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  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  Papa Bear for Darius

  Copyright 2019 Lorelei M. Hart

  ISBN: 978-1-68361-356-5

  Editor Wizards in Publishing

  Cover design by Fantasia Frog Designs

  Published by Decadent Publishing LLC

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Epilogue

  About the Authors

  It all started with an invitation…

  Omega Darius was always the antithesis of everything prized in his pack—something they reminded him of often as a child when his skinny physique and academic goals kept him on the outside looking in. Leaving his pack to attend university while most of the pups are just beginning high school has given him the freedom to explore all the academics he’s always longed to, but something is missing. Even years later when he finds his roommate and they form their own makeshift pack, he still feels off-center, like there’s a hole in his life.

  And then he’s invited to the shifter hotspot Animals for their annual Halloween party. This will change everything. He can feel it. He just has no idea how much.

  It all started with a job offer…

  Alpha Bruin spends his life traveling across the country installing eco-friendly updates to businesses. It’s a rewarding job, but a very lonely life. Not that he has anything to go back to. When his brother took over as clan leader, Bruin was given an ultimatum. He could challenge his brother or accept exile. Knowing a challenge would lead to his brother’s death, he chose never to return again. The sacrifice has been worth it. Mostly.

  His latest work project, the club Animals, turns out to feel more like home than anyplace he’s been since his clan. When the project ends, he isn’t ready yet to leave, willingly accepting an invitation to their Halloween shindig.

  When Darius and Bruin meet it’s lust at first sight. Darius brings out the daddy in Bruin who helps him discover a side of himself he never suspected he had. If only it wasn’t Bruin’s last day at Animals…in the country, for that matter.

  Papa Bear for Darius

  Omegas of Animals

  By

  Lorelei M. Hart

  Prologue

  Darius

  “It’s going to be a night to remember, that’s for sure.” Cal, an alpha lion shifter if my nose was accurate, which it tended to be, had officially taken over the chemistry study group I had decided to test the waters by joining. Not that I needed such a group to help me pass the class. I could easily teach the course, but it was lonely wearing my shoes, and I wanted to create a place I could shine and possibly finally meet some friends.

  I’d misunderstood what a study group was. So far, they had discussed three “hawt” professors, who, to be fair, were nice looking, and two upcoming frat parties. Just when I thought we’d moved on to a topic I could contribute to in a less than awkward manner, they started on about Animals, a shifter nightclub out in the desert a fair drive from campus, but a drive they all swore was worth it. The last part caught my attention if for no other reason than the guy I had dreams about getting naked with had been talking about it earlier when I wasn’t eavesdropping…much.

  “I’m hitting it up. Halloween parties are my jam.” A female alpha punched the arm of the guy to the left of her. I couldn’t figure out what exactly she was trying to accomplish with that move, possibly some kind of mating ritual, but all it got her was a growl—and not the sexy kind I had read about in books. It still cafuddled me how I could already have multiple college degrees and still not be able to understand the people around me, the ones who were finally just about peer level—at least age wise.

  When I entered college at fifteen, I thought I would take on the world. I didn’t have the clan hierarchy holding me back as I had at home. I thought my fellow students would be mostly humans, and easier to deal with because they didn’t have hierarchies. I’d been so incredibly naive. True, there were more humans than shifters, by a significant percentage, and, no, there weren’t clan dynamics. Where I’d completely gotten it wrong was in my assumption I could somehow navigate this world and fit in. Even at eighteen, I’d not yet found my niche.

  I would though. It was just going to take time. As my late mama used to say when I was growing up, the rest of the world just needed to catch up to me. She had referred to the other pups, but I held on to her promise like a lifeline.

  “I can snag a van.” A third person, one everyone had ignored the entire night even when he tried to interject his opinions on the subject at hand, finally gained the floor. “I mean, my dad lets me take it sometimes. I just need to have it back at the store when they open in the morning, and we can all chip in to fill the tank before we return it.”

  “And you, Joshua, are my favorite person.” The alpha leaned back, a victorious grin across his face.

  “The party starts at seven. Who’s in?” Matt, the fox who had originally announced the study group, asked. He was also the only one besides me who showed any inclination of wanting to actually break open some notes or a book. But with the party, a theme night at that, less of a hypothetical and more of a reality, he was all in on the not studying plan.

  And that was when I made the decision that ultimately changed my life. “I have a gas card.” Awkward as fuck, but given Joshua’s currency had been the van, gas money seemed a logical offering. “So we all have more money for the club.”

  And I was going to Animals for the first time. I was under no delusion the group had accepted me or I’d run into my crush and we’d live happily ever after. I’d kind of figured out over my time at the university that I might never fit in, not really. Heck, if you can’t fit in with your own pack, that was pretty much an indication of how your life away would go as well. I just wished I’d learned the lesson years earlier. It would’ve made me happier. Not that I fully learned it, as obvious by the attendance at the study group.

