Chapter 2

Let's have a good night.

Sure, Shepard could say that. But he'd stationed Vena way too close to Anchor, which meant I was on double duty, watching to ensure Vena didn't need help and to ensure she kept her comments, suggestive eyes, or body parts to herself.

With the DJ playing wall-thumping beats, the dance floor swarmed with dancers.

I noticed familiar faces of our regular guests and some that seemed to be looking for evidence of the attack the prior night. Their gazes swept along the black walls that twinkled with lights, the rich purple booths and chairs, and up to the ceiling with the purple accent lighting.

After they couldn't find anything to gawk at, they turned their attention back to drinks and music.

"Everly." A dwarf who sat in my section waved me down.

When I stepped over to him and his friends, I asked, "The usual or something different?"

"An Effervescence as usual," he said. Before I could leave with the order, he touched my arm. "Are you okay? We heard about the attack."

"Everything is fine."

"Everything looks fine, but how are you?"

I smiled at him, hoping to put him at ease. "No worse for wear. No injuries. We were lucky Shepard and his crew got everything under control as quickly as they did. Were you here during the attack?"

He shook his head. "We had left a little before then. When I heard the news, I felt terrible about it. If we were here, we would have lent a hand."

I was glad they hadn't been. I would have felt guilty if anything had happened.

Patting him on the shoulder, I said, "Don't worry about it. I'll grab your drinks. Should I order the lamb skewers for you, too?"

He grinned and rubbed his thick hands together. "You know us too well, Everly. Two orders, please."

"Perfect. I'll be right back with the drinks."

As I walked to the bar, I checked on my other tables. I then blocked Anchor's view of Vena as she bent down to pick up a cocktail napkin she "accidentally" dropped in front of him. He gave me a grateful smile.

After that, I went to the bar to wait for my order and took a moment to catch my breath.

"How's it going in your section?" Buzz asked as he worked on my drinks.

"Fine. People are checking the place out for evidence of the attack, but with nothing to see, it's back to business as usual."

"Good to hear. Shepard will be relieved."

While I knew Shepard worried about his employees, he always seemed like a rock when it came to the business. I scanned the room for him.

"He's in the kitchen," Buzz said, interpreting my search correctly. "Griz got slammed with orders and needed help."

Back-of-the-house help reminded me of Gunther, the one responsible for washing the dishes at Blur, and I felt guilty. I hadn't been able to talk to him after he'd gotten whammied by Sierra's drug concoction this morning.

"How is he? Gunther, I mean?" I asked.

"He's fine."

"I didn't see him when I came in."

Buzz grinned. "He was running late. I like that you worry about us, Everly. But you don't need to." He leaned over the bar, his face close to mine, and said in a low voice, "Did you forget wolves heal fast?"

A hand jutted between our faces. I followed the hand over to find Shepard scowling at Buzz.

Buzz backed up with a smirk on his face to finish mixing the drinks I needed, and I watched Shepard place a second plate of lamb skewers on my drink tray.

"Your order is ready."

That was a little too fast, and I wondered if he made my order before anyone else"s.

"Thanks."

He nodded, gave Buzz a warning glance, which made Buzz smirk again, and returned to the kitchen.

I picked up the tray and carried it to my section. The dwarves eyed the lamb skewers with a hunger that I typically reserved for bakery.

As I placed the last drink on the table, I asked, "Is there anything else I can get you?"

Before they could answer, a commotion at the door drew our attention. Thankfully, it wasn't a mob of crazy people. Just a group of men who gave fae men a run for their money in the looks department.

If their sun-kissed hair and skin didn't draw the eye, the excessive muscle display sure did.

During my time working at Blur, I'd grown used to muscles–ones hidden by button-up shirts and modestly fitted jeans. The muscles on the group at the door were barely concealed with t-shirts and snug denim that left nothing to the imagination.

My gaze drifted to the lead man's not-so-hidden bulge, and I felt a stab of panic.

Shepard had warned us that more help was coming, but I hadn't expected the help to look like the rest of the werewolves I knew.

Scanning Blur's crowd and noting over half the patrons were also staring at the men, I finally spotted Vena. She was standing next to her table, her mouth slightly open as she stared at the newcomers. Or, more specifically, at the leader's enormous bulge.

As I watched, a slow smile tugged at her lips.

"Excuse me," I said, grabbing a napkin from the dwarves" table and balling it up.

My makeshift "don't get us fired" projectile bounced off the side of Vena's head. She turned toward me, grinning like the horny idiot she was.

