An Alpha's Storm (Water Bear Shifters 1) Read Online Free

forget.
    Brett climbed out of his car and crossed the street, suddenly feeling like he had a place to channel his angst. He’d been looking forward to a good lay tonight, and he could probably still get one. There were plenty of women at bars like this who just wanted to let loose and have a good time while they were away from their normal lives. He would find one, and oblige her. She would get the vacation of a lifetime, and he would get a chance to leave Michelle in the dust. Win-win.
    Brett strode confidently into the bar, ready to sweep some unsuspecting tourist off her feet. But as he scanned the dimly lit room, he felt his confidence fading a bit. He had never gone after a girl for just a night of pleasure. He had always been the gentleman, wanting to wine and dine a girl, and then sleep with her once they had established a trusting relationship. How did this whole one-night-stand thing even work? Should he find a girl that looked interesting and offer to buy her a drink? Should he just head to the dance floor and try to shimmy up to one of the many stunning women shaking their asses out there?
    Brett decided to take things slowly, and start out by buying himself a drink. He wanted something to take the edge of off his pain before he approached a girl, anyway. No one likes an angry bear. Brett found an empty seat at the bar, which wasn’t that hard to do since everyone seemed to be either out on the patio or on the dance floor. He asked the bartender for one of the beers on tap, and chugged it down quickly without really tasting it, then asked for another. He chugged half of that one before slowing down a bit. He was starting to feel a little better as the alcohol started to hit his system, and he was about to turn his attention back to scanning the room when a tall woman with sparkling green eyes and a beautifully freckled face took the barstool next to him. Her reddish brown hair was thrown up into some sort of haphazard messy ponytail, and she had just the right amount of curves. Her clothes were simple and classic, standing out noticeably in a bar full of miniskirts. She had on a pair of blue jeans and a white tank top that showed off her freckled, tanned shoulders.
    “Hi there,” she said as she sat next to him. “You look about as excited to be here as I do. Let me guess—you have friends in from out of town and they heard that this was the place to be on a Friday night. You tried to tell them it’s nothing more than a tourist trap, but they dragged you here anyway and now you’re bored out of your mind. You’re wishing you were at a decent bar while they’re getting overly friendly with a hot piece of ass out on the dance floor.”
    “Um…” Brett said, not wanting to explain that he had actually just been looking for a hot piece of ass himself.
    The woman smiled at him and extended her hand, saving him from the need to come up with a decent response. “I’m Aubrey,” she said.
    “Brett,” Brett responded, shaking her hand, and deciding on the spur of the moment that maybe a platonic conversation with Aubrey was a better plan than trying to force a one night stand in hopes that it would help him get over Michelle. “Nice to meet you. What are you drinking?”
    Aubrey gave Brett’s beer a sideways glance. “I’ll have what you’re having,” she said.
    Brett signaled the bartender and asked for a beer for Aubrey and a refill for himself. His anger had faded somewhat as the shock of his discovery faded, and as the alcohol soothed the sharp edges of his emotions. He probably should have called the other guys to go hang out with them, but he didn’t really feel like explaining to them what had just happened with Michelle. They would give him a hard time about it, like they did about everything, and Brett needed to calm down some more before he dealt with their teasing jabs. Besides, an hour or so of hanging out with the beautiful woman sitting next to him wasn’t an awful way to spend his