by Lynn Howard
Shame others of her kind, other Elementals hadn’t been discovered by someone like Aron and handed over to someone like Noah for protection. Maybe then the story would be different. Maybe then, she’d still have a family.
These people were awful close, like a family. If Noah accepted her, if he accepted the fact her magic had chosen him, if he accepted the fact she was neither human nor Shifter, she would finally have a family. But Noah wasn’t the only one who needed to accept their fate.
There were a whole lot of if’s in that situation, though.
“So, what do you think? You up for a little shopping?” Nova asked, snapping Hollyn’s attention back to the here and now instead of her wishful thinking.
“I don’t have any money. I didn’t really have anything with me when…well, when Aron found me,” Hollyn answered.
“You mean when those jackasses kidnapped you,” the blond woman, Peyton, said. And then her eyes glowed an odd turquoise color with a hint of red near her pupils.
“Down, girl,” Nova said. “Those assholes are gone and she’s safe now. Don’t go all Cujo and ruin lunch.”
“Cujo?” Hollyn asked, looking from Nova to Peyton and back. “The eighties horror movie?”
“Yep. Our girl, Peyton, tends to go psycho doggie when she gets riled up.”
“She’s super protective of anyone her animal declares as her Pack,” Callie explained with a soft smile. The woman didn’t speak much, but when she did, Hollyn couldn’t help but give her her attention. Where the other women teased and joked, Callie was quiet and to the point.
“Your animal declared me part of her Pack?” Hollyn asked and smiled at the warm feeling of belonging. Noah, on the other hand, tensed across the table.
Maybe she’d read him wrong. Maybe her magic had chosen wrong. Because he didn’t seem to enjoy the thought of Hollyn belonging there any longer than she had to.
“I can buy your stuff,” Nova said, going back to the shopping trip. “No one ever lets me buy them stuff anymore.”
“Because you have a pup to spoil now,” Emory said with a smile as she bent down and made a face at the little girl sitting in a highchair between Emory and Nova.
“I can spoil Rieka and still buy my friends stuff.”
“Spending money is her love language,” the pink-haired woman, Lola, said with a wink.
“She bought me a house and furnished it before Micah made her stop,” Callie said with a nod.
“Your shed was small, and you barely let me buy anything,” Nova said on a pout.
“I’m fine. Thanks, though,” Hollyn said. As much as she’d love some clothes that hadn’t formerly belonged to someone else, and maybe more than three pairs of panties, she didn’t want any of these people thinking they had to take care of her. She’d always been independent and didn’t plan to change that just because her life had been irrevocably altered.
“You going to get a job?” Shawnee asked.
Noah jumped and frowned over at Shawnee and Hollyn wondered if the little redhead hadn’t kicked him under the table.
“Am I allowed to?” Hollyn asked, suddenly hopeful. She’d spent so much time locked in Aron’s house, and now she was pretty much locked in Noah’s for the unforeseen future. She’d love to get back to her life, or at least a semblance of it. And working would definitely made her feel like herself again.
“Aren’t you hiring?” Nova asked Noah with a wide shit-eating grin.
“I—”
“You could definitely use more help around here,” Emory said, her smile equally as mischievous as Nova’s.
Okay. Did they see what Hollyn’s magic detected and were trying their best to shove the two of them together, or did Noah really need a cook or something.
“You have any experience working in a bar?” Shawnee asked, propping her chin on her folded fists.
“I’ve worked in bars for the last ten years,” Hollyn said and looked around at all the wide eyes and grins.
“Can you work behind the bar?” Shawnee asked, glancing at Noah for a brief second before turning her attention back to Hollyn.
“That’s the only thing I’ve done,” Hollyn said with a shrug.
Noah was staring at her now with an expression she didn’t understand. Doubt? Skepticism? Maybe even interest. She had no idea.
“What do you think, Noah? We could use another bartender. Then, you could take a day off,” Shawnee said.
