Chapter 1 - Ken
Loud, poppy music blared through the speakers propped up on the electrical poles in the small, flat park. A dozen or so other people were congregated around the snack and drink tables, picking at the meager offerings their town had to offer. Others like Ken hid in the shade to escape the high midday sun, fanning themselves with their hands. Most of them were already chatting with other singles who'd opted to attend Silvercoast's first ever Singles Mingle meet-and-greet, but Ken stood alone in his corner.
It was his fault for being unwilling to participate; he knew that. Four women had been brave enough to come up to him over the last half hour to say hi, but he scowled at them and scared them away. Most of them had left before voicing a single word.
He couldn't blame them.Theyweren't the problem.
It was just that Ken could never see himself replacing his mate, Beth. She'd been gone for fourteen years now, and missing her was a raw wound that hadn't ebbed over the years. He wasn't sure anymore why he ever let Rick drag him out to his meet-and-greet if he couldn't even bring himself totrybeing pleasant for two hours.
Maybe some part of him knew it was time to try and move on, to find some of the happiness that had been stolen from him.
Under the boughs of some maple trees, Rick leaned against a trunk and flirted with two blondes who were new in town. They, and the other single females who'd come to the town in droves, were the big reason that Rick wanted to come here today. Of course, under the guise of the get-together being good forKen'shealth. Ken knew he was just trying to be a good friend, but... He sighed. Fourteen years later, and he still wasn't sure he was ready to move on.
At least Rick was having a good time.
Ken kicked back the rest of his soda—unfortunately, the event organizers had decided that day drinking wasn't a classy look for the first Singles Mingle—and so a selection of bubbly drinks, water, and juice was all they provided. Still, he headed over to the drink table. Maybe he would forage for a snack too. The least the town could offer him for suffering through this was a sandwich.
For fuck's sake, it was like they thought they were all teenagers.
To be fair, therewerea lot of teens out and about looking for their mates, but Ken was about thirty years too old for any of them and didn't bother a second glance.
News about Silvercoast's prosperity after ending the goblin curse had spread like wildfire throughout shifter communities across the West Coast. Ken saw welcoming so many new folks as an unnecessary risk. Their pack had been all but decimated by their ancestors being too friendly with others—specifically, the goblins. The elders, and their alpha, however, said that there was strength in numbers.
But since when had Ken's opinion mattered anyway?
He refilled his plastic Solo cup with some Coke Zero, guzzled it back, then poured another.
Someone whistled from behind. "You look like you know how to have a good time," a sultry, feminine voice said.
Ken's immediate reaction was to scowl, but he hid it behind his cup. This time, he'd at least try not to be a total ass. He could just try to make a friend, right?
He turned around to find a woman with fire-engine red hair, striking green eyes, and an hourglass figure that would make a saint rethink their vows of celibacy. Still, Ken could only muster a bit of interest in her.
"Hi," Ken said, trying not to sound too grumpy. "I'm Ken."
"I know. I've seen you around town," the woman said, her voice like silk. "I'm Lily."
Lily extended a hand and Ken shook it. He was surprised by how warm her skin was.
"It's nice to meet you, Lily," he said. "Don't take it personally, but I don't usually go to these kinds of things. I'm just here because my friend didn't want to come alone."
Lily's gaze followed his toward Rick, who was still more than happy to be flirting with those two blondes. He'd probably get their numbers, sleep with both of them, and fuck it up like he usually did. One day, his big city games would come back to bite him in the ass in a small town like Silvercoast.
"Yeah?" She chuckled. "He looks like he's having a good time, what about you? I thought you could use some company."
"I guess so." Ken shrugged halfheartedly and selected a dry-looking ham sandwich from a stack of individually wrapped ones. He put it on his plate along with some salt and vinegar chips.
"So, what do you do for fun?" Lily asked.
Ken racked his brain for something—anything—that would make him sound interesting. Somehow he'd managed not to scowl at Lily and scare her off, so might as well try to keep her interested, even if he wasn't.
"I like to read," he said finally.
It wasn't a total lie; he did like to read when he had the time, but less and less over the years, as reading tended to remind him of Beth. She'd been the bibliophile in their relationship, and it has been her who instilled a love of literature in him. But that had faded over the years since she'd left him.
Lily smiled and leaned closer, her arm brushing his as she did so. "What kind of books?"
"Lots of different kinds," he said, trying not to lean away from her. He didn't want to be rude, but her closeness was making him uncomfortable. "These days mostly mystery."