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so, shifter story?

we need names/info.

after years of bullying over her name, Wyatt Lee, lovingly called Wyalee for her wild streak, packed her bags and left in a truck she stole from a random citizen in her town. she was set to be married off to a band of werewolf brothers who gave her the creeps. while she tried her hardest to make her dad, the tribe Alpha, stop the marriage, he upheld the counsel's law for the best of the tribe.

after months of running, she found herself in a small town in the middle of Nevada. this town, populated with about 100 shifters, is protected by systems in place to alert them if any person comes through their town.

"Miss Wyalee," the mayor of Rivermouth, Liem Danielson, said as he strode to the bar where I worked, "we got a new gentleman in town last night. it'd do you some good to get out of the bar for a while."

"why are you always trying to play matchmaker, Liem?" i teased.

"me? playing matchmaker? i would never" he teased right back.

"i will go say hi and maybe show him around."

"thanks. he's at the hotel. room 63."

"i'll head on over. Colby just got here so i can take my lunch."

"actually, just take the day off. it's dead here anyways. Colby can handle it." Jamie, the owner of the bar, called from the back room.

"you two are working together against me. i just know it." i teased as i threw the towel under the bar.

"guilty." Jamie teased.

"a**" i teased again as i untied my half apron and walked to the back to punch out.

"I'm not sure how the bears work, but the coyotes are forced, by law, to be polygamous. Meaning a female will have multiple husbands and take turns birthing their pups." I started.

Stop talking Wyatt.

"The group I was going to be married off to were ones that raped and murdered my friend when we were young." I continued.

Shut. Up. Wyatt.

"Were they punished?"

"They were not."

"What the hell?"

"They are a high ranking pack. The males I would be married to are brothers. Their father's fathers started the polygamous law of all coyote packs."

Wyatt, why are you like this?

"So they are so high up that rules dont apply to them?"

"Basically."

"And its not your choice who you get married to?"

"Not exactly. Since my biological father is alpha, its important for me to be married off to another alpha. Where my other fathers children arent in line for the title of alpha.. Also, I was called a curse. Not a curse word, an actual curse. my mother was pregnant with triplets. Me and two others, but the others didnt make it alive. I have been her only pup with my biological father.. She is scared to try again with him even though she has had plenty of other children with my other fathers...if that makes any sense."

Wyatt, enough.

"It strangely does. Bears are nothing like that. They dont care who you marry, it just cant be too closely related. But I will never get the title of Alpha. I have two older brothers who will get it before me, so I left. If I cant inherit the title, I will just have to make my own den and get the title."

"So you're trying to find other bear shifters to make a den?"

"At this point, it doesnt have to be bears. And not that it'd be possible, but I think a den of shifters of all sorts would be cool."

"That would."

The room grew silent and very awkward.

Ryker followed me across the street and into the gas station.

"Eli. Got a newbie here for you to meet!" I called out. a noise came from the back room and after a moment, Eli walked out.

"New meat, you say?" He teased.

"Eli, This is Ryker. Ryker, this is Eli." I say as Ryker put his hand out. Eli sniffed the air once.

"So what's a bear like you doing in a place like this?" Eli asked sgaking Rtkers hand.

"Realized I would always come in last for any competition my older brothers and I do for title of Alpha. I have zero chance of becoming Alpha, so I left on my own."

"You'll do fine here as long as you keep Wyatt in line." Eli winked at me.

"More like keep you in line, you crazy old fart." I joked back.

"Young whippersnappers." Eli shot back, smiling.

"Ryker, Eli is the kind that will always joke with you. But when he's serious, he is serious. You can definitely tell."

"Hopefully you wont have to see that. Wyatt did and it took her a long time to trust me again."

"Well when you wake me up at 2:30 in the morning and point a loaded double barrel shotgun at my face as soon as I opened the door, how can I trust you?"

"Listen, I apologized and even gave you shooting lessons.. and bought you mess of drinks."

"I know. But at the time, I was on edge because of my pack..long story, Ryker, I can explain later."

"I know. I was just worried. You know now that I care for you. You remind me so much of Kenna that it hurts sometimes."

"I know you do. And she is always watching over you."

"We can talk later." Eli brushed me off, but that was ok, "Ryker, it was nice meeting you. I hope you stick around."

"It was nice meeting you too. And as long as my den doesnt come looking for me, I will."

"Wyatt, behave yourself. If you don't, Ryker has my permission to hogtie you, throw you over his shoulder, and bring you back to deal with me."

"Okay, dad." I tease, "I promise I will behave."

"Good girl. Now go have fun." Eli said waving then walking back to the back room.

I lead Ryker out of the gas station and head down the street towards the hotel.

"Why were you on edge because of your pack?" Ryker asked as we passed by an empty lot.

"When I first got here, I was careless. I used my phone for the first time in months. Little did I know, my.." I paused, trying to figure out what to call them, "I guess it'd be betrothed? Anyways, the guys I was set to marry pinged my cell and got a location. They were spotted and the town went into lockdown. I was notified so that if Liem and Eli needed to, they could pack me up and haul a** to a safe house a few hours from here. It was the middle of the night when the barricade was breached. Eli, being very protective of me, ran right to my room. He pointed his gun at me, trying to protect me from those guys in case they were in my room, but also scaring the s**t out of me."

"Jesus. I would have peed myself."

"I nearly did. But I'm also very thankful that they care about everyone that much."

"So this is more of a pack or den than what I first realized.."

"Basically. The other motel that has the 'No Vacancy' sign up? Thats set up for humans that come to us for protection. They stay there until we can get them a place or we deal with the problem. We look after them and they look after us. This is way better than any pack or den." I say as we reached the bar.