Chapter Two: River

Introduction 2

River was blissfully unaware of what she was. No one had ever told her, and because she wasn't yet twenty-five, she hadn't fully come into her powers. She was fast and strong and agile, a bit beyond a typical human, but she chalked it up to good genes. She was beautiful and stubborn with long, light brown hair and orange-red-like eyes that seemed to glow. She has fair skin with arms covered in tattoos. She was five-foot-five-inch with a body that looked like a super model's body. Perfect curves, large perky breasts, and she was tone everywhere. Guys couldn't keep their eyes off of her.

She had a big, bright smile with a nasty glare and didn't like to take orders from anyone. Her father and mother seemed to have hated her for whatever reason and used to beat her. They'd lock her away in a closet for days at a time. So as soon as she hit sixteen, she took off and made it about six months before she was found and returned home to be welcomed by the worst beating she'd ever endured.

Men were drawn to her like moths to a light, but she took no interest and shooed them away like a light shocking the insect. She hated being touched, no matter how it was, whether it be a hug or something from a creepy handsy man. With that wild girl personality, you'd think she'd have slept around, but she was still a virgin. She assumed it was because she was scared she'd sleep with a man who turned out to be like her father. She wasn't for being beaten anymore.

River couldn't seem to find her place in the world, so she moved around a lot. Here is a small town in Maine was where she'd decided to stay for a short time. Short to her was at most six months, but here she was still there two years later. Unknowingly the poor girl stepped into the middle of a battle between two werewolf packs, one that would be bloody, but it wouldn't end there; no, she would get to meet the master of vampires soon as well.

She worked in a cafe during the day and went to the local bar at night, having fun with the two friends she'd made and sung karaoke. Sometimes she got drunk, and her friends carried her home safely, and sometimes she was doing the carrying. But, if there was one thing she knew, Brice and Lilly were her best friends, the best people she'd ever known. And they were lycans. Initially drawn to her by her strange and yet oddly familiar scent and this energy that seemed contained in a shell about to break open and spill out. But stayed because of her demanding yet bubbly personality. She was with no doubt insanely loyal, and they knew that too. They are the reason she stayed, she'd never felt like she had a family, but these two were the closest she would have.

"Come on, babe, come sing with me," Lilly whined to River, who smiled, holding her drink in her hand.

"I'm feeling a bit...happy. I think I'll slur the words." River lied with a smile, and Lilly kind of hopped up and down in an attempt to throw a dramatic temper tantrum.

"PPPLLLEEEAAASSEE!" Lilly said, letting enough letter last too long, throwing her head in exasperation. River laughed at how dramatic Lilly was being and handed her drink to Brice.

"Watch this, please. While I deal with...this." River said, allowing Lilly to drag her to the stage; it was Lilly's night to get drunk, apparently. "What are we singing?"

"St...starships." Lilly stuttered, and River rolled her eyes, "you do the rapping part...cause I suck at it, and you don't."

"Oh, God." River said, handing the mic to Lilly holding the other in her hands. The DJ turned on the song, and the lyrics came up on the screen, and they began. Surprisingly Lilly didn't do too terribly for being drunk, and once they'd finished, she helped Lilly stumble back to her seat. Barely not missing the seat, Lilly got up and ordered another drink and the bartender entertainingly gave her one. He looked up at River, who was giving him quite the glare, and he shrugged and slinked away, escaping the intensity that came with her expression.

"Sing with me," Brice asked River, whom he'd been crushing on hard for the past couple of years, and she smiled, utterly oblivious to that fact making their way to the stage. Brice had a lovely voice, but River had an amazing and beautiful voice, so no matter what song they sang, whether it be together or individually, people would lean in to take it in. Brice got to pick the song and chose 'Just Give Me a Reason by Pink as if the song wasn't to drop hints her way.

