Alena woke with a gasp, her body slick with sweat and her heart practically pounding out of her chest.

  “Holy shit,” she managed to stammer out loud. Her pussy was aching.

  God almighty. A dream. Just another damn dream. She flopped back against the pillows with a groan, pressing her hands to her face. This couldn’t go on. Trying to satisfy her primal desire, she pulled a pillow between her legs and pressed against it.

  She had to find a way to push Zane out of her mind, to forget about the forbidden desire that consumed her. But even as she tried to convince herself, Alena knew it was a losing battle. She nudged the pillow aside as she lowered her hand to her soaking core, pressing her fingers to rub alongside her aching clit. She was already almost there. Heat immediately began to build.

  What a way to wake up!

  Fuck the dream, she could recall the reality.

  She thought of the day before, the way Zane had felt. His rock-hard muscles, his strong hands and the feel of them on the small of her back. She remembered the feeling when she had looked up and he had been there. He had come for her in her darkest moment.

  She imagined him finally taking her… what if he had right there in the forest in the dirt? Thinking of his thick cock penetrating her sex was all it took. She felt the wave of her release crash over her hard as she moaned with pleasure.

  That didn’t take long.

  ‘Cause you have been building up to this from the moment you saw him naked on the clifftop.

  She allowed the waves of pleasure to wash over her, reveling in the calm peace that flooded her body, even as she basked in the pleasant buzz of her sex. She wanted to just lay there forever in that feeling, but then she glanced at the clock and groaned.

  “Shit!” she bellowed out loud. “Did I forget to set it? I’m going to be late for my shift at the diner.” Rolling out of bed, she quickly threw on her uniform. She noticed Abi’s unicorn Rainbow, still sitting in an armchair where she had left it the other night.

  Leaving the stuffed animal for another day, she dashed out the door, her body still reeling from the intensity of her dream encounter with Zane. Her bear rumbled within her, yearning for the dragon’s touch, his scent, his everything.

  Get a grip, Alena scolded herself as she hurried down the street. Vaguely, the memories of the suspicious townspeople in the first part of her dream also surfaced.

  It was just a dream. A really, really good dream in some ways, but still…

  She pulled out her phone and dialed her friend Kelly’s number. “Hey, Kel, I’m running a bit behind. Can you cover for me until I get there?”

  Kelly’s laugh echoed through the speaker. “Overslept again, huh? No worries, girl. I got your back. But you better not be holding out on me. I mean, is there a reason you overslept?”

  Alena felt her cheeks heat up. If only Kelly knew…

  “Very funny,” she said, laughing it off. “Thanks, you’re a lifesaver. I’ll be there in ten!” She hung up, quickening her pace.

  As she neared The Honey Bun, Alena couldn’t help but glance across the street at Misty Brews, a known dragon hangout. Her bear perked up, hoping for a glimpse of Zane, but she tamped down the feeling.

  “Stop it,” she muttered under her breath.

  You’ll never make it through the day if you start fantasizing again. Pushing through the diner door, Alena was greeted by the rich aroma of coffee and sizzling bacon.

  “Hey, you made it!” Kelly teased as Alena hastily tied an apron around her waist.

  “Practically took an act of god to get out of bed today, I swear.”

  “Late night?” Kelly quipped.

  Heat crept up Alena’s neck as unbidden images of Zane’s naked form flashed through her mind. “No! I just… I had weird dreams, that’s all.”

  Kelly arched a brow, clearly unconvinced, but before she could press further, her boss, Brandon, emerged from the kitchen, his brows knitted together in a scowl. “Alena! Where have you been? I’ve got orders piling up back here!”

  Alena cringed, feeling a pang of guilt. Brandon co-owned the diner with her brother Archer. She knew they could have easily hired someone else. “I’m so sorry, Brandon. It won’t happen again, I promise.”

  Brandon’s expression softened, and he shook his head with a sigh. “Just don’t make a habit of it, all right? Now get out there and start taking some orders before we go out of business,” he added with a smile.