  ***

  “The line is long today.” Cal acted as if he was a regular. Given he hadn’t known where to park, I fought to not roll my eyes.

  Shifters. So many shifters. Not what struck me as odd. It was Animals, after all. What struck me as peculiar was how many humans were interspersed among them and how they appeared to know the score—that the majority of people milling around with them could take their fur at any second.

  I was awed. And as we slowly inched forward, I found myself listening to those around us, ignoring the small group I’d come with. They only let me come because of my stupid gas card, the one I’d picked up on my way back to my crappy apartment. It had gotten me here now, and, as I listened to the bears and lions and wolves and
even a koala, somehow, I just knew this was where I was meant to be.

  The bouncer at the door disagreed. Told me to come back when I was legal. And as was the way of true friends, the group I came with cracked up as they walked in, leaving me stranded. I couldn’t be mad. My not even thinking about the fact bars require you to be legal only showed me face on how desperate I’d been.

  Worst part was, I probably would do it again. My brain had a way of forgetting the important things when it came to social situations, and I found myself messing up—a lot. Like the time I thought I could pledge to a frat house at sixteen, or the time I asked my former professor to dinner, not realizing she thought I was asking her on a date and not trying to make a friend. I assured her I wasn’t looking for a female, falling back into shifter speak. I still couldn’t look her in the eye two years later.

  Social and I were not on the best of terms.

  “You.” A woman’s voice startled me. She was close, close enough I should have heard her coming—and I would have had I not been so into my head. Which wasn’t the safest way to be as I leaned against Joshua’s father’s van, waiting for who knew how long for them to get done with their fun.

  “Me?”

  “You are the one who came with those selfish pups?” Her hands were her hips, and I couldn’t tell if it was because she was posturing or because she was showing off her themed outfit, complete with glitter…so much glitter.

  “Probably,” I conceded.

  “You don’t belong here yet.” Her turn of phrase felt so purposeful.

  “Yet?” I blurted before I could think better of it.

  “Yes. Your invitation will come.” She waved, and a headlight shone in my direction. “Now, off with you.” The headlight turned out to be on a little beater of a car with a rideshare logo in the window. “He will take you home. No, not home, but back to your place. You’ll know when it’s time to come back.” She tapped her lip, nodded at the hired car, and turned on her toe, walking away and into the arms of a man I hadn’t noticed there. So weird.

  Not being able to think of anything else to do, I climbed into the car and calculated my funds in my head. If the driver could get me to the edge of town, I could catch a bus. Buying the gas card had not been my best idea. Or maybe it was. I still couldn’t decipher the conversation with the weird woman.

  “Can you just drop me off at the first bus stop?” I took out my wallet and counted my cash. Not much. Not much at all.

  “You’re not going to the east side?” He turned around. The guy had to be close to my age, and his scent was familiar…but not.

  “You take a class in Science Building 3, ending at 2:50 on Mondays and Wednesdays.” I finally placed his scent from when I walked into my three o’clock class, and blurted the information out before considering how creepy I sounded. “I’m not a stalker.”

  “No, I suppose not.” He chuckled. “I’m Basil, and welcome to my side hustle, at least until this thing fails inspection next month. The fare is paid to the east side, so I need to go there anyway to get paid. GPS, you know.”

  “I’m Darius. Paid?”

  “Indeed. So what do you say?”

  “East side, please.” I leaned back, feeling more at ease with this stranger than I had with anyone in a long time. By the time we pulled up to my building, I’d made a friend and, by month’s end, got my first roommate. That evening had been a catalyst for so many wonderful changes in my life. It took years before I discovered them all.

  Chapter One

  Bruin

  Three years later…

  I lifted the “dad hat” from my head and ruffled my hair. When Karma invited me to stay for the Halloween party before catching my flight to Spain for my next project, I’d agreed before knowing costumes were required. When I tried to gracefully back out on that basis, she waved away my concerns by offering to provide something for me to wear.

  When I protested again, Warren growled. The bear owner of Animals was my third cousin on my mother’s side, and had an almost “godfather” standing. He was very protective of his mate’s feelings, and because offending a client/relative/really huge bear was a bad idea, I had agreed to attend the Animals Annual Halloween Bash as Papa Bear. How she’d found a suit in my size, I’d never know.

  I’d been here working on eco-friendly updates for a couple of weeks, but, in truth, it was the easiest job I’d ever taken on. I’d already done Crossroads, the sister club in New Orleans, which had been a bit more of a challenge because they’d set up in a historical French Quarter building and were dealing with a century-and-a-half-old structure for which they couldn’t make many external changes. But Animals, set as it was in front of an ancient shifter cliff dwelling, had been built from the ground up with modern Earth-friendly materials and systems. Still, new technology came along every year, and Warren and Karma were very interested in walking lightly, especially since the lights and music of their type of business used a great deal of energy by its nature. Their carbon footprint was now less than the average residential home. I was good at my job.

