Page 29 of The Reluctant Alpha

"Yeah?" He leaned forward. “Like a local celebrity or something?”

“Nah. Construction worker or something. Shows up out of nowhere when Danny wrecks his car, and suddenly my brother's got a new phone, new car, and time off work." He snorted. "Must be nice."

"Sounds like your brother landed on his feet," he observed.

Shane laughed, the sound bitter and slightly slurred. "Still lives at home with Mom. Can't even manage to move out properly. Though he's been staying out at the Colton place since his accident."

"And your mother? She must worry about him."

"Mom works too hard to worry much," Shane said, accepting the fresh drink gratefully. "Night shift at the hospital. She's probably there now, actually."

The monster decided it was time to reel his fish in. “Is there like a community paper or something around here?”

Shane frowned. “Whadda ya mean?”

The monster sighed. “I have a large real estate portfolio. Looking for a local right-hand man to run it for me while I’m wrapping things up with the family. It will take a while to move everything over, and I need someone who can do the leg work here. But as I don't know the area..."

Shane's eyes lit up, his posture straightening despite his drunken state. "You're looking for someone local to manage property?"

The monster nodded solemnly. "I need someone with street smarts, who knows the area. Someone who isn't afraid to make tough decisions." He leaned in conspiratorially. "Comes with a salary and a company car obviously, but like I said, I don’t know where to start looking around here for someone."

"I could do that," Shane said eagerly, alcohol loosening his inhibitions. "I've tried my hand at real estate before. Had some setbacks, but that wasn't my fault."

"Of course not," the monster agreed smoothly. "Sometimes all it takes is the right opportunity." He signaled for another round. "Tell me more about your family. I'd want to meet them eventually if we're going to be working together."

Shane didn't hesitate, the combination of alcohol and the promise of opportunity making him reckless. He fumbled for his phone, clumsily pulling up photos. "That's Mom. Works at Minton General. And that's my other brother Logan—he's okay, actually. Smart kid. Got his own place now."

The monster filed away each detail, watching as Shane scrolled through family photos, pointing out his mother's work schedule, his younger brother's college routine, his address even though he didn’t need it. Such careless humans, so eager to trust, so easy to manipulate.

"This Danny, though," the monster said, redirecting the conversation. "He stays at the Colton place? Where's that exactly?"

Shane waved a hand vaguely. "Out past the old logging road. Restricted area now. Forestry commission or some bullshit. You need special permission to go in." He snorted. "Danny's special friend got him through, I guess."

"Special friend, huh?" the monster chuckled, as if sharing a joke.

"Big guy. Like, freakishly big." Shane made an exaggerated gesture to indicate height and bulk. "Looks like he eats steroids for breakfast."

The monster felt a surge of satisfaction. This was almost too easy. "Sounds intimidating."

"Yeah, well," Shane muttered, finishing his drink. "Danny always did have weird tastes."

The monster signaled for the check. "Listen, Shane, it's been great meeting you. How about I give you my number? We can talk more about that job when you're feeling a bit clearer."

Shane fumbled with his phone again, nearly dropping it. "Yeah, yeah. That'd be great."

The monster recited a number, watching as Shane struggled to input it correctly. He was tempted to finish off Shane for a snack, but he needed the bear’s mate back home before he could take care of him, and Shane might prove useful. “I’ll send you a link to read over your employment contract, remuneration, choice of car. Then we can meet when I’m back in a few days and I can tell you more about the type of properties I’m interested in.”

Shane’s eyes lit up, and regretfully, the monster left him alive. He walked away from the bar, melting into the shadows.

As he stalked through the darkness toward Maple Street, he thought of the bear shifter's face—how it would contort with anguish when he discovered what had been done to his mate's family. It would be easy to blame the other one. The unexpected "extra," he'd literally dug up. The revenant's existence was pain and rage and vengeance, and the monster felt a thrill at having all that at his command.

Then he heard the drunken giggles and smelled the humans. He smiled.

Lunch.

Bayer

I couldn't sleep. The packhouse was quiet, but I paced the length of the apartment I'd been given, my mind racing. The carved wooden bear sat on the nightstand, its crude form a constant reminder of the threat hanging over us.