VEX: Valley Enforcers, #1

by Walters, Abi

  I pulled back and watched his face as I pressed the blade in and drew the first line. He didn’t even flinch. I finished the other two quickly with a steady hand. Blood poured down his chest, but he was vibrating with satisfaction.

  We made love again in the shower with his blood swirling at our feet. His mouth was almost permanently attached to the tender spot on my neck. The tingling pain was gone when he cloaked the spot, and somehow, it felt even more erogenous than before. We stayed inside the small tub until our skin was pruned and the water ran clear. Trapped in a world of our own magic, time didn’t exist. All that mattered was the way souls blended together.

  Vex was a kaleidoscope. Each facet of his soul was a special piece of magic that created this Adonis of a man. He was built like a brick house and had this dark, exotic danger to him. He had brusque moments. He had plenty of them. But the kaleidoscope turned and I always found a new part of him to enjoy. The part that hummed along to music in the car. The part that drove an extra thirty miles to the store so he could buy me the foods that I preferred. The part that loved me whole-heartedly even when I was stubborn.

  I came to Brown Bear Valley to find the man who turned into a bear. I came to find truths that would settle my soul. I found so much more. I found not one, but an entire group of people who shifted into bears and their secret was one I would take to the grave. I found the truth. I had the confirmation that the life I dedicated to the weird, creepy, and unknown wasn’t a complete waste. The Valley was a special place. After spending nearly my whole life feeling like an outsider I finally found some place that felt like home.

  But more than that, fate had led me to the one man who understood me better than I understood myself. He gave me the world, and I was going to spend the rest of my life trying to give him the universe.

  Epilogue

  Vex

  The airport terminal was loud and busy. My nerves were already coming through my skin. I’d been in a near permanent state of anxiety for nearly a week. Hakeem, my brother and best friend, was finally coming home after two and a half months. It felt more like two and a half years had passed since he left. I was elated to get him back, but when Dean shared the news there was something in his eyes that told me he wasn’t telling me something. If Hakeem had been injured I knew they would tell me, so I spent hours trying to analyze the way my Beta’s eyes twinkled like I was some lovesick puppy.

  “People are staring at you, Vex. Do we need to go outside so you can breathe?” Acacia ran her hand up and down my arm and looked up at me. She looked even better than she did the day I met her. The wings of her eyeliner were sharper than a knife and her lips were stained a dark purple color, but she looked like the happiest woman alive. She radiated joy. “I have some chocolate in my bag. Chocolate always makes you happy.”

  “I’m happy, baby.” I kissed the top of her head. “I’m just nervous. I wouldn’t be opposed to the chocolate, though.”

  She pulled her big black bag in front of her and started rummaging through it. “These are from that chocolate shop next to the salon. They’re raw cocoa truffles.” She handed a small wrapped package. “Here. Eat them before I do.”

  I unwrapped it and gave her one of the two chocolates. “We’ll share.”

  “I’m ashamed to tell you how much money I’ve spent at that place,” Acacia said as she popped the piece into her mouth. Her eyes closed for a second and she let out a tiny moan that heated my soul. “Perfect. Would you still love me if I turned into a giant piece of candy?”

  “You already are a giant piece of candy,” I teased, wiggling my eyebrows at her. She elbowed me in a totally non-playful way as I ate the piece of chocolate. “Holy shit. This is amazing.”

  “I know! One of the owners paid me with cholate for her cut and color the other day,” Acacia admitted. “I’m like a truffle slut.”

  I snorted. “I can’t believe you didn’t bring me any home.”

  “They were gone before I hit the reserve. I know; I’m a bad mate. I try though!”

  “You’re the very best mate,” I corrected. I swung her around and pecked her lips softly. I wanted to do so much more, but I didn’t want to get kicked out of the terminal before we picked up Hakeem. “You’re wonderful, Acacia. I’m so proud of you.”

  She contacted the salons in Center Village that she was interested in a week after she was completely healed up. Though her cosmetology license needed renewed, one of the salons took her under their wing. The owner, Danielle, had a rockabilly vibe and a crazy, fun salon that was perfect for Acacia. I was wary about letting Acacia drive so far for work, but she loved it and I wasn’t going to deny her anything. The rattling death trap she drove was going to have to go before the snow started, though.

