Page 68 of Fire Dancer

INGO

It took my contact person until the next day to arrange a meeting, and when he did, it was a good hour’s drive to our meeting point in Prescott — a place called the Blue Moon Saloon. The bar itself wasn’t out of the way, and it wasn’t hard to find. But the minute I walked in, I knew it was different.

Not just thanks to the swinging saloon doors or the sign that read,Check Your Guns at the Door.Not even the 1870s Winchester hanging over the beautifully restored, old-fashioned bar or the pianist playing a jaunty tune.

More like the subtler hints that something here was unique, like the scene carved in the oak panel over the bar. A wolf howled at the moon, a bear waded in a stream, and an eagle soared above them.

Then there were the not-so-subtle hints, like the burly bear shifter wiping a glass behind the bar or the perky she-wolf serving customers at the tables.

Clearly, the Blue Moon Saloon was shifter territory.

The moment I walked through the swinging doors, the bear shifter pinned me with a hard stare that said,You, wolf. Watch how you conduct yourself in my territory.

The she-wolf gave me a friendlier version of the stare, and a moment later, an even burlier bear shifter emerged from theback, his dark eyes fixed on mine. The guy was a near double of the other. His brother, I supposed.

Like a gunslinger fresh out of bullets, I held out my hands to say,Not looking for trouble. I just want to ask a few questions.

Which could be as dangerous, frankly.

It was early evening on a Friday, and the place was filling quickly. The customers were mostly human, predominantly country-western types, and pretty boisterous — but those bear brothers clearly kept the place under tight control. One of the big, street-side window panes was newer than the other, hinting that they wouldn’t hesitate to eject an unruly customer the fast way.

I approached the bar, keeping my hands in view.

“Kemper?” one of them grumbled.

I nodded, and he led me down the dim hall to the back.

Well, maybe not so dim, but the guy was so big, he blocked the light streaming in from the rear. He rubbed a thick shoulder against every doorframe as he lumbered along, and my wolf huffed.

Goddamn bears. Always marking their territory.

Not that I could blame him. The pretty she-wolf in the front was his mate — their mingled scents were a dead giveaway — and the whole business, from what I’d gathered, was a tight-knit family operation.

The sun was setting, sending long, colorful rays through the stained-glass windows of the rear room. It was set up for private functions and sported a second bar, not as ornate but just as old and impressive as the one out front.

More impressive yet were the shifters waiting for me there.

I nodded to the only one I’d met before, though just once and briefly. My contact — a wolf shifter with spiky hair — was wearing his police uniform, though he’d made it clear he would only attend in an off-duty capacity.

Like me. Way, way off duty.Getting my ass suspendedlevel off duty.

His expression remained guarded as he shook my hand. “Kyle Williams.” Then he turned to the others, introducing me. “Ingo Kemper of the ADMSA.”

I winced like a Green Bay Packers fan who’d wandered into Chicago Bears territory decked out in all the wrong paraphernalia.

“I’m not here on official business,” I said, putting it mildly. “Nothing here ends up on the books.”

The tall guy in the middle with thunder in his eyes — another wolf shifter — kept his thick arms crossed, unimpressed.

He was clearly the ranking alpha among a hell of a lot of powerful shifters. There were a couple of other wolf shifters, one wolf/coyote shifter, and even a huge boar — er, javelina — shifter standing in the corner as backup. The women who stood among them could have been textbook depictions of tough Amazonian warriors, apart from their modern clothing.

A straw-haired wolf shifter beside the alpha pointed to himself, then some of the others. “Cody Hawthorne. That’s Ty and Tina, and this is Lana. You know Kyle, and our host here is Soren.” All were wolves except the bear shifter he finished with.

He didn’t introduce the others, so yeah. They were backups in case I hadn’t come alone.

I heaved an inner sigh. No squad of agents to backmeup today. I was well and truly on my own.

“Please have a seat,” Lana said.