by R. E. Butler
“What? Why? You only dated him for two weeks.”
“He asked me to meet his mom. Who he lives with!” Miranda rolled her eyes. “I can’t find a guy who isn’t a momma’s boy. I think I’m a momma’s boy magnet.”
“Get yourself demagnetized, girl.”
“I would if I knew how!”
Annie laughed. “Sorry things went south with him.”
“Meh.” Miranda shrugged. “Someday I’ll find Mr. Right. I just have to wade through all the Mr. Wrongs and Mr. Oh-Hell-Nos.”
Giving her bestie a one-armed hug, Annie said, “It’ll happen. For both of us.”
“You’re such an optimist.”
“Can’t help it.”
They unloaded the supplies and put the plastic shoeboxes on low shelves, sticking name labels on the front so each child in the class of fifteen had their own. Once the boxes were filled with art supplies, they cleaned up and went to get something to eat in the break room.
At seven, Tilly would speak for a few minutes to all the families and then each teacher and assistant would take their families into the classroom and talk about the upcoming year.
* * *
Annie looked at the thinning crowd as parents greeted her and Miranda, checked out the room, and then headed out. She’d fielded a lot of questions about the curriculum for kindergarten, many parents wanting to ensure they’d be ready to go into first grade the following year. She was going to do her best to make sure every kid succeeded.
“Hello,” a man said as he, a woman, and another man came to stand in front of Annie. “I’m Ross. This is my mate Violet, and her brother, Roy. Clayton is our son.”
“We’re the shifter family,” Violet said with a nervous smile.
“Oh, of course,” Annie said, shaking all their hands. “It’s nice to meet you. You’re new to town, right?”
“Yes,” Ross said. “Our clan recently settled outside of Greenville. We tried to enroll Clayton in the wolf pack’s school, but they weren’t really receptive.”
“Really?” Annie asked.
“We’re not as well-liked as some of the other shifter groups,” Violet said, her cheeks pinking. “It’s old prejudices and myths about our people.”
“Well,” Annie said, “I don’t mind one bit whether Clayton can shift or not. He wants to learn, I’m happy to teach—period.”
Ross smiled in relief. “Thank you. We just want him to have the same opportunities as everyone else.”
“Of course. I haven’t met a parent yet who didn’t feel that way.”
“That’s really sweet,” Roy said. He smiled at Annie and she returned it.
“We should get home,” Violet said.
“It was so nice to meet you,” Annie said, shaking the parents’ hands. “I can’t wait for the first day of school.”
“Clayton feels the same way,” Ross said.
The couple walked away, but Roy stayed behind. “I don’t normally do this,” he said, clearing his throat, “but I was wondering if you’d like to have a cup of coffee with me?”
Annie was taken aback. Miranda elbowed her. Annie smiled brightly and said, “I’ve still got a while before I’ll be finished, and it’s been a long day. Rain check?”
He frowned but swiftly changed it back into a smile. “Tomorrow, then?”
“Sure,” Annie said. She hadn’t been out on a date in a long while, and although it was only for coffee, she thought it might be fun. She gave him her cell number, and agreed to meet him after work the next day at David’s, a coffee shop in town.
“See you soon,” he said. There was a strange purring growl that came from his chest and he cleared his throat again, smiled, and then walked out.
“Wow, so you got a date!” Miranda said.
“I guess so. That’s never happened before.”
“What, a hottie asking you out the first time he meets you?”
“Well, yeah, but I mean getting a date during parents’ night.”
“He’s cute,” Miranda said. “I’m jealous.”
“It’s an interesting way to end the night.”
When the last parent was gone, the rooms cleaned, and the lights turned off, Annie said goodbye to her boss and friend, and headed home to her apartment. When she was home, she sent a message to her mom to let her know how the night went.
I got a date.
Oh? her mom texted back.
Yeah, he’s a coyote shifter. His nephew is in my class.
That’s neat! I hope he’s a good guy and you have fun.
Trust me, I hope that too! I’m beat. Heading to bed. Love you and Dad!
Love you too, honey. Mwah!
Annie was worn out from head to toe thanks to the long day and couldn’t wait for her head to hit the pillow. As she drifted to sleep, her thoughts fell on Roy and their coffee date, and she wondered what the night would bring.
Chapter Three
Annie opened the door to the diner and smiled when Roy stood from a booth and waved at her.
She accepted a kiss on the cheek and sat across from him.
“Are you hungry? Or do you just want coffee?” he asked.
“Coffee’s perfect,” she said.
He motioned for the server, who brought over a pot of coffee and filled Annie’s mug. Annie fixed it with cream and sugar.
Roy was smiling broadly. “So, did you think about me all day?”
She blinked at the curious question. “Well, I was working, so I thought about my students and school starting next week.”
“Oh,” he said, scowling. “Well, I thought about you all day.”
Her brows rose. “Um, thanks?”
He smiled again. “I work at an auto body shop. How long have you been a teacher?”
“Three years,” she said. “And I’ve been at Happy Time the whole time. I love it.”
