Moonlight Mist: A Limited Edition Collection of Fantasy & Paranormal), page 18
“What in the sam-hell is that woman doing behind our bar?”
“Oh good, you met Jordan, she’s doing a fantastic job.”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Porter was yelling just to make sure Paxson was hearing him. The music was blaring, which is a typical bar thing but the crowd they had tonight were all trying to talk over each other.
“What question?”
“Why is that woman working behind our bar?”
“What do you mean? She’s doing a fantastic job for her first night, and she has previous experience bartending so it was a perfect fit.”
“I mean, why did you hire her?”
“Because we needed a bartender. Joe quit this morning with no notice. Word must have gotten out that we hired a woman because the crowd is ridiculous tonight. It literally brought the wolves out of the woodwork. I think she could be good for business.”
“I don’t want her working here.”
“What do you have against her, do you even know who she is?”
“I do actually. She’s relation to that older couple that just moved to town and is joining the pack. She’s anti-pack and she really rubbed me the wrong way this morning when I met her.”
“Well this isn’t the pack Porter, this is our livelihood and we needed a replacement fast. She fit the bill.”
Porter turned back toward the bar and unfortunately, Paxson was right, the men were hanging on her every word. He couldn’t deny that she was easy on the eyes and watching the other men watch her made the hair stand up on the back of his neck. He wasn’t sure what that was about. But did he want a stranger mixed into their business that didn’t agree with the pack ways? If she was going to be hanging around, he probably didn’t have a choice. He would just have to find a way to talk to her, change her way of thinking.
From their conversation this morning and just now at the bar, that wasn’t going to be an easy task. She was as headstrong as he’d ever seen a woman and she made it clear she didn’t like him or what he stood for. So why did she accept a job at the bar he owned with his brother? Unless she didn’t know he owned it, which was possible. She was a smart woman though and he would need to keep his p’s and q’s in check if he planned on staying one step ahead of her.
“Hey Pax, maybe you could put her on the schedule to work tomorrow during the pack meeting?”
“I thought you said she was against the pack?”
“Yeah she is but, maybe if she has to be here to work, then she’ll overhear everything that goes on and it might be a good way to change her mind.”
“Why do you care?”
“I don’t.”
Not really.
“Her aunt and uncle really want her to stay here so I thought maybe that would help.”
“Yeah sure. Whatever you say.”
His brother was looking at him funny.
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing, just that you’ve never taken this much interest in a woman, in forever. Just sounds like you’re trying to figure out a way for her to stay because you want her to.”
“I just want her aunt and uncle to be happy. She’s all the family they have and they really want this pack venture to work for them.”
“Mmmhmmm, okay. I’ll let her know I need her here tomorrow to serve the guests.”
“Thanks. I need to get back to the office, is there anything else pressing?”
“Nope. Go do your thing.”
Porter turned, stealing a glance one last time at their new bartender, shook his head and walked away.
Jordan did not like to be the center of attention under any circumstances, or the topic of anyone’s conversation but after watching her new bosses, she knew exactly who and what they were talking about.
Originally, she’d taken the bar job for two reasons. Because she could use the extra cash, but also to find out more about the pack and their sketchy alpha. Why did he have to be so damn good looking? His brother was a site to see as well, but given the choice, she’d choose the Alpha. Not because he was an alpha but his looks were striking, more pronounced. The fact he was a little on the cocky side went with the title she guessed. Anyway, Paxson was already taken and she wasn’t down with being a homewrecker.
It didn’t really matter anyway, she wasn’t in the market for a man. She wasn’t relationship material. Her best choice had always been single. Easier to leave when she’s the only one. And by the looks of the bar crowd, she wouldn’t be leaving until the wee hours of the morning. Who knew the town had that many people in it? Were they all wolves? She did sense some, but others that weren’t. And they all seemed to get along well enough.
“Hey Jordan.”
She turned to see Paxson standing at the end of the bar motioning for her to join him. She handed two tall glasses to the man in front of her, put the cash in the register and headed his way.
“I know this is last minute but I was wondering if you would be able to come in early tomorrow?”
“Sure, I don’t have anything else pressing.”
“Thanks, I greatly appreciate it. We have a meeting and want to be able to serve the guests while they’re here.”
“Is that the pack meeting my aunt has been telling me about?”
“It is. Is that okay?”
It wasn’t but new job, new boss and all, she didn’t really want to say that.
“Yeah it’s all good.”
“We’ll be over in the other side in the conference room and I’ll help you as much as possible since you won’t really be able to see what’s going on in there.”
“Oh I thought it was just right out here in the bar.”
“Well, that’s not really feasible. We’re technically open for business so if any customers come in, I’m sure they don’t want to hear our entire wolf history. Heck some of them don’t even know we are wolves.”
“I get where that could be a problem.”
