I chuckled, agreeing wholeheartedly. “I hope you’re right. If not, I’ll just have to shift into unicorn form, and you’ll have to wipe all the humans’ memories.”
He laughed as I smiled. We began crossing the street. It felt so good walking through town arm and arm with my beautiful vampire.
Greg
The moment the vampire stepped into the saloon, I smelled him. My gaze turned toward the door as I felt a growl beginning deep in my chest. The unicorn sheriff had used magic to set Floyd down on the road perfectly unharmed two weeks ago, but it had infuriated my alpha. He’d been ranting and raving ever since that night, taking four or five of our females to bed to work off his rage every night. Sam and I had steered clear of the situation, staying well out of his way.
In the small house I shared with my best friend, we heard our male pack members objecting to his use of their females this way. Our alpha didn’t seem to care if the females he used were mated or not. It had been hell listening to men howling for their women while Floyd took his time with them. It had been even worse listening to pups yipping and crying for their mothers.
Not a single goddamned pack member had done anything about it. I was ashamed to admit that I was one of them. Then again, it wasn’t my place to stand up to Floyd. Mated wolves were supposed to fight for their own females. Sam said there was a hierarchy to these things.
I did know this. If Sam or I got involved—tried to intercede—one of the alpha’s enforcers would kill us before we ever got close enough to do anything to help the females. We’d be putting our lives on the line, and if we managed to live after a fight with one of the stronger wolves, we’d simply be banished from our pack. Sam and I would have no place to go. We were both torn up about it, but we stood by, feeling completely helpless.
I felt overwhelmingly sad that none of the males had taken a stand for their mates. If Floyd had gone after Sam, that would have been a different story. I would surely have torn my alpha’s throat out if he’d laid a finger on my best friend. I knew Sam felt the same way about me. There was no doubt in my mind. Fortunately for both of us, Floyd didn’t lift a finger against any of the males in the pack. Day by day, I hoped things would change for the better, but the longer time dragged on, the worse things seemed to get.
I escaped to the saloon to get away from my cowardly pack every chance I got.
Now, with the scent of a vampire, and the unicorn sheriff thick in the bar as they stepped deeper into the place, my nerves were the most frayed they’d probably ever been. They stepped up to the bar as I stood at the other end, not twenty feet from them. They were watching me with wary eyes. I narrowed my eyes and sent them both a scowl.
When the sheriff smiled and lifted his hand in a friendly wave, I felt crushing hopelessness wash over me. I should have turned my back on them…hell, I should have attacked. Instead, I just stood there.
I cautiously raised my hand and flattened my features, giving them both a tiny acknowledgment. Sheriff Harmon smiled wider, and then the vampire beside him nodded his head. Finally, feeling out of sorts, I felt the growl in my chest recede and I let my guard down. Setting down the glass I’d been polishing to death with a towel, I glanced around, taking note of who was in the bar.
No other wolves.
I breathed a sigh of relief for the moment and slowly walked over to the two men. The sheriff immediately reached his hand across the bar, and I returned the handshake. I felt a thrum of magic as I touched the unicorn. If I hadn’t already known of his power—much stronger than even my alpha’s—I would have been shocked. He’d shaken my hand the night we first met but I hadn’t felt this electricity then. I hadn’t even sensed that he was a shifter, so the difference between what I felt now and what I’d felt then, was stark. Maybe his powers and magic were getting stronger. Maybe he would do something about Floyd if I told him what was going on…but no. I couldn’t ask him to help with pack business, even if he was the sheriff.
“Sheriff,” I said, nodding as I greeted him.
“Greg,” he replied. When he dropped my hand and turned to the vampire, then back to face me, he was smiling again. “Let me formally introduce you to Vincent Lasco.”
I glanced over at the vampire and nodded. When he smiled at me, I felt my stomach do a slow roll. When he held out his hand to shake mine, I was shocked. I stared dumbly down at it for a few seconds and then reached out, taking it in my larger paw.
“Nice to meet you, Greg,” the vampire said.
I felt a surge of energy shoot up my arm and immediately noticed the magic that swirled in his golden eyes. He was powerful, and I stopped to wonder how old this vampire was. I’d heard they lived forever.
“It-it’s nice to meet you,” I stammered, amazed that I was having a casual conversation with someone who was supposed to be my worst enemy.
My attention was drawn to the door of the saloon when it opened, and Sam stepped inside. Instantly, he was beside me behind the bar, pressed up against my side, growling furiously. I hadn’t ever seen my best friend move so fast.
