Purr For The Alpha (A Paranormal Romance) (Timber Valley Pack) (8 page)

             
“I’d love some meat,” she said, her words dripping with innuendo.

             
Dash glanced at Pierce. “Aren’t you supposed to be doing guard duty for your sister?”

             
“I was only taking the morning shift,” Pierce said. “Carver is covering for me now.”

             
“I see. Thought it was an all day thing. Well, enjoy your meat.” Dash walked off to join a crowd of wolf shifters, and Pierce went over to the grill.

             
“So, here’s how I see it,” Karen said. “Pierce had some kind of job which he ditched as soon as he heard that you had arrived on the premises today, but he’s trying to act casual about it. You are annoying the crap out of Dash, and he is going to bust you if you stick your paw one inch over the line of legality, so drive the speed limit and don’t litter while you’re in Timber Valley. I mean, for God’s sake, he’s conferring with Crystal Falls cops about you! Watch your furry ass around him.”

             
“I’m so scared.” Isadora took a long, slow sip of lemonade. “Don’t worry about me. I am fast, like Ninjas.”

             
Karen noted that Isadora hadn’t tried to claim she was innocent of anything that Dash was accusing her of. Great.  Even back in high school, Dash had been Mr. Law and Order; he’d always volunteer as Hall Monitor.

             
“In other words, I’ll need to be coming up with bail money for you soon. Peachy. By the way, why decide that Pierce would be your latest boy toy rather than Lance? They’re both panting after you. Just curious about your selection process.”

             
“Well, they’ve both got awesome guns, but Pierce’s are slightly bigger, and also as far as I can tell, by shamelessly inspecting the package area, Pierce is also more gifted there.”

             
Karen gave a scornful snort. “Oh, I hope and pray that someday I can find a love based on principles as deep and pure as that.”

             
“From your mouth to God’s ears. And look, here comes Lover Boy with my meat.” Isadora winked Pierce as he walked up with a tray of burgers.

             
“Yep,” Karen sighed. “And he also bought burgers.”

Saturday night
  

             
“Well, well, if it isn’t the good sheriff,” Ty said, as Steele walked up to the bar. “Can I get you something to drink?”

             
“No, not while I’m duty, thanks,” Steele said.

             
Ty pushed a bottled water at him, which Steele accepted.

It was early but the nightclub was still packed.
Ty glanced around. “There’s a number of young ladies here who would love to make your acquaintance,” he said. “Any in particular strike your fancy? I know most of the people here. I can give you their whole dating history.”

             
Steele laughed and shook his head. “No, thanks. I’m taking a break from dating.”  

             
“You’ve been off the dating market for a year,” Ty said. “What happened when you went out of town?”

             
Steele’s easygoing smile slipped a notch. “You always were the observant one,” he said. He opened the bottle of water and took a long swallow.

             
It would be impossible for Ty not to have noticed. Before Steele went on his vacation, he’d been a frequent visitor to The Zoo. He’d done his fair share of dating shifters, mostly wolf, but some other species as well.

             
Then he’d gone on vacation to Montana and when he’d come back, he’d been a changed man. He’d been more serious, hadn’t laughed anywhere near as much, and suddenly he had absolutely zero interest in the female sex.

             
“So in other words, none of my business?” Ty said.

             
“Like I said. You’re a smart one. How are things going with her, by the way?” He glanced at Karen, who was leaning over a table to serve a beer. “I see you watching her like you want to tear the throat out of any shifter who comes near her.”

             
“You see nothing.” Ty scowled and looked away. “It’s strictly business.”

             
“So it would be okay if I asked her out on a date?”

             
Before he could stop himself, Ty’s fur and fangs sprang out, and his lips wrinkled back in a snarl. He let out a low rumbling growl, and his jaw lengthened. He could feel his fangs poking through his gums, yearning to pierce flesh. His ears went pointy and he could feel the bones all over his body rippling.

             
Then he saw Steele laughing at him, and he forced himself to stay human.

             
“Asshole,” he snapped.

