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Samson jogged down the street so he wouldn’t be late for his first official shift at the Full Moon Pub & Grill. Without volunteering at the hospital, he’d needed to fill his time. It wasn’t difficult to demonstrate an ability to mix drinks and smile enough for his favorite local bar to give him a chance. It didn’t hurt that his height and build meant he could also back up the bouncers. The money would be decent and he could avoid being in his empty den. He refused to think about how many more books he could buy.
The new scents from his two favorite authors were already fading, but he hadn’t wanted to face the bookseller again. He was hoping the noises and smells from the bar would provide a distraction to the itch under his skin and his wayward dreams of a dark-haired man. A lack of sleep over the last days was making him restless. He needed something...shaking his head, he moved faster to forget the dark man in his dreams.
Live music filtered out as soon as Samson made it to the parking lot. It wasn’t the noise but the scents that froze him at the door. The chaos of competing odors made his eyes water and black spots danced on the edges of his vision.
“Thought you were gonna blow us off.” Beth pushed a towel into Samson’s hands with a grin. “I’ve gotta check stock – we’re busy tonight. Get to work and earn your paycheck.”
He’d known Beth for over a year, but Samson was glad to get her orders as his new boss. He threw himself into his job and let the sights and sounds around him fade into background noise. They were busy and it helped distract him. No one even noticed the glass of freshly cut lemons and oranges he kept behind the bar.
“What’s it gonna take to get service here?”
Samson turned to find Maura smirking at him. He rolled his eyes and made his way to her. “What can I get ya?”
“You can get us shots. You and me are gonna celebrate!” She leaned over the bar. “You should be able to come back to the hospital within a couple of weeks.”
“What? How?” He grabbed a bottle of whiskey and two shot glasses. Beth had already said to make sure the customer was charged for whatever he drank with them as long as he kept working.
“Have you been living under a rock?” She leaned back and placed her hand out. Grinning, she clinked her glass against his and downed the shot.
Samson did the same and hoped to blame the blush on the alcohol. He couldn’t afford to buy more paperbacks but the library did have e-books available from Ryder Zemar and Zari Arielle. He’d tried paperbacks but too many other scents distracted him. The e-books allowed him to bring them into his den and to get lost in the fictional worlds both had created. “Just been keeping busy.”
“Ryder Zemar came out as shifter. You heard of him? He’s some big-time author. It’s not my thing, but...hey, you okay?”
He waved off her concern and sucked down the water he kept next to the glass of fruit. A few customers needed his attention. Samson rushed through their orders with a wide grin. He was glad to have a reason to focus on Ryder Zemar – dark hair, intense eyes, incredible writer, fantastic scent, and apparently a shifter. He rushed back to Maura as quickly as possible.
“I’ve heard of him.” When her eyes widened, he narrowed his. “What? I can read.”
She leaned back precariously on the barstool as she laughed. “You’ll have to thank him then. He’s on a publicity tour that’s brought a lot of positive attention. Guess there are a lot of fan girls like you. He’s supporting charities that bring humans and Gulls together to help both. There are even some television stars singing his praises. The Hospital is getting slammed as prejudiced and ignorant. They’ll have to ditch the new policy without us doing anything.”
“Aleser!”
His manager’s call pulled him away. She needed help to restock and then Samson had to get through the line of customers. Maura had handed over cash and disappeared while he was helping a group of young women. Samson was still riding high on the buzz of new information when they locked up hours later. The tips would be enough to buy a few more books...which he might be able to get the author to sign himself.
He was bone tired when he fell into bed after his shift, but Samson was also happy and even hopeful. His dreams again featured a sexy writer and were even more feral than usual.
###
RYDER SUPPRESSED THE need to sprint away. Public appearances aided their cause, but he preferred his solitary apartment, his writing desk, and a glass of whiskey. His head ached and he scrubbed a hand through his hair. “What did they spray in there?”
“What do you mean? Did you smell something strange?” Fane tugged on his arm to keep them both on the sidewalk.
“What didn’t I smell? Food, sweat, soap, perfume.” His lips pulled back in a snarl.
Fane turned to face him. “I didn’t smell anything. Your senses have kicked into overdrive lately.”
