Mini Bonus Chapter One
We’re Gonna Have a Gouda Time
Monday afternoon, Audrey leaned against the bar in The Howl and watched Sigh block the chalkboard burger sign with his body so she couldn’t see what he wrote. Juliette stood next to him, grinning at Audrey like she had the best secret and couldn’t wait to spill it.
Dare stood behind Audrey, his arms around her and his wolf humming contentedly in his chest.
“You’re taking way too long,” Trick said.
“Tell us already!” Cassidy said with a laugh. “The suspense is killing me.”
“Dude, we need to open the bar,” Dare said.
“I’m hurrying, dang it. Give a guy a minute,” Sigh said. Then he said dramatically, “I give you the burger of the week.”
Stepping aside, Audrey read: Audrey’s Gouda Time Burger.
Juliette’s smile got even wider, if that was possible.
“I… for me?” Audrey asked.
“Yeah,” Sigh said. “Last night, you and the girls were talking about the concerts this summer, and you said, ‘we’re going to have a good time this summer,’ but my brain heard ‘gouda time,’ so here we are.
One-third pounder, two slices of smoked gouda, and mayo on a toasted bun. I’m thinking… brioche.”
Trick groaned.
Dare said, “You’re terrible.”
Sigh grinned.
“I think it’s cute,” Audrey said. “And I love smoked gouda. I’m not saying that I ate an entire wheel of smoked gouda by myself last summer, but it’s entirely possible I did.”
“Yes!” Sigh pumped his fist and then hugged Juliette. “I knew it was a winner.”
“You did good, baby,” Juliette said.
“If my mate loves it, so do I,” Dare said.
“Hey, can we get some of those Gouda Time burgers for break?” Trick asked.
“You bet,” Sigh said. “I already made one today for social media, but I didn’t want to post it until I made sure our alpha female liked it.”
Audrey smiled. Being called alpha female was new to her, but she liked it. “I do. And I can’t wait to try one.”
“Oh, so who will be next, do you think?” Juliette asked as she sat on a stool next to Audrey while Trick opened the front door.
“Next for what?” Audrey asked.
“Juliette thinks the burgers are magic,” Dare said. “Because she showed up for Sigh’s favorite burger.”
“And I showed up for Trick’s,” Cass said.
“Oh my gosh, I showed up for yours!” Audrey said.
Dare nodded. “I thought it was a fluke, but I think she’s right.”
“I wonder who he’ll name the next burger after,” Cass said.
“Maybe it only works for wolves,” Dare said.
Trick said, “I think the bears want to get in on the burger magic.”
“They’ll have to take that up with the resident magic burger man.” Dare fixed a half-and-half for Audrey and lemonade with strawberry syrup for Cass.
Juliette hopped off the stool and headed toward the kitchen, calling out, “I want lemonade and dragon fruit syrup. I’m going to call it dragon-ade.”
“Stop naming things,” Dare called as he made the drink.
“I’ll take it to her,” Audrey said. “I think dragon-ade is hilarious.”
As she lifted the yellow and pink drink from the counter, she looked at the chalkboard and smiled. Maybe burgers were magic when they were made in a shifter town by wolves who wanted to find their truemates.
And maybe the bears would be next and find their own happily ever afters at The Howl.
She sure had.