There's a Brawl in the Bar Tonight!

(This story is based loosely on Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series and is co-authored with my friend Tara.)

Callissa Donahue pulled into the parking lot of "The Volcano" and cut the engine on her motorcycle before she kicked the stand down and threw her leg over the seat and pulled her helmet off. She shook out her bright red hair and let the waves fall over her shoulders as she took a moment to check out the bar in front of her. It looked like most of the other bars that she had ever stopped at in her life but she knew not to judge a book by its cover. Taking off her gloves and tucking them into the helmet, she tucked it under her arm and headed into the building, taking a moment when she came through the door to allow her eyes to adjust to the relative dimness of the bar.

When she was able to see again, she saw that the bar was directly in front of her and it really didn't seem all that crowded. Then again it was still relatively early given the fact that it was still light outside. As she headed toward the bar, she unzipped her leather riding jacket to reveal a red and black lace corset that had a wide black belt around her waist, bridging the bottom of her top and the top of her black jeans, the bottoms of which disappeared into a pair of black, heeled riding boots. "Give me a Miller please." she said to the bartender as she reached the scarred wooden counter.

Keifer Gibson had been sitting in the bar since it had opened. He'd just hit town and needed to unwind from the stress of his ride. He was getting very tired of being run out of one town after another. How they always found out what he was he never knew. It was like a Friggin curse or something. How did the Humans do it? Who was it that was tipping them off? He had to find out or soon he'd have no place left to go. Gib looked around while he slowly nursed a Miller Dark. Hey don't laugh it was the closest thing to what he was use to from his old home. This damn place didn't offer a proper stout or he'd have got one of them.

Listening to the crap that was going on around him Gib was just about ready to put some crybaby out of his misery for good when SHE walked in. One sniff and he knew who and what she was. Well not who exactly but he knew. He'd just found what he'd been looking for. Moving his long black hair out of his gray eyes, Keifer watched her move into the room and waited.

The bartender put the bottle of Miller in front of her and said, "That's $5.50." in a low, guttural voice.

She dug into her pocket and pulled out a $20 and handed it to him. "Keep the change." she said and smiled at him before picking up her beer and her helmet and heading to an empty table. She took a long swallow and stared out at the people in the dark room. She always felt like such a loner, usually one of the few, if any Were's in town. She never told anyone what she was, if she did, she knew that she would be tossed into some lab for study and never make it out alive. Yeah, those were her thoughts that day. She was just coming into town; she didn't even know if the house that she had bought was ready to be lived in, she just knew that she had had to leave earlier than expected. If necessary, she would get a hotel for the night or next few nights and then get everything sorted out.

It was then that it hit her, a scent that assailed her nostrils and made her wolf perk up. There was another of her kind in the bar. Her green eyes roamed over all the patrons trying to find the source of the scent. How could she have been so distracted that she didn't notice there was another of her kind around?

Keifer watch her and noticed the exact moment she smelled him. He watched as she looked around the room trying to spot him. She'd have a hard time doing it as he was in the darkest corner there was to be found in this shit hole. /Damn! She has green eyes to go with that red hair! How the hell did I get so damn lucky? I sure hope she has a temper to match!/ Gib loved a gal with fire in her. He kept hoping to find one that would stand up to him and try to put him is his place, but still let him think he was protecting her when it was warranted.

He took another slow draw off his beer and waited. Waited for the exact moment she found him and to see what she did.

As an animal, Calli's eyes were better than the average woman's and she was using them to her advantage right now, especially when she knew that there was someone else of her kind within scenting distance. Her eyes never stopped moving and she could feel her temper starting to rise at the frustration of not being able to find who it was. Just as she could feel the growl start to slide up her throat and to her lips, she found the Were. It was a man and he was sitting way over in the corner of the bar, in possibly the darkest corner of the entire building. With a smile, she stood slowly and grabbed her beer and helmet, walking slowly across the room as if she had no particular place to go. However, she was heading directly toward his table, a slight smile on her lips.

When she reached his table she didn't say anything but took a seat and sipped her beer. "You know you can't hide from Me." she said and her smile tipped the corners of her lips up ever so slightly. "There's not a lot of us in town."

