Once outside, the warm ocean breeze ruffled my hair as I slipped on my sunglasses. Sure, the weather here was great, but that didn’t make me any less angry. We were two blocks from the beach, and everyone you saw was either going to the beach or coming from it. They all looked happy as fuck. Which made me even madder. I couldn’t wait to leave.
My sister hooked her arm in mine. “Want to grab a coffee?”
Not waiting for an answer, she started to pull me in the direction of Unholy Grounds, a popular coffee shop on the island owned by two nuns.
Honestly, how could she be so chipper at a time like this while all I wanted was to shift and attack someone? Unfortunately, I was about to find out.
“I’d rather have a beer,” I told her. “Ten of them.”
“No problem,” she said, her wolf-green eyes sparkling.
We turned and headed in the opposite direction down Nightshade Avenue.
Dazed and numb, I wasn’t sure I was fully comprehending the ramifications my father’s will would have on our family. Except for my sister Ruby, who lived on the mainland, Jada, Rhylan and Reece all lived here and worked on the ranch. Where would they go if we lost it? What would they do? Nothing about this was fair or right.
My jaw clenched so tight it ached, and a low growl threatened in the back of my throat. Just thinking about it made me hate our father even more, which was really saying something.
After signing autographs for an exuberant group of teenage fox-shifters who’d changed into their human forms as soon as they recognized me, Jada and I turned onto Hemlock Street. The neon sign for the Oasis blinked cheerfully up ahead. The dive bar had a wide variety of local beers on tap and played live music on Friday and Saturday nights. I wondered if they still hosted a not-quite-legal fight club in the basement.
I was going to walk right past the place—Jada didn’t do crusty dive bars—but, to my surprise, she opened the door and pulled me inside. The smell of spilled beer and grilled onions assailed my nostrils. I tried prodding her thoughts to get a sense of what she was up to, but she wouldn’t let me in. Glaring at her back, I followed her to a quiet booth.
One thing was certain. My sister was up to no good. And I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to like it.
In true Jada fashion, she pulled a wet wipe from her purse and proceeded to sanitize the table, including the edges and both vinyl bench seats. Then the bartender came over, and we placed our order.
“Okay, what’s going on?” I asked her, my BS meter on full throttle.
“What are you talking about?” She looked at me all innocent-like, but I wasn’t born yesterday.
It ticked me off I couldn’t read her as well as she could read me. I should’ve suggested a run in the woods rather than coming here. As packmates in our wolf forms, she’d have had a much harder time shielding her thoughts from me.
“Stop messing around,” I snapped. “You’ve either done something I’m not going to like, or you’re planning to do something I’m not going to like. Which is it?”
She rolled her eyes. “So negative. What happened to my adventurous little brother? The guy who will try anything?”
That was so unfair.
“Gee, I’ve never lost my family home before,” I said in a mocking tone, twisting a finger into one of my dimples. “I wonder how new and adventurous that will feel.”
She flicked a hand at me dismissively. “Don’t be a grumpy asshole, Travis.”
The bartender returned with our drinks, trying to cover up a smile and pretend he didn’t just hear that.
I rubbed my temples, feeling the start of a headache forming. “I can’t believe you’re not as concerned about losing the ranch as I am.”
“Nothing happens until the White Wolf Moon,” she reminded me, taking a sip of her mineral water, “so calm down.”
“Calm down?” It was never a good idea to tell an upset person to calm down. They were likely to fly into a rage. Or in my case, rip out a few throats. “Do I need to remind you that the next White Wolf Moon isn’t far away?”
“Three full moons from now.” She sounded entirely too chipper.
I took a long pull of my beer and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. “Like I said, not far away.”
Jada reached across the table and patted my forearm as if Iwere a small child. “But you’ve forgotten the most important part of the will.”
I pulled away and folded my arms, not liking where this conversation was heading. I knew exactly what she was getting at. “The part about me being mated?”
She nodded, and I bit back a curse. Jada hated when I swore. Her husband’s family was churchy, and some of that had rubbed off on her.
