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A few weeks passed similarly—hetook them off from work, like most werewolves did when they were hunting. Things were different for us, since we had to deal with both mating processes, but he told me he wasn’t ready to leave me during the day yet.
And I only protested a little.
We both knew things would be rough when he started his job again, since he worked days and I did nights. But we were trying not to notice the way that loomed over us.
His packmates had texted apologies, but I’d ignored them. Eventually, Axel said they’d feel guilty enough to show up and give real apologies. So I waited.
I worked evenings and nights at the bar, and Axel always went with me, talking to me during the less-busy moments and buying dinner before my break. The owner was raking it in, and I still wasn’t over the shock of counting my tips at the end of the night. It didn’t make up for my uncertainty about whether or not I wanted to keep bartending, but it definitely helped a lot.
I was adjusting, though. And for the most part, loving everything about Moon Ridge.
In the middleof the fourth week, Axel waved me over a little before my break the way he always did. He called to me, over the music, that he was going to find me some food and that he’d be back soon. He almost added something, to the end of the explanation, but hesitated.
Then flicked the tip of my nose with his tongue, told me to try to look a little less sexy, and headed out.
I grinned at his back as he walked away from me, the expression widening when he glanced over his shoulder before he left, studying me for a moment before he slipped outside.
There were too many people in the building already for my thoughts to wander, so I got back to the swing of things. Making drinks, lighting them on fire, delivering said drinks, chatting with the customers when things slowed down a bit… it was nice.
But the more time passed, the more I wondered if it was really what I wanted to do with my life, now that I was free from Mist Valley and all of the shit that accompanied being a weak demon.
I grabbed a drink when my boss handed it to me, lighting it on fire as I carried it in the direction he’d pointed me in. There was only one guy clearly waiting for a drink over there, but I sort of reeled back when I saw him.
Shit.
It was the guy who looked so much like Axel, from a few weeks back. He had the exact same long golden hair, though he was built a little less thick in the arms, and chest, and… everything visible.
Still,shit.
Axel had told me more than enough about his twin brother, Ethan, and considering the resemblance, this had to be him.
Had I told him I’d think about dancing with him? I hadn’t agreed to anything, as far as I could remember, so at least that worked in my favor.
“Hey, pretty girl,” he said with a grin.
If thiswasAxel’s brother, he’d played a large part in making Axel feel unwelcome in his own damn family. And the cruel things he’d both said and done, the rumors he’d spread about the feral pack…
Yeah, I wasnotplaying ball with him.
I set the drink down in front of him, ignoring his remark as I turned around. Before I could walk away, a large hand grabbed my wrist.
Anger ballooned within me as I spun back toward him. “Don’t fucking touch me.”
He grinned at me. “Down, girl. I’m here for that dance you promised me.”
“I didn’t promise you anything,” I shot back. “And like I said the last time, I’m taken.”
When I tried to tug my hand from his grasp, he only tightened his grip.
A tiny shred of panic cut through me, and I tried to tap into my flames. Of course, whenever I absolutely needed them, the damn things wouldn’t appear.
“Let go before my mate shows up here and rips your head off,” I called over the music.
Yeah, my heart was pounding a bit.
Ethan’s grin only widened. “I’d enjoy the fight.”
A man I didn’t recognize with light skin and brown hair grabbed Ethan by the back of the neck. His grip looked tight and painful, but the other werewolf barely flinched. “Walk away, Ethan,” he warned in a low voice.