             
“You are such an easy mark,” Steele snorted. “So, she’s the one, eh? And by the way, I would never have asked her out.”

             
“Of course not, since you decided to join the priesthood or whatever reason you’ve decided to check your dick at the door.” Ty shook his head.

             
“No, because you’ve totally fallen for her.  Anyway, the reason I’m here, other than to give you crap, which is always fun, is to let you know that I’ve got news.  The girl who disappeared in Wisconsin was also a healer, just like Virginia, and that may not be a coincidence.”

             
Alarm shot through Ty. “Who could be behind that? Not another pack, or pride. I mean, every pack and pride has at least one healer. Heck, we’ve got more healers than we know what to do with around here.”

“
We’d love to know the answer to that,” Steele said.  “I’m communicating with the Council of Elders, and the Chief Warden.  I’m also reaching out to packs in every state to get the word out. That’s why I’m here. You get shifters from all over as your customers, even out of state.”

“I do put on a good show,”
Ty said modestly. He glanced up at the Play Stage. A beautiful tiger shifter was being disciplined by two lion shifters.  On one side of the dance floor there were girls dancing in the cages, on the other side of the floor were handsome, muscular men.  The Zoo was a safe haven for shifters of all sexualities to mix and mingle.

He turn
ed his attention back to his cousin. “What can I do to help?” he asked.

“I’d like you to talk to your bartenders and wait staff, tell them to spread the word among the customers. If they know anything, if they’re aware of any other disappearances or people who might be behind it, they can contact my office, or the Chief Warden.  I’m also going
to put some flyers up around the bar. It’s possible that they’re targeting shifters from species other than wolf, and we want everyone to be on alert; female healers may be at risk.”

             
“Absolutely. Anything that I can do to help,” Ty said.

             
Ty watched Steele make his way out of the bar. He wished he knew what was bothering him what he could do to help, but he’d already made the overture to be a sympathetic ear, and Steele had shot him down.

             
Maybe there was simply nothing to be done, he thought. Most likely, Steele had found the one woman who wasn’t panting after him, and she’d rejected him, leaving him pining away after her.

             
He glanced over at Karen to make sure that nobody was hassling her, and then began making the rounds among his staff, telling them about the news about the Wisconsin kidnapping, so they could spread the word among his customers.

              He went back to work, polishing the counter. Karen had vanished into the crowd.

             
She’d spent the day in Vince’s office, reviewing some of his business contracts for him. When he’d given her a ride to work that night, they’d barely spoken.

             
He could tell she wanted him, though.  She stiffened and drew in her breath whenever he came near, biting her lip and doing a delicious little squirming motion.  Her skin flushed as he drew closer, and she would hug herself hard. Just thinking about it sent a deep carnal hunger rumbling inside him. 

Every time he drew close to her he
could smell the heavenly scent of her arousal, a delicious female musk that made him want to sniff her, bite her, taste her…

God, there was nothing on Earth sexier than Karen Padfoot.

              Would he take her tonight, or make her wait a little more? He wasn’t sure. He wanted her so much that he burned for her. The throbbing in his groin wouldn’t go away.  He’d relieved himself several times the night before, taken a cold shower – but it was only a temporary solution.  He’d think about her, and instantly get hard again.

             
He forced himself to concentrate on work, serving drinks, then mingling with the crowd, breaking up a couple of minor scuffles, verifying that they were well stocked on all of their supplies.

             
Finally he went looking for Karen. He just needed to be near her, to talk to her, to breathe in her scent again.

             
“The Lynx?” one of his waitresses, a girl named Tammy Sue, said. “She asked us to cover her tables for a while. Said she had a family emergency, she’d be back as soon as she could.”

* * *

“Dad, make it quick. I was at work,
and it is very busy tonight,” Karen said impatiently. “What’s the emergency?”

She glanced around her. She was still wearing her waitressing uniform.
They had met in the parking lot of a diner called Flapjack Fannie’s, several miles from The Zoo. They were parked in the far end of the parking lot.

