Finally slumping onto his stool, Merrick took in a deep sniff of the air. I noticed because, well, it was a classic werewolf move. But I shouldn't have been encountering wolves here—no way was I anywhere near the Maine pack territory, which was miles away from where I'd ridden my bike.
"What are you?" Merrick growled at me as I took a sip of my drink.
"Excuse me?" I shifted slightly, letting a touch of menace creep into my stance, while keeping my scent neutral. I wasn't going to acknowledge him right away, hoping it'd irritate him.
"You heard me." He ignored any manners and stood up, sniffing the air once more. Whatever I had planned to say flew right out of my mind when I saw him.
Not because he was ridiculously hot, though he definitely was. No, it was because of his hair.
Hot pink.
"Who are you?" I demanded, my gaze fixed on his wild pink strands. The sides were shaved close, the top long and messy in a way that should've looked disheveled but was somehow just right. Even his stubble was the same pink.
"I don't answer questions from unidentified shifters." Merrick rose to his full height, clearly trying to intimidate me. Standing toe to toe with him, I wasn't bothered by his size. My father had taught me how to fight, and no amount of muscle was going to shake that confidence.
He was a mountain of a guy, standing nearly a foot taller than me, and I wasn't exactly short.
"What does that mean?" I glared, already aware of the term 'shifter' from books—creatures that could transform into animals, other than wolves. But as far as I knew, wolves were the only real supernatural creatures out there.
"Tommy," Merrick snapped at the bartender. "Who is she?"
"No clue. Rode in about an hour ago. ID says Hazel Ellis."
"The Ducati?"
I took a step closer, my instincts kicking in, and grabbed him by the throat. His massive hand shot out, grabbing my arm before I could do anything further. But I wasn't about to let some random guy put his hands on me—no matter how striking his hair was.
A quick twist of my body sent him to the floor, with my knee pressing firmly against his throat. Enough to threaten, but not cut off his air.
"Who are you?" I growled, my wolf side rising to the surface. His chest rumbled beneath me, but it didn't sound like the usual wolf growl. It sounded… different, more mechanical.
Then, I smelled it.
His scent shifted. The musky, sweat-soaked smell now mixed with something wild—pine, but with a spicy kick that made my senses flare.
"What are you?" I snarled.
He inhaled deeply again, and before my eyes, the fur sprouted over his cheeks, turning pink, the same shade as his hair. A new, heavier scent filled the air—a heady blend of desire and pine, sending a ripple of something instinctual through me.
I realized then—my body was responding to him in a way I couldn't quite control.
He gripped my thighs, his claws tearing through my fishnets as he pulled me closer. His face was dangerously near, and that damn scent filled my head.
I shoved him back, my knee slamming into his face before I flipped out of his grasp. He tried to grab me again, but I used his momentum to toss him aside, elbowing him straight in the nose for good measure. The satisfying crunch of bone made me smile.
I didn't wait for him to recover, though. I was already heading for the door. I'd had enough of this freak show, but I could feel his eyes on me, like he wasn't going to let me leave without a fight.
The silence in the bar was deafening as I stepped outside, the cold night air hitting me like a punch. I was almost to my bike when I noticed something missing.
"Looking for this?" Merrick's voice cut through the dark, his hand holding up my key, along with a wad of cash. I reached inside my bra for my spare key—nothing.
"I'm sure we don't need to go over what just happened," I said, gesturing to his bleeding nose.
"Animal," he repeated the question from earlier, the word taking on a whole new meaning.
"What are you?" I wasn't answering until he did.
"Grizzly." The word rolled off his tongue like it was no big deal. "A ruby grizzly." His voice was calm, but I could hear the pride in it.
A bear. And not just any bear, but a ruby-shifter. How had I gotten so lucky?
"Are there more like you?" I asked, curiosity flaring. The idea that I might have options, might choose, made my heart race. Could I have more than just a wolf to pick from?
"You should know that answer." He folded his arms across his chest. "Why haven't I seen you before?"
"I'm just passing through." I grabbed my helmet, my mind whirling with possibilities.
"No one passes through Shifter City," Merrick growled, narrowing his eyes.
Shifter City? Did that mean everyone here was a shifter?
"I do." I held my hand out. "Give me my key."
His eyes glinted with something dangerous. "You resisted my pheromones." He took a step closer, his green eyes now piercing in the moonlight. "I've started my mate hunt. You won't escape until you're mine."
I froze. Mate hunt? What the hell was he talking about?
His hand brushed over mine, sending an electric pulse through me. "What are you?" he asked again, his voice dropping.
"Wolf." I couldn't lie anymore. I wanted information, and if I had to reveal something to get it, so be it. The way his eyes lit up told me he liked that answer, and I sure as hell wanted to know why.
"What is this place?" I added, needing to know more.
He inhaled deeply, almost as if he could taste my scent. "You're attracting," he muttered.
"Talk with me inside for ten minutes," he said, his voice thick with urgency. "Then I'll give you back your key."
I followed him inside, grumbling under my breath.
The pheromones thing was weird. But if this bear-shifter really thought I was his 'True Mate,' then maybe he could help me. After all, a mate could be exactly what I needed to survive, w
ithout risking Noah's life.
And maybe, just maybe, he was more than just a convenient ally.