Shifter On Ice (Shifter World - Book Two) (Series of 13 Short Stories)
Chapter Five: Trouble at the Dive

“I can’t believe you found your mate,” Sebastian Bensing said, glaring at Raj. “You out of the rest of us.”

Raj grinned. “Fate is a bitch.”

“You can say that again,” Daryl grumbled from the other side of the table.

“But she’s a smart bitch. I mean, look what she gave us,” Dustin said, watching Sharissa and Lyvia.

Raj nodded with a wicked grin as he watched his mate lean against the bar while she waited for their drinks.

“At least Marry-Beth likes our little human,” Daryl said with a smile.

“I think she’s jealous.” Dominic chuckled. “She keeps looking at the girls, then over at you two with that evil eye of hers.”

“She’s a lot older than us and hasn’t found her mate.” Daryl waved to the owner of The Shifter Dive.

“Do they have Fated Mates for lesbians?” Drezden wondered out loud.

The others at the table looked at him and broke into laughter.

“You know I’ve never thought of that.” Dustin shook his head.

“What are you boys hackling about?” Sharissa asked as she set a tray of drinks on the table.

“Just wondering if the Goddesses created Fated Mates for the same-sex as they did us.” Dustin smiled as he pulled Shar onto his lap and kissed her.

“Same-sex?” Lyvia asked as she sat in the chair beside Raj.

“Yeah, you know,” Dylan said, making both fists into O’s and pounding them together.

“Oh God,” Shar said, staring at Dylan.

He just smiled at her and kept pounding his fists together.

“We get it,” Lyvia growled.

Dylan chuckled and lowered his hands.

“I didn’t know Marry-Beth was a lesbian.” Shar turned her head to look at the bar’s owner.

“No wonder she’s been looking at us with longing instead of the guys,” Lyvia chuckled.

“Well, it’s time for me to go,” Sebastian said, looking at his watch.

“But you just got here,” Raj said, watching his friend.

Sebastian shrugged. “We’re leaving early in the morning. I just wanted to meet your beautiful mate and tell her she’s with the wrong guy,” he said, winking at Lyvia.

Lyvia smiled at him. “In your dreams, panther.”

Sebastian’s hands went to his chest. “Right through the heart, darlin’.”

She chuckled. “I was actually aiming lower.”

“Ugh!” Sebastian grunted as he backed away from the table. “And at that note, goodnight, all. I will be back next month. You all better keep your eyes in the back of your heads because no one else is replaceing their mate until I get mine.”

“You’re dreaming if you think I’m going to not look for mine while you’re gone,” Daryl growled.

Sebastian snorted, then looked at Raj and Lyvia. “Congrats, you two. And to you two on the cub,” he said, smiling at Dustin and Shar.

“Be safe,” Shar said from Dustin’s lap.

Dustin laid his hand over Shar’s flat stomach and grinned at Sebastian.

“And you,” Sebastian said, pointing at Raj. “You’ve got yourself a good mate there. Don’t screw it up.”

Raj grinned and pulled Lyvia against his side. “Don’t plan to.”

“Catch you all next month,” Sebastian said, then he was gone.

“I’ve got to pee,” Shar said with a moan. “I think this cub uses my bladder as a trampoline.”

Dustin chuckled as he kissed her cheek. “Will you go with her?” he asked, turning to Lyvia.

“Of course,” Lyvia said as she got to her feet.

Shar jumped off Dustin’s lap, and the two women headed to the bathroom—arm in arm.

“They keep looking at our mates like they’re a course in a seven-course meal,” Raj growled when he noticed almost every eye in the bar on their mates.

Dustin nodded. “You’ve got to get used to it, brother. It’s the pheromone they put off. Mostly your mate. I think she’s in heat.”

Raj snorted. “Yeah, I think her tiger is. But Lyvia wants us to get to know each other before we start a family. But with the knotting, I don’t think that will happen.”

“I know Shar will love to raise our cub with her friends. Hell, maybe they’ll be mates,” Dustin said with a laugh.

“Have you tried condoms?” Dylan asked.

Raj snorted and tried not to laugh. “Yes, and I can’t wear condoms with my mate.”

“Odd,” Daryl said without looking at Raj.

“What happened?” Dustin asked, watching Raj. “I haven’t had the need to try with Shar.”

Raj snorted. “The condom popped off the tip of my dick and hit Lyvia in the face.”

The table erupted in laughter.

“Yeah, I laughed too. Until she punched me. But the sex was awesome after that.” Raj grinned.

“How’s her tiger taking to all this?” Dominic asked.

Raj laughed when he thought of her dining table. “Let’s just say she’s as eager as her human to fuck like rabbits.”

The men around him laughed again.

“I don’t think so,” Dustin said, jumping to his feet.

Raj turned to where Dustin was looking and growled deep in his throat. Five shifters were waiting outside the women’s bathroom.

“What the fuck?!” Raj bellowed as he jumped to his feet.

“Let’s go stop them before the girls come out,” Dylan said as he got to his feet.

“I swear to the Goddesses, I’m not bringing my mate here anymore,” Dustin said, cracking his knuckles.

“And what has you fine men in a huff?” Marry-Beth asked as she walked up to the six shifters who looked ready for a brawl.

“Oh, nothing much, just some pricks trying to hone in on our mates,” Raj said, pointing to the five men waiting outside the women’s bathroom.

Marry-Beth looked at the five shifters outside the bathroom and rolled her eyes. “They could be waiting for their women.”

“Seriously, you’re going to take their side?” Dustin asked, glaring at the owner.

“I’m just saying,” Marry-Beth snapped.

