The Untamed Beauty

Laney-2

The next thing I heard was the driver announcing that the exit to rogue town was coming up, startled I realized that I slept through the rest stop and the whole drive. The bus slowed to a stop as the voice announced "rogue town, please remember all of your belongings and watch your step." I stepped out into the balmy warm night air, pulling off my sweatshirt I glanced around trying to get my bearings. The bus stop was in the middle of town, with it being past midnight, most of the towns buildings were closed until morning, but a burst of neon lights a few blocks down caught my eye and so I headed toward the lights. My wolf was in the forefront of my mind sniffing all the new scents that were surrounding us, salty briny smell of ocean water was the most prominent, but mixed in were the varying scents of other shifter species. My wolf cataloged each scent, there were many wolves, a few bears, and fewer still were the big cats. I was in awe at the mixture of species that made up this town, I only ever been around wolves, so I was a little wary of the other species. I finally arrived at the building with the neon was lights, it looked like a bar or club, with a big burly bouncer at front, but no one was in line to enter. I approached the bouncer, "bear", my wolf growled into my mind, and cautiously I asked if the club was open. The bouncer looked me up and down with a searching look, and growled out "your not from around here are you FiFi, I can smell a pack princess a mile away." No, s**t Sherlock, I growled back, and the names not FiFi, I asked you a simple question, is the club open. The bear bouncer cracked a small smile, "feisty little pup aren't you, yeah the clubs open, go on in, the boss is going to love you". I lifted my lip in a small snarl as I walked past the bouncer at being called a pup, but it was ruined by the sound of my stomach rumbling, I could hear the bouncer chuckling behind me as I walked through the door. The interior of the club was dimly lit and was populated by a handful of shifters, a long black bar top dominated the back, with a dance floor and stage in the middle, flanked by tables around the edges. Nobody was on stage or the dance floor I noticed as I headed toward a table in the corner of the room. A short curvy red headed waitress called out from a few tables away "I'll be with you in sec, hun!" She approached table, and my inner wolf raised its head with pointed ears and growled out "big cat, Tigress". I glanced at her name tag, it said Kat, I giggled a cat named Kat. She smirked and said I know what your thinking girl, a cat named Kat, my mom wasn't real original, what can I get you?" I'll take a burger and a beer I guess, looking around is this as busy as it gets? "On a Tuesday, yeah it's pretty dead," Kat laughed, "now Friday with live music this place is jumping, I'll be right back with your burger." She walked back past a table with two large male shifters sitting at it when one of them reached out and smacked her ass and yelled "get me a another beer p***y cat!" Kat hissed keep your paws off me you mutt, and call me p***y cat one more time and I'll claw your eyes out. The shifter jumped up and snarled "you can't talk to me like that b***h, I'll have you fired like that" with a snap of his fingers. "Daryl sit your ass down, and keep your paws off my employee or not only will I kick your mangy ass out of my club, but I'll tear a chunk a out of your flea bitten ass" growled a cold silky voice from behind the bar. The shifter named Daryl, threw down $20 and with a low growl stalked out the door, as Kat made her way toward the kitchen area. I looked toward the bar and saw a tall, broad shouldered shifter with black hair and glittering gold eyes, his wolf was showing clear through, he glanced over at me and gave me a wink then went back to pouring drinks. I quickly glanced away feeling my cheeks turning pink as I was caught staring at him. I was saved from any more embarrassment by Kat coming back with my burger and beer, she set down everything and then collapsed into seat across from me with "so what's your story?"