“Unless, of course, you want to be in on the pack meeting? I know your aunt and uncle will be there too.”
“Uhm, not really.”
“Not your thing?”
She shook her head but was hesitant to start her rant about wolf packs.
“Trust me, I get it. I’ve fought it for years, but after my parents died and it more or less left my brother and I in charge, it kind of forced my hand.”
“So, if you’re not crazy about it, then why are you a part of it?”
“It’s different for me now that I have a wife and a little one on the way. My priorities changed. It’s how we were raised anyway, I think I was just going through my rebellious faze. I hated the fact that my brother was in the position to tell me what to do.”
“That’s exactly how I feel. I want to be my own person, and not live under someone else’s thumb.”
“Have you ever been in a pack?”
“No. I bolted as soon as my legs would carry me. My parents died when I was young and to this day I believe their deaths had to do with the pack and I didn’t want anything to do with it. I was thankful for Aunt Meg and Uncle Mike but they didn’t want to have to raise a kid and I knew that. They didn’t push me to join either, until now. She asks me every time I’m around, which isn’t a lot.”
“So why are you here now?”
“I didn’t want them going through it alone. They’re getting older and it’s obvious I don’t trust anyone. Okay, besides you.”
He raised his eyebrows which almost made her laugh.
“I just didn’t want them to go into this new pack blinded.”
“I understand that. I think you have a misguided ideal of how a pack works though, and trust me, I’m not trying to piss you off. I just want you to understand. I kind of felt the way you do at one point but I was definitely misunderstanding how things really worked.”
“Yeah I doubt that.”
“I know, I know. But all I ask is don’t judge until you actually find out how it really is. Attend a meeting with your family and just listen. Going doesn’t mean you’re stuck as a member, I promise.”
“I’ll think about it okay?”
“That’s all I ask.”
“I need to get back to the bar, the wolves are hungry.”
“Ha, that’s very funny.”
She smiled and turned back to a hopping crowd. It was going to be a long night.
…to be continued.
(I know, I’m sorry 😊)
Coming Soon
Wolf at the Door
#3 in the Wolves of Windsor Woods series
About the Author
Krista Ames is an International #1 best-selling author of
contemporary romance, including several sub genres.
Western Romance is her failsafe and she loves a man in
uniform but Paranormal is starting to be her new go-to.
Born and raised in Indiana, she is now a Northern Lower
Michigan transplant and married to the love of her life.
They have 4 children and a few fur babies. She is a full time
stay-at-home mom and pursues her writing career
when she’s not running her kids every which way.
She finds her inspiration in the love of her family and
binge watches romantic and scary movies.
She’s always thrilled to hear from readers so please
find her at any of the following locations:
www.KristaAmes.com
www.bookbub.com/authors/krista-ames
www.apassionforromance.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/kristaames
www.facebook.com/kristaamsauthor
www.pinterest.com/kristaames
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4467060.Krista_Ames
email at: krista@kristaames.com
Other titles by Krista Ames
Recon Strong (The Elite 1) (Omega Team Novella)
Neighborhood Watch (The Watchers 1) (Phoenix Agency Novella)
Security Breach (The Watchers 2) (Phoenix Agency Novella
Mine for the Taking (Lone Wolves 1) (Paranormal Dating Agency Novella)
Bearly Sassy (Bearly Tolerable 1) (Sassy Ever After Novella)
Take Me Home, Cowboy (Home series 1)
In A Cowboy’s Arms (Home series 2)
Harper’s Wish (Montana Series 1)
Sisters (Montana Series 2)
Morgan’s Mountain (Montana Series 3)
Whiskey’s Sweet Revenge (Nothing but Cowboy 1)
Love Takes the Cake (Cooking Up Love 1)
Her Fate, His Mate (Wolves of Windsor Woods 1)
Surf’s Up
Their One Right Thing
An Unexpected Twist
More Than Friends
Rescuing Alix
Making Waves
Out with the Old
Coming Soon:
Wolf at the Door (Wolves of Windsor Woods 3)
Wolf at the Door (Wolves of Windsor Woods 3)
Ranger in Danger (The Elite 2) (Omega Team Novella)
Falling for the Nanny (Breaking the Billionaire 2)
All Tied Up (Home series 3)
Fall for Him (Seasons 1)
Winter Without Him (Seasons 2)
Spring Free (Seasons 3)
Summer of Love (Seasons 4)
When the Lights Go Down (Afterthought 1)
Close Encounter
Stephanie Morris
About the Story
Tianna Phillips doesn't believe in werewolves, shifters, or anything else paranormal—even though she edits books about them for a living. That all changes when a gorgeous and heavily muscled male shows up to her door, bleeding from several wounds. And even though Tianna knows it’s not a good idea, she can’t just leave Brayden Meyer’s dying on her porch…can she? Then his wounds miraculously heal themselves and his supernatural side is revealed.
