, she’d leave if she got even a whiff of the chance. Protecting Bearden meant keeping humans on the outside. The less they knew about the supernatural world, the better. Keeping their towns separate was for the safety of everyone.
Maybe he could convince Leah to stay. Maybe he could convince her of Bearden’s importance.
Leah was trouble, and maybe salvation.
Bruce opened his mouth again, but Cole cut him off. “Don’t you need to wash our fair red lady, Bruce? Last one reporting for duty, first one to bust out the cleaning supplies.”
Bruce snapped his mouth closed and shot glares between the two brothers.
A buzz from his phone made him miss the next part of the exchange. Gladly, too. Cole was Chief and in charge of the crew while on duty. He’d overstepped enough that morning.
He answered and stepped outside with a nod to the rest of the clan. “What do you need, Gideon?”
“You know I’m holding interviews today for the bartender job. Well, your human showed up. I just wanted to know how you want to handle things.”
Fuck the past. She was under his protection and she wanted to make a go of providing for herself. He could respect that drive, even if she made him crazy with her demand not to care for her that morning. Maybe she’d already decided to put down some roots.
Or maybe she was getting eyes off her by playing nice.
“I’ll be right over,” Callum said and ended the call.
Maybe Bruce had some of it right. Callum would fight the man and his inner bear to the death to keep him from touching Leah, but the part about showing her around town wasn’t such a terrible idea. She’d seen some of it when he drove her to Muriel’s and during her morning stroll.
But the true heart of Bearden, she had no clue that existed. If she saw with her own eyes the sacrifice made to protect people like him, she might accept the town a little easier. And if everyone there saw her as a regular fixture, they might accept her a little easier, too.
But first, her job. Gideon Bloodwing would be the perfect employer for a firecracker like Leah.
Chapter 8
“Tricks, you say?” Gideon scrubbed fingers through his short beard. “We aren’t really the type of place that needs bar tricks.”
He gestured around the bar and Leah understood what he meant. Old tables were surrounded by chairs that rocked on unsteady legs with the slightest attention. He didn’t have full lights up, but she was sure he never had them turned on. Many of the bulbs likely didn’t work. It was a drinking hole, not a nightclub.
“In my experience, your customers don’t know what they’re missing until you show them.”
Gideon shrugged and raised his hand for her to wait, then stepped out front. Leah chewed on her lip, unsure if she’d been dismissed or when her hopefully new boss would return.
At least it gave her a moment to survey the working space. The actual bar looped in a semi-circle, giv
ing enough room behind the counter for multiple people to work without tripping over one another. He had a wide selection of liquor and beer available, though not too many fruity options. If she had to guess, The Roost’s patrons were the tough men type, and not ladies looking for a night on the town. If she had her way, she’d help haul in both crowds.
She was fine with bar work. It kept her up late at night, which kept her out of her head during the darkest hours. She was good at it, too. The same quick handed skills needed for a little thievery aided pouring and sliding drinks to thirsty customers. And her light fingers got enough use slipping wallets from the pockets of rude assholes who tried to leave without paying.
The front door squeaked on old hinges and Gideon entered again. He took a seat at one of the tables and crossed his arms over his chest. “All right. Dig out an empty. I trust you know your way around bottles and spouts. There should be some old green food coloring from last year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration. Show me how messy these tricks of yours can be before I agree to anything.”
Nothing like an audition to start the day. Leah grabbed an empty bottle waiting to be disposed of and flipped it around her back. She placed it on the counter when she bent to find the food coloring Gideon said existed. A quick blown breath cleared off the box, and she squeezed a few drops into the glass after tugging off the spout. Water from the mixer hose filled the bottle with a vibrant green easily seen for her pours. She stuffed the spout back into the bottle and tossed it into the air.
Between throwing and catching the bottle, she sidestepped and snatched up five tumblers and stacked them like a pyramid. Five silver mixers were next to be grabbed, and she set those in a line before finally twirling the bottle with a flourish and flipping it upside down. Green water poured down the line until she had enough in each for the final step of the trick.
Callum stepped out of the shadows at the side of the bar and Leah jumped. The carefully balanced tower of tumblers shook when the bottle in her hands tapped one, but years of practice helped her steady them before they crashed to the ground.