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Quincy

“Quincy! Earth to Quincy!” Kyara’s voice cuts through my daydream, pulling me back to the present.

“Huh?” I snap my head around to look at her, blinking as she places two foamy pints of beer in front of me on the bar at the brewery where we work.

“Table six.”

“Right,” I nod, grabbing the glasses. With one in each hand, I start to turn away, but Kyara catches my arm, stopping me.

“What’s going on with you today?” she asks, her dark brown eyes searching mine. “Not sleeping well again?”

I shake my head quickly, my brown hair falling into my face. “No,” I lie, blowing a stray strand out of my eyes. Kyara gives me that look—the one that says she’s not buying it. I sigh, giving in. “Okay, maybe a little.”

I pull my arm free and turn to deliver the beers, jumping slightly when the bar towel snaps against me.

Kyara grins, waving the towel. “Hurry back so you can spill everything.”

I roll my eyes as I step out from behind the bar. I don’t really want to talk about it, but knowing Kyara, she won’t drop it until I do. We’ve gotten close since I started working at Cedar Ridge Brewery at the start of summer. She’s one of the few friends I have left. After high school, everyone else seemed to have a plan. Some went off to security training camps, others to college or into jobs they had lined up. But me? I didn’t really know what came next.

Options are limited in our small part of the world. Wolf shifters usually stick to their kind, staying close to the pack. Most of us don’t stray far from our territories because there’s safety in numbers; we watch each other’s backs. Here, there’s no need to hide what we are—being a shifter is as natural as breathing. Since the six-pack alliance was formed a few years ago, our territory has grown quite a bit.

The packs collaborate to run businesses along the edges of the territory, generating income for everyone. The two main attractions are Cedar Ridge Ski Lodge and Cedar Ridge Brewery. While the ski lodge closes for the summer, the brewery operates all year, so I managed to get a summer job waitressing there.

At least, I kept telling myself it was just for the summer. Now that the season’s almost over, I have no clue what my next move will be.

Before graduating, I briefly thought about trying college—but leaving my pack for months and blending in with humans? No, thanks. Besides, even if I wanted to, my dad, the pack’s alpha, probably wouldn’t have allowed it. He’s always been overly protective of his only daughter.

I also considered joining the security squad to become a fighter for the six-pack territory, but my boyfriend convinced me otherwise. If I made it, I’d have to live at the squad complex, and for some reason, he was adamantly against the idea of living just twenty minutes apart. At the time, I thought it was sweet that he didn’t want to be away from me. Now, I see it for what it was—just another way for him to control me.

Clinton Masterson. We started dating near the end of our junior year, and back then, he seemed like everything I could ever want—handsome, sweet, and charming. I thought the world of him. We stayed together through senior year, and when graduation came, he begged me to stay in Sommerdame with him. Even after we both turned eighteen and discovered under the full moon that we weren’t fated mates, he promised he’d still choose me if I stayed. And like a fool, I believed him, shaping all my future plans around him.

Until I found him in bed with someone else.

I can’t erase the memory. Clinton, sweaty and breathless, on top of Camilla, a girl I once considered a friend. I’d gotten off work early to surprise him, but I was the one who got the shock. He chased after me, begging for forgiveness, but I couldn’t even look at him. I’ve never cried harder—it felt like my heart was being ripped out. When I confronted Camilla a few days later, she admitted it had been happening all summer, right under my nose. That’s when I knew it was really over.

That was two weeks ago. Since then, I’ve been moving through life like a ghost—barely eating, hardly sleeping. I’ve gone through every emotion—heartbreak, anger, and now, just…numbness. I wish I could forget Clinton and move on, but every time I try, something brings me right back to that moment, standing in his doorway, watching my world fall apart.

“Here you go, guys,” I say, placing the beers down at table six. “Need anything else?”

The guy on the left glances me over, grinning. “Yeah, how about your number?”

Smooth.

He’s cute—college-aged, with messy dark hair and a charming smile. But he’s definitely…human.

