by Amy Lamont
Both sides had looked down on my mother and her obvious attempts to lure every male werebear in a fifty-mile radius into her bed in the desperate hope one of them would stick around longer than a night. And those nasty comments and disparaging glances were very often directed at me by extension.
Reason enough for me to want to stay away from the good natured, ruggedly handsome werebear who had featured prominently in my daydreams, not too mention a few naughty fantasies, over the years.
Not that Kaden had ever seemed that interested. But why tempt fate?
I had enough money saved to get things moving a little sooner. Maybe if I left a month or two earlier than planned, I’d get out of Kodiak before Kaden made his return. I could put in my two weeks notice with Kelly by the end of October.
A smile skimmed my lips. I might be terrified at the thought of seeing Kaden, but not so terrified I couldn’t take a second to enjoy the idea of telling Kelly Carson to take her job and...
“Order’s up, Alyssa.”
I jolted back to reality to find my tray loaded with three frosty beers, condensation dripping down their sides, and a big basket of popcorn for Asher and his friends.
I shook my head, trying to dislodge my unsettled thoughts. I offered the bartender a weak smile. “Thanks.”
I pulled in a deep breath, squared my shoulders and picked up my tray. I might have to make a slight adjustment to my plan, but I still had a plan. I didn’t have to panic at the mere mention of Kaden Black.
By the time I got back to Asher’s table, I managed to conjure up a genuine smile for the trio. “Three ice cold ones, guys.”
I tossed cocktail napkins on the scarred tabletop and served the men their drinks. “Enjoy. Let me know when you’re ready for another round.”
I moved off toward another table. Before I reached them, a hand fell on my shoulder.
I jumped and spun around, dislodging the hand with my jerky movements.
“Sorry.” Asher smiled and held up his hands, palms facing out. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
I gave him a rueful grin. “No worries. I think I’m just a little jumpy tonight.” Understatement of the century. “Did you guys change your mind about ordering some food?”
“No, no, nothing like that.” Asher leaned in close and his scent teased my nostrils—warm male, clean soap and maybe a little tang of the sea from his days spent taking tourists out on his boat. “I actually wanted to see if you wanted to grab dinner. With me. This weekend.”
I stared at him blankly for a few seconds as my mind tried to decipher what he was saying. And then it hit me—he was asking me on a date.
Mild panic held my stomach in its grip. Nothing like the major anxiety attack I’d had a little while ago when confronted by the prospect of seeing Kaden. Still, I always hated when the guys I waited on asked me out. Most of them were locals and most of them were well aware of my mother and the way she was with the werebear shifters in the area. I didn’t think Asher was any exception.
I sighed inwardly. He was cute. And under other circumstances, I’d say yes in a heartbeat.
I couldn’t say I wasn’t disappointed by Asher’s invitation. I’d always thought of him as one of the nice guys. But I couldn’t help but question his motives for asking me out.
For a very brief moment, I entertained the fantasy that Asher was the good guy he seemed like and he was asking me out because he was genuinely attracted to me. But I knew the truth—my first date would have to wait until I put Kodiak, and the reputation that had rubbed off on me through no fault of my own, behind me.
My mind boggled for a second, thinking about life after I started college. I’d get to have a sex life for the first time in my twenty-two years. But before that happened, I’d have to deal with one more Kodiak werebear trying to get in my pants.
I smiled. That was my thing. I had to live here with the shifter community, knowing they thought my mother was dirt and their opinion of me wasn’t much better. I depended on many of them for my living. So no matter what, I kept that smile pinned to my face.
But the smile I offered him was not the same one I’d given him a few minutes ago when he was just my customer. I knew it must look forced and fake. It was the best I could do.
“Thanks for asking me, Asher. But I’m actually planning on moving pretty soon. I’ve been picking up every extra shift I can before I head off.”
