It wasn’t glamorous, but it suited him.
He liked knowing who came in, who left, who needed watching so they didn’t overindulge and give Dare more trouble than he needed. The Amber Howl belonged to their small wolf pack in the town of King Lake. It had just been the three brothers – Sigh, Trick, and Dare – until Sigh found his truemate in a human named Juliette. Now, Trick and Dare were hopeful they would be the next to find their mate.
He liked being a bouncer, although he rarely had tobounceanyone. While humans came to the tavern from across the Pine Run River bridge, the shifter vibe of the tavern kept people from getting too out of control. For the most part.
And he was a big guy who growled.
People didn’t usually fuck with him.
Tonight had been easy so far. Wednesdays were like that. Midweek crowd, the rush on Monday for Sigh’s burger of the week had petered out until the weekend. This week’s burger was named for him. A smashburger called the Trick Smash. Juliette had suggested it after their pack had talked one night about whether the burgers were part of fate and would bring matestogether, since Juliette had shown up at the tavern for Sigh’s favorite burger, the Blue Monster.
Three days and no mate for Trick, though.
He leaned against the end of the counter, scanning the room while Dare tended the bar and Sigh helped deliver food along with their server, Tara. As Sigh set burgers and fries at a table, the smile on his face was one that Trick had noticed recently. His brother was far happier than he’d ever seen him. Finding his forever-girl had certainly changed his attitude.
Not that Trick was jealous.
Much.
Juliette was sweet and funny, a good balance to Sigh’s general grumpiness before he’d met her. She’d softened the whole place in the two weeks she and Sigh had been together, including making Dare a little less likely to growl at someone who was annoying him while he worked.
Sigh had told him that morning that he hoped Trick found his truemate soon. That he would know the moment she walked into his life that she was his. Like a lightning strike to the heart.
He did believe in truemates, but that didn’t mean he thought he’d find her anytime soon.
Maybe the Trick Smash wasn’t magical in a bring-a-guy-his-mate way so much as a nice homage to his favorite kind of burger.
Believing in truemates and fate was one thing.
But living it, going home to an empty house and emptier bed every night while his wolf waited impatiently for his mate, was an entirely different, lonely thing.
The front door opened.
Trick looked up out of habit.
And suddenly he couldn’t breathe.
She stepped into the tavern like she wasn’t sure she belonged there, one hand still on the door, brown hair loose around hershoulders. Her hazel eyes swept the room like she was looking for someone.
For a heartbeat, Trick didn’t move.
He couldn’t.
Then his lungs were burning and his wolf was howling, and a single word slammed into place in his mind, certain and absolute:mine.
He let out the breath he’d involuntarily held and caught her scent as he inhaled, coffee and cinnamon mixed with honey.
The noise of the tavern faded as he straightened and turned fully toward the curvy female. Everything around him blurred into nothing as her gaze found his.
His wolf let out another howl, this one filled with determination to claim.
He pushed away from the bar and walked toward her, holding himself back from running and tossing her over his shoulder like a caveman.
“Hey,” he said, drawing close to her. “You looking for someone?”
Her gaze flicked over him, her breath catching and her eyes darkening.
That was a good sign. At least he wasn’t the only one affected.
