Chapter 3
I’d mapped every scent in this place and re-mapped it nightly. It would stand to reason that the one scent I didn’t recognize belonged to the person currently fixing my broken tap out front.
Worst-case scenario, a slayer armed with a dozen wooden stakes waited on the other side of the door.
As I inwardly groaned, my hip bumped against the door. Ash caught my eye. He pointed at something, his feelers rapidly twitching. I fumbled with the bowls when I looked.
A man, an enormous man, knelt in front of the taps, his back turned toward me.
He wore a black tee, the sleeves straining over carved muscle, the crimson lighting creating shadows over his bronzed skin.
A full-sleeved black tattoo, the details of which I couldn’t make out, graced his left arm.
His chocolate hair was just a little past his ears, with a slight wave and a tinge of red.
“Let me take those for you,” Ash said, using all four arms to grab the threatened bowls barely in my grasp.
I nodded and flipped my hair over one shoulder. As I neared the mystery man, my lips parted, ready to introduce myself.
The man’s head turned, his nose sniffing the air. “Rory?”
Fuck me dead—again.
Harkin.
A slight pain swirled in my chest, and I folded my arms. “You don’t get to call me that.”
Harkin faced me with a wicked grin that showed his canines. “It is you. Realized a vamp owned this bar, but sure as shit didn’t think it was you.”
Damn. He still had that southern twang in his voice.
“How did you recognize my scent after all these years? Hm? It’s been a quarter century.”
Curiosity flickered between some of the customers. They tried to pretend they weren’t hearing our conversation.
“I’ll give you boys another round on the house if you take your drinks and go to that back table.” I flicked my hand behind them.
They didn’t have to be persuaded twice.
Harkin chuckled. That baritone, gritty, deep-in-his-gut chuckle. “Never forget the scent of old blood on a vamp tongue. AB-negative, right?”
“Am I supposed to be impressed?” I fished past him for the fridge, grabbed two beer bottles, popped the caps, and slid them to the customers.
Harkin dusted off his hands and stood. He towered over me.
His chest was in line with my face. I took several steps back so I wouldn’t have to give him the satisfaction of craning my neck back to look at him.
A tool belt hung loose on his hips, dark jeans hugging his legs, and a chain hung from one pocket.
Why did a wolf have to look so freaking attractive? It wasn’t even close to fair.
I pressed my thumb between my eyes. “It’s been a long time, Harkin, and it’s been nice.”
“Couldn’t agree more.” Harkin wiped his hands with a rag. He scratched his forehead, some of the grease streaking his skin. “How’s that vamp boyfriend of yours? What was his name? Dick?”
“Ricardo,” I corrected.
“Ah.” Harkin dipped his chin to get a better look at my face, a strand of his dark hair falling over his amber eyes. “Richard. Dick. Same thing.”
My fangs snuck out. I fantasized sinking them into the wolf’s neck to bleed him dry. “What are you doing in the Cove?”
“I’m in Plena Falls.”
Figures.
I tapped my fingernail against my arm, hesitating with my next question. “What happened to Texas?”
The only time we’d met was in a bar in Uvalde, Texas.
“I’m not alpha there.” Harkin tossed the rag on the bar top, mimicking the way the blood sloshed in my stomach.
More of my fangs poked out. “You? You’re an alpha? Here?” I pointed down.
Harkin crossed his arms, making his frame double. “Don’t sound so surprised. Might insult me.”
“I am surprised, and I hope you’re insulted.” My fangs sprang out. Harkin’s gaze swung straight to them. I hid them in my mouth, not caring if they punctured the inside of my lip.
He’s an alpha now. No wonder I didn’t recognize his scent. It changed a shifter’s entire make-up.
“Your pointy bits are showin’.” Harkin waved his finger near my mouth.
Pushing his hand aside, only to find air, I spun around, enraged. “If you knew a vampire owned this bar, then why the hells did you take the job?”
“Money is money, no matter who’s givin’ it. Only vamps would be that petty.”
After finally being able to sheath my fangs, I turned to face him. “Fine. Get to work. I expect that tap to be fixed by closing time.”
Oh, it felt too delicious to order around a big, bad alpha wolf.
Harkin came closer, the pine and musk wafting from his skin making my head fuzzy. He lowered his face into mine, his topaz eyes flickering with his wolf. “I’ll finish within the hour. Less time I have to deal with your scent burning my nose hairs.”
Fucking wolves.
“Fine. Have at it. If you have questions about anything, ask Ash.” I whirled on my heel, swinging my hair in his face.
Harkin sputtered, a subtle growl collecting in his throat.
I forced myself not to look back at him.
Instead, I distracted myself by checking on the customers scattered throughout the bar.
Erebus, a primordial shadow god, sat by himself in a corner booth.
He’d only been here once and, like last time, he was alone.
I pointed at the empty tumbler resting in front of him. “Need another?”
“What good would it do?” Erebus twirled the glass with two fingers. “It’s not as if I could get intoxicated by it.”
“Why don’t you go to Bacchus?”
Erebus flicked a finger against his glass. “And pay Dionysus’s hefty prices for his Ambrosia wine? No thanks.”
I secretly loathed that Dionysus controlled the market for the gods. His club was the only place they could get drunk on his magical wine.
“Also, Dion pisses me off.” Subtle shadows edged out from underneath the table. Erebus’ black eyes glowed.
“Fair enough. Why don’t I pour you a double and you can pretend you’re getting tipsy?”
Erebus smirked, the shadows slowly rolling back into him. “Sure. Why not?”
I snatched his glass, but he laid a single finger on my arm, stopping me. Despite Erebus’ mafia-related reputation, I wasn’t afraid of him, but his actions still gave me pause.
“I literally come from the night, and you, my dear vampiress, have been forced into it.” Erebus cocked his head to one side. “Do you miss the sun?”
