Mini Bonus Chapter One
One More Night at The Amber Howl
Sigh took a drink of his beer after the tavern was closed. Juliette was sitting next to him sipping her favorite lemon lime and cranberry drink, while Dare and Trick were behind the bar with their own drinks.
“I like it,” she said.
“Like what?” Sigh asked.
“The tavern when there’s no one here but us. It’s quiet.”
“I like it too,” he said, kissing the top of her head.
Trick made a face. “All right, all right, we get it. You two are in love. Sheesh, have some pity on us poor, unmated males.”
Sigh chuckled. “You guys will find your forever girls just like I did. Eventually.”
Dare snorted. “Just how long is this eventually supposed to take?”
“Well, all it took for me to come here was a burger,” Juliette said. “Maybe they’re magic.”
“Then I call dibs on the next burger of the week,” Trick said.
“How do you figure?” Sigh asked.
“Because your mate showed up with your favorite burger. And you gave Juliette the burger of the week this week. So,” he said, drawling out the word, “clearly she’s right about them being magic and I should get the next burger.”
“I’m the alpha,” Dare said.
“I called dibs,” Trick said. “Plus, you have that dating app anyway.”
Dare rolled his eyes. “Don’t remind me. I need to delete it, I’ve gotten nothing but shitty dates from it.”
Trick waved his hand. “Yeah, yeah, your life sucks. But let’s talk about me. I need a good burger to bring my mate to me. Like yesterday.”
“You have to wait for Monday,” Sigh said. “So what burger do you want?”
“Oh shit, I don’t know. You’re the clever one.”
Sigh looked at Juliette. She looked so happy, so perfectly at home with him and his pack.
“What’s your favorite burger, Trick?” Juliette asked.
“I don’t know, I like them all, actually. Except the one with blue cheese. Barf.”
“Blue cheese is why I came here,” Juliette said.
“Meh.”
Sigh laughed. “All right, you’re super unhelpful, Trick.”
“Fine, fine, I’ll do your job for you.” Trick took a swig of his beer, setting the bottle down and stared at Sigh like he could pull some creative burger out of his head. “I like the thin burgers you used to make, on the flattop?”
“The smashburgers?” Sigh asked.
“Yeah. With the onions and the cheese all melted. They were a mess to eat but so good.”
“I like smashburgers,” Juliette said. “I’ve never made one before, though.”
“I have a burger press to do them. They’re a bit tedious to make so I took them off the regular menu. Okay, a smashburger works for next week’s burger of the week. But what should we call it?”
They all stared at each other, and no one said anything for long enough he was wondering if he’d be on his own for the name.
“The Trick Smash,” Juliette said.
“Hot damn,” Trick said, slamming his fist into the counter. “Love it. Hell yes, this is the magic burger to bring my mate to me.”
“I said maybe they’re magic,” Juliette said, laughing. “But I love how enthusiastic you are.”
“So when the burger brings my mate to me, you’ll make a burger for her too? Like you did for Juliette?”
Sigh caught the hope in his younger brother’s eyes.
“You bet.”
“Aw,” Juliette said. “The Trick Smash will prove that Sigh’s burgers are definitely magic. I can’t wait to meet your forever girl.”
“Me too,” Trick said.
While Dare didn’t say anything, Sigh could see the longing in his eyes.
They’d all been lonely. The tavern had kept them busy. But the nights alone? They dragged.
“I’m about to turn into a pumpkin,” Juliette said as she wiggled off the stool. “Ready to go home?”
“Hell yes,” Sigh said, finishing his beer. He picked up his bottle and her glass to drop them off in the back. “See you guys tomorrow.”
“Yeah, yeah, go be in love elsewhere,” Dare said, with a smile in his voice.
“Night guys,” Trick called.
Sigh put his arm around Juliette, and they walked into the kitchen to take care of their things, and then headed out into the cool night.
“Do you really think the burgers are magic?” he asked.
“I don’t know. Seems like it in some way. Maybe you and I meeting was just a wild twist of fate. But maybe your brothers’ mates are just waiting to come here and meet them.”
“I hope so,” Sigh said. He wanted his brothers to be as happy as he was.
Because meeting Juliette was genuinely the best thing that had ever happened to him.
“I hope so too,” she said.
Read on… there’s another moment waiting for Sigh and Juliette!