“I’m not used to being around people. And now, I remember another reason I don’t like to be in public. People are loud too.” Seeing the chance to cross the street, Ryder headed to a quieter part of the city. It was easier to breathe without the overwhelming clash of smells. In addition to the headache, he felt the constant need to sneeze.
“We’ve done several appearances now. Your senses shouldn’t be, well, this sensitive still. You’ve never had a problem with family gatherings and those can get large too.” Fane pulled on Ryder’s arm to make him stop. “Are you feeling okay? Sleeping? Eating?”
Ryder looked away to the quiet darkness of the streets ahead then back at the neon lights of the area they were leaving. He started walking forward dragging his brother with him. “I feel fine. I don’t like being surrounded by strangers.”
He could feel Fane frowning at him but Ryder plunged ahead. The cool night air was easing his headache and his stomach started to untwist.
“Okay, okay. It’s Friday night and that was the last one this week so take some time to rest and not just write. Can you stop for a minute, Ryder?” Fane frowned and glanced back the way they’d come. “My car is back that way. If you want—”
“Go on home. I’m going to walk then I’ll find my way home.” He couldn’t help but look down the street again.
“Call me on Sunday and we’ll go over your schedule for the week. Try to relax and have a little fun this weekend.”
Ryder looked back at his brother and nodded. “Go on and stop worrying. I’m fine.” He was already turning back to the street when he heard his brother’s final words.
“It’s an older brother’s prerogative to worry.”
Walking on autopilot, Ryder let the time alone cool his body and calm his mind. The scent of his Mate drew him up short. He opened his mouth and dragged in more air. The familiar mix of chocolate and whiskey sent his heart into overdrive and flooded his body with heat and need. He sprinted several blocks then crossed the street to a bookstore. Almost ripping the door off its hinges, he plunged inside. He immediately collided with something light then stumbled to the side and knocked over a display. The sight of a life-sized cutout of him and a pile of his books brought him up short. A growl escaped when he didn’t immediately spot his mate.
“I’ve been expecting you.” A tall man with grey hair grinned at him. “I know I have just what you’re looking for here.”
Shaking his head didn’t clear the fog of chocolate and whiskey clouding Ryder’s mind, but he made himself focus on the speaker. His position as an author was helping fellow shifters and hopefully protecting his mate. Bookstore owners were his friends – personally and professionally. “I’m not sure what brought me in.”
“I think you are sure.” The man rubbed his hands together just before the sounds of more books crashing to the ground pulled Ryder’s attention.
A man stepped over scattered books without looking at the mess. He was staring at Ryder with glowing gold eyes and golden hair. The stranger was tall, muscular, and breathtakingly beautiful. His jeans and black shirt were simple but hugged his body. Ryder felt the need to loosen his tie so he could breathe. He watched the man’s gaze drop to his hands as he did so. After he’d popped the first buttons on his shirt, Ryder had to ball his hands into fists to stop from reaching for the mand his body already recognized as Mate. The stranger’s gaze followed his hands then took several seconds to return to Ryder’s face. Even from several feet away, he could see the gorgeous man’s pupils dilate until only a thin ring of gold remained.
The scent of whiskey mixed with dark chocolate coated Ryder’s tongue and he licked his lips. His mouth fell open to suck in more of the tantalizing aroma of his mate. The man staring back was doing the same thing.
He took another step forward. “I’m Ryder.”
His mate’s lips pulled back into a smile that released a deep dimple. “I know.”
A spicier scent pulled at Ryder’s senses as the Omega’s smile grew and a flush darkened his cheeks. Ryder took another step and watched golden eyes trail down his body and up again. They were mere inches apart now. “Care to tell me your name, handsome?”
“Samson. I’m Samson.” His mouth parted and his eyes half closed as he pulled in air. His tongue swiped over his bottom lip. The sound he made was almost a purr.
Ryder’s response was more of a growl. Chocolate and whiskey wrapped around him like a lover’s embrace. His heart raced as he stared at the man he’d been desperate to find. He’d finally found his mate. There was so much he wanted to say, but it was hard to stop growling and find the words. It was even harder to keep his hands off the man leaning toward him.
“Unlike you two, I know how this story goes. I’m going to help you get home since I don’t want you messing up my store any more than you already have.”
Ryder’s world went black then flashed bright white as he reached for Samson.