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“I’m glad I could be here, too.”
The bus stopped and the dozen women cheered. Chloe trooped up to the front where Kathy waited with the sparkly flag, and Em waited her turn as the group exited and headed for the bar.
Two men were at the door – one with blond hair taking IDs, and the other a huge man with dark hair and a deep frown.
“Hi, ladies,” the blond said as he checked each woman’s ID. “Ladies drink free tonight. Looks like you’re celebrating. Who’s the bride-to-be?”
Chloe waved. “Me!”
“Congrats. Have fun.”
Inside, Em took in the scene. It was a typical bar with a live band and a dance floor in front of the stage. Tables and booths surrounded the dance floor, and behind a long counter were two bartenders fielding orders.
“It’s interesting,” Kathy said. “Not exactly a classy place.”
“It’s fine,” Chloe said, waving her hand dismissively. “Let’s get a table, do some shots, and dance!”
Em groaned inwardly, not wanting to do shots. She’d had one glass of champagne for the toasts, but had insisted on water instead of wine with the meal. She wasn’t much of a drinker.
Following the group toward an open table, Em caught the scent of something enticing. She paused, tilting her head and sniffing. Something smelled wonderful, the best men’s cologne she’d ever scented. She wanted to find the source and just hold on to it.
Turning her attention back to the party, she looked around the bar, noticing the couples dancing as laser lights dotted and swooped across them. She had the urge to walk away, her brain suggesting she find whoever smelled so good. She was sure it was a person. But it wasn’t like she could just go around sniffing random people. They’d think she’d lost her marbles.
“Oh no,” Chloe said suddenly.
Em turned and looked at her friend. Her eyes were wide, her mouth open.
“What’s wrong?” Kathy asked.
“We need to go.Now.”
“What? Why?” Em asked. She didn’t want to leave the place where the sexy smell was.
“This is a shifter bar,” Chloe said, her voice low and her upper lip curled.
“Oh no, it is? Damn it,” Kathy said. “I’ll call the bus back to come get us. We’ll find another place to go.”
“What’s wrong with this place?” Em asked. “Why do we have to leave?”
“Shifters are bad news,” Chloe said. “I won’t stay here and be harassed.”
“Who’s harassing you?” Em was beginning to think Chloe was the one losing her marbles. Granted, Em had only ever met two shifters in her life – the elderly wolf couple who came into the coffee shop once a week. They were the sweetest people. Once, when Em had had a cold, the woman had come back the next day and brought her a container of homemade chicken noodle soup, promising it was an old family recipe that would make her feel better right away. And it had.
Em knew there were humans who didn’t like shifters for one reason or another, but she’d never had any reason to be fearful or mistrusting of them. She wasn’t sure what Chloe’s problem was.
“We’re going and that’s that,” Kathy said. “Let’s wait outside for the bus.”
The group walked away from the table, but Em stayed behind. She couldn’t get her feet to move.
“Em?” Chloe said, her heels clicking rapidly as she came back to her. “Let’s go.”
“I think... I’d like to stay,” Em said. “I’ll call for a car to pick me up.”
“Why would you stay by yourself? It’s dangerous here. You can’t trust them, too much animal mixing around in their brains.”
“I’m kind of surprised you feel that way. I want to stay.”
Chloe’s eyes narrowed, the fake eyelashes making her eyes seem far bigger than they were. “Just don’t be late tomorrow. Three p.m. on the dot.”