The song started, and both werewolves had their nostrils assaulted by an intense scent coming from the bar's front door. Even as Brice kept singing with River, his eyes were glued to the hallway where the scent seemed to be coming from. And there he was, Malachi, the most terrifying lycan who'd ever lived. Malachi scanned and snifted the room, and his eyes landed on River, who was singing so beautifully. She didn't know what was happening, but Brice did, and he was worried, unsure if he should run and keep away from her and keep himself alive or protect her and indeed die in the process.

Lilly's drunk ass sure didn't care as she stumbled up to Malachi, trying to seem angry and challenging. "Listen here, you werewolf...You keep your eyes off of my friend, or I'll...I'll gauge them out with this." She slurred, holding up a small stir straw as if it were a big, dangerous weapon. He looked down at her for a moment and then stepped around her keeping his gaze on River. His mate. He could smell her from where he stood, listening and making sure to put these moments away for later viewing. She smelled odd, not rotten, incredible actually, she was supposed to as his mate, but she also smelled different.

Each species had the same scent. Vampires smelled like vampires, humans like humans, and lycans smelled like lycans, but she was an odd mix of them all, and it confused and intrigued him. At least fate had been kind to him in the form of a gorgeous mate, she was small, but she looked solid and self-assured the way she stood. She wore a tight long sleeve black shirt with a plunging neckline showing off a lot of cleavage. He appreciated the view but wasn't too fond of the fact that so did many other men, and he could feel the arousal from the men and some women as they stared at her. But what really was pissing him off was the lycan singing beside her, obviously aroused by her as well.

When they'd finished, she walked toward him, slowing down as she passed by him, and she caught his scent, and he smelled as amazing as he looked, but she kept on walking. The three lycans in the room were a bit confused by this. Usually, when an alpha finds his mate, the mate is drawn to him as if the mate energies were a beacon to be followed. It didn't matter the species, as vampires were similar when it came to mates.

She went to the bar standing between Lilly and Brice and leaned her back against the bar, looking at Malachi.

"He is...attractive." She said in an unsure tone, as if unsure how she should feel when seeing him.

Her dark orange-red eyes brightened just enough that they were most definitely glowing, and Malachi looked as if he were in a trance as their eyes locked on each other. Lilly had sobered up moments after Malachi walked around her, as soon as she realized who he was.

"He looks like bad news, babe. A bad choice." Lilly whispered, her eyes set hard on this man. She and Brice knew precisely who he was, and they were scared, but at the same time, they couldn't leave their beloved friend to fend for herself against the beautiful monster that stood before them.

"Well, Lil, you know me...I'm all about bad choices." Her and Malachi's eyes never wavered as they continued to stare. She could smell him. She didn't realize that's what she was doing, but he smelled terrific, almost drunk by the way he smelled.

"Let's go." Brice said quietly, "let's get home and watch a movie." He grabbed River's hand to pull her away, but the moment he touched her hand, Malachi's eyes turned black, and Brice dropped her hand with a gasp.

"Yeah. I think that's a good idea." Lilly added, and no one moved their eyes from Malachi. Brice and Lilly tensed up as soon as he began walking toward them. River was still relaxed as she almost always was. Calm, cool, and collected.

"Hello," Malachi said as he approached them, more brooding than ever. River straightened herself up from the bar.

"Scottish?" She asked, coming off as if she had little interest in him.

"Yes." He replied, taking a small step closer to her. They both stood there a moment staring at each other, it felt awkward to everyone else, but the sexual tension was intense between the two of them.

"Cool. Welcome to America." She said, looking at Lilly then at Brice, "let's go. It's my turn to pick the movie tonight. Nice meeting you. Bye."

Lilly hesitated before hurrying around the back of the stunned Malachi. Brice and Lilly tried to rush River from the building, but she refused to hurry. Malachi watched her walk out, hoping to see her look back at him, but to his disappointment, she didn't.

*Author's note:This book contains violence, sexual scenes and talks about rape. Reader discretion is warned. I appreciate all of the support my reader's provide for me and my kids.  Please don't forget to give gems and votes and reviews please.  Every little bit helps!