Chapter1
Sam
Sam smiled, listening to the woman who had just ordered a large Martini excitedly spill her day’s gossip in one, long drunken slur.
Working behind a bar was, honestly, the fucking best.
The drama.
The love.
The heartbreak.
The sheer fucking chaos that followed anywhere alcohol was served. He watched it all from his position, flairtending bottles and making cocktails as if it were an art, all while dancing and listening to countless stories.
“Axel’s been in the bathroom for a long time,” Payne said when Sam’s customer finally took a breath in her story, flipping a bottle over her shoulder to the enthusiastic crowd watching by the bar. She turned to the person who’d ordered the drink, pouring the concoction into a glass.
“He drinks like a fish, what do you expect?” Sam replied, winking at a particularly beautiful woman who had just ordered one of their signature blood cocktails. Blood wasn’t exactly a common ingredient found in your regular alcoholic drinks, but it added a little extra for those that preferred some iron with their vodka. Blood Bar had been one of the first establishments in the area to offer the option, the license alone costing a small fortune.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” Payne took the money, quickly adding it into the register before moving on to the next customer. She was a dark shadow in both appearance and personality, the perfect juxtaposition to Sam’s bright and friendly approach. But they worked well together, and he genuinely enjoyed teasing her until she smiled. Which was as often as the full moon.
“Enlighten me.”
“Don’t deny that you’re interested.” Payne pursed her lips, rolling her eyes when Sam sniggered. “I can smell a lie, you know.”
“Aye, sure you can. And I’m the King of England.”
“Titus asked me to keep a watch on him, and if you don’t deal with it, I’ll have to.” Payne’s copper eyes glistened. “We both know how he would prefer if it wasyouwho checked on him.”
Sam swallowed his hiss. “He’s not interested in me like that, we’re friends.” He was more than aware that Axel watched him work, but so did everyone else in the bar. He put on a show, making sure to smile and flirt with everyone who waited in his section.
Besides, Axel was one of the Guardians, and they were off limits.
Which was a fucking shame.
“He’s not into guys.” Not that Sam really knew what Axel was into, the man never took up any offers from the bar, regardless of gender or Breed.
“Well, I disagree. He’s into you and you’re just too pussy to take it further. Pun intended.”
Sam slammed down the glass harder than he intended. “You’re a bitch, you know that right?”
Payne’s lips were pressed tight, suppressing a smile as she turned her back, gesturing for the next customer to give her their order.
Sam shook his head. It was mid-week, yet Blood Bar seemed to be consistently busy, regardless of the time or day. Sam wasn’t sure whether it was because of the location, quality of the cocktails or because one of the hottest bachelors in the city owned the place. Well,hadbeen one of the hottest bachelors.
Riley Storm was no longer a bachelor considering he had soulbound to Alice, Sam’s best friend and platonic soul mate. But the fact Riley was no longer single didn’t seem to stop the gossip magazines from sprouting their usual bullshit. Good thing Alice wasn’t the jealous type, because no way would Sam put up with that crap. When he mated, he would make sure every fucker knew. Not that mating was really ever an option.
Why have one person for the rest of your life when you could have multiple? At once.
“Look, I caught him a few weeks ago snorting some powder,” Payne said over her shoulder. “What if he’s moved onto some harder stuff?”
“You caught him what?” Sam slammed down the glass harder than needed. “You got it from here?”
Payne dismissed him with a wave of her hand, the gold she had painted up her arm complimenting the matching beads in her black waist-length box braids. Sam jumped over the bar, moving his way through the crowd towards the men’s bathroom.
It was late, but the horde still hadn’t thinned, sweaty bodies dancing to the music. He made sure to smile and wave at whoever was close, wary of the attention. Usually he enjoyed the casual touch, a gentle stroke down his arm or a relaxed hug. He was a shifter after all, and his Breed thrived on the physical connection. But right then he didn’t want to be touched, not when tension vibrated beneath his skin.
According to Alice, he was the image of a pretty-boy surfer, with long, white blonde hair, a warm tan, and a carefree attitude. But just because he looked harmless didn’t mean he was. Yet again, he had met many a Breed and human alike who were stupid enough to initiate intimate skin privileges without permission. Those who didn’t follow basic etiquette were quick to see his claws, unless they were hot. Then maybe he could be a little more forgiving.