His face fell slightly, his smile dimming. But then it brightened again and he opened his mouth. I braced myself, fully expecting him to try to convince me. The guys who wanted what my mother gave so freely to any shifter who so much as breathed in her space wouldn’t be deterred by the fact I was leaving town soon. They only needed an hour or so to get what they wanted.
“Asher.” I did my best to jump in and head him off before he could ask me again. “I just don't think it’s a good idea.”
Before he could push any more, a hand clamped down on my wrist. I jolted and dropped my tray with a clatter. I raised my head and found myself staring into the burning black eyes of the last man I wanted to see.
“It’s not a good idea,” Kaden growled at Ash without ever taking his eyes from me.
I swallowed hard and my mouth went dry. I ignored the stuttering of my heart and the butterflies that darted around my stomach with overeager fluttering.
Looks like I waited too long to make my escape. Kaden Black was home.
Chapter 3
Kaden
I was done waiting to claim my mate. As I watched some asshole try and pick her up, my bear woke with a snarl, ready to fight for what was his.
As I stalked across the crowded bar toward Alyssa, I realized I knew the guy. Asher Bellingham. He was a den mate. Not one I was particularly close with, but one I’d known my whole life in of our small community. We’d exchanged friendly words over a beer a time or two.
But we weren’t so friendly that he’d get to keep his hand if he so much as thought about touching my mate.
I was near enough to hear Alyssa trying to let him down easy, but even with that, my bear wasn’t appeased. Part of me wanted to tear into Ash, make a show of it so everyone would know to keep their paws off my woman.
But the larger part of me just wanted Alyssa. And that part of me wouldn’t be denied for even one more second.
I grabbed her wrist and she jumped in my grasp. Her face turned up to mine and her lips parted, a small gasp escaping her. Her ever-changing hazel eyes widened and she stared up at me with a mixture of green and gold swirling in their depths.
Despite my temper, something eased inside me the moment my skin made contact with hers. Finally, I had her.
I snarled something at Asher, and I didn’t wait for Alyssa to recover from her surprise or for Asher to jump in and offer his assistance. I tangled my hand with hers and, with a sidelong glance at Ash that told him everything he needed to know, I tugged her as gently as I could manage to the back of the bar, ignoring the twisting heads and wagging tongues that followed our progress.
I didn’t stop until we reached a small nook behind the pool table, the spot lots of couples used as a preliminary to getting a room. I pushed Alyssa into the corner and used my body to block out the nosy stares of everyone in the bar.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
Alyssa absently rubbed the wrist I’d clamped down on, staring at me with enormous eyes.
Shit. I reached forward and took her wrist in my hand, cupping it gently while I examined it. Had I been harsher than I realized when I grabbed her?
“Sorry, sweetheart. I didn’t mean to hurt you. Are you okay?”
She stared at me mutely but after a few seconds she shook her head, sending her ponytail swaying.
“Are you sure?” I couldn’t find any signs of bruising or redness.
“I’m sure,” she said softly. And swear to all that is good and holy, her soft, sweet voice was enough to give me a hard-on.
I closed my eyes and clenched my back teeth
together as I fought for control. No easy feat considering I was standing inches away from the woman I’ve waited years to claim. I still gripped her hand in mine and her sweet floral scent filled my nostrils. I think if I was blindfolded in a stadium full of people, I could find her by her scent alone. I breathed deeply, trying to pull more of her into me.
I opened my eyes, and I can only imagine what she saw in them because she scrambled backward, scooting further into the corner.
With a superhuman force of control, I let go of her hand and stepped back just enough to give her the comfort of a few inches of space between us. It was the most my bear would allow me to do. Even then, he clawed and growled inside me, demanding we take her somewhere we could lie her down and make her ours.
I squared my shoulders and gritted my teeth, promising myself that very, very soon we’d get to claim her completely.
“I didn’t mean to scare you.” I was proud at how calm my voice came out. I half expected only snarls and growls to escape when I opened my mouth. “I was just surprised to see you here. Why are you here, Alyssa?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know what you mean, Kaden.”
