Shifters of Grrr 1 (8 page)

"I'll take a beer. No, make it a caesar, double."
 

Her voice sounded empty, devoid of all life. His heart ached as sat down next to her, desperate to lend a hand, shoulder or an ear. Whatever she needed, this mysterious stranger could have from him, she had but to ask. His wolf was howling, demanding he take charge and take her home now, but something in her body language told Jake that it wasn't going to go that way. Something absolutely terrible and devastating had just happened to this woman. He wondered if someone she knew had died.

She barely looked over at him as he sat down next to him, her head moving a fraction of a degree in his direction before she turned back to stare into whatever oblivion it was that loomed before her. Jake racked his brain, trying to come up with a good opening line, that wouldn't make him sound desperate or lame.
 

"Hi."
 

Internally he rolled his eyes, wondering what sort of genius he really was to come up with that mind-blistering opening line. To his complete surprise, however, she replied.

"Hi."
 

There was nothing in it though, no interest, or even anger. Jake would have been okay with anything, except for a complete lack of life. How was he supposed to proceed with that? It seemed an insurmountable obstacle to overcome. Still, Jake knew he had to do something. This woman, at some point, was destined to be his mate. He could feel it in his soul. He would need to make some sort of impact tonight, something for her to remember him by.
 

Looking around wildly, he scanned the room for something that could help out his cause. She was already draining the bottom of her drink, signaling for a refill when his eyes lit upon the perfect solution. It was over in the corner, an older-style, but still lit up and looking as if it were in working condition.

"Don't go anywhere." He said over his shoulder. All he got was an unfocused nod, before the gorgeous full-figured woman went back to her next drink. He slid to a stop in front of the machine, punching several buttons quickly, doing his best to select something he knew. With a smile on his face, out came the first few bars of one of his favorite slow-dance country songs. It was a cowboy singing how his love for the woman of his life had evolved from the day they first met, to how he felt about her through the major events of his life. It was perfect.

With the jukebox setting the mood, he wandered back over to the bar, well aware that the eyes of a number of other patrons were on him now. He didn't care though, for nothing else mattered except this woman. Her shoulder-length hair swayed back and forth as she leaned in to take another sip of her drink through the straw. He noticed with alarm that she was onto the third one already.
 

"May I have this dance?" he asked softly, coming up to stand next to her. His heart dropped as she focused on him, giving him a blank, alcohol-infused look. Sticking out his hand, Jake forged ahead nonetheless. She continued to stare at him for a moment longer, before shrugging and taking his hand.
 

They walked over to a small area devoid of tables, and he began to guide her through some basic steps. Jake had taken several lessons when he was younger and was now very glad of it.
 

"My name is Jake."
 

"Hi Jake, my name is Harper." Her voice was a distant, distracted monotone. Even her eyes were constantly focused into the distance behind him, staring at something only she could see. The more he was in close proximity to her, the more Jake pushed aside the notion that somebody had died. It was not that, but instead something deeply devastating had happened to Harper.

The song finished, and she absentmindedly thanked him for the dance, going back to her seat and grabbing another drink. He watched her go, doing his best to be respectful in where his eyes roamed, but failing miserably. Her hips swayed from side to side just the perfect amount, even though she wasn't trying. The curves of her figure cried out to his hands, practically begging him to touch them, caress them and explore all over.

He snarled to himself and went to sit down with his friends, stymied for the moment on how to proceed. Good natured ribbing followed, until they recognized something was amiss.

"What is it, Jake?" Holden was always the first to pick up on things like that.
 

"That's her. She's right there, and I had her in my arms. But I'm invisible to her, she's not here right now."

"That's who?"

"How are you invisible?"

"Jake, you aren't making any sense."

He looked around at the faces staring at him.
 

Holden seemed to understand but was sitting back, waiting for Jake to spell it out for the others. Chase, Kevin, Bryce, and Ethan all looked at him with varying degrees of confusion and consternation. He sighed theatrically, rolling his eyes though there was still a smile on his face.

"Guys, that's
her.
I found her. My mate is quite literally sitting on the chair at the bar right over there."

That got their attention. They all began to talk at once.

"Quiet." He shushed them down as their voices began to rise.

"Now, like I was saying, something's wrong. She's lost in her own world, trying to come to terms with something, I'm just not sure what. Something very painful and devastating, though I don't think it was a death. So, what do I do?"

He listened to all manner of crazy ideas on how to woo this woman, ranging from the inexplicably complicated to the utterly insane. By the time he waved them all off, she had downed another handful of drinks. He was beginning to worry about her safety as she continued to consume alcohol at a quick rate. The bartender looked at her askance as well, as he served her yet another mixed drink. She was sitting there silently, providing no problems at all, so Jake wasn't sure how long it would be until he cut Harper off from alcohol.

As if she was reading his mind, she got up, wobbling unsteadily on her feet, before heading towards the table he was sharing with his friends. He sat upright, looking around to see if there was anything else behind him that she may be headed towards. It was just a brick wall and a few more empty tables.
 

Jake swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry. Perhaps she had felt something as well, and only now was accepting it? Could it really be that easy? They barely knew each other's names, so how were they going to build a lasting relationship off of that? His hands grew clammy, the beating heart in his chest threatening to escape its cage.

"Hi," she said again, sitting clumsily in his lap.
 

