by Lynn Howard
“What?” Shawnee said with a frown.
“Nothing. Just thinking.”
“About Noah?” Shawnee said with a raised brow as her lips curved up slowly. “I’m just saying, I saw how you two looked at each other. And he’s single. And he’s a super great guy. He gave me a job when I had zero education or work experience. And he’s so cute with the Big River cubs.”
Hollyn held up her hand. “I’m just here until Aron says it’s safe for me to go home.”
“You could stay,” Shawnee said with a shrug, her tone light as if she were just offering a suggestion. But Hollyn could see how badly Shawnee wanted her Clan family to be happy and paired up.
Even if Hollyn hadn’t grown up around Shifters, she knew all about their mate bond, how women were forced to be paired up with men they didn’t choose, and she’d even heard that the laws had changed. Aron had mentioned something about knowing the people responsible for those changes, but he’d never mentioned he’d been a big part of it, as well.
Noah had been a part of that fight. The man grumbled a lot and seemed to try really hard to make people think he was this big, grumpy guy, but anyone who would risk their own life for not just those he loved, but for women he’d never met was a good guy in Hollyn’s eyes.
She had to get him off her mind before she encouraged her magic. When it had swelled and reached for Noah, he’d definitely felt it. She’d seen him take a step closer as his eyes widened the slightest bit. When he’d turned to leave, he looked like he was fighting the pull, straining with every step to walk away from her.
How much did he know about her kind? Was he aware of what had happened? Maybe he thought she was glamouring him. Not her style. Although, she’d never been shy about using that energy she was born with to encourage men and women both to tip her well. They probably got home each night and tried to figure out where the intense attraction came from and where the hell their money had gone.
Not her proudest moment, but a girl had to make a living. She’d tended bar in so many towns since she’d turned twenty-one. She was damn good at it, too. Because of her magic, she was able to perform the tricks only the masters knew how to do. And she loved to use her fire magic and blow the flaming alcohol from her mouth. Or at least the humans thought it was flaming alcohol.
Shawnee tapped on her screen, this time sending out a text. Hollyn tried to be as inconspicuous as possible while reading what she was writing. Just because she was comfortable with the sweet redhead didn’t mean she fully trusted her.
“I’m just letting Noah know he’s a slob and that we’re coming for lunch,” Shawnee said, her eyes still glued to her screen. She finished and turned the screen for Hollyn to see. Either Shawnee could see Hollyn trying to read her message or she had the same issues with trust as Hollyn did.
“We’re going to his work?”
“He owns a bar. That’s where I work. I wait tables for him so he can, I don’t know, not do every single thing himself. We’ve been trying to convince him to hire more people so he can take the day off every once in a while.”
Shawnee stood and rounded the table. “You coming?”
“It isn’t lunch time,” Hollyn said, standing and following her out the door. They stepped out and Hollyn looked around. Did Shawnee expect them to walk, because there wasn’t a single vehicle parked outside.
“A couple of the women from Big River are coming to get us,” Shawnee said when she saw Hollyn’s confused frown. “You’ll love them. Just a heads up, though, Nova tends to say the first thing that pops in her head.”
Okay then. More chatty women and at least one of them didn’t have a filter. Honestly, though, she was excited to be around more females. She’d been locked up with the four panthers for the last couple of weeks and hadn’t seen another woman until Shawnee had come to the door.
“Are they all…”
“Shifters?”
“Yeah.”
“Yep. Let’s see,” Shawnee said as she waited on the porch. “I’m not sure who’s coming but Nova, Emory, Lola, and Peyton are all wolves. Callie’s a lion like me, though.”
More wolves. Noah and Shawnee had told her a few times that Shifters weren’t like the assholes who’d drugged her and snatched her off the street. Even with those reassurances, the fact she’d be in the car with more wolves, just like the aforementioned assholes, made her heart race faster and her palms sweat.
