by R. E. Butler
Now or never, she thought as she pressed the button to turn off the engine. The parking lot of Brewz was nearly full, and when she opened the car door, she could hear the muffled music. Her heart was in her throat and her palms were sweaty, and her beast was banging around in her skull suddenly.
She knew she couldn’t go into a bar full of shifters smelling like a scared bunny. Straightening her shoulders, she reminded herself that she was a kickass red fox-polar bear hybrid. She might be small in her shift, but she had sharp teeth and claws and could run fast. If the town wasn’t friendly, she’d find someplace else to go and reach out to the shifter alliance for ideas. The alliance would have information on places where a hybrid was welcome. But the sooner she settled down, the better. She didn’t want Hunters after her.
Hunters. Shit.
She hadn’t really even thought about them.
For sure Alpha Vano had reported to the alliance that she was exiled. He hated her; he wouldn’t have given her any grace period to get settled. He would’ve let the alliance know she wasn’t part of the group anymore, so they would be looking for her. Once they received the report, her name would be flagged in the database and she’d have seventy-two hours to find an alpha to ally herself to or they’d send Hunters after her. Hunters were the police of the shifter world. It was illegal for a shifter—even a hybrid—to be on their own.
It wasn’t conceivable for her to start her own clan because she didn’t have time to research a town without purebreds or other supernatural groups in order to declare it. Plus, new groups could become targets of more established groups in a bid for larger territories. She was in no position to fight anyone for anything. The only way she was going to survive and not end up in the alliance’s prison network was for Alpha Rehlik to let her stay in Cider Falls.
Taking a calming breath, she told her beast that they were in a place that would welcome them. They didn’t have to worry about being attacked or killed for being a hybrid. So long as Alpha Rehlik was taking on new members and wanted her to be part of his group, she’d be golden. As her mom liked to remind her, there was no sense borrowing future worries and getting worked up about something before it happened.
She wouldn’t worry about where she’d go if this didn’t work. She’d just trust that the universe was going to cut her a break, since she could really use one.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she straightened her shoulders and opened the door to the bar.
The bar was fairly crowded, with people lined up at the counter and most of the tables full. Several couples were dancing to fast music pumped from speakers around the room.
Weylyn walked to the bar and stood behind a few males wearing work shirts and dirty jeans. They were talking about a landscaping project and waiting for the bartender.
A large male walked over to the group of males but ignored them, his nostrils flaring as he met Weylyn’s gaze.
“Who are you?” the male asked.
“You know us, Trace,” one of the males said.
“Not you, knuckleheads,” Trace said. He jutted his chin in her direction, and the males turned to face her, their brows all winging up in surprise.
“You’re new,” the older of the three males said.
“I’m...Weylyn. I was looking for Rehlik.”
“Oh yeah?” Trace asked. He motioned for the males to move and they parted, allowing her to step to the counter. Her hands were trembling, so she didn’t put them on the counter but kept them at her sides. “I’m Trace, Rehlik’s number two. It’s his night off. What do you need? Maybe I can help.”
Her wrist throbbed, reminding her of the brand.
She looked at the males on either side of her who were watching her intently, and her cheeks heated. She’d never been ashamed of what she was before, but now she wasn’t just a hybrid shifter, she was an exiled one.
The door to the bar opened so hard that it cracked against the wall with a loud bang.
Weylyn gasped and turned.
The biggest, sexiest male she’d ever laid eyes on stood framed in the doorway. His eyes were bright gold, and his fangs were peeking from his parted lips.
She could feel his power from across the bar. He was an alpha. The Alpha.
Rehlik.
Her heart clenched and her whole body flushed with heat as images of the two of them locked in a spiral of pleasure filled her mind.
Blinking hard, Weylyn blushed at the thoughts in her head and tried to think about anything, anyone, but the sexy male staring at her from the doorway.
And he was staring at her.
He hadn’t looked away for even a heartbeat.
“Bar’s closed,” he said, his voice loud and commanding.
No one moved for a moment, and then Trace clapped his hands and said, “You heard the alpha. Clear out. Tabs can be settled tomorrow.”
Rehlik stepped into the bar and moved aside so the crowd could leave. The music was turned off, and the sound of chairs being scraped back echoed in the bar.
People were definitely looking at her now.
She wanted to leave with them but she was frozen in place. Her fox was sitting up in her mind, chittering happily.
This was him. Her mate! The little bugger was positive.
No, hard no, Weylyn told her beast. Rehlik was the alpha of Cider Falls and judging by the gold of his eyes, he was a purebred. A wolf by the smell of him.
And damn did he smell good.
Like fall and campfires and snuggly nights.
And home.
Her eyes stung and her mouth went salty. She was surprised by the sudden reaction.
Taking in a deep breath, she watched in silence as the bar was cleared until there were only three of them—her, Rehlik, and Trace.
Trace cleared his throat. “You want me to stick around?”
Weylyn knew he wasn’t talking to her.
Rehlik shook his head.
“Right,” Trace said. He let out a sigh. “I’ll come back and clean up later, just text me when you’re finished with whatever this is.”