“First of all,” Noah said, leaning forward and lowering his voice until Hollyn could barely hear him. “She’s supposed to be hiding, not hanging out with a bunch of Shifters.”
“Yeah, but you’ll be here. And Aron wanted you to protect her, right?” Shawnee said.
Hollyn glanced across the table at Peyton; her eyes were glowing again. “You okay?” Hollyn asked her.
“Yep,” Peyton said.
“Don’t you dare Shift in here,” Noah said, pointing a finger at her with a deep scowl on his face.
Peyton’s nostrils flared as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
“She’s still learning how to control her animal,” Emory explained.
“Second of all, don’t you think I should be the one to interview her?” Noah asked, glancing at Hollyn. His eyes dipped to her chest before jerking away and Hollyn felt that heat rush her cheeks again. Even if he didn’t like the idea of Hollyn being there, even if her magic was wrong – which it never was – he was definitely attracted to her.
“Want me to make you a cocktail to prove it?” Hollyn asked.
Noah held his hands out. “If I hire her to take a day off, how would that be me protecting her?” Noah asked.
“I’ll be here,” Shawnee said. “And there are always other Shifters in here. If it’s more than I can handle and none of our friends are here, it would take you, what, five minutes to get here?”
“Fifteen. Ten if I speed,” Noah said, a muscle ticking in his jaw.
“Oh, bull shit. I’ve seen how fast you boys drive,” Nova said, waving her hand dismissively in the air. “And we’re in here several times a week for lunch or breakfast. You know almost every single customer that comes in. She’ll be fine.”
“Aron—” Noah started to say, but Emory cut him off.
“I work right across the street,” Emory said. “It would take me no time at all to provide some back up.”
“Can you make a Long Island Iced Tea?” Shawnee asked.
“This is my place,” Noah said, pushing to his feet. “I decide who works here and who doesn’t.” He turned his attention to her then closed his eyes slowly, his breathing coming in long, deep pulls as if he was trying to calm down. “Can you make a Long Island Iced Tea?”
Hollyn saw the girls exchange looks from the corner of her eye.
“Sure,” Hollyn said, pushing to her feet and hurrying behind the bar. In no time flat, she had the drink mixed and set it on the bar and waited for Noah to come over and taste it.
Noah looked at each woman as if he were their father and disappointed in them. All but Nova averted their eyes; she just grinned wide at him and batted her lashes. In long strides, Noah moved to the bar and grabbed the glass, ignoring the straw and taking a long drink.
When he set it down, he didn’t say a word, but Hollyn could tell he was impressed.
“What else can you make?” he asked.
Oh. He wanted to see what she could do. Challenged accepted, big boy.
Hollyn began to grab bottles, tossing them behind her back before catching them, twirling them in her hands, and doing other tricks she’d learned through the years. By the time she was done, a row of colorful shots waited on the bar for his approval.
The women exploded in applause as Noah grabbed a tiny glass and threw it back. He stared at her for a minute before nodding.
“Fine. But you only work when I’m here.”
“But—” Nova started, but Noah whirled and jabbed a finger in her direction. “Just be happy I’m agreeing to this. I still think
it’s a bad fucking idea.”
Hollyn’s smile widened into a full-blown grin. She might not be back at her apartment, she might not be back in the town where she’d lived the last two years, but she’d have a job while she waited for Aron to declare her safe again.
Or until Hollyn’s magic successfully tied Noah to her permanently
****
Noah bit back the growl when the two old codgers at the bar whistled and cheered at Hollyn’s show. They were merely being polite, excited by something new. Yet, his beast was scratching at Noah to be released. He wanted blood. He wanted to punish the males for looking at Hollyn.
Mate. Mine.
Not a fucking chance. His bear might believe this woman was their mate, but Noah’s human half wasn’t convinced they weren’t attracted to her magic and energy that flowed freely from her now. It was bad enough back at his place; it seemed now that she was focusing on avoiding dropping the bottles, she couldn’t focus on reigning in that special whatever it was that pulled people to her.
