Brock's Punishment(4)

Brock watched the two together for a couple of minutes. The little fur ball rubbed against Lawson and it looked like Lawson was really enjoying the attention. Easing back toward the house, he gave Lawson and Matthew privacy.

Brock left the backyard and went back into the house.

It was time to pack a bag and head to the Silver Bullet for his shift. With all the newbies working at the club, it was important for a pack member to be there to supervise. So far, they had hired eight new employees. From bartender to server, bouncer to cook, they filled the positions with humans and paranormals. It made it easier for the pack so that the mated men wouldn’t have to spend all their time working.

They weren’t expected to work three days in a row any longer, but Brock still did. He preferred to keep himself busy with the work. And the apartment above the club was comfortable and quiet with soundproof walls. Although he enjoyed being at The Castle—hanging out in the game room, shifting and running with the rest of the pack—he liked being by himself.

He was happy for Lawson and for the other men in his pack.

It seemed that they had all found their perfect matches. He tried to not be envious, but the evil green-monster reared its ugly head. He’d been waiting patiently for years to scent the one person in the world meant for him, but so far, nothing. Not even a whiff of possibility.

Jogging up the stairs, Brock gathered the necessary items before leaving The Castle behind.



* * * *



Walking toward the club, Brock smiled at the new bouncer as the huge polar bear shifter leaned against the brick building.

“Hey, Brock, it’s good to see you, man.” Michael Moriarty greeted him with a smile.

The man stood tall at six foot, six inches and could easily weigh in at around three hundred pounds. He was a big guy with wide shoulders and biceps the size of Brock’s thighs. He had short platinum-blond hair and bright blue eyes. Most humans and shifters alike were intimidated by his appearance, but from Brock’s experience in dealing with Michael, he was a gentle giant.

“It’s good to see you as well. How are things going this afternoon?” Brock asked.

Brock usually stopped to chat with all the employees, wanting them to feel welcome into their new pack even if they weren’t full-fledged members. They all still had the protection from the pack. Gideon, Sean, and Sam were the interviewers that did the hiring. The new employees were given the option to live at The Castle with the rest of the pack, but all eight had declined.

“Busy as always.” Michael grinned.

“How did the move go? Do you like your new place?” Brock asked, wanting to make sure Michael was comfortable in the new house.

“Yeah.” He nodded. “It’s no big deal. I’m just renting a room from the Sabbath brothers. Those cats sure know how to party.”

“Those Sabbath boys can get wild. They used to come in all the time, but I haven’t seen them in a while.”

“Well, they’re back and making up for lost time.” He chuckled. “The two of them rolled out of here with a couple of guys a little while ago after an all-nighter.”

“Wow.” Brock grinned, shaking his head.

Stories about the Sabbath boys were legendary. The two men, Damon and Nicholas, had been regulars for years and were known to party hard. After a short break, it seemed the jaguar shifters were back and looking for some excitement. Luckily, Michael would be manning the door. The polar bear looked like he could handle anything.

“Yup.” He looked at his watch. “And I’ll be off in a little bit. I’m hoping they’ll either be passed out or at their tattoo shop when I get home.”

“Have they talked you into getting any ink?” Brock asked curiously.

Damon and Nicholas owned a tattoo shop called The Burning Needle. Both men were excellent artists and, for the most part, tattooed paranormals. They made their own special ink laced with silver. Not only did the tattoos heal fast, but the colors remained vibrant for eternity. The only problem was that the silver made the tattoo hurt a lot worse, but shifters and vampires still lined up to have their skin inked by the pair of men.

“No!” He shook his head vehemently. “Hell, one poke of the needle and I changed my mind. That damn silver burns like a son of a bitch.” Brock threw back his head and laughed at the look on Michael’s face. “It’s not funny. Nicholas wanted to do a back piece. He drew out an amazing design and one poke…I jumped out of the chair and walked out of the shop.”

“Oh, shit.” Brock laughed harder.

He couldn’t help himself. The idea of the large polar bear walking out on Nicholas in the beginning of a tattoo was almost too much.