Chapter 5

It was Friday night, and the Coyote was jam-packed. Jordan had a full staff on, and she was still running the floor with the other waitresses like a mad woman. Sonja was behind the bar with four of her top bartenders. They had an hour to go before they closed and it just couldn’t come soon enough.

It was nights like these that kept things exciting. The afternoons in the Coyote saw a few regulars, but the overall setting and vibe that was displayed were more boring than anything else. Jordan found it boring, so did Sonja, and the worst of it all was that they had to bite down and take it until they finished their shifts. No one would be happy with them if they weren’t around, and it would get their pay docked.

But the more she considered it, the more it felt real, that the old regulars that sat around the bar on a Tuesday afternoon, living off whatever money they had but still making time to see her in the bar, would always be her favorites. They were generous, just looking for company and made sure to give her a good tip when they left. Not like the night time regulars that popped in. A few coins here and there, while making their way to the next conquests.

Jordan was bent over a table, washing down the top when she felt someone grab the cheek of her ass through her jeans. She stood and barrelled around with all her weight and backhanded a slimy looking man in the face. She watched as he tumbled back, but that wasn’t good enough for her. She ran towards him, grabbing him by his throat and pushed him against the wall so hard she almost cracked the panel. Jordan could feel the heat rise to a dangerous level in her face, and her body tingled everywhere when she suddenly felt like she was on fire. Her nails dug into the man’s throat like a death grip, and she watched as the blood started to slide down his neck.

She looked at the man that she had pinned. His face had a look of terror on it. “Your eyes. You’re one of them, aren’t you?” The man’s voice cracked.

Jordan tilted her head, not looking at him but through him, feeling strange and then a minute later she finally released him. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath and looked at him dead on. “Don’t fucking touch me again, or I’ll rip you into pieces.”

Jordan could brush off the irritations that came with these kinds of men, but tonight was the breaking point. The town was full of good-hearted people, but more often than not, none of them showed this late in the evening. It was just the scumbags and creeps that reared their ugly heads.

She watched as the man ran for the exit and left. She went to turn around to head outside when she ran right into something hard. Taking a step back, her eyes roamed the thick thighs that were hidden by blue denim jeans and then trailed to a wide chest that was covered in a tight white t-shirt. Her eyes landed on the thick of his neck, up to his strong jaw and landed on his crystal blue eyes.

Noah’s eyes.

His jet black hair was tousled in a mess just like Noah’s had been when he worked outside. He was gorgeous, and she just stood there taking in his handsome form unable to rip her eyes away.

“Jordan?” Jude called.

“Hmmm.” She said not taking her eyes off him.

“Jordan. Are you ok?” Jude asked in a deep, low, gravelly tone.

She gave her head a light shake and replied, “Yes, I’m fine. I just need some air.” She pushed past him and headed to the back. Some fresh air would be great. The last few nights in the Coyote seemed to just spew mass freaks at her, each one more disgusting than the last. And it’s not like the town didn’t have good looking men, it just seemed that they all preferred going after easier targets, knowing that Jordan was damaged goods or still thinking that she was recovering from the death of Noah. They were either decent people, or they were just trying to avoid her, in hopes not to face the same fate as this man.

She walked to the back of the bar and went outside through the private exit. Jordan could feel her pulse race, and she had a hard time breathing. She took in a mouth full of the night’s fresh air and finally began to relax. “WTF is going on?” She asked herself.

**

Jude followed Jordan outside. He had seen her eyes change when she was holding the man up against the wall by his neck. A bright white glow encased the rim of her chocolate brown eyes, and the power she exhibited when she pushed the man into the wall was almost impossible for her 5’6 - 130-pound frame.

As it stood, both girls; Jordan and Sonja were still human and hadn’t even come into their animal side as of yet. Therefore neither of them should be exhibiting any signs of power at all. Jude was completely puzzled by the entire scene.

The door shut behind him as he walked outside and leaned up against the brick wall beside her. Not saying a word he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. Jude took a long drag as he took in her stunning appearance.

Her long blonde locks were a wavy tangled mess that fell over her shoulders. She wore a black tank top that revealed the medium size mounds of her breasts that spilled out above the U shape of the top. She had a small black mole that sat just above her right breast. A small amount of her stomach was revealed due to her wearing a pair of worn light blue jeans that sat low on her hips. Her stomach was tight and her curves just right, and her legs went for miles. Jude could feel his cock twitch in his pants at the sight. He then took a second look at her stomach. Something had caught his eye.

“Stop looking at me like that!” Jordan demanded.

Jude smiled and turned towards her leaning his right shoulder up against the brick wall. “Like what?”

