Chapter Three River

L eaving new boys hot and bothered and aching for more was probably one of my favorite things to do. Maybe it was a little cruel, but they were always so eager the next time I met them. And Vincent was no exception. I could tell right away that he liked me and it wasn't just because I'd clocked him in the head. He flirted back just as hard. I hadn't really expected to find a man like him in Shifter Grove, but I was glad for it. At least it gave me one last chance to get all that out of my system before I went home to the wife.

Seriously. What a horrifying notion.

But that's how it had to be. I'd already made peace with it. A life of power and ease came with a price, and that price was a heterosexual marriage. Maybe it was too steep for some, but my alternative was letting my father down, my pack down, losing my inheritance, and being banished to someplace like Shifter Grove for the rest of my life. It was a quaint town, but not where or how I wanted to live.

I didn't have another choice.

Pushing those thoughts from my head, I pulled the van up to the curb in front of the hotel. Thinking about the future wasn't helpful. Right now, I needed to get checked into my room, get cleaned up, and figure out how I was going to get the most out of my short time here in Shifter Grove. My first stop was going to be the pizza shop, so I could take Vincent out. Depending on his willingness, I planned on getting him into bed as soon as possible. Maybe that was a bit forward, but he seemed interested, at the very least. He was a bit shy, but I had a feeling I could get him over that. If not, there was always the option of buying some company on the way home. It wasn't my preferred method, but I was running out of time.

I stepped out of the van and headed inside, taking only my backpack with me. The front desk attendant looked up as the bell overhead dinged and gave me a big smile.

"Checking in?" he asked, putting his book down.

"Yep. I should have a reservation under River."

"Not very often we get reservations here," the man replied, clicking away on the computer. "Usually, most wolves don't know they're coming."

"Smelled it already, huh?"

He smiled. "Not many other types stay here."

"I've heard about this place. Lots of rogues make their way here. It's like a sort of safe haven, isn't it?"

"Yeah. Shifter Grove is where those who don't belong come to find their place. A lot of them don't leave either."

"Mine will be a short-term stay," I added, just for clarification. "I have a pack to go home to after this."

"Ah. One of the lucky ones." He reached out a hand. "I'm Sam. I own the place."

"River," I replied, shaking his hand. "Nice to meet you. And, if you don't mind, I might have some questions for you at some point."

"About?"

"Just this place and what you do. I'm going home to be Alpha of my pack and I want to make it better, so I'm asking people while I'm here what could be improved."

"Not to burst your bubble, but the number one answer is going to be acceptance."

"Oh? "

He nodded. "Most of the wolves that come through here do so because they tried to live outside of werewolf tradition. And for that, they were banished. A handful have passed through that were overturned Alphas, but it's rare. Usually, they're kicked out for something trivial, like dating humans or mating with the same sex."

I could've said right then and there that we had a lot in common in that regard. But it didn't feel right. My father had kept my sexuality a secret for a reason. And although the chances of it getting back home from here were slim, I didn't want to chance it. When I saw Vincent again, I had to remember to ask him to keep it a secret as well. Sam, in that regard, was right. Werewolf traditions didn't look kindly on those like me.

"That's good to know," I nodded. I wasn't surprised by the information, but it was good to have a confirmation. "I'll keep that in mind when I take over the pack."

"Please do," Sam replied. "As much as I like helping those in need, it would be nicer to see them accepted than to have to seek me out." He blew out a sigh, reaching back and grabbing a key from the back drawers. "Why don't you let me show you to your room?"

"Thanks."

It was an awkward conversation, and I didn't want to get too deep into it just yet. The truth was, as long as my father was around, changing a tradition like what Sam had mentioned was going to be difficult. I wasn't brave enough to give up my entire future just to upset an unfair tradition. But I hoped one day I'd be able to start taking some steps in the right direction. It wasn't going to change overnight, but I could at least start the process. No one should be forced to marry like I was going to be. But if I could endure it, then I could pave the way for a better future once I found my courage.