Even if it was her magic, Noah couldn’t keep his eyes off her as she smiled and giggled at all the attention. It was obvious she felt at home behind the bar. She’d said she’d done it for the past ten years; it was something familiar and known to her.
He still wasn’t thrilled about the idea of her being the center of attention. He needed to get hold of Aron and see his thoughts on her working the bar. He’d contemplated hiring someone to give him a break occasionally. But if Hollyn was working there, no way could he leave her alone in public like that. No matter how many ideas the women came up with to keep her safe.
Hollyn turned that megawatt grin on Noah and he couldn’t help himself; he smiled back. “You’re good,” he said. No reason he couldn’t compliment her on her skill. Especially since she’d apparently spent years honing it.
“Thanks. There’s more, but I figured that was enough. So?”
“So what?” he grumbled as he took all the glasses and began to clean them.
“Can I have the job?”
He looked up from the sink and bit back a groan. She’d drawn her bottom lip between her teeth and held it there while she waited for his answer. It was probably a nervous habit, but it just made Noah think about her making that face during sex.
“Let me talk to Aron first,” he said and hated the way her smile faded, and sadness entered her eyes.
He’d just reminded her once again how far out of control her like had spiraled.
“But I’m sure it’s fine,” Noah threw in quickly. He hated that look in her eyes. He loved her smile. And wanted to be the one to make her grin that big more often.
A wave of her magic washed over him and Noah’s muscles burned with the strain of keeping his hands to himself. Did she know what she was doing? Did she know she was calling to his animal?
Did she know she was playing with fire?
“Yay! Now, we have to go shopping,” Nova said. “You’ve got to have some work clothes. Do you have any makeup?”
“She doesn’t need makeup,” Noah said, unable to pull his eyes from her face as those waves of warmth radiated from her and washed over him. It was getting harder and harder for him to keep his hands at his sides instead of pulling her close to his chest and burying his face in her hair.
Hollyn’s eyes did that swirling thing like back at his house. This time, instead of melting into an onyx color, they faded to a shade of amethyst. It was like her eyes were a mixture of different gems, depending on her mood.
The room grew quiet, but Noah didn’t bother looking to see what was going on. He couldn’t focus on anything other than the woman who was taking a step closer to him, those beautiful eyes fixated on his lips.
Muscles taut and burning, he slowly reached forward until his fingers grazed her arm. That was all he’d allow himself. He hoped it would settle his beast, but he’d been wrong. It just made him hungry for more.
“What are they doing?” Callie whispered.
Hollyn blinked rapidly a few times and she looked around as if she was confused as to where she was. And those brilliant amethyst eyes bled back to sapphire. Whatever spell they’d been under snapped and Noah shook his head.
He could’ve blamed her. He could’ve accused her of glamouring him, putting him under some spell to get a job. But she’d looked just as lost as he did. She’d had no control over whatever the fuck had just happened.
“Give them a minute. I’ve never seen him act like that,” Shawnee whispered so low Noah almost missed it. He doubted Hollyn heard it.
“I, uh…” Hollyn pressed her hands to her cheeks. “Thanks. Let me know what Aron says.” She hurried out from behind the bar and made a beeline for her seat at the table.
All the women watched her with raised brows and wide eyes.
“What?” she finally said, looking around at all their faces.
“Nothing,” Nova said, blinking and plastering on a fake smile. “Shopping trip? If you won’t let me spend my big bucks on you, you can always just pay me back later.”
“Big bucks?” Hollyn asked, glancing at Noah before looking away quickly.
“She writes naughty books,” Emory said with a smirk.
“I write romance. And people love sexy country boys. They’re keeping me rolling in the dough, which in turn, lets me buy my people pretty stuff.”
“But I’m not—” Hollyn said, pointing at herself.
“Honey, as long as you’re in our territory, you’re one of my people.”
“She’s not in your territory,” Noah grumbled, finally getting his wits about him.
