Chapter 1

Chapter One

Ember

B ass bumps through the speakers, filling Venom—the nightclub portion of The Monster’s Den—with the proper ambiance for a Friday night. Sweat sticks to my forehead and neck as I weave through the grinding bodies to make my way toward the bar. This place has air conditioning, but it doesn’t seem to be able to keep up with all the monsters, since it’s packed to capacity.

I stopped by to see my brothers, but not a single one of them is here. The Monster’s Den has been in our family for generations, and my quadruplet half brothers are slowly learning the business side of things, with the hope our parents will eventually let them take over. But since they’re not here, visiting my friend will have to do for back-up entertainment.

Greer always works on Friday nights, so she has to be here somewhere. My head swivels as I check the various areas. She might be out on the floor serving the tables, or she could be behind the bar.

An oomph escapes my lips as I stumble forward. My shoulder blades throb from…something.

I spin around and frown at the massive orc. His elbow flies my way a second time, but my palms land on his back as I give him a solid shove.

Growing up with four brothers only a couple of years younger than I am was an adventure.

I had no choice but to learn to fight.

Boys are rough, and my little bros just happen to be monsters. They’re four different species, each taking after their own biological father. They’re pure freaking trouble and used to battling out disputes among themselves.

Once I taught them I wouldn’t stand for being treated any differently… Let’s just say, it’s a good thing we all have supernatural healing.

I’ve kicked their asses at least as many times as I’ve gotten my own kicked, but I’m not complaining.

My mom was human when she had me, but I took after my biological father. My human blood watered down my genetics a bit, but I’ve had my wolf for as long as I can remember, and my alpha blood lives for a bit of violence now and then.

That does not mean humans and the other smaller species currently lining the dance floor feel the same.

“There are humans in here,” I growl. “Be careful.”

The town we live in, Haven, is surrounded by a sanctuary ward, meaning monsters can live here without being glamoured to stay hidden.

The humans in Haven know supernatural creatures exist, but they deserve to be safe, even if they live among monsters.

The green-skinned giant spins around. His upper lip curls as his tusks glint in the strobe lights. He has at least a foot or a foot and a half in height on me, making it necessary to crane my neck up if I want to see his eyes.

He’s not an orc I recognize, but he stumbles backward when he gets a look at me. “Shit, sorry about that.”

“Just be careful, yeah? There are humans and pixies only a few feet away.”

He quirks a greenish-black eyebrow. “Wanna dance with me?”

I snort. “Have a good night.”

Greer drops a beer in front of me as I hover near the break in the bar, where the bartenders enter and exit. It’s too busy to get a seat, and I don’t plan on sticking around long.

Snatching up the bottle, I take a long sip. Human alcohol barely touches my system, but it’s cool and refreshing.

My friend’s long pinkish-blonde hair falls around her shoulders as she leans over the bar, sniffing me like a total weirdo. “You smell really sweet tonight. Is that a new perfume?”

“I don’t wear perfume.” My nose wrinkles as I tug the front of my shirt out, giving it the sniff test.

There’s no difference from my normal scent.

Not that I can pick up.

“Where’s Veryn?” She wiggles her eyebrows until it becomes obnoxious.

“Probably manning the line of people at the door.” My eyebrows rise as I give her an unimpressed frown. She knows he works weekends, and with the club being packed, I’m sure he’s at one of the entrances, making sure we don’t get any fire code violations.

She shrugs. “I’m just saying, you might want to find him soon. Your mom only smells sweet like that right before she goes into heat.”

I jab my beer bottle at her chest and frown. “For the love of God, don’t talk about that.”

I do my best not to think about it…ever.

My mom nearly died while she was pregnant with my brothers, and one of my dads turned her. She’s now a vampire, but over the years, the tiny bit of witch blood she had started to do its thing, and now she’s practically at the level of the omegas of old.

Omegas can be found in any supernatural species, but they all have one thing in common. They were hunted out of existence several hundred years ago because of how powerful they made their mates.

Apparently, nature didn’t like monsterkind messing with fate, because omegas started to make a resurgence about twenty years ago. They’re still extremely rare, but they are no longer considered extinct.

Female shifters experience a period of hyperfertility called going into heat. However, that doesn’t normally start until close to one hundred years old, due to our extended lifespans. The exception to that is omegas who experience heats way earlier, according to the lore I’ve heard.

I’d really like to hold off on having a heat for as long as possible. So, hopefully, I didn’t inherit the omega side of my mom’s genetics.

“You’re going to want him around to fight off all the guys who are going to try their luck with you smelling like that.” Greer smiles and shrugs. “That’s all I’m saying.”

Veryn and I have a very complicated situationship. After being best friends for our entire childhood, he got weird when we were teenagers. He ignored me from the time I was almost sixteen until I turned eighteen.

It wasn’t particularly hard to figure out why, but my feelings were hurt… So, I spitefully spent the next three years telling him we would never be a thing. Especially after learning he and my brothers had long been running a secret campaign to keep anyone with a dick away from me.

Only, I got exceptionally drunk on my twenty-first birthday and woke up in his bed. He made it very clear he wouldn’t fuck me while I was wasted, but his stubble and dimples were right there in the early dawn hours. I was no longer intoxicated and things happened.

Then they happened again.

And again.

And he’s so very good at those things that it got really hard to force myself to stop showing up at his apartment.

Dammit.

My wolf is in agreement that he’s our mate, and that’s why it messed me up so badly when he completely pulled away. It’s not like I can’t rationally explain the logic, but seriously, a four-year-age difference is nothing in the supernatural world.

My mom and one of my dads are four hundred years apart. Everyone in this town was being overly dramatic, and I’m still angry about how it all went down.

“Ugh, my feet hurt,” Greer says, drawing me out of my thoughts. “Two more hours until I’m free.”

I laugh, shaking my head. “How’s the new boyfriend? What’s his name?”

“Cole,” she says in a dreamy tone that kinda makes me feel like I might puke. “He’s so hot.”

“All supernatural creatures are,” I remind her.

“Yeah, but he’s like extra, seriously, smoking hot,” she says with a laugh.

Someone down the bar calls out for a refill. My best friend rolls her gray eyes, like she’s not on shift at her job in a bar .

“I better go,” she says, grinning. “Call me sometime and remind me. I’ll send you some pictures of us.”