The scary part about shifting was not remembering anything. Usually the alphas were the only ones who remembered the entire shift, but that wasn’t the golden rule. Some Shifters blacked out right away, and others could remember a few seconds or minutes into their shift. After that, everything goes dark. And thank God for that. I couldn’t imagine trying to share headspace with my animal spirit. Sharing a body was excitement enough. Not to mention introducing our wolves to the pack. When Hope and I decided to move in together, our Packmasters facilitated a meeting between our wolves.
They got along famously.
Not long after, we found a cute little apartment in the Breed district. Since most of the people on our floor were Shifters, we didn’t have to worry about someone calling the cops because our wolves were howling. Once a week, when my wolf needed to run, I would go back home and shift on the property. My family lived only thirty minutes away, and they loved having me around. Sometimes my uncle Denver let his wolf run with mine. They were no longer my pack, but they would always be my family.
I glanced around at our grey walls, white crown molding, and eclectic artwork. We had fantastic space. The floor-to-ceiling windows on my left stretched all the way to the kitchen. A short pony wall ran from the left side to the end of the kitchen island. It seemed like a useless feature to divide the rooms since you could see over it, so Hope had set all her plants along the ledge.
The hot-pink couch was the centerpiece of the room—all the other furniture was a muted grey to match the walls. Pink accents throughout the room added pops of color, including a throw pillow, the painting behind me, and a vase on the corner table. The living room reflected my colorful personality—levelheaded with a dash of crazy. The kitchen on the far side of the room was all Hope, with its earthy color scheme and inviting atmosphere.
The front door suddenly opened. Hope tossed her keys on a small table, slammed the door, and darted down the hallway, which was on her immediate left.
“Everything okay with your mom?” I yelled. “There’s still a bunch of pizza left over. Do you want me to heat it up?”
No reply.
A few minutes and a toilet flush later, she emerged from the hall at a sluggish pace, having changed into a pair of sapphire-blue harem pants. Hope gravitated toward styles with a baggy crotch or a flared leg—anything that screamed comfort and obscured her feminine curves.
She plopped down on the sofa across from me and stared vacantly at the white coffee table between us. “Mel, I’m in real trouble.”
“Did you break the toilet again?”
When she didn’t smile, I sat up.
Hope tucked her hair behind her ears, her eyes downcast. “My supplier canceled the last shipment and refunded my money.”
I blinked in surprise. “He can’t do that! We’ve got over a hundred preorders and a store opening.”
“Apparently he can.” She sank back and drew her knees to her chest. “He wanted to double the price. I asked around, and because we didn’t have a contract, he’s within his rights. If I don’t secure a new supplier and get a shipment within a week, we’re toast.”
A cold feeling of dread washed over me. I stared through the window at the night sky, struggling to make sense of how someone could be such an unprofessional asshole. “We’ll just reach out to our customers. I’m sure they’ll understand.”
She threw her head back. “I’ve had time to think about this. We can’t afford to lose customers with bad first impressions. Our reputation is on the line, and you know how the packs talk. Some of them are dying to see us fail, just because their packs don’t get along with our former Packmasters.”
I launched to my feet and waved my arm. “Well, screw them if they can’t stand to see two women doing what they wished they could have done fifty years ago! I’m not about to be penalized for being ambitious. Some packs still sell moonshine for a living, and they want to judge us? The mind boggles.”
She attempted a smile but failed dismally. Her pensive expression reminded me so much of her father. We came from different backgrounds, and because of that, we worked well as a team. Hope was reserved and planned everything, whereas I was the risk-taker who made impulsive decisions. My father had once said I was a Van Morrison song—a free spirit who didn’t look before she leaped. Hope helped me look, and I helped her leap.
I sighed and folded my arms. “So what’s the backup plan?”
Her eyes remained closed. “That final shipment would have lasted me another six months, but now… I don’t know.” She pressed the heel of her hand against her forehead. “I have three potential dealers.”
“That’s great news!”
She rolled her head to look at me. “Tribes don’t negotiate over the phone. There’s no way I can meet with all three of them and still help with the store opening. Two of them are close, but the third one—he’s the most notable dealer in the country. Not many Shifter tribes deal in gemstones and precious metals. All the tribes respect him. The catch is he lives in Oklahoma.”
“Why’s that a problem? It’s not that far of a drive.”
“When I consulted my mother for advice earlier, she forbade me from going to Oklahoma.”
I sputtered with laughter. “Forbade? Are you kidding?”
Hope lifted her head. “My estranged grandfather lives there, and she doesn’t want me anywhere near his territory. I’m unclaimed by a pack, and she warned me that some of the packs up there are savages who take whatever they want. It’s not worth the risk.”
“Is the dealer in Oklahoma part of a pack, or is he a rogue?” I rounded the coffee table and switched on a lamp.
“Does it matter? He’s one of the best, Mel.”
“Just go. Maybe he’s not even a wolf. The only way we’ll earn the respect of people in this community is by standing on our own two feet.”
Hope put her feet on the ground and leaned forward. “Dang it. I know you’re right, but I made a promise, and I keep my promises.”
I strode toward her and sat on the coffee table. “Then I’ll go. You interview the other two prospects, and I’ll drive up to Oklahoma and work my magic. We can call each other and compare notes. You can make me a list of questions if there’s anything you want me to ask him. I’ve worked with you long enough that I know what you’re looking for and how to negotiate a deal.”
Her eyes glittered with tears. “You would do that? What will your parents say about you going off alone?”
I laughed and leaned back. “My parents are the most liberal people I know. Now that we’re on our own, we don’t answer to a Packmaster. It’s hard to get used to, but we don’t require anyone’s permission. That’ll change if we ever join a pack, but let’s make the most of it. You made a promise, and because of the whole family thing, I get it. But no one from my old pack is going to bat an eyelash. I’ve gone up there a few times on hunting trips, plus it’s only for a day or two.”
She clasped my hands in hers. “Everything’s going to work out. It has to! Can you believe we’re going to open our own boutique? A store called Moonglow, and we’re located on Starlight Road. That’s a good sign. The fates are watching over us.”