Chapter 2

LUKE

"TO CALI!!!" We clink our glasses together.

I'm sitting at a high-top table with the guys. In a bar downtown called Claws. Not a very good bar. You can bet on the fights happening here. But the alcohol flows and the women are fine.

I'm sitting with a sexy brunette in my lap. Her name is Candy, I think. I don't really care. I grab a fresh beer and hold it up to her lips. "Blow on this, Baby." I smirk. She smiles and blows air across the top of the bottle. I pull her face to mine. "Mm... you do that so well." and I shove my tongue down her throat.

Gavin slaps the table. "Luke. Hey....Luke...Remember the hottie in Morgan?"

Evan looks between us with his brow up. I pull Candy's face off mine and start laughing. I point my beer to him. "The first and last time I ever fucking share with you. Dude, you're fucking embarrassing." I slam my bottle down and slide my hand up in between Candys boobs, pulling her into my chest so I can lick her neck.

Bobby finished his beer and waved for six more. "You two are sick fucks you know that?"

I stop biting Candy's neck and look at Bobby. "No. We're honest. There's a difference. The girls know what we want. Don't you, sexy?" She moans as I nibble her ear.

Gavin laughs. "Dude, just take her out back and fuck her already." He tips back his bottle.

I finish my bottle. "Not drunk enough yet. I don't think Candy is either. Are you?" She shakes her head. "Not yet." I stand her up and slap her ass. I motion her to the bar. "Well, get your pretty ass up there and get a drink, on my tab." She smiles seductively as she walks away. The look she gave has my dick swelling fast. I have to adjust it in my jeans. "I hope she goes for the hard stuff." I say as I watch her ass disappear into the crowded bar.

Bobby leans on the table. "So, what's so important that you need to take off now." He arches a brow.

"Nothing." I shake my head. "Just sick of this place." I wave the waitress over. I order six more beer and eight shots of whiskey.

Bobby shakes his head. "What does that mean? You've spent the last six months drunk. How can you possibly be sick of that."

The waitress drops my order on the table and clears the empties. I pound back my two shots one after another and take a swig of beer.

"Well, Mr. Sloan. If you have to stay drunk to enjoy a place, it's not a good fucking place." I nod my head at him. "You'd leave to if you knew what's good for you."

Bobby glares at me. "Fuck you, man." My jaw goes slack. "No really. We try damn hard to keep this fucking town livable and what do you do? Bitch and whine about how we're not good enough for you. Well, honestly, I'm fucking sick of it. So why don't you be honest, and admit that you're not man enough to fucking step up and take care of your pack like you should."

I blink at him. I raise my bottle to my lips. "Fuck, Bobby, tell me how you really feel." I snort and pound back half my bottle.

Gavin rubs his head. "Jesus, Luke. Don't you see yourself?"

"You guys are killing my buzz." I finish my beer swaying on my feet. "I'll see you guys.... whenever. I'm out. Candy's all yours and send the bill to my old man." I slam the bottle down.

Evan stood. "You want me to drive you home?" I wave him down and continue to push my way out of the bar.

 I fall out the front door and almost onto the sidewalk. I get my bearings or at least try to. I'm seeing triple at this point. I brace myself on the brick walls of the downtown buildings. Making my way up the street to my bike. Which I really can't remember where it's parked. It's probably a good thing as I shouldn't be driving at all.

I watch the night life walking up and down the sidewalk. We have a lot of bars here and although most are seedy, it's still an ok place to party. You'd think in a town of 1500 there wouldn't be much to do, but the private money flows here. The Alphas coffers are stuffed with it.

I stumble my way down the street to where I think the packhouse is. I'm really too drunk to know.

I turn down an alleyway and I see two dark figures.

I try to focus my beer goggles and make out what's happening down about halfway.

I make out a figure standing over someone on the ground. I hear umph sounds as I get closer. Then I see the standing guy laying the boots to the guy on the ground.

I brace myself on a dumpster. Alcohol is a funny thing. It makes your balls even bigger than you believe them to be because normally I'd just walk on, but seeing this guy get his ass kicked seemed wrong to me all of a sudden.

"Hey." I groan. They clearly don't hear me. "Hey!" My drunk voice shouts. "Leave 'em alone!"

I probably should have thought this through a bit more because the standing guy stops. He's wearing a long black coat with a hood. He slowly turns to me. I can't see his face in the dark.

The guy on the ground gets up and runs away.

I shout. "You're fucking welcome!" I look at the standing guy who hasn't moved. "Douche." I say under my breath.

He steps toward me. I brace myself. "Hey, man. Look. Just walk away and I won't hurt you, alright." He doesn't say a word, just continues to take slow steps toward me.

"This is how it going to be, ok." I push off the dumpster and try to hold myself up. Preparing for a knock down. He swings at me and I block it. He takes another swing and he connects with my jaw. I stumble back, I stand and run the back of my hand across my busted lip. I'm sobered up a bit now. I'm also pissed. I rush him swinging. He arches back at each of my swings and I back hand him. He pauses rubbing his jaw and raises his head. That's when I see a pair of glowing green eyes. My eyes widen as he comes swinging again. Punch after punch, I block each one, backing off as he relentlessly comes at me.