“I promise it’ll be fine. You’ll love everyone,” Shawnee said, raising her hand in a short wave when a small vehicle bumped into view.
And then another followed.
“Looks like you’ll meet all the girls,” Shawnee said as she descended the stairs.
Her anxiety kicked into high gear as women poured out of the two vehicles.
“We didn’t have a sitter. Dad went into town,” a dark-haired woman with curves like Shawnee said as Shawnee peeked into the backseat. “Hi. I’m Nova,” she said, her hand outstretched toward Hollyn as she closed the space between them.
“Hollyn,” she said, taking Nova’s offered hand.
“We going to have another wedding soon?” Nova asked, a wide grin splitting her face.
Hollyn pulled her hand away and turned wide eyes to Shawnee. What had the woman told everyone?
“No. Nothing like that,” Hollyn reassured her.
“It’s a long story,” Shawnee jumped in. “She’s just visiting. She’s a friend of Aron’s.”
“From Ravenwood?” a pink-haired woman asked.
“Yeah,” Hollyn said, following the women to the vehicles.
“You’re riding with me,” Nova said. “I’ve got questions.”
“Leave her alone,” a petite woman said with a wide grin. “I’m Emory. That’s Lola,” she motioned to the pink-haired woman who climbed in beside one of the car seats holding a toddler who looked to be just under two. “That’s Peyton,” she motioned to a woman with white blonde hair and purple streaks. “And the quiet one is Callie.”
“Hi,” the blonde who was barely an inch taller than Emory said.
“Don’t be mad if I ask your names ten more times,” Hollyn said, taking the front seat in Emory’s car while Shawnee climbed into Nova’s.
“Girl, just wait until you meet all our mates. There are a lot of us,” Emory said as she pulled the car out of the spot in front of Noah’s cabin and followed Nova’s car down the bumpy, gravel road.
And once again, her anxiety grew even more. By the time they got to Noah, she’d be bordering on a panic attack.
The thought of seeing Noah calmed her nerves while sending butterflies abuzz in her stomach. Such a strange sensation to be calmed and unnerved by a man, all at the same time.
Emory chattered on about the guys in her Pack, pointed out various locations for her to shop, and told her more about the bears. Hollyn watched the scenery pass her by, trying her best not to snort at the limited selection of stores. She perked up when Emory got to the gossip about Noah.
“He’s been single as long as I’ve known him. He pretty much works twenty-four/seven, so I’m sure he doesn’t have much time to meet women.”
No matter how much Hollyn tried to convince these women she’d be leaving soon, they were all intent on playing Cupid with their friend.
As pushy as they were, it was kind of sweet. They obviously cared a lot about Noah. It just reaffirmed Aron’s insistence that Shifters were just like humans, except for the animal inside of them. They formed bonds, fell in love, grew families. They had friends and liked to play. They worked and paid bills, although theirs were paid with cash and all their bills were under false names.
Aron had filled in the gaps for her that she didn’t know on her own. Maybe he knew she’d be immersed in the Shifter world for longer than a few weeks.
The trees and fields faded to buildings and fast food joints. Emory turned the car right and Hollyn watched all the tiny shops pass her by. Was this what the local people referred to as going into town?
Emory pulled into a gravel parking lot in front of a long, unassuming, white building. There were a couple of trucks and one car parked along the front. This was a bar? It looked like a rundown house that was out of place.
All the women piled out of the cars, so Hollyn did, too. She followed them into the place, squinting when they stepped into the dimly lit, smoky room. “You guys still smoke inside?”
Emory gave her a disgusted look and shrugged. “Some places in this county still allow it. You’ll get used to showering when you leave.”
Hollyn looked around the room, taking in everything from the large number of tables, to where the few patrons were sitting, then finally, and most importantly, the exits.
Until her eyes landed on Noah.
“What the hell are you all doing here?” Noah grumbled, his dark brows pulled together.