“Like you want to drag me in the alleyway and fuck me.” She retorted.

He touched the area of skin on her stomach that looked like a scar or a brand. It looked like four very small claw marks and was raised above the skin like a scar, and they were bright pink. “What is that?”

She looked down at it and traced her fingers over it. “It’s nothing.” She said quickly.

He reached over and moved a large strand of blonde hair behind her ear to see her beautiful face more clearly. She had the most captivating chocolate brown eyes that were a doe shape, high cheekbones, and light pink full lips that he wanted to lick and suck.

Jordan lowered her head a little to look at the ground below. “I don’t know what happened in there. I lost it. That has never happened before.”

Jude took another drag from his smoke. “Hey, it happens. I would have done the same thing if I was a girl that had some disgusting guy’s hands all over me.”

He watched as she ran a hand through her golden locks, and then her eyes locked with his. “I have been through hell and back most of my life...tell me the truth Jude; why weren’t you at your brother’s funeral?”

Jude looked at her with an intense stare and contemplated his answer. He knew Jordan was hurting and it was true, both sisters had been through hell and back; the least he could do was be honest with her. “I had no choice. I had to listen to my father. He is the Alpha, and I am next in line for his title. There is no way I could jeopardize that even if it meant not going to my brother’s funeral.”

“That’s not good enough.” She said frowning. “Make me understand.”

Jude took a long breath. “When our packs were slaughtered by the Kodiak, there were only a few hundred of us left. They are the most powerful shifters that exist; they're able to wipe out any species if that is what they choose to do. My mother and father had to decide to save one of their lineages by shipping one of us off and being the oldest son it was the most logical thing to do. They took a chance by keeping Noah in Willow with the rest of the family and when Noah was attacked and killed we knew the Kodiaks did it; they were just waiting and watching for the right moment.” Jude threw his smoke on the ground and squished it with his shoe. “The Kodiak pack is part of a very old and rare bloodline; their forbearing, calculated and very dangerous.”

“Then why did you come back now? It’s only been two months since they killed Noah. Aren’t you afraid they will go after you?” Jordan asked. For a moment she felt bad for Jude. He couldn’t be a part of his own brother’s funeral. She could only wonder what was going through his mind when he heard the news, how it must have affected him and how he could stand here so happy when his brother was dead. Maybe it was calculative happiness; not truly happy, but a show that let those around him think that there was nothing wrong. He needed to be strong, after all, he was the next in line to become alpha, Jude was next in line to be great. So he couldn’t let weakness show, not to her, not to anyone. The community would have to see him as a fitting lead to the title.

Jordan wondered if it was hard, knowing that your existence was based on nothing but pleasing others. That you could never live your life the way you wanted but you’d have to be shaped by the rules of those around you, who you will supersede, and those who have to be stepped over to truly become alpha.

Jude chuckled and said, “Destiny, Jordan. You were to be mated with Noah. Yes?”

Jordan nodded.

“And he was killed a few weeks before your 21st birthday. Right before you were to mate with him. Don’t you find that strange?” Jude asked arching an eyebrow.

“I don’t know. I haven’t looked at it from that perspective. I only know of the stories that Mamma Sable told us, which is not much.” Jordan found that line of questioning uncomfortable. Yes, Noah was her true mate, but it could have been any number of reasons that he died there. She didn’t want to relive the events of that night now. There was enough tragedy in her life as it was.

“The Kodiaks don’t want Alpha Warren’s sons to mate...to carry on our bloodline. They want to wipe us all out, so they have complete control of Alaska. We are a dying breed Jordan. Most of the females in our pack were killed, and the ones we have left are infertile. The few that can have children are having miscarriages and if they're lucky tend to have only one child.” Jude continued. It was a worrying issue, knowing that those around couldn’t continue to give birth to wolves in their pack. His father was worried about the existence of the pack and if it would continue the way it had for so long, or if it would crumble and fall, had Jude not mated with another soon. It was all about hope, especially in these dark times, and hope was an important thing to the wolves of Willow and Anchorage.

“Jesus...I had no idea. I just assumed over the years that the Warren pack was building back up. When we lived in Palmer, it was vibrant, and I’m sure there is an entire community still there.” Jordan heard a car making it’s way down the main street. She turned her head to face it after she spoke, trying to distract herself from the harsh truths that were coming out about her pack.

“Yes, maybe two hundred or so, but most are strays that have sought protection from the Kodiaks, not our specific bloodline.”

“So you’re back now to take Noah’s place?” She asked, feeling her heart starting to race. Jordan’s attention fully brought back to the situation.

His voice whispered over her, weaving his heady scent of musk and woods. “Yes, Jordan. I am.”