This is a prequel novella to the new Burning Moon Series by R.K. Close. This book is available on most retailers.

The last of the dinner crowd had emptied out about twenty minutes earlier, leaving Harmony and me to clean up and close. I didn't mind the work since I got to spend time with her. The Greasy Spoon wasn't the most romantic setting, but after dating for four years, we were comfortable with one another in most situations.

"Please take this out back before it explodes," Harmony said, pointing at the garbage bin in the kitchen. I'd been working at the diner for over two years, but Harmony only started last summer. We worked so well together, the owner, Mrs. Buehler trusted us to close the restaurant on our own.

Grinning, I walked toward her. Instead of grabbing the bag of garbage, I slipped my arms around her waist and pulled her against me. Harmony had always felt like a perfect fit in my arms. "How about I take you to the storage room for a break? I missed mine during the rush." I nuzzled her neck.

"Liam McKenzie! You are impossible. Let me go so I can finish. I promised Lisa I'd come right over after work," she said, making a half-hearted effort to get away from me.

"Why does Lisa get all of your attention these days?" I asked, finally letting her slip out of my grasp.

Harmony put her hands on her hips and gave me that look—the one that said I wasn't being nice.

"She's having a crisis and needs to talk. I'm spending the night at her place." She picked up the rag she'd been using and began wiping down the stainless-steel counters in the kitchen.

"Lisa is always having a crisis. What's wrong now?" I asked while pulling the garbage bag out of the container.

Last month it was her weight, even though a strong wind could have knocked that girl over. Lisa was convinced she was five pounds too heavy and therefore, the world was coming to an end.

"Robert broke up with her over text message. Can you believe that? They've been dating almost two years. She's pretty hurt by it and I don't blame her." She had moved on to wiping down tables and then placing chairs on top of them, so we could sweep and mop. That was usually the last thing we did.

"Well, he's in college and living a thousand miles away. It makes it hard to have a relationship." I walked toward the back door with the garbage in hand. When she didn't respond, I stopped to look at her. She was watching me with an odd expression I couldn't read. "What?"

"It's nothing. We'll talk more when you finish with the trash." I thought I saw a flash of sadness in her eyes before she covered it with a brief smile. Something tightened in my gut, but I did what she asked, without pressing her further.

The alley had one light shining down over the steps from the diner. Its usefulness was almost nonexistent by the time it reached the dumpster across the alley.

I tossed the bag of trash into the large metal bin, which made a loud thumping noise as it hit bottom. A high-pitched squeal came from the shadows and my heart leaped into my throat.

"Who's there?" I called.

A familiar voice responded, "Go back inside, Liam. You scared Renee." A female voice giggled from the other side of the alley, where I could barely make out two forms sitting on the tailgate of a truck—my truck.

It was old, beat up, and had been rode hard, but it was paid for and it was mine.

"Seth! What are you doing in the alley?" I asked. "I need a ride home, by the way. Harmony has plans that don't include me." Seth's car had a nail in the tire, and instead of having it fixed before the tire store closed, he asked to borrow my truck while I was working.

Renee laughed nervously again. She was only a junior in high school, so I tried not to let her voice annoy me.

Seth had his arm around her, and I wondered if she knew her shirt was still hiked up over her bra. At least I hoped that was her bra.

"We're having a chat about..." He looked at Renee, noticed her shirt, and casually pulled it down. "...life and the meaning of it all." This sent Renee into more fits of laughter that made me want to cringe.

Seth's charming grin was only one of the many things that got my younger brother into trouble on a regular basis. I didn't need to see his smile to know it was there.

"Take Renee home and come back for me. We'll be finished in a few minutes." I turned away and started walking back to the diner.

"You're always spoiling the fun, Liam," Seth called.

Down the alley, I could see Main Street, which was lit far better than the alley. From my vantage point, I could see the local bar across the road with its colorful neon signs glowing in the windows. A row of shiny polished motorcycles were parked next to the curb.

"And Renee, didn't your mama teach you to stay away from guys like Seth?" The gray metal door closed behind me, thankfully, cutting off Renee's laughter.

I heard voices in the restaurant when there shouldn't have been, since the diner was now closed.

Damn it. I'd forgot to turn the sign and lock the door. I quickly made my way to the front.

Harmony was speaking to three men dressed in leather and covered in ink. "I told you, we're closed," Harmony said, annoyed.

Knowing her, they must have said or done something to upset her. Harmony had a great way with everyone, even the grumpiest of customers. When I walked in, the bikers and Harmony turned to look at me.

"What seems to be the problem?" I asked.

"I've told these gentlemen that the diner is closed, but they insist on being served." Harmony's words were firm, but I could see the concern in her eyes.