“All those kids,” he said. “It must get crazy. I know my nephew can be a nightmare sometimes. Hyper.”
“All kids that age can be rambunctious, I’m sure he’s a sweetheart.”
“Oh, he is, trust me. Runs in the family.” He gave an exaggerated wink. “But he’s hyper because he’s a mix and he can’t shift yet.”
“I’m sorry, did you say he’s a mix? Of what?”
“Human and coyote. Ross is human.”
“Oh, I didn’t realize.”
“You can’t tell the difference between a shifter and a human?”
“Not on sight, no. I mean, unless someone’s growling or something.”
“Well, Violet and Ross are mates, but our former clan didn’t like her mating a human. They don’t like mixed matings—they like to stay pure with coyotes. She was told by the alphas to get rid of Ross or leave, but by that point she was pregnant with Clayton, so she left. I didn’t want them out on their own without any help, so I defected and followed them. Now we’re here.” He drummed his fingers on the worn table. “So, you really didn’t think about me all day?”
“Well, not every second of the day. That’s a strange thing to ask.”
“I figured that because we’re mates, you might think about me as much as I’m thinking about you.”
She focused on that one surprising word. “Excuse me? Did you say we’re mates?”
“Of course. Coyotes know on sight when they’re in the presence of their mate. I scented you in the school’s parking lot, and my coyote was going crazy. I knew the second I saw you while you were speaking to the parents that you were mine.”
Her inner warning bells were clanging like Sunday morning church. “Hold on, Roy. I’m not your mate. I’m human.”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said. “My beast knows what you are.”
“It absolutely does matter if I don’t feel the same.” She put her hands on the table to stand.
“Wait, wait, I’m sorry,” he said. “I was just teasing. Don’t leave.”
She eyed him warily. “We’re just having coffee, nothing more,” she reiterated.
“Yo
u bet.”
Silence stretched between them for several moments, and Annie glanced at the door. It would be easy to just walk out, but she didn’t want to make Roy angry, especially if it might cause an issue with her student’s parents. She could play nice until the date was over, and then she’d wait a day or two and tell him that she wasn’t interested in seeing him again. Forcing herself to relax, she said, “Tell me about the body shop.”
He launched into a description of a typical day, but then swung the conversation back to why he thought they were meant to be together. She couldn’t remember a guy ever being so pushy before. Maybe it was a shifter thing, but she was beginning to think she shouldn’t have met him for coffee.
So, she finished her coffee as quickly as possible without making it obvious she was rushing, declined a refill or dessert, and told him it was time for her to head home.
“I’d like you to come home with me,” Roy said as he followed her to her car.
“That’s not happening.” She gripped her keys in her hand, her thumb on the fob to unlock the door.
“Listen,” he said, putting his hand on the door. “I know you’re scared, and that’s okay. Trust me—it’s new to me, too. But I’m positive you’re my mate. The right thing for you to do is come home with me so we can have sex and I can mark you. You’ll grow to love me.”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” she asked. “I just met you! And I said I don’t want to be your mate—twice!”
She tugged on her door’s handle, but he pressed his hand harder against it and it wouldn’t open.
“Don’t be a bitch, Annie,” Roy said, his voice dropping low. “I’m a good male. I’ll take care of you.”
Fear tickled at the base of her spine. She debated running back into the diner and calling the police, but he hadn’t done anything except make her feel wildly uncomfortable.
“Roy,” she said, using her teacher voice to sound sterner, “I’m not your mate. I’m not anything to you at all but your nephew’s teacher. Let go of my car door and back off.”
His eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth.
“Is everything okay here?” a man asked from behind her.
She looked over her shoulder and saw a diner patron standing at the door.
“Everything’s fine. Mind your own business,” Roy said.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” the man said. He stepped onto the sidewalk. “Miss, do you need help?”
“I was just telling this man that he needs to walk away and forget me.” She turned to look at Roy, whose face had gone bright red.
“Listen to her, or I’ll call the police,” the man said.
Roy glared at the man, then turned his hard gaze to Annie. “Fine.” He pushed off from her car and stalked away.
She waited until he got into a beat-up truck and drove off, the tires squealing as he left the parking lot. Sagging against the car, she breathed out a sigh of relief.
“Thank you,” she said.
“Sure thing.”
She got into her car and closed the door, her heart still pounding. Once she was on the road, her mind spun. She’d just gone for a cup of coffee with him. She couldn’t believe that he’d taken things so far. What kind of person acted like that?
She pulled into the detached garage next to her parents’ home and put the door down. She had an apartment over the garage and had lived there since graduating from high school. She didn’t make a ton of money as a teacher, but she was saving every penny she could so she could eventually afford a place of her own. It wasn’t so bad being close to her parents, though. She got to enjoy her mom’s home cooking whenever she wanted and play card games with her dad whenever she had free time.
Once inside her apartment, she set her purse on the counter and marveled at how the night had gone. She never would’ve guessed that Roy was a nutcase. But fortunately, she wouldn’t be seeing him again.
Her phone rang and she looked at the screen.
Speak of the devil.
