Chapter One

Her teeth hurt courtesy of the shaking and noise from the boisterous crowd. Lera Sidorov fought back the urge to curl her lip at the stench of unwashed bodies and sweat. Running her tongue over her teeth, she ignored all the stares and headed for the bar. Okay, definitely not my kind of place. She could feel people undressing her with their eyes. No one touched her as she moved through the crowd; she avoided all contact without appearing to do so. She wasn’t scared. No, this place couldn’t make her scared; leery, yes. Scared, not a chance. What she was, however, was nearing the end of her patience.

Stopping before the bar, she met the gaze of the scruffy bartender. He was large, very large. And not in a fat, I-could-outrun-him-in-stilettos fat but large as in I would need an elephant gun to bring him down or at least slow him down. The black bandana on his head was adorned with a skull and crossbones. The goatee and scar on his face didn’t make her feel any better.

Fucking Winthrop, Washington. Really? Who would have thunk I would have my ass in a bar here, one that is mostly filled with bikers? Or a place like this anywhere, for that matter. I like clean. That wasn’t all she liked. No time to dwell on that right now, though.

His cold blue eyes ran lewdly over her body before he leaned on the counter and bent toward her. “A little out of place, aren’t you, darlin’? We don’t serve milk or those cute little fruity drinks with purdy straws.” His voice was about as soothing as broken glass.

Toothpaste and breath mints must not be available either. “I’m looking for someone.”

Skinny lips peeled back to reveal crooked, yellowed teeth. “I’m all the man you’ll ever need.”

“Is that so?” she asked without any emotion.

Her dry tone wasn’t missed, and he shot a stream of tobacco juice to the sawdust-covered floor. “Bitches with smart mouths don’t always leave as purdy as they walked in.” His chin jerked toward the door she’d walked through moments before. “Maybe you should leave now while you can.”

She didn’t even hesitate. “I’m looking for Butch Caine.”

The man looked at her, grabbed an unmarked bottle of amber liquid, and poured her a shot. “Drink this and maybe I’ll tell you.”

She knew he expected her to be unable to drink it. “If I drink it, I ain’t paying for it.”

“Deal.” He nudged it toward her with one meaty, dirty finger.

Ignoring his obvious need for nail clipping, Lera grabbed the shot and tossed it back without hesitation. The sharp yet familiar taste of the oaky bourbon nearly burned her throat, making her grateful for learning a long time ago how to open her throat and take a shot. She never blinked. Lera flipped over the glass and slammed it on the bar, the sound grabbing attention of others. Then, she quirked one brow, silently asking ‘Is that all you’ve got?’

Resting one foot on the rail around the bottom of the bar, she said, “I’m surprised you serve Fighting Cock in here. Haven’t had that in a while. Now, I believe you were about to tell me where I can find Butch Caine.”

“I’ll be Butch for you, honey,” a man drawled beside her.

Lera turned her head slowly and stared at him. I’ll call you Stinky. One thing about this place, they sure do grow them big. “I don’t need a man pretending to be Butch. I’m looking for the real thing.”

Stinky was joined by newly appointed Ugly and Nasty. Lera ignored the fear slithering up her spine at the men being so close and purposefully kept her expression bored.

“I think I’ll just keep you. Share you with my boys here,” Stinky informed her, grabbing his crotch.

This is going to get ugly. Lera opened her mouth to refute his claim when a deep masculine voice flowed to her ears.

“Don’t touch her.”

A simple statement. Yet it was one laced with death and the promise of it being carried out.

Oh shit! Please no. Anyone but him.

She watched the men back up, fear evident on their faces. The sounds in the bar seemed to fade. Taking a deep breath, Lera inhaled the scent of the wild outdoors. And just like that she knew her prayer had gone unanswered. Only one man she knew smelled like that. With a resigned sigh, she turned her head to the right and watched as the dark shadows materialized into a man. At least, to her that’s how it always seemed. Not there one second and the next appearing from where before only air had existed.

Inside, she trembled. Outside, she was unflappable. Her left hand fisted briefly before she forced it to relax. Lera watched the tall, powerful man approach. Clad completely in black there was no emotion on his face. Staring at her from behind sinfully thick curled lashes were intense gray eyes. Not silver. Gray. Hard, unforgiving dark gray. For a brief second, she believed she saw flickers of anger in them, but if there had been, they vanished in less than a second.

Only one man had the power to make her feel things on a sexual level. And this was him. Shoving her wishy-washy feelings back under lock and key, she met his gaze with an expressionless face.

Lera dipped her head slightly in greeting and said, “Kori.”

Cormac “Kori” MacLochlainne. A man she’d known for over half of her life. A wolf shifter. He knew her father, Dane Sidorov. Well, adopted father technically but to her, Dane was her only one. Dane had saved her when she was ten and raised her as his own. Lera didn’t like most people touching her outside of her immediate family but this man, Kori, made her reconsider that decision.

“Lera.” He continued to move closer and stopped just shy of touching her. His eyes moved over her from the boots on her feet up to the top of her head before returning to meet her gaze. Almost in a possessive way. “We’re leaving.”

Well, good to see you, too; thanks for coming in to order me around. I don’t think so, buddy. “Bye.”

He barely blinked. “Now.”

“Last time I checked, you weren’t my father.” She had no intention of giving up her quest.

“I’m not.” He gave her a bland stare. “I won’t allow you to remain here.”

Her ire rose with that comment. “Won’t allow? I’m not—”

“Valera, now.”

********

Phrase Glossary

Little one… Beag amháin

Good bye…Slán leat

My dear…Mo chara

My heart…Mo chroí

My love…Mo ghrá

My soul…Mo anam

Breath of my soul…Anáil de mo anam