Gray eyes drank in the sight of her as nostrils took in the smell of her and ear her sound. "Didn't know I was hiding from ya Luv. Just sittin' here having a drink after a long ride on the road is all." said the low growling voice.

She leaned forward and looked at him, her smile still in place. "You know how it is, we're all hiding." she said.

Grunting unhappily Gib said, "Yeah I know exactly why we hide. So are you Arcadian or Katagaria? I don't care one way or the other, but just so you know... you will be mine at least for the night."

Calli leaned back in her chair at that. "You are so sure of that?" she asked him as she crossed her legs and studied his face. It was true that he was attractive but she didn't respond well to orders. "I'm Arcadian." she said and flipped her hair over her shoulder. "You?"

"Yes." He said and took another pull on his beer. "The same. But tell me what has you coming to the backwater of nowhere Tennessee with all the colleges and the Fort not so far away?"

"Freedom actually." she said bluntly, knowing he would be able to tell if she was lying. "The freedom to do what I want when I want. I don't have to answer to a bunch of rules or mucky mucks here. I can start my life over and be perfectly free." she said and put her bottle on the table.

"Ah so me 'telling' you that I'm gonna make you come over 20 times before morning will probably impinge on this so called Freedom you're lookin for so badly?" his gray eyes were smoldering now.

She looked at him and raised her brows so far that they literally were in danger of disappearing into her bangs. "Hmmmm I don't know. I would have to say that I want it to be my choice." She stared at him. He was gorgeous, that much as true. "I do however think it would be nice to have someone who knows my secret." she said and drained her beer. "I also think we should get to know one another a bit more before we jump into bed. Hell I don't even know your name." she said and sat back in her chair.

"Name's Keifer Gibson or Gib if ya like. I need a refill, what are you having and I'll get ya another?" Gib pushed his black hair over his shoulder. It came down to his ass in long glossy lock. He reached into his vest which was the only thing covering his massive chest and abs to grab a pack of BIG RED gum out. He held it out to her.

Calli took a piece of the gum and smiled at him. "I'm Callissa Donahue or Calli. And I would appreciate a refill. I'm drinking Miller." she sad and took him in as he stood. /God the man is hot./ she thought.

Keifer stood to his full six-seven height while smiling at Calli. "A gal after me own heart. I drink Miller Dark." He turned and walked to the bar, his black leather chaps molding his jeans covered muscular legs and ass. As he walked all the ladies starred. Once to the bar he held up two fingers. "Make one a regular Miller please."

The bartender smiled and handed over the two bottles. "Here ya go. $9 please."

Smiling back Gib handed him a $20 and said, "Keep the change." Then he headed back to his redhead.

Calli smiled as he brought back the beers. "Thanks." she said and took one. "You do know everyone's staring at you?" she asked as she sipped the beer. "Strangely enough I want to rip their throats out." she said with a feral grin. The longer she was around Gib the more she wanted to be around him.

He gave her a crooked grin, "Yes and I wanted to do the same to all the men staring at you when you came over to sit with me." Gib took a drink then said, "So Calli what are we gonna do about it?"

At that moment a burly guy covered in tattoos bumped into their table and put a hand on Calli's breast. "Mmmmm nice, How bout a kiss Red?" The guy's words were slurred badly. It was obvious he was way over his limit.

Calli didn't even blink as she grabbed his wrist and twisted it around behind his back. "How about we don't and say we didn't." she said and slammed him up against the wall. "I don't kiss assholes." she growled as she pressed him into the wall.

"OH BABY!!! You like it ruff? I can do ruff... Wait are you calling me an asshole?!!!" to drunk yelled.

It was all Gib could do not to laugh. She was gonna mop the floor with him. And Gib was gonna enjoy watching it. He knew damn well not to get into this fight unless someone came over to make a fuss about it. A female Were-Hunter was more than capable of taking care of her self where humans were concerned, hell where most anything was concerned.

She just shrugged, not letting her grip up at all, in fact adding a little more pressure. "Hell, I just call them as I see them." she said and spun him around. "You like it rough huh? Well come and get Me." she said and stepped back, beckoning him on. She turned and grinned at Gib.

