Dhampirs of Sgiach

17. Kieran

Kieran hadn’t heard anything from Detective Reynolds for a couple of days and he wondered how many of the missing dhampirs had ended up in the river. The Dancing Pig was busy with werebears that had just returned from a mercenary mission. He was glad it was mostly Sleuth and not others. Kage had decided he wanted to make his own money and Kieran was teaching him how to wait tables. Echo had decided as well and was in the back kitchen with Rand and Mom.

Kieran smiled as he watched Kage read back the table of patient bears’ orders. No mistakes this time. He followed Kage back to the kitchen to give the order Rand. His first table that Kieran had stepped back from and let him handle mostly on his own had shown him the darker side of customers. A couple of growls at the human tourists from a nearby table of large muscled werebears had the pair of humans on their best behavior until they finished and left. The tip was only fifty lira, but at least they left one.

It was towards the end of the night when Detective Reynolds came into The Dancing Pig. Kieran was behind the bar and Kage had his own two tables that he was tending, while Ashley and Carmen dealt with the rest of the tables. The detective sat at the bar and flipped through the menu idly.

“What can I get you?” Kieran asked.

“Just a pint and…” Reynolds looked through the burger selection. “…a fully loaded double cheeseburger. Med-rare, please.”

“What kind of beer would you like? We have Hammersons, Forgemaster, Dragon’s Breath, Elkin Ale, and Yisran Mead.”

“A Hammersons is fine,” Reynolds said as he set the menu down and clasped his hands on the bar.

As Kieran turned to pass the order onto the kitchen and get the pint for the detective, he noticed Mr. Harrelson and Mr. Eklund, an equally old and reedy werebear, both pick up their pints and nonchalantly sit on either side of the detective. Kieran shook his head with a grin as he poured the Hammersons for Reynolds and placed it in front of him.

Suddenly, more bears and wolves were suddenly at the bar and Kieran was busier than Kage and the girls. Auron never had to worry about hiring bouncers when there were so many old men between Pack and Sleuth just looking for something to do.

When Kage brought Reynolds’ burger to him, the human made no comment about the well-done burger, or the extra crispy fries. When he was finished, he paid and left. Through it all, Kieran had wanted to ask him about the dhampirs they had found but all the shifters had made it impossible for him to.

When he opened the little book with Reynolds’ payment, he grinned at the note the human left on the receipt. I figured ordering Med-rare would get me well done. His grin fell when he counted the tip. Thirteen mira.

“What’s wrong with the tip? Do I need to go find that human?” Mr. Eklund demanded.

“The pack is ready!” Mr. Harrelson added with a loud belch. “-scuse me.”

“No, the tip is fine. Just not the number I was expecting,” Kieran said and placed the bowl of peanuts closer to the two old men. “Might want to sober up a bit before your mates come calling on you.”

A ding from his phone drew his attention.

Lacey: I miss you.

Kieran frowned at the message and the picture of her in just a bra and panties that showed up next. His chest tightened. He missed how they had been before she started pulling away from him. How they had been when he had decided to buy that damn ring.

Kieran: Then why?

Lacey: Idk. Meet up with me and we’ll talk about it.

Kieran: I’m not going to your place.

Lacey: Then we can meet up at the 24hr diner on 3rd.

Kieran: Fine.

“What’s wrong?” Kage asked as he and Echo came up to the bar at the end of their shifts.

“Nothing,” Kieran said with a smile.

“Are the dhampirs OK?” Echo asked in a soft voice once they were outside and headed to the car Kieran’s parents had given him.

Kieran shook his head. “Their bodies were found,” he said softly.

The ride home was quiet, and Kieran figured they were thinking the same thing he was. Kage could have been number fourteen.

Echo chose the book tonight, a more upbeat book about a guy that was reincarnated into the body of a ten-year-old and sent to a different world. By the time both were asleep, and Kieran could slip out, it was only a few hours until dawn.

Lacey was waiting for him in the back corner of the diner, a cup of iced tea in front of her. She was wearing a tank top and light jacket that he always liked to see her in, and he guessed the matching pleated skirt. That brought back memories of when they first started dating and dark back corners in movie theaters. Kieran sat in the booth across from her. “You wanted to talk,” he said.

“I… I’m sorry Kieran…” she said in a small voice as she looked down at her iced tea.

Kieran was silent as he watched her, and she squirmed lightly in her seat before she continued.

“Martin was so nice, and he bought me things and…”

“Martin Diaz? The Alpha of the local rats?” Kieran interrupted her. “Let me guess, he’s already moved on to some other skank?”

Lacey’s eyes widened and shined with unshed tears as she looked up at Kieran. “I’m sorry!”

“Spare me your crocodile tears,” he growled, and looked out the window at the street outside. “For months you were pulling away from me. You’re just mad you got caught.”

“Please, Kieran, let me show you how sorry I am.” Lacey reached out to grab his hand, but he pulled it away from her. “Please…”

Kieran didn’t know what to say. Didn’t want to speak for fear he would just accept her back. He had given two years to this woman. Had been planning to ask her to marry him. “I don’t know, Lacey,” he finally said, his shoulders slumping as he fell in on himself.

“Please…” she begged and reached out to grab his hand. “I miss you and I’m sorry…”

He closed his eyes but didn’t pull away. Kieran missed her too. Missed what they had. “You cheated on me. With a rat,” he pointed out as he embraced his Shadow Spark. The cool, comforting magic helped his voice stay steady.

“I f****d up, let me make it up to you,” she said. Her voice going low and sultry.

Gods, forgive me my weakness, he thought to himself as he nodded. His throat tight. Lacey led him from the booth to the back bathrooms. His magic tingled along their skin as she pressed him to the wall of the stall and kissed him deeply.

Kieran had missed her scent and taste as he reached down to grab her ass under her pleated skirt. He growled softly in appreciation as his hands met bare skin and the soft lace of a thong. His growl became a moan as her hands undid his belt and pants so she could slip them inside to his hard c**k.

“f**k me,” she breathed against his lips and yelped as he turned them, so she was up against the wall with her legs around his waist.

The sound of ripping cloth filled the stall as he pulled the thong from her and positioned himself at her entrance. Her gasp was a harmony to his groan as his c**k slammed inside her.

Distantly he realized this was a mistake, but it felt so good, and he missed her so much as he thrust his hips. Too soon, his fangs pierced the soft skin of her neck and her blood flowed over his tongue as he came hard.

They just panted together for a while afterward as he waited for his legs to steady under him again. “Two rules. Whoever texts the other first, pays for the hotel and this is never brought near Kage or Echo.” He pulled out and added, “and condoms.”