“I told you I was bringing Hollyn for lunch. How did you think I was going to get her here? Shift and carry her on my back?” Shawnee said, pulling out a chair at the table closest to the bar.
Noah came around the bar and leaned down close to Shawnee. “She’s supposed to be staying under the radar. You just introduced her to the entire freaking wolf Pack,” he said, a light growl to his words.
Shawnee didn’t look nervous, but Hollyn sure was feeling it.
“Not the whole Pack,” Nova said. “Want me to text Gray and get the rest of the guys down here for lunch?” she offered.
“For the love of God,” Noah said, throwing his hands in the air. “No. I don’t want all those jackasses down here right now. What do you guys want?”
Noah nodded as each woman ordered, but Hollyn hadn’t even looked at the menu. She’d been too busy staring at the large male who kept glancing in her direction every few seconds as if making sure she was still there.
****
It’d been hard as hell for Noah to leave Hollyn at his place. That rubber band stretching feeling never faded. And he could’ve sworn he’d known the second she’d pulled into the parking lot of his place. He’d finally felt a little relief.
When Shawnee told Noah they were coming up for lunch, he’d stupidly assumed Colton was picking them up. He didn’t think for a second every single female member of Big River would walk through the door with her.
If she was scared, she sure as hell didn’t look it. In fact, she’d barely looked away from him since she’d walked through the door. He knew the feeling; he was having a hard time keeping his eyes off her.
Once he had everyone else’s orders, he turned to Hollyn to find her still watching him. And once again, he wondered if she was using magic on him. He fought his feet from moving closer. Fought his hands from reaching out and touching her. There would be no reason for her to intentionally pull him to her; did she even realize she was doing it?
Noah pushed through the doors to the kitchen and started everyone’s food. And once again, he fought against the urge to walk back through the swinging doors and scoop Hollyn into his arms.
He’d found her attractive from the second he’d laid eyes on her. This…whatever the hell was going on didn’t really hit him until she’d began to settle into his home a little and seemed to accept her current situation. That situation being thrust into a world she tried to hide from, on the run from sick fucks, and living with a complete stranger.
The question of whether she had a boyfriend stayed right there in the front of his mind. There was no way. Aron or Hollyn would’ve mentioned it. They would’ve included him in her hiding, or he’d have been the one to protect her. Aaaand there was that green fog in his gut again.
He had no right to be jealous or possessive, but yeah, he was feeling both. And so was his bear.
Noah grinned when he heard the women laughing, including an unfamiliar feminine laugh. Unfamiliar to his ears, but his body and heart knew whose throaty, sexy sound that was. And that fact scared the fuck out of him. Everything about Hollyn scared him. No. Not everything about Hollyn. It was the way he was already obsessed with the woman he knew less than a fucking day.
Did it really matter how long it had been, though? If his bear chose her, did it matter whether he’d known her a year or an hour?
“What the fuck?” Noah said, looking up from the food sizzling on the grill. What the fuck was he even thinking? He couldn’t mate with this woman. She would be gone, out of his life forever soon. As soon as Aron thought she was safe, he’d come steal Hollyn away and Noah would never see her again. He had to remember that. He had to remember she was temporary.
Plating all their food in different baskets, he almost slammed into Shawnee as he pushed through the door, all the food on a tray.
“Want me to get it?” she asked, a wide grin on her face, an innocent look in her eyes.
“No, I don’t want you to get it. You’re off today. Go. Sit,” he ordered. He knew what the little redhead was doing. She thought if she brought Hollyn to the bar, Noah would let her work. Since she was already there and all.
Shawnee poked her tongue out at him, stomped her foot, and turned to head back to the table. Noah set each order in front of the correct person – he’d been doing it long enough he no longer needed to write shit down – then set Hollyn’s down. She’d ordered a burger, medium rare, no pickles, with a side of fries.
And then he hovered like a weirdo.
“Why don’t you sit with us a while,” Nova said, wagging her eyebrows up and down when Hollyn wasn’t looking.