Keifer was starting to get a little 'jealous'? /MMMMMMMMMM that will never do. I only get jealous with a potential mate./ He grinned back at her and kept an eye out for more trouble.

The drunk roared and launched himself at Callissa intent on bringing her down on the floor... and missed by a mile and hit the floor himself.

Calli danced back and looked down at him laughing. "Hmmmm seems that you have no sense of direction. How can you expect me to play if you can't find me?" she asked. Then she reached down and grabbed him by the lapels and hauled him up. "Take your booze soaked ass out of here and find a place to dry up." she snarled and dragged him toward the door.

About that time the drunk's buddies realized that he was getting trounced by a 'Woman' and made for her, only to find themselves faced with one very pissed off male Were-hunter. "Care to leave the lady alone friends? Cause if not you WILL deal with me."

Most of them weren't that drunk, but one was. He took a swing at Gib and found himself face down on the floor with a knee in his back and his arm almost pulled out of the socket. Gib looked up, "Who's next?"

All he saw was the flash of their boots as they ran for the door and out into the night.

Calli pulled the drunk to the door and shoved him out into the night waving goodbye at him like he was a child. "Toodles!" she said and turned back to look at Gib as she shut the bar door. "If they spilled my beer they're in for a world of trouble." she said and linked her arm with his, leading him back to their table.

Gib looked at their table neither bottle had been tipped over. "S'all good." Then he pulled her chair out for her and kissed the nape of her neck. His body tightened it was a wonder his pants didn't kill him. "I can tell yer gonna be the death of me yet." Then he laughed.

She shivered slightly at the feel of his lips on her neck. She usually didn't react that way when a man touched her. She looked up at him as she took her seat, reaching up to cover his hand on her shoulder with her own. "The death of you?" she asked, "Oh I think I would hate to kill you, we just met." she grinned up at him.

"MMMMMMMMMMM." he growled into her ear and nipped the ridge with his canines. His bare chest pressed against her arm and back as he leaned in to ask, "So where were we before we were interrupted?"

Calli closed her eyes and just enjoyed the feeling of his body against hers. "I think we were just discussing what we were going to do about the fact that we'd found each other." she said, her pulse pounding. "I say you let me take you to my place for the best home cooked dinner you have ever had." she grinned. She knew he said he'd just arrived in town as well. "Perhaps you'd like to spend the night getting to know each other?" she asked and brought her hand up to wrap around his neck and delve deep in his hair.

/OH Sweet Goddess! How the HELL did she know about my hair?/ he thought desperately. Having his hair played with was one of his major downfalls. He couldn't get enough of it. A woman had almost complete control over him just by touching his hair. It was like a modern day Samson thing with him.

Trying to get back some control, his licked the outside of her ear and then slowly went inside. "Sure but I came on my bike. I really DON'T want to leave it here."

She kept her hand in his hair, loving the feel of the silken strands sliding through her fingers. She could feel the warmth of him radiating from his scalp and she massaged gently. "Why don't you follow me?" she said slightly breathy from his touch. "It's not far from here." she said and turned her head to face him.

"Why don't we finish our beers then go?" He kissed her then, light at first then rimming her lips with his tongue begging for entrance.

Before she could even say that it sounded like a good idea, he was kissing her. Calli felt her eyes sliding closed and she was shifting in her seat so she could kiss Gib more fully. She felt his tongue tracing her lips and opened her mouth slowly, allowing him entrance to her mouth. The smell of him was filling her head and all rational thought was fleeing her mind to be replaced by one thought, HIM. She didn't care that they were in the middle of a bar nor that they had only known each other for what 30 minutes? She was confused and swept away and that didn't happen to her.

Usually she was sure of herself and knew exactly what she was doing, never questioning her decisions, but when Gib touched her, when she smelled him, she wasn't so sure of anything. That scared her a bit but it also excited the hell out of her. She wanted to know him better, to be with him more, and to not let anything get between them. "Mate" that was the one word that popped into her head. Her mother and father had been mates and they had loved each other dearly. However, then there had been the attack and she had lost them both in a matter of seconds, leaving her to finish raising herself wherever she could. She had moved around, found work where she could and dated men here and there but never felt with any of them what she was feeling in just a few minutes with Gib. /What the hell was going on?/ she thought to herself before she gave into the kiss completely.