“Look, Marry, I know you’re jealous that we’ve found our mates,” Dustin said, making the woman glare at him. “And I pray that someday you replace yours,” he said, raising his hands in the air. “But Shar’s pregnant, and I’m not going to let those assholes touch her.”

Marry-Beth sighed and let out a growl. “Take it outside. I don’t want a single table or chair broken.” She turned to leave, then turned back with a genuine smile. “Congrats on the cub, Dustin,” she said, then turned and walked back to the bar.

“You heard her boys. We take it outside,” Daryl said, cracking his knuckles.

~🐯~

“There’s a bunch of guys outside the door,” Sharissa whispered as she turned to look at Lyvia.

Lyvia moved from the dryer to her friend and peeked out the door. “Holy fuck.”

Shar giggled, and Lyvia rolled her eyes.

“What do you think they want?” Lyvia asked.

“Us,” Shar whispered.

“Seriously? Knowing we have two powerful—mate bond pumped—shifters?”

Shar laughed. “I like that description of our men.”

“Let’s stay in here until they’re gone. I don’t want to fight off handsy men.” Lyvia walked over to the chairs against the wall and sat down.

“Yeah, I have my cub to think of now,” Shar said as she joined Lyvia.

Lyvia laughed.

“What?” Shar asked, looking at her friend.

Lyvia shook her head. “Nothing. I just remembered how I’d used the excuse of you being pregnant, and we didn’t know that you really were.”

Shar chuckled. “How long should we wait?”

“If they’re not gone in five, we’ll call the guys.”

~🐯~

“Ask them what they’re standing there waiting on,” Dustin whispered in Dylan’s ear.

Dylan nodded and walked up to one of the five men outside the bathroom.

“Good call,” Raj whispered.

Dustin nodded, and they watched as Dylan approached the men.

“Hey, man,” Dylan said as he stopped beside the shifters. “What are you guys waiting out here for?”

The man closest to Dylan looked at him and laughed. “Haven’t you heard about them? There are two unclaimed Fated Mates in the bathroom. I’ve heard that even if you’re not their Fated Mate, the sex is incredible.”

“Mother Fucker!” Dustin hollered so loud that everyone in the bar turned to him and his group.

“Oooo, wrong answer,” Dylan said as he returned to his brother’s side. “Because you see, my brother here is, in fact, mated to one of those women. And our friend here is mated to the other. Soooo… You’re screwed.”

“Nice speech,” Dominic said with a roll of his eyes.

The five men outside the women’s bathroom growled.

“Outside!” Marry-Beth shouted at them.

“Why, so they can claim the mates? Don’t think so,” one of the five men said. “I’m going to fuck that blond human until she bleeds,” he said, grabbing his crotch.

“Sorry, Marry-Beth!” Dustin hollered with a feral growl. “I’ll pay for the damn tables and chairs!” Before the man knew what was happening, Dustin had him in the air and across the bar toward the exit.

“Holy shit,” Dylan said as he watched the bear shifter fly across the bar. “I really need a Fated Mate of my own.”

The man landed on an empty table, thank God.

“You better pay for that, Dusty!” Marry-Beth shrieked.

“Here.” Daryl slapped a wad of cash on the bar. “For that table and anything else, he may break on his way out the door with that asshole.”

Marry-Beth sighed. “I heard what the jackass said about Sharissa. Make sure he pays,” she said as she pulled the money to her.

Daryl nodded. “Don’t worry. He’s going to wish he’d never laid eyes on my little sister.”

Marry-Beth nodded. “Just please take it outside.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Daryl returned to his brothers to help them escort the other four men outside.

“Dustin,” Raj said as he took hold of his friend’s arm.

“Let me go, Raj,” Dustin growled.

“Don’t kill him, Dusty,” Raj said, tightening his grip.

“You heard what he said about Sharissa. What if he’d said that about Lyvia?” Dustin growled, glaring at his friend.

Raj nodded. “Yes, I heard. And we will kick all of their asses. But you need to remember. If you kill him, you’ll go to jail. And what will Sharissa do alone with your cub while the both of you go insane from not being near each other?”

Dustin grumbled. He hated it when people were right, especially when his cougar wanted out of his cage.

“Oh, is a fight a-brewing?” Everyone turned as Tate dropped down from the roof. “I do love a good fight. What are we fighting about today? Taxes?”

“What the fuck, Tate?” Dustin asked, staring at his friend.

Tate smiled. “I was just checking on my favorite mates. Oh, look, that bear looks like he wants to tear off your head, Dusty. What did you do?”

“He threw him across the bar.” Dylan chuckled.

“Hmm.” Tate looked Dustin up and down.

Naturally, cougars aren’t as strong as bears, especially in human form. But Dustin must be getting plenty of lovins from Sharissa.

“And why would he do that?” Tate asked.

“Because he said something about Sharissa,” Dylan said.

Tate moved closer to Dustin. Part of his job in this world is to keep shifters from killing each other for stupid reasons.

“What did he say, my friend?” Tate whispered.

Dustin told Tate what the asshole had said and what the five men had been doing outside the women’s bathroom. Dustin knows what Tate’s so-called job is when it comes to shifters. But right now, he didn’t care if Tate tore off his arms. He can bite the stupid ass’s head off without his arms.

Tate clucked his tongue and looked at the bear shifter. “Looks like you have bitten off more than you can chew, Bear.”

“Fuck off, Vampire!”

“Don’t kill him, Dustin. I don’t want to spend the night trying to explain to the elders why you can’t spend time in prison,” Tate said as he backed away.

With an angry growl, Dustin took off after the bear. The two men fought as if their lives depended on it, and maybe Dustin’s life did. Because the bear had no worries about spending time in prison. But Dustin can’t be away from Sharissa for too long before they both go mad.

With his extra strength from his mate, Dustin was winning—until the other four jumped in.