I followed Sam to the elevator and up to the third floor. He started to go left for a moment, but stopped and went to the right instead. We only went a couple of doors down before he slipped the key in the lock and pushed open the door.

"Here's your room," he said, gesturing for me to step in. "I know you're here of your own accord, but there's extra toiletries in the bathroom. If you need anything else, just let me know, and I can get it for you. I'm used to taking care of my guests."

"That's good of you."

He shrugged. "I do what I can. A lot of them end up here with nothing but the clothes on their back. I usually have them help me at the hotel in exchange for room and board. But you don't have to worry about any of that." He paused. "However, if you want a meal, I offer everyone a meal per day with their room. Since you're paying, I don't see why you shouldn't get one too. There's a menu board downstairs in the lobby to let you know what I'm making, so you can choose what meal you want."

"Wow! This really is a nice hotel," I smiled. "This town doesn't look like much, but you all really have that small-town hospitality down pat."

Sam quirked an eyebrow. "Was that a nice way of telling me the hotel is ugly?"

"It's… quaint," I replied, taking far too long to find the right word.

"Uh-huh."

"I don't mean any offense," I laughed, knowing I'd offended him. The last thing I wanted was disapproval from the hotel owner. "Who am I to judge? I'm just a scraggly wolf with a surfboard passing through town."

"Who's spending his vacation on Daddy's credit card," Sam replied with a smirk. "Don't think I didn't notice that your name wasn't on it. Plus, I had to get approval for a charge that big."

I wasn't really sure what to say, so I just laughed. It seemed like Sam had me all figured out.

"Anyway," he continued. "I only have three rules while you're here."

"Name them."

"No prostitution, no drugs, and no fights."

I scoffed. "No prostitution? Are you kidding me? "

"You'd be surprised how many wolves turn to that to make money. The highway isn't far off and truckers get lonely on the road."

I gave him a good, long stare. "What if someone has sex with me for free and I tip them afterwards?"

Sam narrowed his eyes at me. "I like you. You're kinda funny."

"Only kinda?"

"I'm reserving my judgement for now." He looked me up and down. "There's more to you than meets the eye, River. And I'm gonna find out what it is."

I wasn't sure if he was joking, but I definitely felt a small surge of nervousness. "Let me guess, that book you're reading is Murder, She Wrote or something?"

"Nope," he smiled, heading toward the door. "It's gay werewolf smut." He left the room, pulling the door closed. "Have a nice stay!"

I stood there for a long moment staring at the closed door. This hotel owner was going to be trouble, I could just tell . I had a feeling he probably liked to make everyone's business his own. But that just meant I had to be careful. He knew who I really was thanks to the credit card I'd booked with and that made him dangerous. As far as I was concerned, he was best to be avoided. I'd talk to other wolves in town instead.

And, if anything happened with Vincent, it would not happen at the hotel. I didn't care if we ended up fucking in the woods. The last thing I needed was any of this getting back to my father. Of course, he knew what I was doing. But something about having my actions reported back to him worried me. He wanted me to take over the pack, but if he thought I was going to make the pack look bad, he'd cancel that wedding in a heartbeat. And I needed it to get my inheritance. Being married to a woman with everything I could ever want sounded a lot better than getting my dick sucked by a dude and struggling to eat every day.

I wasn't raised to struggle. As dickish as that sounded, I plain didn't have the skills to make it in the world without my family's money. I didn't know how to have a job or pay bills or buy groceries. A life like that was completely unknown and the unknown was scary. And I… well I just wasn't brave enough to take that plunge.

I stood there for a long moment, feeling absolutely pathetic. Then, taking a deep breath, I pushed those thoughts away. I had a man to go flirt with and that didn't scare me at all. Getting men to like me was easy. Bringing them to bed was even easier. I didn't have to trust a man or show him who I was to have sex with him. It was a simple transaction. I learned long ago not to let feelings get in the way because, at the end of the day, I was the future Alpha of the pack.

And there was just no room in this world for a gay Alpha.