Gib was so lost in the kiss that he didn't even sense the danger they were in till it hit him in the back of the kidneys. He started to go down but Calli had a firm hold on him. So Keifer then shot his leg out behind him and broke the moron's leg that hit him. Getting his feet back under him, Gib kissed Calli once more then turned to see who the idiot was. Just a jacked up barfly with too many drinks under his belt to know what was good for him.

"I'm beginning to feel unloved here. How bout you?" he kept his arm around Calli just to be on the protective side, if anyone hit his woman they were dead. And not in a good way either.

Calli turned to glare at the man who had just gotten in a lucky shot at Gib's kidneys. She nodded and kissed him back quickly before agreeing. "Yeah I don't think you should have to fight to have a good relaxing time at a bar. I say we get out of here. Don't you agree?" she asked, allowing him to wrap an arm around her, something she usually didn't do.

"Hate to leave a good beer but yeah I do. Let's go." Gib went to the bartender and handed him $100 bill, "I know it won't cover all of the damages but it should help some. Sorry to have caused you any problems."

"Hey the way I saw it, and I DID see it, they are the ones that cause the problem so they are the ones that are gonna pay for any damages. You two just go have a good night and keep your money. You're the best tippers I've had in a long long while." Then he laughed, "Go on get, and have a good time. Yer welcome back here any time you want."

Keifer laughed as well, "Names Keifer Gibson, friends call me Gib. Thanks"

"Well Gib, I'm Sam Jackson, and you and the lady are welcome at 'The Volcano' anytime."

Calli waited for Gib to return and grabbed her helmet and gloves and jacket ready to get the hell out of the bar. She waved to the bartender and smiled. "Thanks Sam I appreciate the service." she said and looked over at the man with her. What was her luck to find another Were in such a small town, let alone one she was so attracted to? She smiled at Gib. "Ready?" she asked.

"Yep," he said as he reached down to grab his own helmet gloves and coat. Slipping the coat on and then his gloves he led Calli out the door and into the night his senses on full alert incase any of the idiots from before decided to get brave again. But they were all gone, he couldn't eve detect their lingering scent.

Turning back to his redhead he asked, "So where's your bike?" He was determined to protect her even if she didn't need it. Gib couldn't understand why he felt so overprotective of her. They only knew each other a few minutes, half hour at the most. /Could she really be my Mate?/ he thought.

Calli scanned the night like she always did. It made no sense to be caught unawares at anytime day or night. She scented the air outside the bar not picking up anything but the patrons she'd already scented and him. She smelled him so much more strongly over all the others and not just because he was a Were. /Could it be?/ she wondered, had she found the one she was meant to spend her life with? Realizing he'd asked her a question, she looked over at him and pointed to a red and black Harley. "Over there, that's my baby." she aid sliding into her coat and helmet.

It had to be fate. Her baby was parked right next to his. "That's good cause this one is mine." It too was a Harley mostly chrome and steel, painted in a flame pattern in blues, reds, and greens. Gib sat his bike, pulled his hair over and quickly braided it, tying it off with a leather thong. He then wrapped it around his head and put his helmet on. "I'm ready to fallow your lead Luv." And he started his baby.

Watching him, Calli's heart quickened he was truly beautiful and she couldn't help but appreciate his bike. "Its beautiful." she smiled as she revved hers to life, fastening her helmet as she stuffed her hair under it. She motioned to him to follow her and peeled out of the lot, taking off down the road toward her new house. It didn't take long for them to arrive at her new home, an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. Apparently the farmer was well to do because the place was HUGE. She kicked down the stand and slid of her bike, taking off her helmet. "Honey, we're home." she laughed.

Keifer was impressed. "Nice place. How long have you lived here?" he asked because he couldn't detect her scent anywhere on the property.

"Actually, I haven't lived here yet. In fact I haven't even seen the inside of it. Like I said, I just arrived in town. The Volcano was the first stop I made." she said.