"Did I just get pregnant?" she mouthed, using both hands to check her stomach.

I rolled my eyes at her and gave her a get-to-work look.

Pretending like I hadn't just lobbed a napkin at my co-worker, I smiled at my table, asked if they needed anything, and moved to another table closer to the door.

By the time I made my way to the stairs, Shepard was speaking with the newcomers and pointed to the stairs leading to the VIP section. Relieved they'd be out of Vena's eyesight, I watched Shepard lead them away.

"Why are samples only a thing for food?" Vena asked two inches from my ear, scaring the daylights out of me.

"Cut it out. Don't you have work to do?"

"Yes. But please tell me you'll be ready to discuss that dear-god vision we just had once we're on our way home."

Knowing Vena would not let this go, I turned her toward her section. "In vivid detail. I promise. Now go."

She grinned as I pushed her toward her tables.

Focusing on my own section, I smiled, delivered food and drinks, and forgot all about Shepard's special guests.

When the DJ switched to Blur's overhead music, which was easier on the ears and signaled the end of the night, I let out a relieved breath and started clearing the vacated tables. The lingering patrons paid their tabs and made their way to the exit. Once they were out, Army locked the door, and the music was turned down even more.

"This is a sweet place," a voice said in the relative hush.

I looked up from the table I was clearing and saw Shepard leading the group downstairs. Our gazes locked, and he gave me a slight smile. It felt reassuring.

"We've worked hard to build a reputation in the D.C. area," Shepard said. "The drinks and food play a part, but it's the atmosphere and the staff that make it."

"Understood," the chestnut-haired man said. It was the same man who'd made Vena's tongue roll out like a red carpet. I understood why, though. His tight clothes left nothing to the imagination. He was big all over.

When they reached the bottom, Shepard called everyone over.

"Due to last night's disruption, I've invited a few friends from the west coast to give us a hand. I promise I won't cut anyone's hours. They're in addition to our regular staff to ensure we continue running smoothly," Shepard said, his gaze sweeping across the servers and landing on me.

"This is Everly," he said, motioning to me.

I nodded at the men.

"She's been serving at Blur the longest," Shepard continued. "If I'm not around and you have a question, ask her."

The comment stunned me even though I tried to hide it. Yes, I was the server with the most tenure. But Doc was Shepard's right hand and managed the bar staff, all of whom had worked longer at Blur. So why point the new people to me?

"To her left," Shepard continued, "is Vena, Thomas, Adrian, and Pam."

"Nice to meet you all," the chestnut-haired man with the prominent sausage display said. "My friends call me MC."

"Stands for Man Candy," Vena whispered.

I wanted to die as every non-human set of eyes swung to us. The heat flooding my face had to be giving me third-degree burns. Why did the floor never crack open when it needed to?

MC slowly smiled at Vena and looked at the man to his right. "This is Ink, LA, Hollywood, Thruster–" Vena made a choked noise "–Riff, Diego, Demo, Hero, and Jaws."

Their nicknames, while unusual, sort of fit each of them and would help me keep them all straight.

MC had a Mega Cruller. Hollywood wore sunglasses and stylish clothes. Jaws actually looked like he could bite someone"s arm off. Riff looked like he was pulled from a rock band. Ink was covered in tattoos. LA was a photoshopped masterpiece. Thruster had a package to rival MC's, but I really hoped that wasn't why he was called "Thruster." Diego looked beautifully Hispanic. Demo sported a scar on his upper lip. It didn't detract from his looks at all. And Hero's nickname had to come from his resemblance to Captain America.

"Welcome to Blur," I managed with a weak smile for all of them.

"Thanks," MC said, his gaze shifting from me to Vena.

Had she just purred?

I grabbed her arm. "We better finish the cleanup so Gunther isn't stuck doing dishes until dawn."

Everyone else moved to their sections as I bodily dragged Vena back to her tables.

Instead of scolding her, which I knew everyone would hear, I picked up my phone and sent her a rapid text while standing a foot away.

Me: WTH is wrong with you? Anchor was standing right there! Did you even notice? You know he likes you and will be spending tonight on the couch. Don't break hearts, Vena. It's a rule.

Her eyes lost some of their lust-glaze as she read.

Vena: I'm sorry. You're right. I'll make it better. I promise.

Vena: But you can't fully blame me. If MC wedged that impressive cum cannon into those tight pants, he wanted to be noticed.

Vena: How big do you think it is? 9 inches?