  Alena nodded, grabbing a notepad and pen before heading out into the dining area. The diner was a popular hangout for bears, with its cozy booths and hearty comfort food. Today, however, the atmosphere was thick with tension, the air buzzing with whispered conversations.

  As Alena moved from table to table, she couldn’t help but overhear snippets of the bears’ hushed discussions. They were all talking about the same thing: the Forsaken Riders and their sudden coziness with the dragons.

  Truth be told, with the racket the bikes were making riding up and down the street, it was hard to talk about anything else.

  “I’m telling you, those dragons are up to no good,” a burly bear growled, stabbing his fork into his pile of pancakes. “Why else would they be working with those biker scum?”

  His companion nodded, his face grim. “Hey, don’t forget those same guys did security at Oktoberfest, or didn’t you notice?”

  “Exactly,” the first bear replied. “Security is one thing. You think Archer would let them start running his bar? No way, man. Any bear knows enough not to partner with criminals like that. Looks like the dragons aren’t that smart. I don’t like the idea of them mixed up that deep in our town. That’s crossing a line, if you ask me.”

  “We don’t know for sure what deal they have going,” the second bear replied.

  “Maybe not, but I saw them all over at Club Chaos, too. The dragons are overstepping. Big time. Probably using the Riders to do their dirty work. It’s bad enough they don’t respect us. I’m telling you, what happened at that construction site is nothing compared to what’s brewing…”

  Alena’s stomach churned as she walked back toward the kitchen, and the conversation was lost in the general drone of the diner. Her mind drifted to Zane. Her head was spinning with the implications of all this.

  He had been right yesterday to exclude talking about the problems that plagued the town.

  It was all just too crazy. She tried to refocus on her job, but another loud exhaust brought her eyes to the window, where she could see a group of bikers thundering down the street on their motorcycles. They were heading straight for Misty Brews.

  Her heart skipped a beat as she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure emerging from the bar to greet the bikers. It was Zane, looking as incredibly hot as ever in a fitted black t-shirt and jeans. He shook hands with the lead biker, a small smile playing on his lips.

  Zane. She wanted to call out to him. God, just the sight of him now was making her hot.

  Alena’s breath hitched, her bear clawing at her insides with a desperate need to be near him. But she pushed the feeling down—all of the feelings—her rational mind warring with her animal instincts despite the need for secrecy.

  “What the fuck,” she murmured in outrage at what she then witnessed.

  Suddenly, her blood was boiling. It was unmistakable and deliberate. Behind his back and out of his sight—and the sight of most, for that matter—a few of the bikers were making rude gestures toward Zane as he was engaged with whoever he was talking to, presumably the biker’s leader. They were clearing mocking him.

  Before she even had time to think, her friend interrupted her from over her shoulder.

  “Yeah, this is bad,” Kelly muttered, appearing at Alena’s side. “I can’t stand those bikers.” It was immediately apparent that Kelly hadn’t noticed the disrespectful acts. She continued, “If you ask me, between the bears and the dragons, and now these bikers hanging around, there’s just way too much testosterone in this town.”

  Had it not been for what she’d seen, Alena might have laughed, but she just swallowed hard instead, forcing herself to tear her gaze away from Zane. “Can’t really argue with you on that one. I know everyone thinks the dragons are being sneaky and stepping on toes working with the bikers, but maybe there is more to the story.”

  Kelly raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Since when are you so quick to defend the dragons?”

  Alena flushed, realizing her mistake. “I’m not defending them. I just think we should get all the facts before we start pointing fingers.”

  Kelly shrugged, unconvinced. “If you say so. But I don’t like it. This isn’t the Misty Vale I grew up in.”

  As her friend walked away, Alena’s eyes drifted back to the window, where Zane was now deep in conversation with the bikers. Her heart ached, torn between the rapidly escalating and very forbidden desire she felt for him and the growing sense of dread that something terrible was on the horizon.

  Maybe Archer could shed some light on the situation. As the alpha of the bears, and with a stake in a dozen businesses in town, he had his finger on the pulse of Misty Vale’s supernatural community by necessity. And he was her brother, after all.