God. My name on her lips. I tightened my hands into fists at my sides. Lock it down, soldier.
“It’s a simple question. What are you doing here?”
She shrugged, her eyebrows pulling together, confusion clear in her gorgeous eyes. “I work here.”
“I got that, sweetheart.” At the endearment, her eyes widened farther. “You were supposed to be gone.”
“Supposed to be gone?”
“I didn’t expect you to be in Kodiak when I got back.”
I knew immediately I’d said the wrong thing. The confusion faded from her face and her nose wrinkled. She narrowed her eyes and glared at me. She stopped cowering in the corner, leaning forward while her hands landed on her curvy hips.
I fought down a grin. It was almost worth pissing her off, just to see how adorable she looked when she got angry. But I figured I had enough of an uphill battle ahead of me convincing her she was my mate, without angering her further.
“Just where did you expect me to be, Kaden Black? I didn’t realize sharing the same town with me offended you so badly. Maybe you can tell me a place you never plan on visiting and I can head there right this minute!” Her voice rose louder as she spoke so she all but yelled the last word.
I lost the battle with my smile. I grinned down at her even as I prepared to grovel a bit. But before I got the chance, another voice intruded.
“What is going on here? Why aren’t you waiting on tables like I pay you to do, Alyssa?” Kelly pushed her way into the cubby.
I lost my grin as my bear surged forward, ready to remove the threat to my mate by any means necessary. “Kelly...”
Kelly’s gaze flew up to my face. She shook her head and offered me a placating grin, placing a hand on my arm. “I’m sorry, Kaden. I should have known Alyssa would pull something like this the second you guys got back into town. You know what they say...” She threw a sneer in Alyssa’s direction. “Like mother, like daughter.”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut and my bear reared up inside me, anger and sheer animal rage pushing out all common sense and logic.
I glared at Alyssa as memories of her mother bombarded me. Rena Parker was the town joke. She worked at the Bear Trap for years, swishing around in tight, barely there clothes and laughing about working at a place called the Bear Trap when all she wanted to do was trap herself a bear.
And she’d made her way through any and all of the male werebear population that would have her, desperate to find one who’d keep her.
Alyssa was the exact opposite of her mother. Everyone always thought she was sweet and helpful, even as a kid. Shame she has that woman as a mother, were words often heard when Alyssa’s name came up.
But all his bear cared about now was how much she’d obviously changed. That explained why she still worked at the Bear Trap. She must have stayed in town in the hopes of snaring her own bear shifter. Just like her mother.
And I’d almost been the punch line to that joke. I’d almost offered her exactly what she wanted—a werebear, any werebear, to get her claws into.
I reared back and a small snarl broke from me, my top lip curling. Disgust rose up inside me when I saw Alyssa had resumed cowering in the corner.
Anger caused a red haze to tint my vision and my bear would not be denied a moment longer. I threw one more snarl in the direction of the two women and strode straight to the front door of the bar.
Mason called my name, but I didn’t slow down. When I got outside, I picked up speed, shedding my shirt as I went. By the time I hit the tree line, I’d managed to strip off the last of my clothes and surged into a flat out run as my bear took over, shifting and twisting my body until the human part of me took up only a small corner and the bear had free rein to run off his agonized anger.
Chapter 4
Alyssa
I blinked. What just happened here? And why did the look on Kaden’s face as he ran out of here cause my chest to ache?
“That’s the last straw, Alyssa.” Kelly’s snotty voice shook me from my shocked stupor. “I can’t have someone like you working here. It’s bad for business. You’re fired.”
My heart stuttered in my chest. I needed this job. My plans depended on it. I’d obviously failed to escape Kodiak before Kaden’s return, but even if I went back to my original timeline, I’d been depending on my tips from the Bear Trap to help me pay my tuition and living expenses while I was in school.