He forced himself not to recoil from the alcohol on her breath, but it took a significant chunk of willpower. His hopes dashed as her current state sunk in, he plastered a smile on his face while he scrambled to find a way out of the situation.

"Hi, Harper. How are you holding up?" Jake winced internally at the forced line.
 

"I'm much better now handsome. What say you and I get on out of here?" She slurred the last few words, the alcohol clearly beginning to take its toll on her. It didn't seem feasible that she would be able to remain on her feet for much longer.
 

"You're drunk, Harper. Why don't I call you a cab, so you can head on home? How does that sound?"
 

The idea was to see her safely on her way so that he could find her the next day, and perhaps start things off on the right foot. Even his wolf had calmed down now, to the point that he could think clearly. Not having to fight off its cries from within, or the more direct desires of his dick, made turning her down much easier. There was something about an extremely drunk woman that did not turn Jake on.

"What? You don't want me anymore? Am I not good enough for you?"

That last line hit deep, for the pain in her voice was evident to not just him, but his entire table. There were some deep-seated insecurities in this woman about her appearances. Being curvy was not easy in the world they lived in and Jake knew that she must have faced her share of criticism and worse for her looks. He wanted so badly to be able to reach out, tell her that she was, in fact, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

He didn't though. Now was not the time for compliments and flattery. They would have to wait until the two of them could meet in a proper way. Then, and only then, would he be able to treat her the way she deserved, without it causing a huge misunderstanding. If he told her how he felt now, she would only take that as an invitation for sex. That wasn't the type of man that Jake was, so instead of replying to her, he simply kept his mouth shut, a look of anguished pain on his face as she turned away from him.

He wasn't entirely sure what he had expected to happen next, but it definitely did not include Harper going up to the nearest bar-sleaze she could find and practically throwing herself at him. The man was rather husky himself, wearing a gold chain over a black t-shirt that proclaimed NWO FOREVER in big, bold yellow lettering. He was bald, and his teeth were horridly yellow. The scraggly facial hair he tried to grow just made him look more like a useless oaf.

He, however, had no issues with Harper's attention, and his hands began to paw at her body, touching her completely inappropriately. All that was much to the delight of his bar buddies, Jake noticed. There were four other men there, all with the same faded, outdated look.
 

"I need your he-" he began to say to his friends.

"We're here Jake," Kevin stated, his friends rising as one to follow Jake as he stalked towards the scene.
 

His wolf had reawakened, its anger flowing through him, the power of his animal infusing his muscles. The smell of other wolves permeated the room as the pack approached, still oblivious to the men, so focused were they on their plaything.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jake saw the bartender frantically signaling the bouncers as he dialed a number on the phone. If things went south, it would be far too little, and far too late for his prey.

Not that Jake wanted a fight, but he knew these types. They often thought they owned the territory, and would do anything to avoid appearing weak on their supposed home turf. So he was prepared for what was likely the inevitable, but he would do everything in his power to avoid it.

"Please, let her go."
 

Shit.

Being polite was a mistake he realized right away. The slow, deliberate turn that Baldy was doing, as he stood up, was enough body language to tell the pack how things were going to play out. Even the slightly startled look in his eyes when he realized there was more than one person in front of him wouldn't be enough to diffuse the situation. Asking instead of demanding that they release her had been a sign of weakness to them, and they were simply acting upon it.
 

Jake sighed, waiting for the response he knew was coming.

"Why, no, I don't think I will little man." Baldy sneered at him even as he reached a hand out to casually grab Harpers rear, much to her drunken delight.

Jake saw red, advancing a step towards the bigger man. The comment he could have excused, the clear challenge to his persona he could have ignored. But the flat-out declaration that he considered Harper his property, which he had made in the most pathetic way possible, was inexcusable.

"What's going on here?" That was the two bouncers, finally having arrived from their posts near the door. Jake ignored them, stepping closer to Baldy, so as to have a word with him.

"You shouldn't treat a woman like that. She isn't a piece of property, least of all yours. So I'll say it one more time. Let. Her. Go."

He emphasized each word with a poke of his finger to the chest. His attacker was thoroughly angry now, reaching forward to grab Jakes collar, letting go of Harper in the process.

"Listen here you little shit, nobody comes into my house and tells me what to do. Least of all you and your pack of mangy mongrels. Now get out before I - ooof!"

Jake's fist connected solidly into his solar plexus, doubling him over before he drove his shoulder up into the jaw, which snapped shut audibly as the man sagged to the floor. He emitted a low groan into the silence that followed. It had all happened so quickly none of the other men or bouncers had had a chance to react.

"I'll be leaving peacefully, it's okay," he said to the security staff, holding his hands out wide to show that he meant it.
 

Jake was angry. That shouldn't have happened, he shouldn't have lost his cool and hit the other man, even if he deserved it. Angrily he looked around the room for Harper, determined to ensure she arrived home safely. The only clue to her whereabouts, however, was the slowly closing exit door.
 

"Harper!" He cried, making a mad rush for the door. The bouncers began to chase after him until they realized he was heading for the exit, with his friends hot on his heels.
 

Outside, he looked around, but she was nowhere to be found. He inhaled deeply, letting his wolf taste the air for her scent. The smell of soot and ash overwhelmed everything, preventing him from being able to follow her. On a whim, he dashed off to the right, heading for the nearby intersection.