Her plan had been to let him down gently in a couple of days, so she didn’t strain the relationship with Clayton’s parents, but his behavior at the end of the night had been too bad to ignore, so she wasn’t going to let him down easy.
Answering, she said, “Yes?”
“I just wanted to apologize,” Roy said. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Well, you did. I’m not interested in getting to know a guy who behaves the way you did, so consider this the last time we talk.”
“No, wait, Annie,” he protested.
“Uh huh,” she said. “You blew it. Just to be clear, you and I aren’t mates, we aren’t friends, we aren’t anything. Goodbye.”
She hung up as he was mid-protest and then blocked his number.
Truly, she hoped it was the last time she heard from him, but something niggling at the back of her mind told her it wouldn’t be, by a long shot.
Chapter Four
Hemi poured a beer and set it on the tray with the other drinks, then nodded at China, who was waiting for them.
“Thanks,” she said, hefting the tray off the counter and carrying it to the table.
He turned his attention to three customers at the bar—two humans he didn’t recognize and a lion that he did.
His brows winged up as he made his way to the lion. “Hey, Vale,” he said, extending his hand.
Vale accepted it. “Hey. How’s it going?”
“All right. What are you doing back in town? Last I heard, you found your heart-match at college and were going to join her pride.”
Vale grimaced. “That…didn’t go as planned.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Hemi set a coaster in front of him. “What can I get you?”
“Beer.”
“You got it.”
Hemi grabbed a cold bottle from the fridge under the counter, uncapped it, and put it on the coaster. He’d known Vale his entire life, but hadn’t seen the other male in several years, save for the odd holiday visit.
Vale took a long drink and set the bottle down. “I graduated last summer, but I’m back here now.”
“You looking for work?”
“Nah, I’m back working for my dad and uncle at their construction company.”
“You went to college for that?”
“Hell no, I went for art and graphic design. They asked me to redo their business logo and handle their website, and when I have free time, I help out with painting.”
“Cool.”
“Hemi, I need some drinks,” China said as she set down the tray.
He waved at her, then rapped his knuckles on the counter. “You need anything, give me a holler.”
“Sure,” Vale said.
After Hemi finished filling the drink order for China, he saw Titus, who co-owned the bar with Duke, and jutted his chin in greeting.
Titus leaned against the counter. “How’s it going?”
“Good, you?”
“Not bad. Blu’s coming in about an hour. She’s going to shadow you, so show her the ropes.”
“You bet. Any word on a new house band?”
“I’ve got some auditions,” he said, running a hand through his hair, “so we’ll see what happens. People complaining about the DJ?”
“Not necessarily. They just like live music.”
“Yeah, who doesn’t? Keep your fingers crossed that things go well, and we find someone soon.”
“Sure.”
Titus returned to his second-floor office, and Hemi busied himself filling orders and small-talking with patrons.
There was a sharp, “Hey!” from China, and Hemi’s lion went on alert. He scanned the bar and found her holding an empty tray like a shield as two males stood from their seats and advanced on her.
Hemi made his way swiftly to intervene between China and the males. He stepped between them, shielding China, and crossed his arms.
“What’s going on, China?”
“She won’t serve us,” one of the two males, w
ho reeked of whiskey, slurred.
“I wasn’t talking to you,” Hemi said, putting a finger on the man’s chest and pushing backward so he didn’t invade his space.
“They came in drunk,” she said. “I told them the bar was closed and I’d call a car for them, and they tried to grope me!”
The man knocked Hemi’s hand away and staggered a bit. His friend looked a little more sober, but not much.
“You two need to leave,” Hemi said.
“Make us,” the first said. “We have a right to be here and be served. That bitch doesn’t know what she’s talking about.”
“Leave on your own or I’ll do it for you,” Hemi said, lowering his voice and letting out his lion.
If the men realized that he was a lion or they were in significant danger, they didn’t show it. Their bravado ramped up another notch as the more sober male tried to reach around Hemi to get to China.
“All right, you’re done,” Hemi said. He grabbed both males by their shirts, jerked them off their feet, and dragged them toward the front door. They struggled, kicking out and knocking tables and chairs around, clawing at his grip, but he wasn’t about to release them until they were outside.
The door opened and Barron—one of the bouncers—looked surprised, then stepped aside and held the door for him.
“I’d ask if you need a hand but you’re clearly fine on your own,” Barron said.
“Yep,” Hemi said.
He jerked the males forward and tossed them. They went airborne, hit the gravel parking lot, and rolled a few times before stopping with matching groans of pain.
“You have ten seconds to get the hell out of here or I’m calling the cops,” Hemi said. “We don’t serve drunks and we don’t serve assholes who think they can put their hands anywhere they like.”
The less-drunk male staggered to his feet and looked like he was going to argue. Hemi took a menacing step toward him and growled. He’d had enough of entitled assholes for the evening.
The human pulled his friend to his feet and they hurried away. Hemi watched them get into a vehicle and pulled out his phone, texting the make, model, and license to Ridge, a pride member who was a police officer, so he’d know to keep a look out for them.