Read Once Lost Lords (Royal Scales, Book 1) for Free Online Page A

With those looks, he might actually find a good time inside if
he loosened up. Only watered down drinks, though, wolves aren’t
allowed the heavy stuff in public.
    “Enjoy your night.” My normal friendly smile was kept
well under control. I found out years ago that something about my
teeth drove even the most domesticated wolf to aggression.
    Julianne’s bar was one among a string that catered to all
races. Accordingly this entire portion of road usually warranted a
patrol car or two on heavy nights. They didn’t pay attention to
a man like myself, I clearly served a helpful purpose.
    “Chicka says head on in and do the rounds.” The voice
came from behind me. He was a short Hispanic who migrated from the
Central Sector with his family. The man was also a wolf who belonged
to one of three packs in our region. He came out because another wolf
had gone in.
    I nodded and went inside.
    The crowd was fairly mixed. Some people were riveted to television
screens displaying interracial soccer. Other screens had football
reruns or politics. This city was a busy coastal metropolis with
having two major colleges and all the sports teams. Our baseball
players were doing terrible this year.
    A turn in the room later and I was face to face with Kahina’s
features. Her eyes stared without blinking into mine. She wanted my
attention, but her lips weren’t working. The black and violet
clothes wrapping her body lit up all the right places. I had to fight
the old reaction to kiss her.
    She still wasn’t talking. Her face held that excited or
possibly angry tint that I never could sort out. The way she teetered
between smiling or scowling made both reddened lips quiver slightly.
    “Hello, Kahina.” I dared speak first.
    Her unwavering stare continued. Kahina’s brain must be going a
mile a minute trying to figure out what to do with me. Hopefully, it
wouldn’t involve leveling those arms in my direction. Or
throwing me outside.
    “Alright, I’ve got work.” I tried to step around
and she sidestepped with me. Another sidestep resulted in us doing an
awkward dance.
    “Little help, Julianne?” I leaned to one side while
shouting around the black woman’s shoulder.
    “Kahina, either drag him to bed or let the man work.” She
shouted back. Leave it to Julianne to watch the entire thing.
    Kahina’s attention shattered and she turned towards the bar
with a hiss. Not one word had been uttered towards me. Heels clicked
as my ex charged to the bar. The sight of Kahina’s tall black
form near Julianne’s shorter one gave an odd impression that
normal was the wrong size to be.
    “You didn’t tell me he tasted different!” I could
make out her angry tone over the music easily.
    “You didn’t ask-” Her words trailed off as their
volume lowered. “-and how should I know what he tastes like?
It’s not like I licked his face when he came back.” Part
of me considered eavesdropping and seeing where the conversation
went. The other part of me figured distance was safer than risking
her circular thinking.
    A couple laps through and I picked a corner to settle in. The crowd
tonight wasn’t as wired as some I had been in. Hell, Julianne
had thrown me out of this same location once or twice in the year’s
past. Not that I didn’t deserve it, I think, I had been pretty
drunk.
    One of the waitresses handed me a platter with a hamburger on it. It
was hard to make anything out about her beyond a set of shadowed eyes
peering out of a face surrounded by pitch black hair.
    “Must be strange working here again,” The raven haired
female shook her head. “Amazing how things come full circle.”
    “Your point?” I asked.
    “Nothing. The miss wanted you to take a break then finish up
out front. We’re closing down at midnight.” The waitress
cocked her head at a weird angle to look at me, then she swiveled her
head towards Kahina at the bar.
    I grunted.
    “She looked mad.” She was questioning, probing for
details.
    “Or