  Life with Acacia was easy. It was fun. We showed up at Willa’s birthday party with the ball pit that Hakeem suggested getting. My family loved Acacia. I knew ‘Keem would too. We visited her family for a cookout, too. Seeing them outside of a bleak hospital room was the first step in getting her family to accept me, but as we cuddled in her old bedroom that night she whispered in my ear that they loved me and that Ava told her that she should marry me. Marriage was the next step, and it was going to come sooner than Acacia probably realized. We weren’t engaged yet, but we both wanted to wait until Hakeem was back to even entertain the idea of a wedding.

  She was mine in all the ways that mattered, but I wanted everyone – human, shifter, alien and cryptid – to know that she was taken.

  “I think we’re supposed to be over there,” Acacia whispered loudly, pointing in the direction of a conglomeration of people.

  I didn’t see Hakeem, who would’ve stood at least a head taller than everyone else, but we walked over anyway and hung towards the back of the crowd. It started to thin out, and when I didn’t see my brother my heart jumped to my throat.

  “Vex?” It was unmistakable. I whipped around and saw Hakeem. He was a little leaner than he had been before he left, and his hair was cropped shorter. Otherwise, he was completely the same. No broken bones. No disfiguring scars. He grinned and picked up his pace as he walked towards us, arms stretched wide. “Shit, man. It’s good to see you.”

  I squeezed him tight, calming both bear and man inside of me. “Good to see you, too, ‘Keem. Real fucking good. A lot has happened since you’ve been gone.”

  “I’ve got a story or two of my own to tell you.”

  We let go of one another and stepped back. It was then that I realized that there was a woman with my brother. Her olive colored skin was flawless, and a braid of silky black hair was draped over her shoulder and fell nearly to her waist. She was all curves and had an understated beauty that made you want to stare at her until you could really figure out what it was that made her shine. Just as I realized Hakeem wasn’t alone, he realized that I wasn’t alone either. He took in Acacia with wonder and a tiny smile on his lips.

  “This is my mate, Acacia. Acacia, Hakeem.”

  She raised her fingers and wiggled them in a greeting. “Hi. I’m glad you’re back.”

  “I’m glad I’m back, too.” He smiled wide and pulled her into a hug. I tensed, afraid that he was going to snap her in half, but she laughed into his jacket and tightened her arms around him. Acacia laced our fingers together when they broke apart, and I gave her a reassuring squeeze. Hakeem stepped back and lifted his arm with a tiny huff of amusement. “Seems like we both were busy. Vex, Acacia, meet my mate, Naya.”

  Vex & Acacia’s Playlist

  For each book I write, I create a special playlist of songs inspired by the characters.

  Two Weeks – All That Remains

  The Kids Aren’t Alright – The Offspring

  I Stand Alone – Godsmack

  This One’s For You – Of Mice & Men

  Destroy Everything – Hatebreed

  Sex Type thing – Stone Temple Pilots

  Everlong – Foo Fighters

  Graveyard Shift – The Acacia Strain

  Like a
Stone – Audioslave

  No Ordinary Love – Memphis May Fire

  Are You Gonna Be My Girl – Jet

  Sleepwalker – Parkway Drive

  Power Trip – Chimera

  Lived A Lie – You Me At Six

  The Hand That Feeds – Nine Inch Nails

  Wait and Bleed – Slipknot

  A Boy Brushed Red – Underoath

  Thirty and Seven – August Burns Red

  Scar tissue – Red Hot Chili Peppers

  About The Author

  Abi Walters lives in Ohio with her husband and action figure collection. A fan of all things supernatural and weird since a young age, she loves writing about shifters and magic. She is a confessed bibliophile and loves discovering new book boyfriends to fall in love with.

  Follow me on Twitter at awalterswrites

  Or check out my website at abiwalterswrites.com

  And if you want to chat, you can email me at abiwalterswrites@gmail.com

  As always, thank you so much for taking the time to read my book. As an avid reader myself, I know how much content is out there! If you enjoyed this book, please leave a review on Amazon and/or Goodreads.

  I hope you enjoyed reading Vex’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it!

  Also by Author

  Breaking All the Rules

  Wildflower

  Stoneclaw Clan Series

  Just You (Parker and Callie, #1)

  Just Fate (Nate and Orsa, #2)

  Just Forever (Dean and Alexis, #3)

  Just Mine (Deacon and Elizabeth, #4)