Another sigh, but I could hear the anguish. My father was very much an empath, suffering every ache and pain of our pack. “I don’t know, son. But I’m hoping in your lifetime. It would be amazing for your pups to grow up in a free world.”
My pups.
Marriage. Kids. Buying a home together. Sports games. Graduations. Birthdays. Weddings. Jesus Christ, I was sweating from the thought. I couldn’t do all that. I wasn’t ready. And even if Christine was my mate, she’d kill me as soon as marry me.
“Thanks for the advice, Dad. Good luck with destroying this senator.”
“When there’s a will, there’s a way, Steven. Taking a mate doesn’t mean the end of your career or your life. It means beginning a new chapter and trust me, it’s worth the bite.”
“Ha, ha. So I’ve heard,” I told him, thoughts of my brother sliding into my mind.
“Yet you don’t want to believe. You’re a good man, Steven, but you need to settle down to live up to your potential.”
Settle down. Everyone wanted to handle me.
“But what if she’s human, Dad? What happens to our bloodline?”
The hesitation already gave me an answer. “Son, your mother and I just want you happy. The pack and the family name will go on. Whether or not our blood is diluted doesn’t matter nearly as much as your happiness. And in truth, we can’t alter what’s already occurred. No longer will shifters be of pure blood. That’s an irresponsible way of looking at the future.”
“Okay, Pops. I’ll think about what you’ve said.”
“One more piece of advice. Find a surrogate pack in Tampa.”
“Is there such a thing?”
“They’re creeping up more and more, but I’m talking about locations you can go where shifters are not only welcome, but they are also encouraged to be themselves. However, within that recommendation is a warning. We have it good with our pack in close proximity. From what I understand, you don’t have anything similar in Tampa, although I’m aware someone on the city council has already proposed land for that option. But now since everything is out in the open, as you might imagine, the concept is being challenged.”
“Let me guess. People are terrified shifters will break free from the perimeter.”
“Something like that. There’s a lot of red tape to go through, but that’s something I’m willing to undertake as well. But there must be a place you can go.”
“Yeah, I can think of one. How’s Saint? Does he still hate me?”
“He never hated you, Steven. You two just have way too much testosterone. Maybe you can solve that in the upcoming game I heard you two are going to play.”
I was ready to beat my head against the steering wheel. “Quite a matchup.”
“One that is a long time coming. You’ll need to talk to him, Steven. Maybe you can lean on him and his advice. He’s been through exactly what you’re going through. And he’s family. Above all, he will always be your brother.”
“Yeah, I know. Talk to you soon.”
Of course I’d heard what my father had said to Saint about him needing a mate. Even in my lifetime, the world of wolf shifters had changed significantly. Whereas we used to live in a tightly knit community, years before we’d begun to disperse, some living hundreds of miles away. That didn’t change being a part of a pack.
We also weren’t living nearly as long, which our experts blamed on the human influence and the weakening of our bloodline. Up until Lily had come into our world, we’d been of a pure bloodline. Now what? If I had pups, what would they endure in years, decades to come?
One thing was certain. I wasn’t going to glean the answers sitting in the parking lot. And I was one thirsty man. Maybe the Wolf Bar was exactly what I needed to clear my head.
So I walked inside.
I don’t know what the hell I expected. Maybe wolves roaming around with humans, plates filled with steak and bone marrow in bowls. Or maybe a bar complete with a jungle atmosphere. Neither was true; instead the dimly lit space reminded me of one of several bars I’d gone to while in college.
Yes, the stench of fur lingered in the space, but unless you were a shifter, it would be assumed the scent was all about heavy testosterone as there were more males than females in the bar.
What I appreciated more than anything was the lack of protestors or the press. Maybe they were afraid. Maybe the Wolf Bar was too normal to fuel their insane stories. Whatever the case, the peace and quiet was exactly what I needed.
There were pool tables and dartboards, and several television sets with various sports games, including hockey. There were two bartenders, one who looked as if he bench-pressed four hundred pounds at a time and a chick who was likely a biker’s girlfriend.
Hell, even on the walls were photographs of various sports stars. Recent photographs and if I had to guess, I’d say they were shifter heroes. One caught my eye that was hanging close to the bar. I was already snorting when I approached.