Noah’s eyes darted to Hollyn then back. Either Nova was doing like Shawnee usually did and trying to get him paired up, or he was being overly obvious with his attraction to the sapphire-eyed Fairy.
Hollyn was oblivious.
“I’ve got work to do,” Noah grumbled and carried the empty tray back to the bar.
Really, he didn’t have much to do. There were just the two regulars with their asses parked on the same barstools they were every fucking day. Their eyes stayed glued to the TV over the bar even though the sound was down and the jukebox played in the background. He pretended to wipe down the bar top, washed already clean glasses, checked the coolers even though he’d filled them when he got in less than two hours earlier.
Shit. He needed something to look busy. He needed a lunch rush. And as much as he hated to wish it, he really wished the wolves or his Clan brothers would come in and distract him, give him something to cook or drinks to pour.
Anything other than constantly staring at Hollyn through the mirror hanging over the bottles of liquor.
“Hey,” Shawnee’s voice startled him. Even though she was a cat Shifter and quiet on her feet, she still shouldn’t have been able to sneak up on him. He’d been too preoccupied with watching Hollyn’s lips close around her burger.
“Just come sit down with us,” Shawnee whispered. “We can all see you watching her. Talk to her. Maybe she’s your mate,” she said, a hopeful lilt to her words.
Noah’s eyes widened and jerked over to Hollyn. She wasn’t watching him and Shawnee, just nodding as she listened to Callie talk, a small smile tipping the corners of her lips up. And then those lips closed around the straw.
Every fucking thing she did made his dick jump and his brain turn to mush.
He needed to call Aron. Bringing more trouble into his Clan – and marking a Fae who was on the run from traffickers was definitely a shit ton of trouble – was the last thing any of them needed.
Yet, the more he watched her, the more his affection grew toward her, the more his bear paid attention to her, the less he could stand the thought of allowing someone else to protect her. He couldn’t just throw her to the wolves, figuratively or literally. She was safe with him, with his Clan, with his friends. Hell, Peyton alone would tear the throat out of anyone who even thought about hurting Hollyn. And Peyton had only just met her. That was how his friends were; they protected the innocent, fought for what was right.
And he’d fight for what was his. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, whether he’d be able to keep her when all
this was over or not, whether she had any desire to be in his life or not, she was his.
Noah checked on his two customers at the bar, then the one sitting toward the back finishing up his lunch, and he did something he’d never done in the time he’d owned the bar: he sat down to relax with his friends.
More importantly, he sat down to enjoy a little time with Hollyn.
One day and this woman was turning his life upside down, and as hard as he tried, he was having a hard time hating it.
Chapter Three
Noah eventually followed Shawnee back to the table and sat in a chair across from her. Hollyn tried to keep her eyes on whoever was talking, but the traitorous things kept trailing back to him. There was a light sheen of sweat across his forehead and Hollyn wondered if it was from working in the kitchen making their food, or nerves. Because she totally got the nerves thing. She was just supposed to hang out with him until Aron thought it was safe, but she couldn’t stop her mind from wondering what it would be like to stay here, to stay with Aron.
And what it would be like to feel Noah’s lips against hers, his hands on her body, his weight pressing down on her from above.
As her cheeks grew warm, she ducked her gaze when Noah glanced at her and caught her staring. Whatever. She’d caught him staring at her a few times, too. And he could chalk it up to curiosity about the woman who’d been forced on him, but her magic told her otherwise.
Every cell in her body was drawn to him, something she knew would one day happen. She just never thought it would happen with a Shifter. Actually, she’d hoped it wouldn’t happen with a Shifter. Or anyone other than a fellow Fae. Although, the odds of encountering another of her kind was about as good as staying hidden from everyone and everything for the rest of her life. Her kind was more or less endangered for the sole reason that she was hidden; they were hunted, used for others’ gain, sold off for large sums of money, and experimented on.