Chapter 1

SHADOWS IN THE DARK 

Aiana's POV

I let out a sigh as I gently wiped down the bar, my eyes briefly scanned the room as I did my job. The familiar hum of chatter from lousy drunk men, the clinking of their glasses, and the low music that played smoothly in the background filled the air. 

Of course my regulars were there, they were seated in their usual spots. I had already served them their usuals. 

I ran my fingers through my silky, jet black, straight hair. I was somewhat proud of my genes though. Even though I didn't take extra care of my hair, my hair still looked perfectly straight....well except for the razor cuts that made it look like my hair was chopped by someone who came at it with a chainsaw. Ahem.

"Another round, Aiana!" A burly man called out at the counter and I looked to see him waving his empty glass.

I shot him a small, polite smile. 

"Coming right up, Rick." I replied. 

Rick was an Other, but he was one of the good ones. And I gotta say, there were only a few of them, the good ones. But the thing was, the Others owned Black Creekside Town. They were more or less the landlords of this city. That didn't mean you couldn't find other breeds here though. There were shifters, witches, warlocks, vampires, panthers, werewolves and of course, humans. 

But I doubt there were any of my type here, hybrids. 

You know, it wasn't everyday a lyncan shewolf would get entangled with a warlock. Hehehe.

As I reached for the bottle of whiskey, my gaze slid to the back corner of the bar. A group of men sat huddled together, they were too quiet, their eyes darted constantly across the room. They weren’t regulars. The way they moved, like they were testing the waters, it set me on edge. I recognized the type—the way they seemed cocky and restless, that screamed trouble.

I narrowed my eyes as I watched them, I wanted to know what their deal was. 

"You alright, Aiana?" my fellow bartender, Mary Ann, asked me and I turned to see that she had her eye brows raised. Her eyes soon followed the direction I was looking and she spotted the men.

"Yeah, fine. Just keeping an eye on those guys over there." I said and nodded toward the men. "They don't look like they're just here for the drinks." I noted. 

Mary Ann glanced over and frowned. She was my best friend and neighbor and the only person I trusted in this city. She was human. 

"Want me to call security?" She asked but I shook my head. For all I knew they may just be there for drinks. I hated to meddle into other people's business, especially when it didn't affect me directly. 

"Not yet. Let’s see how they play it." I said. 

Mary Ann nodded her head and moved off to serve another table while I finished pouring Rick’s drink. I leaned against the counter and half-listened to his drunken rambling about his wife’s cats, while my own mind drifted to the corner table again. 

I have been working at the bar for a few years now, I have managed to hustle my way through the days, and owning the nights. 

At 29, I have learned to live life on my own terms. And the fact that I was a hybrid—half lycan, half warlock—made it both easier and harder.

 I wasn’t part of any pack or coven, and here in Black Creekside Town, that meant you stood alone. But somehow, I kinda liked my independence. You could call me quiet but that didn't mean that I would take crap from just anyone. I have long learned that the world didn’t hand out kindness to those who didn’t demand it.

As Rick stumbled off to find a seat, I felt my phone as it buzzed in my back pocket. I let out a sigh, because I knew exactly who it was before I even checked.

Barch.

My landlord. 

I let out another sigh and my lips pressed into a thin line as I answered. 

"What now, Barch?" I said into the receiver speaker. 

“Aiana, we need to talk about rent,” Barch's slimy voice oozed through the phone. “You’re two weeks behind. I’ve been more than patient.” he whined and I rolled my eyes. 

"I told you, I’ll have it by the end of the week." I told him. 

“I’ve heard that before,” he snapped. “If you don’t have it by tomorrow, consider yourself out. Got it?” he threatened and I bit back a growl.

 "Yeah, yeah. You'll get your damn rent." I said and hung up, irritated.

I wonder what it was with Others and money. Jeez. The last thing I needed was another problem from him. 

I ran my fingers through my silky hair again as I began to feel restless. I hated when I felt restless. And that happened whenever things were beginning to spiral out of my control.

I grabbed my leather jacket and muttered to Mary Ann,

 “I’m stepping out for a smoke. Be back in a minute.” I said and walked out, I faintly heard her response but I couldn't tell what it was. 

Once outside, the cool night air hit me like a balm. The bar sat on a quiet street, the glow of the neon sign made out seeming shadows on the damp pavement you would think they were actual figures. I stared deep into the night for a few seconds before I pulled out a cigarette and lit it with a flick of my fingers. I watched the flame dance briefly before I took a long drag. The smoke curled lazily into the air while I leaned against the wall and allowed my thoughts to race. 

A movement from across the street suddenly caught my attention. A group of men stood under the streetlamp, their eyes were trained on me. 

I recognized them immediately. Panther shifters. The same group of men I had noticed earlier in the bar. 

One of them stepped forward, he was a tall man with a smirk that made my skin almost crawl. 

"Hey there, sweetheart.” he drawled in a voice that felt like scales against my skin. 

I narrowed my eyes at him. I didn’t respond, I just took another drag of my cigarette and stood my ground. 

The last thing I wanted tonight was a fight, but I'd give them one if I have to.

“You’ve been ignoring us all night,” another one chimed in. “Not very nice, is it?” he asked with a stupid smile on his face. 

I flicked the cigarette to the ground and crushed it under my boot. 

“Not interested,” I said flatly.

The first guy’s smirk widened as he took another step forward.

 “That’s not how it works, babe. We’re just being friendly.” He insisted. 

My muscles immediately tensed, my hybrid senses flared as I prepared myself. I wasn’t really in the mood for this, but I guess I could handle them— I'd fought off worse anyway. These were only mere Panther shifters. Not exactly the top in the food chain. I could handle them with a few spells that I had mastered. The sheer thought of turning them into vegetables was beginning to make my mouth water in anticipation.  

Just as I was about to respond, a voice cut through the rigid atmosphere from behind me.

“Is there a problem here?” I heard a gruff and unfamiliar voice say and I turned to see who it was. 

For a split second, my breath caught in my throat. The man who stepped forward was tall, with dark hair. Since it was night, I couldn't make out the color of his hair but I could see that he had piercing amber eyes that seemed to see straight through me. His presence was strangely magnetic, it felt commanding, and as much as I hated to admit it, I felt an immediate pull. 

He looked calm, but there was a hardness in his eyes that warned the panther shifters to back off.

“Who the hell are you?” The leader of the group sneered. 

The man’s eyes didn’t even move from mine.

 “I asked if there’s a problem.” He repeated. He towered over me in a way that made me feel short even though I knew that I wasn't a dwarf. He was probably around six foot two or something..... 

The atmosphere thickened with tension. I found myself momentarily stunned by the man’s boldness. Of course I have dealt with cocky guys before, but there was something different about this one. His confidence wasn’t arrogance—it was quiet power.

I could tell. 

For a moment, we just stood there, the cackling electricity between us had shifted into something unspoken, something I couldn't explain, something tensed. I really wasn’t one to believe in things like love at first sight, but damn, there was something about this stranger that hit me like a freight train.

And frankly, I didn't mind.