“Whatever. She’s one of us for now,” Nova said, lifting her chin and daring Noah to argue.
He threw his hands up in surrender. Honestly, he liked the thought of the women accepting Hollyn as part of the group. One fucking day and he was ready to go all domestic and make Hollyn his mate.
All the women stood up and threw bills on the table for Noah. He’d refused money for years, chalking it up to feeding his family. But he’d never been able to successfully refuse their tips. They always found creative ways to leave it, so he’d stopped fighting them on it. They didn’t know he took every single one of their tips and donated it to the local food pantry.
“Where you going?” Noah asked, instantly nervous.
“Shopping. Keep up, teddy bear,” Nova said.
Hollyn frowned at Nova.
“She nicknames everybody. Don’t worry; you’ll get one, too,” Emory said with a roll of her eyes.
“Speaking of, you going to tell us what you are?” Nova asked as they neared the exit.
“Human,” Hollyn lied. And not well, either.
“Uh huh,” Nova said, not believing her for one second. “That’s fine. Keep it a secret. I’ll come up with something appropriate.”
“Is it just you girls?” Noah asked, leaning on the bar, his palms flat on the surface. He seriously didn’t like the thought of just the six women and two babies in Fenton alone.
“Don’t be a chauvinist,” Nova said with a disappointed shake of her head. “Between Cujo and my wolf, she’ll be fine.”
“Hey, what about us,” Lola said. “Don’t worry, Noah. We’ll keep her safe. Promise,” the pink-haired wolf said with a wink.
All the women filed through the door, but Shawnee lingered a second. “I’ll meet you out there,” she called to the women.
Nova raised one brow, motioned to Hollyn when her back was turned, then wagged her brows up and down at Noah. Noah shooed her out the door with a deep frown.
When the door closed, Shawnee grew serious. “How much of her is a secret?” she whispered barely above a breath, ensuring the men still in Moe’s wouldn’t hear her.
“All of it. I don’t want anyone to know what she is or where she’s from. Don’t hang out too long. Just get what she needs and get her home. Here,” he said, pulling a couple hundreds from his wallet. “Let her use this. Actually,” he said, pulling two more hundred dollar bills out. �
��Here.”
“How much cash do you carry with you?” she said, her eyes wide as she took the money.
“Get what she needs. And make sure she has some comfortable shoes.”
Shawnee smiled sweetly up at Noah. “You like her.” Noah looked away and wiped the already clean bar. “I like her, too. I think she’s perfect for you.”
“You just want the Clan paired up. Go. Be safe. Keep Hollyn safe. And call me if there are any problems.”
Noah swatted at her with the damp towel and she giggled. “She likes you, too, Noah. I can tell. You two constantly stare at each other.”
“It’s been one day, Shawnee. Of course we’re staring at each other. We have to live together for who-the-fuck knows how long.” And she was a beautiful woman with full perky tits, a firm ass, and her Fae magic called to him and his animal.
A small chuckle escaped Shawnee as she patted Noah’s arm. “Okay. Fine. Stick with that. In the meantime, we’ll be fine. I’ll text you when we’re headed home.”
Shawnee moved toward the door and stopped before stepping out. “We cleaned your house, by the way.”
“Why? It was fine the way it was,” Noah said.
Shawnee snorted. “It was gross. How the hell do you live like that?”
She pushed through the door, letting sunlight filter in for a brief second before the door closed again. But it was enough for Noah to get another glimpse of Hollyn standing nearby, looking at Emory as she spoke, a pretty smile lighting up her face.
“She’s right, you know,” one of the codgers at the bar said.
“What the hell you talking about now, John?” Noah said, grabbing his half-empty glass and topping it off at the tap.
“You were staring at that little girl the whole time she was here.”
“She’s far from a little girl.”
Hollyn looked to be in her mid-twenties to early thirties. That made her a few years younger than Noah, but it was hard to tell with Fairies. They aged remarkably well.