Her father, as usual, looked worse for the wear.  He had several days of stu
bble, his clothes were rumpled.  He’d been drinking; she could smell the fumes rolling off of him.

“That’s no way to greet your dad.” He swayed slightly where he stood.

“What do you want?” she repeated. “Tell me now, or I’m leaving.” She started to turn away to walk back to her car.

“I tried to go by our house, and the landlady wouldn’t let me in.” His voice had that high pitched whine to it that set her teeth on edge.

“What do you mean our house? You’ve never lived there. You haven’t done more than crash on our couch for a few nights in years,” she said, frustration boiling up inside her. “Besides, I told you, I very specifically instructed the landlady that you were not allowed in.”

“I
need a place to lay low,” he pouted. “I have nowhere to stay and people are looking for me. You have to tell her to let me in.”

“What people?” she asked, worried. This could have implications for her brother and sister.

“Bad people. I owe them money.”

“Have you been gambling at the Jackals’ casino again?”

He shrugged, looking sullen. “It’s not like I could get a real job anywhere. People won’t cut me a break.”

“You know who else can’t catch a break? Your son and daughter.  I found out today that nobody at their summer camp will talk to them, because they’re Padfoots. That’s all on you, dad.”

“So you see how it is?” her father wailed. “None of us can catch a break, ever! I had no choice!”

             
“You’ve always had choices. Don’t call me again. I have to get back to work now, and I hope to God I’m not fired.”

             
Damn it, she’d done exactly what Ty told her not to – and he’d been right. She was letting her father drag her down with him. It would serve her right if Ty fired her; she’d run out and left everyone on a busy Saturday night.

“
You can’t leave me! I’m really in trouble with these people,” her father’s tone had turned wheedling. “How are things going with Ty Battle? He likes you, right? I bet he’ll ask you to marry him. Those Battles, they’re pretty traditional. If you, say, got in trouble, then he’d have to marry you, right? Then we’d all be set for life. We’d never have to worry again.”

“I’m not going to dignify that with an answer.”

She dug into her pocket, and held out a handful of bills. He grabbed at them greedily; she held on as he tugged at the bills, trying to wrench them from her grasp.

“That is all my tip money for tonight, and next week is Riley’s fifteenth birthday, which I’m sure that you forgot,”
she said coolly. “If you take that money, I probably will not be able to buy him the new Playstation that he wants.”

He pulled the money from her hands, eagerly stuffing it into his pocket. “Is that all?” he asked. “Do you have any more?”

She looked him in the eye. “That was a test,
dad
.” She lashed the word with contempt. “That was the last money that you’ll ever get from me.”

He stared at her in shock. “What do you mean? I owe ten grand. I am deep, deep in the hole, Karen, and these people will break my kneecaps.”

Ten grand
, she thought. My God.

He saw the look on her face and nodded eagerly. “So now you know what I’m up against. Good. Okay. So, this is some pretty good money you’re making. If you work every night for the next month, put in overtime-”

“You are done taking money out of your children’s pockets!” she yelled. “Done! I said that is the last money that you’re ever getting from me, and I meant it! I hope they break more than your kneecaps!”

“I was trying to win money for you and the kids! So I could buy you a house!” he shouted after her as she spun around and stomped off.

“I got in trouble on your account!” His words floated after her. “I was doing it for you! It’s your fault this happened!”

She kept walking.

“Ingrate! I took care of you after your mother dumped you! All of you brats, draining every penny from me, taking and taking and never giving back!” he screamed after her. “It’s your fault I have no money! Fine, walk away, I wish I’d never had you!”

She climbed in her car. “Wait! I didn’t mean it!” he wailed, as she slammed the door and quickly pulled out of the parking lot.
 

This time, she knew deep in her soul it was over. No more second chances, or fifth, sixth, seventh, one millionth chances. Even if
Ty fired her, she was still taking his advice to heart. She’d never answer a call from her father again.

When she pulled up in front of The Zoo,
Ty was standing outside waiting for her.