“Alright.” Once the trash was collected, the woman scampered back into the house.
“C’mere, scamps, say goodnight to your mama,” Cassidy said, pressing sloppy kisses to both her children’s cheeks. Cassidy’s husband leaned over and pressed a goodnight kiss to her mouth. Holly watched on, trying not to stare. Even though they were all half-bear, they seemed so…normal.
The crowd scattered, leaving Cassidy and Holly as the last women standing. “You don’t have to wait up with me,” Holly reassured.
“Nah, I like watching the fire burn down,” Cassidy said. The fire cracked and hissed before Cassidy asked, “So what’s it like to be the queen?”
“I’m sorry?” Holly asked, surprised.
“You should be.” A grin curled over Cassidy’s lips. “You’ve broken the hearts of women everywhere, snatching my brother up.” She gave a nod towards Jacob and Holly felt herself color.
“I’m lucky,” Holly tried quietly.
“Human, no less. How’d you manage to swing that one?”
Holly’s eyes grew wide. “What—?”
Cassidy laughed. “This ranch isn’t what it seems, kid. Heck, this town is full of shifters. Bears, cougars, you name it.”
Cassidy took a swig of beer and Holly felt a tremor of unease.
“You can relax,” Cassidy continued. “As long as you’ve got the Alpha of Red Moon Ranch by your side, you’re safe.”
“I guess he’s kind of a big deal, huh?” Holly asked timidly. He was just her husband to her. Her weird, handsome, troubling husband.
“My idiot brother really hasn’t told you anything, has he?” Cassidy scoffed.
Holly blinked. There’s more?
Cassidy sighed. “Alright. So you have my brother, your husband, Jacob, Alpha of Red Moon. That means if he barks, everyone straightens up to listen. Brent is his Beta—that’s second-in-command for you fur-virgins. The Red Moon clan is one of the strongest in Northern California. It’s our family bond that makes us so powerful. Other clans—they get into petty fights, they leave each other. We’re loyal to the end.”
Absently, Holly’s eyes followed the lanky woman that was making her way to the house where Jacob and Brent were huddled together.
“Honeypots, that’s what the women are called,” Cassidy said, following Holly’s line of vision and leaning in as though she had some great secret to tell. “Girls who hang around hoping one of the bears will take notice and Mark them. Being Marked by the Red Moon clan…that’s protection for life. You can think of them as the Red Moon fan club. Only instead of carrying gift baskets and cheer, they do a little farm upkeep from time to time.”
“Protection from what?”
“Hunters. Shifters. Other clans. Take your pick.”
Holly watched the girl that had gone back to the house—attractive, mid-twenties—and noticed her eyeing Jacob. She felt an edge of jealousy spark through her and tried to push it down—jealousy was an ugly emotion, in her opinion. Still, she couldn’t help but think—had they baited him? Had he ever taken the bait?
Cassidy side-eyed her and clicked through her teeth. “You’re sweet. I can see why Jacob had to have you. But let me be the first to tell you, darling, that sweetness won’t get you anywhere. You’re the Alpha’s mate now. You have to stand up tall. Be worthy of the title. There’s a long line of women hungry to take your place.”
Cassidy perked up suddenly, blinked at empty air, and then put her bottle down and said, “Mama’s calling. I’ll be back.” Holly strained her ears, trying to hear whatever Cassidy was hearing, but came up with nothing. Ah. Supernatural hearing. Right. A whisper probably sounded like a holler to them. Holly made a note to herself not to whisper behind anyone’s back. Not that she would, anyway. Cassidy patted her thigh once and said, “Sit on that for a bit. You’ve got a lot to learn, darling. Babysit my beer for me, will you?”
“Yes, of course,” Holly said and listened to the rattle of the front door behind her as the house swallowed Cassidy whole.
Holly lingered next to Cassidy’s beer and watched the approaching sunset. The mountains looked dark, shadowed in the distance, and rimmed in gold and red from the setting sun. Holly’s eyes swept over the Red Moon Ranch. Jacob’s place looked tall and proud in the dark, Brent’s hunched over a wild expanse of yellow shimmering crops. Cassidy’s was the only house with lights on, the chimney awake and puffing smoke. She imagined Cassidy’s husband cooking dinner for the two kids as they all sat around the dinner table. What did they talk about? School? Mating season? How all their friends had the new iPhone? Could she have a normal family with Jacob or would they be buying their cub a flea collar for his eighteenth birthday?