  The club was decorated to within an inch of its life. And it did seem to have its own life. The feel of the cliff dwelling lingered, the many shifters who’d lived and died blessing the location. I had wondered briefly what the ancestors would think of the welcoming of not only every other paranormal but even humans…but times changed.

  And the clan I grew up in would not have welcomed other shifters, much less witches, trolls, ogres, and the fae—all of whom I were here dancing, drinking, gobbling food at the buffet--much less ordinary humans. I liked this system better. Once in a while, I missed my brother or cousins on my dad’s side of the family, none of whom would welcome me after the way I left, but spending time with Warren and Karma and their staff had been more than pleasant. At their invitation, I would return for a visit as soon as my schedule allowed.

  As I moved through the crowd, though, I remembered why I avoided parties. People were laughing together and dancing. Lots of hugging and kissing and, in the booths along the walls, some of the more graphic PDA that happened at shifter clubs. We were not hung up on nudity or public sex—at least some of us—a reason most facilities didn’t let others in. We liked to be ourselves.

  “Bruin!” Karma appeared from the doorway to the office hallway. “Have you found him yet?”

  “Sorry?” Was I supposed to be looking for Warren or something? “Can’t you find your mate?”

  “Not him. I always know where he is.” She linked her arm with mine and led me toward the entrance.

  “How do you do that? Are you sure you’re a garden variety human?” Some might take offense but not Cousin Karma.

  Her laughter peeled out. “You’re so silly. Don’t most couples of all kinds have a bond or a link? They even start to look like each other after a while, they say.”

  I dug in my heels and looked at her. She was pretty and curvy and wore enough sparkles to light up a small city. Her hair was in an elaborate updo contained in a net woven with more crystals or something shiny. “Karma, I don’t think you look anything like your mate.”

  She winked, long lashes sweeping her cheek. “And thank goodness. But one more trip past the buffet might change that. Have you tried the hot pepper mummies? Oh my gosh.”

  “No, I haven’t had anything to eat yet. Maybe I should go do that now.” Eating would take up some time, and then I could have a drink or two and slip away back to the guest suite behind the club in the cliff dwelling. How they’d managed to make use of the rooms while maintaining their historical integrity was a thing of wonder. I tried to head across the room toward the food, but Karma gripped my arm tighter.

  “Oh no you don’t.” She craned her neck to see around a pair of giraffes dressed as ghosts just entering. “You have to be right here when he comes. It’s important.”

  “Who are we talking about? Is there someone you need me to keep an eye on?” Because truly, once you let all this variety of folks in, you were takin
g a chance on someone annoying someone else.

  “No, no!” Her annoyed tone didn’t make sense. “I have plenty of employees. You’re here to have fun.”

  “Then who do you want me to meet?” She was being decidedly obtuse. Then it occurred to me. “Is it someone else who does eco work?” With so few of us in the paranormal world, visiting with someone who shared my passion was always a treat. “Maybe an environmental disposal specialist? Someone in solar?”

  She giggled again. “Is it all about work with you, Papa Bear? I said fun.”

  One of the servers came up and leaned in to speak close to her ear, and she sighed. “Well, heck. I thought I could be here to see, but I have a small emergency in the kitchen.”

  “Emergency?”

  “Kind of a fire.”

  I reeled back. “A fire? Has anyone called the fire department?”

  She snorted. “Out here? Nobody official knows we’re here.”

  “With a crowd like this?” I waved around. “How?”

  “Oh, ask Warren. I don’t deal with that stuff. But I do need to go make sure the fire is out and nobody got hurt.” She released me and took a step away.

  “I’ll come with you—”

  “No!”

  I jerked back at her vehemence. “Why not?”

  She came close again and held my gaze, speaking in a low, serious tone. “You need to be right here when he comes. These things…timing is critical. Now, promise me you’ll stay here until you meet him.”

  I was starting to wonder if planning this event had been too much for Karma, but upsetting her would only piss off Warren, and arguing would keep her from dealing with a serious situation. “I promise. I will.”

  A smile lit her face. “Perfect. I’ll check in on you later, but you won’t need me. I’m so excited.” Then she turned and headed toward the kitchen, the crowd melting away from her stiletto-heeled strides. Even if she was a little strange tonight, my cousin had met his perfect mate. They loved each other fiercely and unconditionally, and it was hard not to be jealous. I leaned against the wall and watched the crowd pour into the building, filling every space. No wonder they wouldn’t want the fire department here. They’d force half of these people out again. At least this was a good place to people watch.