The bartender—scratch that—the second-in-command of Cider Falls disappeared into the back of the bar, leaving Weylyn and Rehlik staring at each other across the room, a stifling amount of hormones floating in the air between them. She was the horniest she’d ever been in her life, and it had happened so suddenly she wasn’t sure how she was still standing upright and not falling to the ground at his feet and begging for some sexy touches.
Shaking her head to dislodge the sex-fueled thoughts, she said, “H-hello.”
His dark brow arched.
“You’re not from around here,” he said. His whole body was tense like he was fighting against something, and she bet it was the same something that had her wanting to rush across the wood floor.
“No. I just got here. I’m Weylyn.”
“I’m Rehlik. Alpha.”
“I know who you are. Or rather, I had your name. I thought it was your night off?”
“It is.” He stalked across the room toward her, and the instinct to fight or flee reared inside her. The last alpha she’d had dealings with had threatened to kill her if he ever saw her again. But this was a town of hybrids and exiles, and she knew that while Rehlik looked menacing, he wasn’t going to hurt her.
As he drew progressively closer, she could hear his wolf’s happy and curious hum, a low growling, almost purr-like sound in his chest. He was even bigger close up than he’d been across the bar, all thick muscles and broad shoulders. His eyes were still an enchanting, powerful gold.
He crowded her, and she took a step back until she hit the bar and couldn’t move any farther away.
Resting his hands on either side of the bar, he caged her in and looked down at her. He was at least a foot taller than her, towering over her petite and curvy frame.
“I have a few questions,” he said gruffly.
For the first time since she’d been told she had to leave town, she smiled. “Yeah? Me too.�
�
She was feeling oddly bold. Maybe because she could feel in her gut that he was her mate, or maybe because the stress had finally gotten to her and she was about to crack.
The corner of his mouth quirked up, and she thought that made him even sexier, if that was possible.
Calm down girl, she chided her fox.
“Weylyn,” he said.
“Rehlik.”
He grasped the wrist with her exile brand and tenderly lifted it so he could look at it. Then he pulled her gently away and walked her to a nearby booth. He pointed to the plush red seat, and she sat, then he disappeared behind the bar. He returned a few minutes later with a glass filled with ice and dark liquid along with a medical kit.
She took a tentative sip of the drink and found it to be rum and coke. She took another, larger drink and sighed.
“The coke is for the sugar, the rum is to calm your nerves,” he said as he slid in to sit next to her.
“Thank you.”
“Your wound is fresh,” he said. He opened the kit and laid a few items on the table, then he opened an antiseptic wipe. “This is going to hurt, but before I can put the healing ointment on it, I have to make sure it’s clean. When did this happen?”
She couldn’t take her eyes off his eyes. They were so mesmerizing. Gold and gray swirling together.
The cool wipe touched her wrist, and she nearly swallowed her tongue. She jerked her hand back, but he didn’t let go. “Let me do this, Weylyn,” he said, his voice still gruff but with a softer tone.
Her eyes stung and she nodded, grinding her teeth together to stave the curses she wanted to lob at him like grenades. He wiped her wrist completely and then blew on her skin, making it tingle as it cooled off.
“I’m from Tennessee,” she said.
“You’re a hybrid. I pick up fox and bear.”
“I am. Red fox and polar bear.”
“Polar bear? Really? That’s a surprise.”
“Why?”
“Well, they’re dangerous. The most dangerous type of shifter aside from dragons. Polar bears don’t generally mate outside of their own kind.”
“He didn’t mate my mom and didn’t want anything to do with either of us.”
He hummed and tore open the corner of a packet of ointment, squeezing out the clear gel onto her wrist.
“Well, you’re not a typical hybrid because of your father, but the situation sounds familiar. A lot of our hybrids have a relationship with only one of their parents, at least before they were exiled. I’m a timber wolf. A male in my pack set his sights on the alphaship and forced me out. I was exiled as a bonus, and while I could’ve gone to another wolf pack, I didn’t want to be under an alpha.”
“So you established Cider Falls.”
“Yep. How old are you?”
“Twenty-four.”
“That’s kind of old to be exiled. Usually alphas send hybrids off after they shift. Unless you can’t shift?” He put the gel packet on the table and grabbed a gauze pad, which he placed gingerly on her wound.
“I can shift. Red fox with white fur. The old alpha stepped down today and his son took over. He never liked me and exiled me immediately.” She told him about her lack of vehicle and her mom’s last words to her about Cider Falls.
Rehlik snarled as he taped the gauze pad to her wrist and then dropped the roll into the kit. “Fucking asshole. I don’t know why some alphas feel like they have to kick people while they’re down. It’s one thing to say no hybrids in a group—alphas can arrange their people however the hell they want, it’s their prerogative—but to take away your car is just low.”
He cleaned up and closed the medical kit, stashing it behind the bar. She watched him work and took a few more sips, her nerves slowly settling as the rum did the trick.
When he sat back down, he said, “So first things first, tell me that you know what we are to each other. I can’t stand pretense and I feel like my wolf is going to claw his way out of me if I don’t address this.”
