Chapter One
““‘The world of humans: a world consisting only of peril, mischief and treachery.’”
Raul and Dean’s ordeals with Monica and Kate had shaped Ray’s belief. They had found their mates, but, in his eyes, they had merely found a way to gamble with their lives, and eventually cut them short. In his heart, Ray agreed with his grandfather, Roman, the one responsible for keeping human women away from his pack from for generations: Shifters should not mate with humans. Of course, he would not share his view on the matter with his brothers. Raul was perfectly happy with Monica, and Dean was hours away from mating with Kate. Complaining to them about their choices would be pointless.
Still, the abolishment of the rule did have an upside, one that Ray had been enjoying ever since his older brother became Alpha. It meant that he could frequent other places outside of Paxton, and, although bars in the neighboring town of Shandaken were scarce, the option of visiting them was most welcome. The idea of socializing with men was not so appealing; they were just as treacherous as women, but none of them could pose a threat to his well-being. No man could break his heart. Nevertheless, there were women in those bars, and some of them very beautiful indeed. Ray was tall and handsome; a new face like his attracted a lot of attention. He still had his needs, but he had to reject their advances. Protecting himself from heartache was vital. One-night stands sounded like the safest choice; yet, they would not remain secret for long in such a small town. A revelation like that could make him the epicenter of gossip. Sooner or later, Ray would have to answer questions that he had been dreading, like “why do you treat women like that”, or “why are you so emotionally unavailable.” Much to his dismay, he would be forced to leave Shandaken, never to return.
On the eve of Dean and Kate’s mating ceremony, all the noise and fuss from the feverish preparations, rendered it impossible for him to stay anywhere near his cabin. There were people running around in the front yard, getting in and out of Dean’s home, or talking on their phones. Ray’s only escape was another trip to “Northern Oak”, his most favorite bar in Shandaken. The owner, Lucas Carpenter was a nice all-around guy, the music was not too loud, and it was not as popular as other bars in the area.
As soon as he entered the bar though, a sting of disappointment rose from his chest. Every table around him was full, and there was a terrible amount of chattering in the air. There were only two available seats at the counter. Had he gone there just a few minutes later, he wouldn’t have found an empty spot. Ray hopped onto a stool, as the elderly manager strolled towards him.
“Evening, Lucas.” He winked at him. “Busy night.”
“You can say that again.” The elderly manager nodded. “The usual?”
“It’s too hot for anything else,” Ray claimed, leaning his elbows on the counter, as a hesitant smile formed on his face.
“Oh, boy,” Lucas sighed, setting a bottle of beer down in front of Ray. “Have I mentioned that trends piss me off?”
“Trends?” Ray squinted at him.
“City girls and mountain men,” Lucas explained, throwing a quick glance to his left. “It’s been going on for a while now. Chicks from New York drive all the way up here, thinking they’ll find their prince charming in Shandaken. That redhead’s been here all afternoon, flirting with all kinds of losers. Jonas Finn is her last victim.”
Curious to discover the woman’s identity, Ray whirled his head around. However, she was no stranger to him. She was in fact Julia Stinson, Kate and Monica’s friend, giggling, as she leaned toward Jonas. He had noticed her absence from their property, but he had failed to ask Dean or Kate why she was not in Paxton. He could still recall her rant about mountain men, on Raul’s mating ceremony. She believed them to be her kind of bad boys, simply because they were not so much into their looks. Their beards and their tattoo-covered arms attested to that, or so she thought. Ray smiled to himself, wondering how to phrase his response. Before he could speak though, a short blonde barged through the glass door, with her gaze locked on the table to her left, a fierce look in her eyes.
“You son of a bitch!” She cried, her chest heaving, as she cast an angry glare down at Jonas. “You’re flirting with her?” At that, she raised her right arm and slapped him across the face. Julia dropped her head in her hands, as the blonde stormed out of the bar.
“Honey, wait!” Jonas shouted, jumping from his seat.
“That’s Lily, his wife.” Lucas informed him, as several bystanders burst into loud, roaring laughter. “Feisty, ain’t she?”
“Yeah,” Ray snorted in amusement, picking his bottle up from the counter. “Excuse me.”
Hopping off his stool, he turned to face Julia, as the laughter subsided. She bent her head down towards the table, as he closed the distance between them. Her head hit the surface, as the smell of alcohol grew stronger in his nostrils. She was intoxicated; apparently, Julia had been in “Northern Oak” much longer than he had. But, there was another scent, more pungent than even the poison that was running through her veins: her own scent; almond.
“Ahem…” Ray cleared his throat, seating himself across from her. “Maids of honor should be sober during the ceremony, not recovering from hangovers.”
“Ray?” Julia spoke in a panic-ridden voice, peering through splayed fingers to look up at him. “Ray, is that you?”
“No, it’s my evil twin,” he retorted, bringing the beer bottle to his lips. “Flirting with married men? Really? I thought you were dating someone. Where is he?”
“Not evil,” she groaned, exposing her face as she abruptly leaned back. “Judgmental, maybe; however, in my defense, he didn’t have his wedding ring on. And Sean dumped me, a couple of weeks ago.”
“People,” Ray murmured, shaking his head in disapproval. “He keeps his marriage a secret, hoping to get laid.”
“Just my luck,” Julia sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “He was taken, too.”
“You’re naïve,” he reprimanded, leaning towards her as he intensified his stare. “Just because these morons grow beards, that doesn’t make them decent. They swear a lot, and they smell like goats.”
“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!” She exclaimed, bringing her gaze down to meet his. “What happened to the cool, funny guy I met at my friend’s wedding? Have you seen him, by the way? Tall: has blond hair; blue eyes?”
“I just don’t think mountain men are the solution to your problems,” Ray offered, shrugging his shoulders, his voice coming out mellow. “Men will be men.”
“I need another drink,” Julia stated, putting her hands down on the table. His gaze followed her, as she slowly rose from her seat. A knot of tension formed in his chest, as her body swayed forward. Ray had no time to react. Her drowsy eyes opened wide with horror, as her body leaned towards him. Julia dropped onto the table, flipping it over, as he thrust his arms forward. The beer bottle shattered into hundreds of tiny pieces, as she knocked him off his chair. Ray fell hard on his back, banging his head against the hardwood floor, Julia landing on top of him.
“I think you’ve had enough to drink for one night,” he said, as a sigh of relief fled her lips. “We’re leaving.”