That was such a loaded question. I had zero interest in discussing it in the middle of a damn rowdy bar.
“Sometimes, sure. But you can’t stare at the sun and enjoy its beauty like the moon, can you?”
“Fair point.” Erebus’ stare carved into mine for a second too long for comfort. “Your maker. They have shadow magic, don’t they?”
My fangs made the rest of my teeth throb. I hadn’t thought about my maker in years.
“He does. What’s it to you?”
Erebus tilted his head. “Just remember you have me in your back pocket if the need should ever arise.”
I released a laugh bordering on a pig and a hyena. “Appreciate it, Erebus, but he hasn’t been an issue for decades.”
“Regardless, the offer stands.” Erebus tapped my arm before sitting back in his seat. “I like you, Aurora, and that is why I come here.”
With the tumbler in hand, I flashed the primordial a fanged grin. “Come as often as you like. Just don’t depress my customers by being all doom and gloom in the corner, hm?”
Erebus chuckled and spread his fingers wide on the table. “Deal.”
Another customer hollered at me for a gin and tonic. I yelled, “Sure thing. I’ll get it now in a minute.”
Moving behind the bar, I cast a glance at Harkin and instantly regretted it. He was using a wrench, his arm muscles taut and bulging. What was worse, he grunted as he unscrewed a hex nut. And was that a slight sheen of sweat on his forehead?
I snapped away from the pure display of masculine energy and slammed the glass onto the bar.
“Hey,” Ash said behind me.
“What?” I replied, far haughtier than I’ve ever spoken to Ash.
Ash’s wings fanned out, his feelers straightening. “Whoa, what’s got you strung up like a noose?”
“Sorry. Nothing.” Grabbing one of the high-end bottles of scotch, I poured a double.
Ash leaned on the counter, forcing me to look at him. “Uh-huh. From what I heard, you and our ridiculously attractive repairman have a history?”
With widened eyes, I looked toward Harkin, wondering if he had heard. He might have, yet acted otherwise, which honestly would be so like him. I pressed a finger to Ash’s lips. “Would you be quiet? He’s a wolf, Ash. Follow me.”
Ash did as I asked. After dropping off the scotch to Erebus, I moved to the far end of the bar, the farthest away from Harkin’s keen wolfish ears.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you this flustered before.” Ash bit back a smile.
He was right, and I hated Harkin more for it.
“Yes. We have met. Once, a very long time ago. It was brief. Inconsequential.” I tapped my nail against my teeth.
Ash’s wings lazily fanned. “You both remember each other despite your insignificance? And you both still hate each other?”
“We’re supposed to hate each other. I’m a vampire. He’s a wolf. That’s the way of things since times of old.” I shrugged as if everyone should’ve known that.
“Uh-huh.”
I seethed at my mothman friend. “I’m not sure why I’m talking to you about this. You like everyone.”
Ash scratched one of his feelers. “I don’t see how that’s a bad thing.”
“Look, it doesn’t matter. He does this one job, gets paid, and we never see him again.”
“Unless he takes another job when we need it.” Ash twirled two of his four hands in the air. “And another.”
I pointed a “don’t you dare” finger at him. “Do not put that juju out there, Ash.”
“Already did.” Ash smiled wide, waving all four sets of fingers at me. “What was Erebus talking to you about? Looked serious.”
“He always looks serious. Though this time it bordered on ominous. He brought up my maker.” I fiddled with the napkin dispenser at an empty table.
“Morcant?” Ash’s feelers became taut.
“Would you keep it down, Ash?” A quick scan proved not a single customer still paid attention to us. “I forbid you to say that name ever again.”
Ash folded two arms. “You’re not the boss of me.”
With a flex of my brow, I circled my finger, gesturing at the bar itself.
“Not what I meant and you know it.”
An arm snaked around my waist, lurching me backward. I dug my nails into the being’s flesh, holding back from doing what I really wanted to do—shove his ass across the room.
“I’ve been eyeing you all night, toots,” the man who’d grabbed me said, vodka lacing his breath. An orc bounced me on his lap. His rounded, green belly stuck out, his white t-shirt barely able to contain it.
“Oh, have you? Why don’t you keep it that way and look only?” I pushed at his shoulder, but he tugged, his large arms clasping me.
As a vampire, I had heightened strength compared to humans and several other types of monsters. It would’ve been fairly easy to shove a drunk orc away, but causing a scene in my own bar wasn’t something I often did. The orc could easily be dealt with by other means.
It happened so fast that I barely had time to register what or who it was.
There was a ferocious growl followed by a flash of something black, easily prying the orc’s arms apart and pushing me away. I toppled to the floor and turned, sitting on my ass and staring up at Harkin with the orc’s shirt bunched in his hands.
“Look, man, I didn’t mean nothing by it. I was playing around,” the orc pleaded.
Fur grew on Harkin’s face, down parts of his arms and the back of his neck. His canines became wider, sharper, and terrifyingly bared as he snarled at the orc. “Yeah? Why don’t you play with me then, hm?”
“I’d really rather not, if it’s all the same to you.” The orc smiled, an awkward display of tusks and crooked teeth.
“Don’t ever come back here, or you’ll be leavin’ tuskless. Read me?” Harkin let him go, his shoulders and chest surging.
The orc nodded vigorously. He slapped money on the table to cover his drinks and stumbled out of the bar. He bumped into several chairs on the way.
I dusted off my butt and marched to Harkin. “Harkin, that was unnecessary. That’s a normal Friday night here.”
“You’re right,” he started, his body still pulsing. “I shouldn’t have.”
The mirth in his tone had disappeared.
“I—” I caught his gaze and moved closer to him. “Why?”
Harkin’s eyes blazed. “Because now I’m bound to you.”