Brayden had no idea a rouge pack would attack him while he was out for his run. Fortunately, Tianna takes pity on him and allows him into her cabin. Even better, she’s his mate, but he can’t focus on that because his enemies are closing in to ensure they finish the job that they started.
Chapter One
Tianna Phillips took a sip of her tea. Okay, it was more whiskey than tea, but it’d been a rough day. She’d completed the first round of copy edits on a manuscript she’d received, and it’d been difficult. While she enjoyed her job for the most part, there were days like this when she wanted to bang her head against the keyboard. She did her best not to complain too often because she was fortunate than most.
A year ago, her grandfather had passed away. At the age of eighty-eight, he’d lived a good full life, but it still hurt that he was no longer with them. However, she was still surrounded by memories of him because he’d left her his home. While it’d meant that she had to move from Duluth, Minnesota to Greenbush, it hadn’t been a hardship. Growing up over the years, she’d spent several summers in Greenbush with her grandparents. She’d looked forward to the summer vacation a lot more than her younger sister Isabelle had.
So no one had been surprised when the will had been read and the house had gone to her. Tianna hadn’t wasted any time turning in her notice at the retail store she’d been managing. The toughest part had been moving the extra miles away from her parents and sister. But she knew everyone didn’t get the chance to pursue their passion in life. So she’d taken the risk and hadn’t looked back.
Then there were moments like these when her work drove her up the wall and she resorted to drinking. Or rather that’s the story she was going to tell if anyone cared to inquire.
She put the cup of tea down and stretched. There was a slight twinge in her right shoulder, but she ignored it. She’d learned to live with the aches. A yawn escaped her and she covered her mouth. It was time to head to bed. She had another read through to do on the manuscript tomorrow before she sent it back. There was another from a different author waiting in the wings for her as soon as she did.
After making sure her work was saved, she shut down the computer. She took the remainder of her tea in the kitchen and poured it down the drain. As much as she hated to waste good whiskey, she’d had enough.
Just as she went to turn the light off in the kitchen, she heard a loud groan. Instinctively her gaze went to the window that led out to her backyard. She didn’t see anything, but her hackles were up now.
She studied the scenery for several moments, but nothing moved. Still, she walked over to the backdoor and checked the shotgun. It was loaded and ready. The ability to handle a gun was another handy skill she’d learned from her grandfather.
He hadn’t been much of a hunter but living in an area with a vast amount of wildlife, it could make the difference between life and death. She had two shotguns, a riffle and a handgun to protect herself.
She’d just put the shotgun back down when a thump sounded against the door causing her to jump. Picking the gun back up, she readied it, in case she needed it.
“Who’s there?” she called out.
A pained groan travelled through the door. “Help. Please.”
The voice belonged to a man. While Greenbush didn’t have a high level of violent crime, it did have its share. Mainly property crimes, but she wasn’t going to take a chance.
“Fair warning,” she said. “I have a loaded gun. I will not hesitate to shoot you.”
A pained groan was the only response she received. While praying that this wouldn’t be a situation that she’d have to make good on her threat, she undid the lock and deadbolt. She swung the door open and leveled the shotgun.
Nothing was there.
Then she heard another groan. When she looked down to see where the noise came from, she gasped. A bloodied and naked man lay stretched out at her feet. She quickly scanned the woods to see what was going on.
The sound of howls reached her ears. She guessed wolves, but she couldn’t be certain. They were close.
She put the shotgun down and knelt next to the man. “Sir, can you move? I need to get you inside. You might attract animals with the smell of your blood.”
He moaned, but didn’t move. “Wolves. Attacked. Help.”
Fear filled Tianna. How many were there? How had they managed to attack this man to the point that all his clothes had been ripped off? Several bite marks, cuts and lacerations covered his body. He was so bloody, she didn’t want to touch him, but she knew she had to. There was no way she could leave him outside.
“Can you stand?” she asked. “I need you to help me get you inside.”
He didn’t respond and for a moment, she thought he was dead. Then he pushed to his knees, his clenched teeth muting the sound of his pain. Tianna quickly moved to his side to assist him. It was a struggle, but she finally got him to his feet.
She hustled him inside, only stopping to lock the door before easing him into a kitchen chair. It wasn’t the most comfortable surface but with as much blood covering his body she couldn’t put him anywhere else.
“Let me get you some towels and a blanket, then I’ll call for help,” she said as she raced to her linen closet.
She grabbed a sheet and a few towels then dashed back to the kitchen. He groaned as she placed the sheet over his lap.
“Sorry,” she said. “Let me go get my cell phone to call for help.”
He shook his head. “I’ll be fine. I just need to shift. I couldn’t do it while I was out there unprotected.”