  When Archer swung by at the end of the day to collect the till, Alena pulled him aside.

  “Hey, Arch? How are things going?” She made a little small talk before bringing up what was on her mind. “Can I talk to you about something?” Alena asked hesitantly.

  Archer glanced up, taking in her serious expression. “Sure, sis. Is this about Mom and Dad? I’m sorry if I was a little short the other day. You know, I am just trying to keep the crazy down to a minimum around here. So, what’s eating you?”

  “No, I’m good on the Mom and Dad front, or you know, as good as I can be. It was just a bad day.”

  Archer nodded sympathetically as he listened.

  “But have you heard anything about the dragons making some deal with the bikers? The diner’s been buzzing with it today,” she mentioned, trying to keep her voice casual. “It seems like it’s got everyone pretty worked up. And I can tell you I am no fan of these bikers.” She attempted to keep the anger out of her voice, as she wasn’t about to reveal what she saw, or why it bothered her so much.

  No one disrespects my man… mate. Her bear wouldn’t stop.

  She refocused as she finished what she had to say to her brother. “Just seems bear-dragon relations are getting worse and worse.”

  Archer shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. “That’s an understatement. As for them bringing the bikers onboard, that’s dragon business, sis. I think they’re being idiots, personally. Allowing them to do security is one thing, but risking an actual partnership with a biker gang, that’s something else. But ultimately, it’s their problem. I bet it blows up in their faces. Better for us in the long run.”

  Alena frowned. Her brother was not helping ease her concerns. “But what if they’re doing something illegal? Like dealing drugs or running guns? That can’t be good for anyone. Isn’t there something we can do?”

  Her brother scoffed. “The dragons may be a bunch of entitled pricks, but even they wouldn’t be that stupid. And the Riders aren’t dumb enough to try that shit in Misty Vale. They know we’d run them out of town faster than they could say ‘Harley Davidson.’”

  Alena pressed on, undeterred. “But Arch, you know what Dad would say. Expect the unexpected.”

  He waved a dismissive hand. “We are aware of them, okay? We’ll keep an eye out. But it’s their business, not ours. Not much to be done, really.” Archer paused and looked her over again. “You sure you’re okay? Since when do you care so much about dragon affairs?”

  “I care about Misty Vale and just have a really bad feeling. That’s all,” she hedged. “Maybe I should talk to Kiki, see if she has any insight or advice.”

  Archer’s expression turned skeptical. “I am rapidly losing faith in her, so not sure how much stock I would put into anything she says, anyway. She still hasn’t said shit to the town about her role in starting this whole feud in the first place, and honestly, I am starting to wonder if it would even make a difference at this point.”

  Alena’s heart sank ever so slightly at her brother’s words, a feeling of hopelessness threatening to press in on her. She fought to maintain her optimism internally, though.

  As Archer left with the day’s earnings, Alena slumped against the counter, her mind racing. After that conversation, she knew she couldn’t confide in her brother about her feelings for Zane. He would never understand, never accept a bear falling for a dragon. Not in Misty Vale. It was just asking for trouble. And the worst part was, she knew he was right. It just sucked. She felt like she should do something, but what was there to do?

  Her bear paced restlessly within her, torn between the desire to protect her mate and the gnawing feeling that they could never truly be together.

  Who says he’s your mate?

  Tell that to my bear.

  Alena closed her eyes, taking a deep, steadying breath.

  Right. Just calm down. There is nothing to do.

  And as for the other thing, she figured it was just boys being boys. But she had a sinking feeling that was not what it was at all.

  She did her best to just focus on the tables as she cleaned up her section with a final wipe down of the tables.

  That’s right… just wipe him right out of your head, little girl.

  If she could just get her body to forget about him, too, that would also be convenient.

  CHAPTER 7

  Zane couldn’t shake thoughts of the captivating she-bear from his

  mind as he went over the initial books for Misty Brews. But the numbers were all just running together.