Vena: I'm betting a solid 9. And the girth! That could destroy a girl. Just think of the ride, though, right?

And the lust-glaze was back.

Me: Anchor.

Vena: You're right. I bet he'd look just as big in jeans that tight. I'll check tonight.

Shaking my head in defeat, I pocketed my phone and returned to my section.

As I cleaned, I kept an eye on the newcomers. Some mingled with Buzz as he closed down the bar. A couple of guys followed Shepard back to the office. But MC lingered, leaning against the stair rail, his focus aimed directly at Vena. After a moment of watching her, he pushed off from the rail and walked over. She was bent at the waist, ass up in the air as she fished something from under a booth table.

When she righted herself, she turned to find him only a step away. I thought I'd have to hurdle the half wall that separated my section from hers, but she appropriately retreated a step and gave him a polite smile.

"Did you need something?" she asked.

"Looks like you have a heavy tray," he said. "Can I carry it to the back for you?"

Expecting her to turn even a helpful request into a sexual innuendo, I braced myself.

"It's okay," she said. "I can carry my own tray."

Stunned, I stared at my best friend of over a decade. Had my two-second lecture actually sunk in? None of my lectures ever really sank in when it came to her libido, and yet, her eyes didn't stray to MC's muff mallet. Not even once.

Anchor appeared behind MC and swooped in to take the tray. He shot MC a warning look and said, "I got this."

MC raised a brow, but judging from his smirk when Anchor walked away, MC considered the warning more of a challenge.

Vena returned her attention to cleaning, and MC drifted to the bar with the others. As long as Vena didn't start flirting with MC, I knew that we wouldn't have any issues.

After we closed our sections and clocked out, Buzz walked us to our car.

"How was everything tonight?" he asked.

"Good," I said. "We made some decent tips for a short shift."

"Buzz, how long are the new guys staying?" Vena asked randomly.

"As long as it takes."

She opened her mouth to ask another question but stopped when she saw a black cat near our car.

"I swear, you're still a cat magnet," she said with a side glance at me.

"Let it go, Vena. That was years ago."

"It feels like just yesterday that I was grounded for a week for a crime I didn't commit."

"Do I want to know?" Buzz asked.

"I wanted a cat really bad and thought I could sneak one home and keep it in my room without my parents knowing."

"And you blamed it on Vena?" he asked.

I flashed him a mischievous smile. "Vena was always getting into trouble. It was more believable. Besides, I didn't think my parents would call her parents."

Vena snorted. "They did, and you still have a thing for cats."

I shrugged and looked at the black cat.

"Don"t even think about it," Buzz said. "That thing still reeks like a vampire." He attempted to shoo it away with his foot. Instead, the cat stepped around him and wrapped itself around my leg, purring like a racecar engine.

It looked so much like the cat we'd seen at Juicy, which would explain why it smelled like vampire to Buzz. But, even if it did belong to a vampire, that didn't make it a bad cat. And if it did belong to someone at Juicy, that meant it was homeless now.

I reached down and petted the poor thing.

"Do you think it's hungry?" I asked.

"Do not feed it," Buzz said.

"It's not the cat's fault it smells like vampire," I said. Another thought hit me as I recalled Cross' initial dining habits. "Do you think a vampire was feeding on it?"

"Don't," Buzz warned.

"Don't what?" I asked.

"Get attached."

"I'm not. What I am is empathetic. It's homeless and hungry, Buzz."

I glanced at Vena, who was suspiciously quiet, for backup. But she was edging toward her car door.

"It's also an animal that can hunt to feed itself," Buzz said. "It's fine."

When he saw his argument hadn't convinced me, he gently pulled me to my feet and steered me to my car door.

"Go home. Anchor will follow in a minute. Wait in your car until he gets there. Got it?"

I nodded and got in with a slight pout. Buzz watched as I started the engine and made sure I wouldn't run over the cat as I drove out of the lot.

"I should have known he wouldn't be a cat guy," I said, half under my breath.

"I can't hold it in anymore!"

Her abrupt yell made me jump.

"What?"

"Now that we're in the car with no ears, can I please talk about them?"

"Them?" I asked, confused.

"Those delicious California-wrapped morsels of juiciness. I mean, our Blur guys are hot, but damn. Did you see the size of those baby-batter bazookas? And the way they held themselves… There's something about a guy who knows he's hot that makes him hotter."

"And probably more egotistical, too."

"I'm not around for his ego. I'm around for the ride on his mommy-maker. And those are some seriously large springs to bounce on."

