SIX MONTHS (A Seven Series Novel)

The blonde cackled. “I’m trouble. I bet his animal is a wolf by the way he sized up the room when he walked in. Did you notice that? I love a man in black boots—betcha anything he owns a bike. I’d love to ride him on that bike.”

 

 

I raised my brows, realizing they were talking about Reno. Nadine slid an ugly stare my way and I must have made a facial expression because she narrowed her beady little eyes. Ignoring her, I bent over the sink and turned on the cold water. The faucet squeaked and a gush of tap splashed against the porcelain sink.

 

“Come on, Chelsie. Let’s get out of here. Looks like someone’s mangy pet ran away. I wish they would ban those humans from Breed bars. It’s appalling how they get a free pass because of their slut collar.”

 

As much as I wanted to engage in an argument with her, it felt like my head was about to explode. Not to mention I’d learned not to mess with Shifters on a whim. It might have been against the rules for them to shift inside the bar, but sometimes rules got broken, and I didn’t have a clue how to fight a werebitch.

 

The click of their pointy heels against the tile faded away as they left the room. The cool water slid over my hands like liquid stars and I stared at it—mesmerized. Maddox had warned me about house specialties when it came to alcoholic drinks—most Breed bars served strong concoctions made from magic and unknown ingredients.

 

The next thing I knew, a hand was cupping my breast and a body pressed down over my back. My heart raced because Maddox had never put his hands on me that way.

 

I looked up in the mirror and saw Stu, the flannel shirt-clad Shifter with an overactive libido.

 

“Get off!” I yelled, elbowing him as hard as I could.

 

“’Zactly what I’m trying to do, little human.”

 

His hand slid down to my jeans and brushed over my zipper. My back stiffened and I tried to stand up, but he was too heavy. Maddox had warned me about overzealous rogues who had a thing for humans.

 

“Let go of me,” I demanded.

 

“Shhh.” He unlatched my button and settled his weight on me, pressing my stomach painfully against the edge of the sink.

 

That’s when things got fuzzy and survival instinct kicked in.

 

I rammed my elbow into his ribs twice. Stu grunted in pain and then corralled me into the corner stall. I tried to get around him, but he was crowding the door.

 

“I hear Devil’s Eye makes you horny,” he said. “Never tried that shit, but I’ve seen the aftermath.”

 

He reached out to touch me and I slapped his hand. Stu gave me a sardonic smile. “Look, I don’t want to have sex with a human,” he said. “That’s not my thing; I have standards. I just want to touch you. Maybe you can touch me back.”

 

“Maybe I can scream.” The last word trailed off into a scream. He lunged and covered my mouth, flipping me around and pushing me against the wall. His body pinned me until I had nowhere to go.

 

This isn’t happening, my inner voice whined as I heard him lock the stall door. Didn’t the women in this bar ever have to pee? Oh God, I was starting to have a panic attack. The idea of him touching me—I just couldn’t deal with it. I could only breathe out of one nostril because his hand was covering my mouth and pinching half my nose. My body began to shake and I suddenly felt like that helpless little girl in the dark bathroom.

 

Damn him.

 

I wasn’t that helpless little girl anymore. I thrashed and struck him, scraping my nails down his face. It became a mad struggle. When his hand loosened, I bit his wrist.

 

The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth and he yanked me by my hair to pry me off. Feral sounds escaped my throat, and I began to have an out-of-body experience.

 

He shoved me to the floor and I landed on my knees. “Man, you sure got some fight in you. I wouldn’t have expected a human to be so goddamn feisty. Look, just give in to the Devil’s Eye, and let’s have a little fun before someone walks in on us.”

 

Before I could punch him in the groin, the stall door shook violently and I heard Denver shout, “Open the goddamn door!”

 

His fingers gripped the top of the door and the lock broke. When the door swung open, Denver’s indigo eyes were volcanic.

 

I no longer noticed his sexy blond hair in a messy tangle, nor his toned arms and mischievous smile. The scar on his forehead seemed pronounced, but I barely had time to blink before he grabbed a fistful of Stu’s shirt and pulled him out.

 

“You’ve got a set of brass balls coming into my bar and pulling this shit.” Denver hauled him by the collar to the center of the room. Stu swung his arm and clocked Denver in the jaw.

 

That’s when the fight began. The two men began to pound the hell out of each other—Denver was thrown against the sink before he kicked his leg back and hit the guy in the balls. When Stu bent over, Denver shoved him against a stall divider and it was back and forth. The paper-towel dispenser broke off the wall, and Denver almost lost his balance when he threw another punch.

 

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