The shorter man in the group stepped forward and studied me openly. His expression seemed almost curious, and maybe surprised.

Did they believe Harmony was alone?

"The sign says open, and the door's unlocked. That says welcome to me." He nodded his head at the door behind him. His body language and mannerism suggested he was the leader of these two, at least.

The man was thick and muscular with dark, messy hair that reached his shoulders. I was pretty certain I could take him—not sure I could handle three at once, though. I hoped the situation wouldn't turn ugly.

"She's right. We're closed. The kitchen isn't serving anymore food. Sorry about the confusion with the sign. That was my mistake. Doors open at six tomorrow for breakfast, if you're interested." I kept my tone friendly, but my expression left no room for discussion as I moved to stand between Harmony and the men.

The leader eyed me up and down, taking my measure no doubt, while the other two shuffled position a bit, seeming more alert than before. I took notice of them, but my gaze never left the man doing the talking.

"What pack you with?" he asked me.

I glanced back at Harmony and she shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know what you're talking about." His expression turned steely and for a second his eyes appeared to glow. I blinked, and they were the same dark color again.

Almost instantly, my stomach began cramping and perspiration broke out over my body as if I'd suddenly started a fever. Couldn't have been worse timing.

As if noticing my discomfort, the man smiled slowly before laughing outright. The other two began chuckling as well. "A rogue, then. Tell you what, instead of killing you, I'll make you a deal you can't refuse."

Harmony gasped. The hair on the back of my neck stood on end and my heart pounded loud enough I was sure everyone in the room could hear it.

I backed up until I felt Harmony place her hands on my shoulders. "What are you talking about? You need to leave now or I'm calling the sheriff," I said.

My greatest concern was keeping Harmony safe.

"Lone wolves aren't allowed, kid. Join our pack and all is forgiven. You'll be protected." When I looked at him in confusion, he added, "This is a generous offer. You should take it while you still can."

At that moment the bell chimed as Seth sauntered into the diner. All three men turned to look at him. One guy made a noise that sounded like a growl. Once again, my stomach turned and began cramping.

What the hell did I eat?

Seth sauntered in like he owned the place, smiling at everyone without prejudice. I couldn't tell if he picked up on the tension in the atmosphere or not. Seth was smart, almost too smart for his own good. He hid it well with plenty of bad behavior and habits.

"Liam, what's taking you so long? Pa and Cole are waiting in the truck. Let's go, let's go!" Seth claps his hands several times as if his enthusiasm would make it happen. Now I knew his game. Pa and Cole were at home.

The leader turned to me and glared. "I'll be seeing you around, Liam," he said before turning to leave. He stopped at the door to glare at Seth. Of course, Seth had no fear of anyone or anything. He was born with a few screws loose.

Seth gave the man one of his wide cheesy grins and waved bye as the bikers went through the door. If looks could kill, my brother would be dead three times over.

As soon as the door closed behind them, I hurried to lock it and turn the sign. I stood there and watched them walk across the street and noticed there were seven motorcycles in total. They had friends.

My sudden flu-like symptoms seemed to have left with the bikers. I'd never believed myself a coward, but my body's physical reaction to the threat suggested otherwise.

Disappointed in myself, I turned back to look at Harmony, who was as white as a sheet. She held her cell phone tightly in her hand, like a weapon.

"I've already called the sheriff."

Seth groaned loudly. "Damn, Harmony. Now we'll be here all night. Can you cancel them?"

Harmony looked at Seth like he was insane. Tears filled her eyes and she turned away before they could fall. I glared at Seth before hurrying to her. "You weren't here, Seth. They threatened to kill us," I added over my shoulder.

"Those losers? They couldn't find their asses, much less do any real damage. I'm sure they were bluffing—trying to intimidate, is all. You know they're not from around here. Just passing through, no doubt." Seth sat in one of the booths and began scrolling through his phone.

Yep, loose screws.

When I turned Harmony around she'd already dried her eyes on her sleeve. "Hey. It's okay. They're gone, and you're safe."

She pulled out of my arms. "Liam, they wanted to kill you. Did you hear what they said? They were talking crazy! I was so afraid they'd hurt you."

"They were high on something. I couldn't make sense of what he was blabbering about. I was busy trying to figure out how to keep you safe. Not being sure that I could, was the worst feeling I've ever felt." I pulled her to me then and she let me. We held each other tightly.

A few minutes passed, then we heard a siren getting closer. I looked over at Seth, who rolled his eyes before returning to his preoccupation with his phone. When I looked out the window again, the motorcycles were gone—for good, I hoped.

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