Her fox barked happily in her mind.
“You’re my mate.”
He grinned, taking him from gorgeous to stunning in a heartbeat. “And you’re mine. Before we go any further, we have some business to take care of.” He stood and offered her his hand. “You do want to stay here, right? With me?”
“Yes.”
She took his hand, and he helped her to her feet. He chuckled. “Good. We can go back to the office and I’ll send the report to the alliance explaining you’re part of the Cider Falls Pack now. And then we can talk somewhere more private.”
She carried her drink and held his hand as he led her down a hall away from the main bar. She really hoped that “talk” meant more than just talking, but she was going to keep that thought to herself.
He opened a door marked “office,” where Trace was sitting at one of two desks. “You’ve already met Trace, my second,” he said to her. “He also co-owns the bar with me. Bar’s clear,” Rehlik said to Trace.
“Okay.” Trace pushed the chair back in and stood.
“This is Weylyn. She’s going to join the pack.”
“And?” Trace asked as he joined them and gave Weylyn a nod.
“And she’s my mate.”
“Right, I thought so. Welcome and congratulations. I’m going to clean up in the bar.”
“Thanks, man.”
Rehlik ushered Weylyn into the office and pulled a chair out across from one of the desks. She sat and watched as he walked around to the other side and pulled out a worn chair. He sat and booted up the computer, then typed quietly for a few minutes. Then he asked for her information again and filled out the alliance form on their website to add her to his roster of members. The alliance required the full name, former address and alpha, and reason for exile.
“Can you say that the alpha didn’t like me?”
Rehlik snorted. “I can, but if I do that, they’ll reach out to him for more information. You probably don’t want that since it can mean the Hunters will come for an interview, and no one wants one of those fuckers running around town.”
“How about you say that new leadership changed the laws regarding hybrids within the clan, which led to my exile.”
“Now that sounds perfect,” he said. He winked at her. “Spoken like a true alpha.”
“I’m...not sure I’m qualified.”
He moved the mouse on the pad and clicked twice, then turned to face her. “Why would you say that?”
“In my clan, kits weren’t allowed to participate in any activities until they shifted, so I was never in any meetings or anything. When I shifted the first time and wasn’t…normal…that was it for me being part of the clan. The only dealings I ever had with the alpha were when he told me how lucky I was that I was still allowed to stay with my mom in town and not be killed or exiled, and then what happened today.”
“The way purebreds treat hybrids is criminal. You can’t control what you are. I’ve always thought it was fear that drove the purebreds to wage war against the hybrids like they do. Fear of losing control.”
“How would a hybrid wrest control from an alpha?”
“Well, think about it. If you have a fierce but small purebred like a red fox, and a hybrid of a red fox and something larger like a polar bear comes along, that hybrid could have strengths the purebred doesn’t and that makes them a threat.”
“I’m not a threat to anyone.”
“No, but what you represent is. You’re different. I remember my grandparents saying that hybrids were the doom of our people, that if we allowed hybrids to stay and breed, purebreds would eventually be the minority and lose power.”
“Did you feel that way before you were exiled?”
“Nah,” he shook his head and leaned back in his chair. “I always thought that who a person mated or what animals they were made of didn’t matter as much as what kind of person they were. Purebreds can be just as big assholes as hybrids and humans, so character should matter more.”
“It’s too bad more people don’t think like you.”
“I think it’s slowly happening, though. There are a lot of shifter groups that have dwindling numbers, so their people go searching for sex and love in other groups and end up with hybrid children. Eventually there will be more hybrids than purebreds, more places like Cider Falls than purebred-only towns, and then we’ll see what power the purebreds can hold onto.”
They stared across the desk at each other for a long moment, and her mind started tripping toward sexy thoughts.
“What now?” she whispered.
“Now, I want to take you home. I live just behind the bar. Then we can talk.”
He stood and came around the desk to her. She rose slowly to her feet, inhaling his sexy scent. “And then?” she whispered.
“Then we’ll see where the night takes us. Whatever happens, Weylyn, you’re here with me and you’re safe, that much I promise.”
Her heart pounding in her chest, she rose onto her toes and brushed her lips across his. He wrapped an arm around her waist and hauled her close, tilting his head and swiping his tongue along her lips. She opened her mouth, and the first touch of their tongues together made lightning swirl in her veins. She put her arms around his neck and pressed herself closer, feeling the ridge of his erection in her stomach.
He was as turned on as she was.
It was heady knowledge.
He cupped her face and deepened the kiss, her nerve endings going haywire. He kissed her like he’d known her for a hundred years instead of an hour. Her senses were filled with everything about him; his scent, his skin, his heat, his touch. She wanted all of it. Now. And forever.
He eased from the kiss, nipping her bottom lip, and she sagged against him, her knees going weak.
“Damn, sweetness,” he said with a rough voice. “When I said we should talk I didn’t mean we should try to climb inside each other.”
She giggled and peeked up at him. “Are you sure? Maybe I misheard you.”