  Alena. She was all he could think of. The way she had felt in his arms. Her scent… He felt his sex stirring just at the thought of her.

  This has to stop.

  He went to the mirror to splash water on his face.

  “Get a grip!”

  But even as he lectured himself, Zane’s dragon rumbled within him, restless and yearning. It took all his self-control not to shift right then and there, to take to the skies and scour Misty Vale until he found her again.

  Zane paced restlessly in his living room, his mind spinning and his dragon growling.

  The sudden knock at the door jolted him out of his brooding. Zane opened it to find Striker and his mate Audrey on the other side. They both smiled at seeing him.

  “Hey, little bro,” Striker greeted, clapping Zane on the shoulder as they stepped inside. “Thought we’d swing by and see how things are going with the Riders.”

  Zane shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, but his gut churned with unease. “It’s going all right, I guess. Dice, the guy they put in charge, seems competent enough. And he has shown respect, so there’s that. But look, I told you where I stand. I don’t want to sound like a broken record, but I just can’t get past the feeling that this is not a good idea.”

  “Well, I don’t know what to tell you, brother. We’ve been over this, and honestly, I don’t want to hear about it every time we talk. You have to give it some time. And besides, a vague feeling is not facts. If you had something concrete to show us, that would be different. I have told you I don’t know how many times that we can do a lot of good with the extra earnings this will bring in,” Striker said, his frustration showing.

  Zane hesitated, torn. He wanted to believe in Striker’s vision, but the uneasy feeling in his gut wouldn’t quit. “Well, I’m sorry, Striker, what do you want me to tell you? I think we’re risking things with the bikers, and I don’t think we are helping matters in town at all by needling the bears.”

  “Jeez, there you go about the bears again! Since when have you given a rat’s ass about them?”

  Suddenly, Audrey’s eyes lit up. “Boys! Look, no offense, but I’ve had enough of your constant bickering about this.”

  “Bickering? What do you mean? We just—”

  “Yes, bickering… so I have kind of had it just sitting back.”

  “Honey, this is just some brotherly squabbling…”

  “I am just tired of hearing you guys go around and around on this. Why don’t we go see Kiki? She’s come in pretty handy in the past, and you both know she has the gift of sight, or whatever you call it. Why don’t we see what she has to say. Maybe she will have some insight?”

  Zane exchanged a look with his brother.

  “If only for my sanity!” Audrey implored.

  Striker still looked skeptical but shrugged. “Fine. ‘Happy wife, happy life,’ right?”

  “There you go, honey,” Audrey said, giving him a kiss on the cheek.

  “Can’t hurt to ask. But I’m telling you, this deal is happening, one way or another,” Striker quipped as they headed out the door.

  The trio made their way down Main Street, the tinkling of the bell above Kiki’s door announcing their arrival. The shop was a riot of color and texture, with vibrant tapestries adorning the walls and shelves overflowing with crystals, herbs, and arcane trinkets. The air was heavy with the heady scent of incense, and soft, otherworldly music played from somewhere unseen.

  Kiki emerged from behind a beaded curtain, her face splitting into a grin. “Well, well. To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from Clan Livingstone?” she asked, gliding towards them with an ethereal grace. She wore a gauzy lavender dress, silver bracelets jingling at her wrists.

  Audrey stepped forward, inclining her head respectfully. “We were hoping you might be able to shed some light on the current… situation in Misty Vale.”

  Kiki’s gaze sharpened, her smile fading. “Ah. You speak of the Riders, yes?” She turned her eyes on Zane, seeming to search his face for something. He fought the urge to squirm under her scrutiny.

  “The Forsaken Riders,” Kiki said at last, as if contemplating the topic. “Their type are known to bring chaos and darkness wherever they roam. Misty Vale would do well to steer clear of any further alliances with them.”

  Striker scoffed, crossing his beefy arms over his chest. “With all due respect, Kiki, I think we can handle a few bikers. This deal is going to be good for the clan, bring in the money we need to expand. Build that community center Audrey’s been dreaming of.”