Tristian: BBW Paranormal Shape Shifter Romance (Blackbeary Creek Book 2) by Ruby Shae Page B

sure he calls you, tomorrow,” Amber said.
    “Sounds good,” she said. “I’ll let you know how it goes.”
    “It will be amazing,” Candi declared.
    “Fantastically amazing,” Amber chimed in.
    “Okay,” she laughed at their enthusiasm. “I’m going to head upstairs now. I’ll see you guys later.”
    “Later.”
    “Bye.”
    Scarlett could hear their giggles as she walked away, and a sense of dread filled her as she climbed the stairs to her corner apartment on the opposite end of the building.
    A blind date set up by two people she didn’t really even like? In hindsight, she doubted they knew anyone perfect for her, especially someone everyone, including those two, actually liked.
    Though she understood her mindset at the time—she did think there was someone out there for everyone, and she wouldn’t find him if she didn’t try—she still couldn’t believe she’d agreed to be set up by the party twins.  
    This might be her biggest mistake yet.
     
    ***
     
    Tristian Ryan closed his laptop, pushed away from his desk, and leaned back in his chair. The thumping base of a popular dance song vibrated through the building, and though he usually ignored the loud, repetitive dance beats, tonight was different.
    For the first time in the five years since he’d opened the club, hell , for the first time in forever, he felt as if the walls were closing in. The urge to shift, run, and never look back was so strong, so foreign, that a moment of panic washed over him.
    What the fuck is wrong with me?
    He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to settle his nerves as his bear paced beneath the surface. The animal’s nervous patrolling made him want to crawl out of his skin, but when he stood with the intent to leave and shift, the bear roared in protest.
    Swamped with another wave of panic, he stumbled toward the desk and fell back into the chair. The weight of his body sent the chair crashing into the wall, and his palms instinctively wrapped around the armrests to brace himself for the crash. A second later, he felt the plastic under one of his grips crack as he focused on breathing in and out normally.
    Holy hell! I’m losing my fucking mind!
    In response to his wild accusations, his bear calmly sat back on its hind legs, and adopted a smug, satisfied look while pretending to inspect his paw. The fact that his animal had gone from silent to loud, and back again, in a matter of seconds, made him stop and think. His bear rarely resorted to dramatics, but the few times he had, the animal was trying to tell him something.
    Okay, so not crazy!
    The animal rolled his eyes and proceeded to pace again.
    He looked around the office, specifically at the four walls that had been suffocating a few minutes ago, and a sense of dread filled him. When the club closed, he’d have to go home, and there he would be surrounded by more walls. Many more.
    The old, spacious, two-story home he lived in was a lot bigger than his office in the club, but he’d never paid much attention to how much bigger until his sister, Tegan, moved out.
    The thought of returning to his huge house alone, even though the homes of his small clan flanked the building on both sides, made him feel empty and alone. He missed his sister, but deep down, he knew his feelings were more than simply missing his sibling.
    Mate!
    The thought made him pause, but his bear continued to pace.
    Though he wanted someone to spend his life with, finding a mate wasn’t something he thought about often, and he honestly couldn’t remember the last time he’d been on a date.
    No wonder Tegan had been worried about him.
    Of course, that wasn’t her only reason for wanting to leave, but when she’d asked for permission to move out, his happiness had been one of her concerns.
    He understood why, but he’d never held his sister responsible for his life choices. If anything, he’d often wished he’d been the one present when their parents were murdered instead of