I rolled my eyes. "If you're so excited to go bouncing, what was up with that cool rejection of MC's offer to carry your tray?"

"Even though you think I don't listen to you, I do. You were right. Anchor was right there watching everything. Unless I want to break his cute little puppy heart, I need to respect his feelings for me."

"And?" I said, knowing there was more.

"And," she huffed, "MC was coming on too strong. Not my thing."

I grinned. "Of course it isn't. You're a hunter. You need to chase down what you want, or it wouldn't be nearly as valuable to you."

"You know it. I think Anchor knows it, too. His playing hard to get is driving me insane. I really need to buy him some tighter jeans so I can compare sizes. You know…wolf research. Are east coast species as well equipped as the west coast species? It's a valid research question."

"I dare you to send that research question to Miles," I said with a snigger.

Vena laughed with me. "It would be a good distraction."

"Probably an unwanted one. But speaking of distractions, you might need to create a few."

"You've come to the right girl. Who, what, where, why, and when?"

"Cross isn't going away until he can be financially independent of me–"

"Stop your cussing," Vena scolded.

"And," I said, speaking over her, "Anchor isn't going away until the vampires are gone. That means you're going to need to run interference any time Cross' scent might be in the house."

The wicked grin on her face was unsettling.

"You know you've just invited me to sit bare-assed on our sofa."

I sighed. "I'll be sure to ask Cross not to sit on or touch anything in the house."

"He was in your bed," Vena reminded me.

"You will not go anywhere near my bed while naked."

She said nothing. She didn't need to. Her grin said enough.

When we reached the house, we waited as instructed for Anchor, who was only a few minutes behind us. He waved and went to unlock the door and check the house. He didn't signal it was all clear but jogged over to our car.

Vena rolled down her window.

"Hey, handsome," she said with a grin. "Everly just told me clothing could be optional in the common areas. You ready for a good time?"

That big, agile hunk of a man stumbled over his own feet and caught himself on the car door.

"What?" he rasped.

I watched his eyes dilate as he stared at her.

"Anchor," I said, leaning forward in my seat to draw his attention. "Don't let her mess with your head. Is the house clear?"

He looked down and shook his head slightly. I wasn't sure if he was trying to clear his thoughts or telling us the house wasn't safe.

"Uh." He cleared his throat. "Your room faintly smelled like vampire. It's, uh, probably left over from this morning. I mean, uh…if you napped?"

"Today's been a crazy long day," I said, neither confirming nor denying.

"What about my room?" Vena asked. "Did you smell anything interesting in there?"

His gaze pinned hers, dilating again.

"Yeah."

She grinned slowly. "Under my pillow?"

He swallowed hard and nodded.

I started rolling up her window on them. Anchor quickly backed up a step, and Vena turned to grin at me.

"You're worse than a cat in heat. Don't make me get out the spray bottle," I said.

"Hey, I can't help it if all men want a taste of V."

The old, overused joke from high school had me narrowing my eyes.

"Vena, you just broke our high school pact. You know what this means."

"Come on," she whined. "You set me up. I couldn't not use it."

"You could have taken the higher ground and chose not to. You've lost all V privileges for one whole month."

She scrambled out of the car after me.

"I take it back. I'm sorry. I slipped, and it fell out."

I ignored her pawing at my arm and walked past a confused Anchor.

"I'm showering first," I said over my shoulder.

They quietly followed me inside and didn't say anything as I grabbed some clean pajamas from my room and claimed the bathroom for the next fifteen minutes.

When I returned to my bedroom, my bed was stripped of its sheets. Vena's door, opposite mine on the other end of the hallway, was open, and her lights were off. I could hear the washer running on the other side of the kitchen but nothing else.

Curious, I drifted out to the dining room. From there, I could see Vena standing in front of Anchor in the living room. Fine tremors ran through his body as she slowly dragged a single finger up his arm.

"I'm glad you kept them," I heard her say. "A lot of thought of you went into them."

He groaned and closed his eyes.

"Vena," I said.

She jerked her hand back and hurried toward me.

"Just making sure he had everything he needs for a comfortable night on the couch."

She disappeared into the bathroom, and I heard the water turn on.

"What did she do?" I asked Anchor.

He swallowed hard and shook his head, and I sighed.

"She gave you her underwear, didn't she?"

He sat heavily on the couch and hung his head into his hands, confirming my suspicion.

Whether hunting or dating, my best friend loved walking on the wild side.