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CHAPTER THREE
"We're going to the Wayfarer and wonder if you'd like to join us there," Archer asked.
"What time?" Dallas had no plans, the Wayfarer had a pleasant atmosphere, and the drinks were of good quality. He and Archer used to frequent the Zen Bar until Archer found his beloved. He didn't feel the Zen Bar was appropriate for his sweet beloved, and he was probably right.
"Kevin and I will arrive around eight, so any time after that would be fine as long as you arrive before midnight. I don't stay out as late as I used to." He laughed.
"I'll see you around nine. That will give you and Kevin some alone time before I arrive." He joked.
"I appreciate your understanding, Dallas. We'll see you at nine." Getting out with friends and having a few drinks will help him stop thinking about the cougar pack. The Burns pack was taking up too much of his headspace for no good reason. He had a few hours before he needed to get ready to leave, so he pulled out his tablet and did some research on Billy Burns.
The cougars were planning something; he could feel it in his bones. Young Andy might be decent and honorable, but he was an anomaly, and the rest of his brethren were typical artless, spineless brutes, and Dallas wouldn't put anything past them. His search brought up Billy's basic information known to the world at large, which included birth, family connections, address, no phone number, and educational accomplishments, which were none. The last was not surprising, for cougars tended toward homeschooling, which in their case meant no schooling.
Billy's pack was not indicative of all cougars; some were ambitious and socialized. The cougar species tended toward isolation and solitary existence, and packs were rare and tended to be small. Billy's pack numbered less than thirty souls and had formed some forty years ago in response to hunters and the encroachment of society on the forest. The Coven tried to allow them their autonomy and recognized their need to form a group, but the relationship between the pack and the Coven was never good or peaceful.
The pack tended to push the boundaries of Master Duane's good nature. The issue with Kevin and their refusal to back down on their harassment until they were directly threatened with death did not leave a positive impression on the Coven leadership.
If they continued to run in direct conflict with the wishes of the leadership, Billy may find himself without his pack or a purpose and perhaps without his life. There was nothing new to be had on Billy Burns, so he closed his tablet and got ready for a night out with friends.
The Wayfarer was busy, and it took Dallas a few minutes to find Archer and Kevin's table. He noticed that there were quite a few vampires present, along with a variety of shifters among the humans. He felt a shift in the air as he approached the table and took another look around. It was then that he saw the cougars huddled around a table in the far corner.
"They arrived a few minutes ago and have been acting peculiar," Archer told him as he took a seat at the small table.
"Billy keeps eyeing this table," Dallas told him, and both Archer and Kevin nodded. "You don't think he's stupid enough to start trouble here?"
"I've found that there is no limit to the stupidity of some individuals," Archer responded.
"Billy has an inflated view of himself and his abilities," Kevin added to the conversation.
"I just wanted a few drinks and a little downtime." Dallas lamented, and Archer chuckled.
"Maybe his friends and his brother will convince him to mind his manners." Kevin offered, and Dallas looked over at their table again, searching for the young man, and didn't see him.
“Andy is here?” He asked.
"Yeah, he's at the bar getting the table more drinks. He seems to be the errand boy for that crew." Archer told him, and instantly, Dallas found himself searching the bar for him and finding him. He looked different in the tight jeans and white cotton button-up. In the forest, he was covered in a dark hoodie and baggy track pants, which shielded him from view. This outfit hid nothing, showing off his trim, muscular build and the lovely color and sheen of his dark blonde hair. The moment he turned from the bar with the drinks in his hands, Dallas caught sight of his eyes. He hadn't noticed them out in the forest, but here, under the soft lights, they were a magnificent green and seemed to sparkle in this low light. Then their eyes connected, and Dallas felt a shift in the universe.
"Dallas, what's wrong? You look concerned or shocked; I'm not sure which." Archer asked and turned to check out the bar area where Dallas was looking.
"Shocked would be the correct answer," Dallas stated and, with great effort, pulled his gaze away from the young man at the bar. "They're planning something." He said as the scene before him became clear. "They sent that one to the bar to get him out of their way. He was interfering and stopping them, and they don't want to be stopped."
He no more than got the words out of his mouth, and the back table erupted in violence. The cougars charged the table of vampires in front of them, attacking in a wild frenzy. Billy, with his friend Ford and a couple others, charged at Dallas and Archer.
Archer quickly pushed Kevin out of the way and to safety while Dallas held back the Cougars. Billy was seriously looking to get Archer, but he had to go through Dallas first, and he wasn't having much success. Dallas knocked Billy out cold before Archer was back in the fight, so the man never got his chance to take on Archer.
The cougars were wild and violent but not good at battle because they had no sense of fighting or combat techniques; it was all undisciplined aggression. The fight continued with both Dallas and Archer taking turns throttling the cougars, and then things changed, and Dallas' focus shifted.
Andy had been standing at the bar, but when Billy and the others attacked the vampires, he tried to make his way toward them but was thwarted by the number of people in the way watching and getting into it with the cougars. Dallas had assumed he would stay back and not engage, but he was wrong.
When his brother went down, Andy dove into the fray and was immediately knocked to the floor. Dallas felt overcome by a surge of anger that came out of nowhere and threatened to wipe out the entire bar. He dropped the cougar he was beating and moved to the shifter that was standing over Andy, ready to deliver another blow to the young man who was presently prostrate on the floor.
Dallas grabbed the shifter by the back of the neck and tossed him away, then grabbed Andy's hand and pulled him to his feet. The look in Andy's eyes was frightened and unsure. He was feeling something just as Dallas was, but neither could say what it was not at this moment. A cougar landed on Dallas's back, knocking him forward, but he recovered quickly and threw the cougar off.
It was a loud and wild fight, but Dallas pushed Andy behind him and guarded him from further harm. The cougars, the other shifters, and the vampires fought until Sheriff Kass Keller entered the establishment. There's something about the aura of an angry hellhound that immediately captured everyone's attention.
The fighting ended, and some people dropped to the floor, others dropped into nearby chairs, and still others stood and waited, ready in case the fight was not over. Archer and Dallas stood and waited, and Dallas reached behind him and grabbed Andy's arm, pulling him forward to stand beside him. Archer was looking at him oddly, but he did not say anything.
"Everyone able to walk, get out, and go home." Sheriff Keller's voice boomed across the room. "If you care about your friends and they're unconscious, then pick them up and take them with you." He moved through the room, piercing selective individuals with his dark stare. "Anyone left will be spending the night in my jail."
