Page 1 of Amber: Deja Brew

Chapter 1

Amber

I cross the semi-dark, empty cafe. Yesterday, the lack of customers filled me with dread. This morning, it fills me with anticipation.

The moment we open Jewels Cafe for the day, it will be flooded with customers. Why wouldn’t it be? Now that Minerva Evil Montgomery and her cursed pebble are gone, there’s absolutely nothing keeping Silver Springs residents away!

I do a little happy dance as I channel my chameleon magic. Then, I shift into a troll!

What?It’s not like my guys are around to see me. Plus, it’s way too early for anyone to be out and about in front of the cafe. That, and I’m lazy. I am so not walking all the way around the counter just so I can make myself a cappuccino. Hey, don’t judge!

The troll I shift into is over seven feet tall, so the transformation takes time. The ceiling gets closer, and the floor gets further and further away. There’s a split second of vertigo, too, but a few deep breaths make it stop.

The cafe looks so different from up here—smaller—but everything on the other side of the counter is so much easier to reach. I wrap my giant troll hand around a Jewels mug. Success!

My plump, swollen troll lips curl up, and I break into a toothy grin. I’ve picked my mug at random, but this one happens to have an amber-colored jewel on the side—definitely a good omen. Not that I even need an omen to tell me that life is going my way. Julian finally—finally!—sees Minerva for who she really is—a witch with a capital B. And now that she’s out of our lives for good, the cafe is saved and he’s finally mine. In my bed. Upstairs. Sleeping next to my two shifter mates.

Butterflies flutter in my stomach. My hard, muscular troll stomach—the troll I chose is a total gym rat. Not that I care about troll abs when I have mate abs—three sets of them—waiting for me upstairs.

This morning, I woke up wrapped in Wes’s strong arms, cocooned against his hard chest. Julian’s muscular thigh was intertwined with mine, and Chase was fast asleep directly behind him, looking adorable, all swallowed up by my too-soft bed. It felt like a perfect moment, and I wanted to savor it forever. So, of course, I suddenly had to pee.

I thought about climbing back into bed, but by then my caffeine cravings kicked in... Guess there’s one downside to owning a cafe. Still, my silly grin—which must be pretty terrifying, considering I look like a troll—stays in place as the coffee machine sputters to a stop. I grab my cappuccino, inhale the delicious caffeine-filled scent, and take a step toward my favorite table.

It’s an exact repeat of yesterday morning, when I’d shifted into that bouncer from Club Vee. Which, of course, reminds me of bouncer junk. Which makes me think of troll junk... and trust me, you do not want to be thinking about troll junk. Ever!

A troll's junk is nothing—NOTHING—like a vampire bouncer's junk. Sure, vampires are pretty huge down there. But trolls? Trolls were never human to begin with. Which I guess is the point, but still... damn.

I take a step, feel exactly what I have between my legs, and shift back on the spot. My Jewels mug—Jewels Cafe, not family jewels... get your head out of the gutter, Amber!—crashes to the floor. Glass shatters. Cappuccino spills everywhere. But hey, at least it’s not a bad omen. Not for Jewels Cafe or any other part of my life. Because everything is absolutely perfect. What could possibly go wrong?!

"Ambear?" The upstairs apartment door crashes open and footsteps pound down the stairs. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine!" I call up to Wes. At least I'm no longer a troll. Because nothing beats looking like a troll around your new mate.

Then, I forget all about trolls as my bear shifter comes into view. His gray sweats hug his muscular thighs, and his black t-shirt stretches across his rock-hard chest. I swear he looks even more handsome and tempting each time I see him. I start toward him, but the moat of cappuccino and broken glass stops me.

“What happened?” Wes asks as he takes in the mess. The obvious concern in his gaze makes me flush.

"I tripped," I lie. Because even though Wes saw me shift into some pretty unattractive supes while I was upset, I'm not ready to tell him I also willingly shift into guys—erm, trolls—in my spare time.

I start to bend down to pick up the glass, but Wes rushes around the moat and pulls me to my feet. "Careful!”

Before I realize what’s happening, Wes lifts me straight up off the ground. I gasp. My breath hitches in my throat, and I become aware of just how large my bear shifter really is. Not troll-sized—phew!—but pretty damn close. Which makes me wonder if he’s close to troll-sized in other places, too.

Yeah, yeah, I should probably already know. But I don’t. My bear shifter and I still haven’t done it. Yes, it. We confessed our love for each other last night, he saw me naked—watched me make love to Julian—but then he decided to take things slow. And Chase and Julian agreed... damn them!

All I wanted to do was pick things up where we left off in the bedroom, but the guys went for takeout and a movie instead. Followed by sleeping in each other’s arms, fully dressed. Ugh! It was all innocent touches and slow torture that left me hot and bothered and oh so annoyed with Wes.

But the moment he sets me down on the bar stool—gently, mind you—I grimace. And of course, my bear shifter notices.

“Are you still sore, little bear?” he asks, placing a hand on my thigh.

The soreness is instantly replaced by heat... followed by nerves. Troll junk nerves. Because if Wes is anywhere near troll-sized, or troll-shaped, I should not be encouraging him. Ever! Because troll junk? Pretty damn scary!

“Ambear? Are you alright?”

Don’t talk about troll junk. Don’t talk about troll junk! My cheeks flush and I mutter a quick, “I’m fine, Wes.”

“Good.” He leans closer. My breath hitches in my throat. When Wes claims my lips in a slow, leisurely kiss, all my worries disappear. I start to wrap my arms around his neck, but he takes my hands and gently lowers them back onto my lap. “Later,” he growls. “Right now, I need to get this glass cleaned up.”