Tuning out the negative thoughts in my head, I turned my attention to the bartender, Chuy, and grinned. “How’s it goin’, man?”
His perfectly white smile reached his mischievous brown eyes. “Crown and Coke?”
I nodded. “A double. Anything going on tonight, besides Kitty whooping ass over there?”
He poured four shots into a glass then filled the rest with soda from the dispenser and slid it over to me. “Nah, but I’m sure it’ll get rowdier as the night goes on.” He tapped his hand twice on the bar. “Full moon.”
I chuckled. “I know.”
Suddenly, “Bodies” by Drowning Pool began to play at ear-bleeding levels, and I looked up to see Kitty bouncing around the ring with a triumphant smile on his face, his opponent out cold on the floor.
Candi, in nothing but a skimpy red bikini, walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek, then lifted his arm. “Winner!” she declared.
Everyone cheered and I just chuckled. I looked around and noticed Angelica wasn’t here. Six must have removed her. He’d responded to my text a couple of weeks ago that he knew about her vampire problem and that had been the last straw for her. I’d heard there was a vampire bar somewhere here in San Antonio, so I was sure she’d be whoring it out over there. Just hoped she wised up soon and realized what bad news those guys were before she got herself drained and killed.
I popped a piece of gum into my mouth as I watched two guys remove the unconscious man from the ring. Then another came in and cleaned off the blood. Kitty walked up to me and I offered him a fist-bump. He returned it while wiping his face with a once-white towel that was quickly turning red.
“Good job. Feel better?” I asked the dude, who was actually an empath. He spent so much time absorbing other people’s emotions, that if he didn’t blow off some steam, he’d probably explode.
“Definitely,” he replied, still out of breath.
“What can I get you?” Chuy asked Kitty.
“Just some water for now. I’m sure I’ll need something stronger while these fuckin’ cuts heal.”
Chuy reached into a small fridge, cracked open a large water bottle, and handed it to Kitty.
“Thanks, man,” he said right before putting the bottle to his lips and downing its entire contents.
Other people came around to congratulate the man, so I walked off and did a quick round of the house, making sure there were no threats lurking. Everything seemed on the up and up, so I went back to the bar area and waited for the next fight to start. There was actually a schedule of fights posted in the back office I’d noticed when I went in there to make sure everything was quiet.
I hung out for a couple of hours, then decided to head over to the gaming room. It wasn’t too far from The Spot, so I hopped on my bike and took the short drive over. It was a really warm summer night, so I let the hot Texas air whip my face as I rode.
After parking my bike, I went inside to find the tables were already full. Hell, the whole place was hopping. Cash was flowing, chips were flying, and the dealers were so busy they almost looked stressed. It didn’t seem like there were any problems in here at all. Everyone was happy and drinking—but I also wasn’t stupid. It wasn’t the witching hour yet. Come around 11 p.m., that was when the fun would begin. Happy drunks turned into brave and angry ones. So, I left the gaming room and made my way to the main clubhouse. That, too, seemed quiet and normal, but I knew problems might arise later. I spent the rest of the night between the three clubs, making sure there were no issues with drunk assholes or humans getting hurt.
Surprisingly, the night ended with no issues. I was shocked.
Chapter One Hundred Twelve
Everything in my world is black and white. A haze outlines my peripheral vision as I run as fast as I can on four powerful legs through the trees. My breathing is barely labored as I sprint around shrubs, twigs, and bushes. I love the feel of my heart beating fast and powerful in my barreled chest. My whiskers twitch as I sniff the air while running, making sure there are no imminent threats lurking as I sprint freely.
I stop when I reach a stream. One glance around shows me I’m alone, so I dip my head into the water and indulge in a cool sip of water. That sip turns into massive gulps to quench my thirst from running for so long. I couldn’t tell you for how long I ran, but I know this nature preserve is miles long, and I have explored every inch of it in all my years of living here. In fact, I’d had my first shift here when I was just a teen. The runs here bring back memories. They aren’t the greatest, but they remind me of who I am and where I came from. Because my mother was human, I had to assume my father was a shifter. I’d never told my mother about my shifting ability.