"That all you got?!" I shout. He lifts his leg and plants his foot in my chest. Sending me to the ground as he stands there, chest out, fists at his side.

I cough, rolling onto my elbows and knees. Feeling like I'm about to puke. He walks up to me and delivers a kick to my gut sending me to my back.

"Fucker!" I choke. Rolling and wheezing. Trying to grit through the pain

He stands over me and grabs my shirt. Pulling me up to him. I shoot daggers at him and grab his coat. My other hand pulls back his hood. I'm surrounded by fire red, long curly hair and the most gorgeous face I have ever seen in my life. Along with those amazing green eyes. Her face is also very pissed. My eyes widen as her fist connects with my face. I feel the sick crack of my cheekbone. Blow after blow hits me until I'm left in complete black in the alley way.

****

When I come to, it's dawn. The streets rolled up hours ago. Apparently, a bleeding man in the street doesn't even warrant a stick poke, never mind a fucking ambulance. I hurt in so many places as I roll into a sit up. I check myself for wallet and keys. I touch the squishy texture of my face. "Ahh..." I wince at my shattered cheek. I can't see out of one eye and I know I'm covered in blood. I also have at least three bruised ribs. The icing on the cake, a wicked hangover. I barely remember how I got here. The only thing I clearly remember are green eyes.

I roll over onto my knees and slowly stand. Groaning the whole way. The sun is cresting the tops of the four-story buildings in the downtown core. Its rays burn my eyes. I lift my hand to shield them. I look for my bike. I walked right by it.

I carefully lift my leg over, holding my ribs. I start it and the engine makes my brain explode. I grind my teeth as I rev the throttle and push off. I need to get home and pass out properly.

I practically crawl into the packhouse or at least I wanted to. I walk into the foyer and carefully shrug off my jacket.

"Holy shit! What the fuck happened to you?" Bobby was coming down stairs.

I kick off my boots and head for the kitchen. Bobby is hot on my ass. I rummage through the freezers as the staff look at me with judging eyes. I pull out a bag of peas and throw it on my swollen eye. I lean on the freezer door. "What are you looking at?" I growl to the staff, who avert their eyes.

Bobby stands in front of me. "Luke, what the fuck?"

I continue to ignore him and head for a couch. I sink into it and hang my head on the back. Closing my eyes.

"Dude?" Bobby's getting frustrated now.

I groan. "What, Bobby."

He sits beside me. "What happened?"

"I went flower picking. What the fuck does it look like?" I sneer at him.

He looks me over. "It looks like you got your ass kicked."

"Who got their ass kicked......Damn, bro. What the hell?" Gavin came in, took one look and cringed. "Please tell me the other guy looked worse."

I took the bag off my swollen eye. "I don't remember. I had a fist in my face the whole time."

Bobby leaned on his knee. "Were you mugged?"

I had to think about this because one, I'm not clear on the details and two, I don't know if I really want these guys to know them. "Yeah, something like that."

I put the bag back on my eye. I'm filthy. I need a shower and sleep. Whoever that was, kicked my ass good. The fighting skills were at least matched with mine, but I get the feeling they were holding back. All I know is, if it wasn't for those eyes, I probably wouldn't have been so willing to take the hits that I did.

"Luke, you should see the doc. You don't look so good." Gavin said.

I throw the bag on the coffee table and stand. "Nope, I just need a shower and sleep. Good night." I brace myself on Bobby and walk around him. Heading for my room.

I get to the bathroom and carefully take off my t shirt. The right side of my ribs are black and blue. "Fuck me." I wince as I touch them. My eye is black, cheek swollen.

I step into the shower. I watch as my blood flows down the drain. I hang my pounding head in the stream. Her eyes stare at me in the black of my closed eyes. Glowing green. I have to find her. Cali can wait.

After I'm clean, I crawl into bed and pass out.

****

I'm sure you're well aware by now, that the best thing about being a shifter, is the healing. When I came to, my ribs still hurt, but the bruising was yellow now. My cheek will take another day, but at least it's not squishy and I can see out my eye.

I rub at my bedhead as I stumble down the stairs.

The guys are watching tv. Gavin looks at me. "You look a bit better."

"I feel better." I say as I take Evan's water.

"Hey." He complains.

I scowl at him.

"Uh ok." He backs off.

I down half of it, sinking into the back of the couch.

"You ready to go to Cali." Evan asks.

I shake my head, playing with the bottle. "Not going. Not now."

"You were so ready to go. What changed?"

I sit up. Slamming my bottle on the table. I point to Gavin. "I'll you what's changed. I saw some poor bastard getting his ass kicked and no one did a damn thing. Then when I do something, I get my ass kicked until I fucking black out and not one fucking person in this damn town even bothered to call the fucking hospital. I was left in the middle of the fucking street all night. I can't go. Not now." I pick up my bottle and sit back.

Bobby sat back. "No one wants to end up like you or dead. You landing in the street? Just another day, man."

"Today, I'll be changing that."