Total pages in book: 22
Estimated words: 19506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 98(@200wpm)___ 78(@250wpm)___ 65(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19506 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 98(@200wpm)___ 78(@250wpm)___ 65(@300wpm)
With another eye roll and a sigh of exasperation, I switched out my top and returned once more. “Is this better?” I asked, motioning to the plain gray t-shirt I wore.
“It’ll have to do; I’m going to be late for my shift.” Rowdy didn’t need the money from his bartending job; all of us were very well off due to our discovery and sale of Dew Drop, the only substance known to intoxicate a shifter. But, he enjoyed the work and I wasn’t about to interfere with his happiness, so I begrudgingly left the house with the group.
Chapter Two
Rider
I scrunched my nose up at the glass of light blue liquid in my hand. I didn’t mind the flavor of Dew Drop (even though it had been likened to motor oil), but I wasn’t in the mood to drink. Of course, there had been no declining when Rowdy served it to me, so I took it with a smile even though I didn’t intend to consume it.
I looked at my bartending friend, who was currently stretched out across the countertop as Grayson sucked body shots off of his stomach. Rowdy wasn't an incredibly hard worker at the bar, but he always managed to draw in a crowd; even though the patrons could no longer touch him.
I turned my head to the right to find Zane and Ridge grinding together to the beat of the song thumping over the speakers. Zane noticed me looking and motioned for me to join them, but I waved him off before lifting my glass in thanks for the offer.
My eyes roved over the happy, dancing crowd, and my chest filled with heavy longing. To numb the ache, I gave in and threw back the shot in my hand, shivering as the bitter liquid slid down my throat. Even though Dew Drop was potent to shifters, I was a big man, and it would take more of the drink to affect me.
So why were the hairs on the back of my neck standing upright, and my fingertips tingling? I quickly realized that it had nothing to do with the alcohol; my body was reacting to its surroundings.
My senses heightened, searching for the slightest sound or image to explain why I was on edge, and to prepare me for what was needed of me; to fight any foe, and to protect those around me. But nothing could have prepared me for the sweet, smoky scent that filled my nostrils as I breathed deeply.
The aroma didn’t bring stress or concern. It wasn’t a scent of warning; it was a calling to find the source and get closer. It was a fragrance I’d waited my lifetime for; the scent of my mate.
The first thought that crossed my mind was that I would surely get an ‘I told you so’ from Rowdy, having found my mate after finally leaving my house. I also wondered if I could have found him sooner if I’d put myself out there earlier. But I had more important things to worry about at the moment.
I leapt out of my chair and sniffed the air wildly as my eyes scanned the club, bouncing from one face to the next, desperately searching for the man I’d call my own. My heart pounded in my chest; it would know its match.
My knees buckled and I had to grip the back of my seat to stay upright when my eyes fell onto a beautiful blond human strolling across the floor. His good looks captured my gaze and didn’t let go. With one look, my heart was gone, forever lost to this man I didn’t know yet.
He was average height and quite slim, but he had an intensity about him that couldn’t be ignored. He was dressed in all black, and his dark eyes glared from beneath thick brows as he moved with purpose. His shoulders were squared and locked back, making his slender frame appear wider.
He took a seat in a dark corner of the club and just as my brain told me to stop staring and go meet him, he was approached by another man with a hungry gleam in his eye. One sniff of the air told me that the suitor was a hyena shifter.
Hyena shifters were known to be especially voracious in their romantic quests. The way that this man licked his lips as he leaned in closer to my mate showed that he was no different. My feet didn’t need an alert this time; they carried me quickly across the floor.
“Hey gorgeous,” the muscular shifter greeted as he invaded my mate’s personal space. “I haven’t seen you here before.”
I held my breath as I awaited my mate’s answer, weaving through the swaying bodies to get to him. He glared at the hyena for a moment before responding simply, “Get lost.” That’s my man!