I chuckle and put a hand on my hip. “Sorry, I’ve got a…” My voice falters before I can finish the word “boyfriend.” Right. I guess I don’t have one of those anymore. Once again, Clinton forces his way back into my thoughts.

“A what?” the guy asks, his fingers brushing lightly against my arm.

I jerk away from the touch, quickly stepping aside to break the contact. I recover fast, inhaling deeply while searching for an excuse. My eyes flick to the bar. “A girlfriend,” I reply, throwing Kyara a playful wink.

She catches my drift, and though she probably can’t hear me over the noise, she smiles and tips her head while pouring a pint.

“Whoa, that’s hot,” his friend says, his eyes wide as he stares.

I laugh softly and roll my eyes as I walk away. “Enjoy the beers, guys.”

Having shifter hearing can be a real curse sometimes—I catch every word of their conversation about how my shorts fit, all the way back to the bar. Pervs.

“So, are you finally going to spill what’s been bothering you?” Kyara asks as I round the corner to join her behind the bar. She leans casually, one elbow propped on the counter, and tucks a strand of her blonde hair behind her ear.

I sigh, crossing my arms. “You already know, Kyara. Don’t make me say it.”

She lets out a breath. “Yeah, I figured.” She reaches out, giving my arm a comforting rub. “That jerk didn’t deserve you, Quincy. The sooner you move on, the better off you’ll be.”

“Easier said than done,” I mutter, staring at the floor.

“Nope, that’s it,” Kyara snaps. I glance up at her and see that determined glint in her eyes. “You’ve been sulking around here long enough. We’re going out tonight, and you’re going to meet someone who’ll make you forget all about that cheating loser.”

I shake my head. “I’m not sure I’m ready…”

“I’m not giving you a choice,” she cuts me off, raising her hands. “Best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.”

“What?!” I sputter, laughing. “Did you just come up with that? I don’t think I’m looking for a rebound.”

“Oh, you definitely need a rebound fling,” Kyara says with total confidence. “After our shift, you’re coming to my place. We’ll get dolled up and go break some hearts.”

I scrunch my nose. “On a Wednesday?”

“Especially on a Wednesday,” she says, wiggling her eyebrows. “Hump day.”

I laugh, playfully swatting her arm. I could keep arguing, but I know it’s pointless—she won’t back down.

Truthfully, I’m a bit curious. Kyara’s from Clearwater, and I’ve never been out to the bars there. Before I started working at the brewery, I rarely left Sommerdame’s territory—I never had a reason to. Now that I think about it, there’s no reason I shouldn’t explore other towns, especially where I won’t risk running into Clinton. He’ll never leave the comfort of Sommerdame.

“Alright, fine,” I sigh.

Kyara’s face lights up, and she squeals, fists clenched in excitement as she bounces in place. “Yes! This is going to be amazing!”

I can’t help but laugh at her reaction—she looks like an excited kid. Even though Kyara’s two years older than me, she has such a youthful vibe. Maybe it’s her petite frame, her doll-like face, or the freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks, but she could easily pass for a high schooler.

“Alright, I’m texting Tony to see if he’s in,” she says, pulling her phone from her back pocket.

The mention of her boyfriend dampens my excitement a bit. I thought this was going to be a girls’ night, just the two of us. Adding Tony into the mix shifts the whole vibe.

It’s like she can sense my hesitation. “Is that okay?” she asks, her big brown eyes blinking up at me.

“Yeah, of course,” I say, forcing a smile.

Can’t wait to be the third wheel on your date night.

Kyara’s fingers fly over her phone screen as she quickly types out a message to Tony, sending it before glancing back up at me.

“Great! We’re off at nine, so I told him to meet us there at ten. That should give us plenty of time to get ready.”

I nod, smiling again. “Sounds good.”

Kyara’s eyes flick past me, and a smirk spreads across her face. “Looks like you’ve got some fans over at table six.”

I chuckle, rolling my eyes. “Yeah, about that…”

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