Despite the heaviness in my chest, I stirred up a smile. I’d been looking forward to seeing the last of Kelly Carson since the moment I took this job. And I’d be damned if I gave her the satisfaction of seeing that she’d struck a blow.
“Fine by me,” I said. I yanked my apron from around my waist and tossed it to her. She fumbled for it and almost fell over.
Was it wrong I was disappointed when she found her footing again? Nothing would have made leaving this place better than seeing the woman who lorded my mother’s reputation over me for years fall on her ass.
But I guess I had to settle for walking out and never returning.
I turned on my heel and marched to the break room to get my stuff. In less than a minute I was stomping toward the door of the Bear Trap, keeping my eyes fixed straight ahead, more than ready to put this place behind me for good.
“Alyssa!”
I didn’t recognize the male voice calling my name. Glancing over my shoulder, I caught sight of Kaden’s friend Mason walking in my direction.
Great. Just what I needed. One more bear shifter hassling me. I picked up my pace and all but jogged out the door.
In the parking lot, I tugged the collar of my denim jacket tighter around my neck, bracing myself against the cold breeze that stung my cheeks and nose. Cursing Mother Nature again, I hurried through the lot, more than ready to go hide out in my apartment and lick my Kaden Black-inflicted wounds while I figured out how to replace the income from my job at the Bear Trap.
“Alyssa, I need to talk to you.”
I wanted to break into a run. But a life spent among shifters taught me that when it came to contests of physical ability, I had a snowball’s chance in hell of winning. And running often kicked in their predatory instincts. That’s the last thing I needed to do.
What was with the werebears tonight? I slowed to a stop, my shoulders dropping, tilting my head up to the sky as if the answer to my question could be found there.
“You okay?” Mason stopped at my side.
I slid my eyes his way without moving my head. He stood at my side, his head tipped back, studying the sky as if he was trying to figure out what I was looking at.
I twisted my head to look at him. “You’re not going to find any answers up there. I already looked.”
Mason turned his head toward me. “What’s the question? Maybe I can help you with those answers.”
>
He offered me a grin that invited me to share his joke. I couldn’t help but smile back. I’d always liked Mason. He’d graduated from high school before I got there, but I knew him from around town. He was hot, but he always seemed to have a joke to tell and a smile to share. He’d never been anything but kind to me. That had always made it easier to talk to him than most of the locals.
I figured a bit of honesty couldn’t hurt at this point. I’d be leaving town as soon as I could manage it. What could it hurt to tell him what was on my mind?
“I was wondering what was up with you guys tonight. Unless I’m serving them beer or breakfast, most of the male shifters around here ignore me. But tonight I can’t seem to turn around without running into one of you.”
Mason’s eyes hardened and the friendly grin fell from his face. “Serving them breakfast?”
I drew my eyebrows together at his suddenly frigid tone. “Yes, breakfast. I serve beer at the Bear Trap at night and breakfast at Sheila’s in the morning.”
Mason’s expression cleared and the grin reappeared. “You work at Sheila’s?”
I nodded. “Since I was a junior in high school. I thought everyone knew that. What did you think…”
Before I finished my question, the answer came to me. Of course Mason assumed I meant I’d been serving them breakfast after they’d spent the night with me.
I sighed and started walking toward my apartment. Why had I thought Mason Hunter was any different from the rest of the people in this town?
“God, I can’t wait to get out of here.” I spoke to the night and groaned. “Six more months.” If it killed me, I’d find a way to stick to that timelines. I didn’t think I’d survive if I had to postpone my escape. Again.
“You’re leaving town?” Mason matched his steps to my stride, walking down the street with me.
I shot him a look. “I don’t need an escort.”
“I don’t mind.” The amusement was back in Mason’s voice.
“Great.” I shifted my gaze straight ahead and kept going. The sooner I got to my door, the sooner I could shake the annoying werebear at my side.