Page 1 of Hold my Reins

one

At first glance, Elder Ridge looked much like the other small towns Rox had passed through while traveling. Quaint houses, local shops and the occasional tourist gimmick, so people stopped and spent some money.

Rox paused at the lights, letting the differences soak in. It was one thing to know it was a monster town and to hear them talked about on the news, but another to be sitting in his truck watching something—someone—tall and furry walk past.

That was an actual monster.

He blinked and followed the creature’s progress to the other side of the road. The car behind him honked, and Rox realized the lights had changed. He dragged his attention to the street and his quest to find the motel he’d booked until he’d gotten a feel for the town.

While he’d accepted a job at Elder Ridge Auto Repairs, if he hated the place, he wasn’t sticking around. Life was too short. But so was money after drifting aimlessly for the last six months. He needed to stick this out long enough to put some money in his bank account in case he wanted to leave.

So far, he hadn’t found anywhere that made him want to stay. A few places had actively wanted him gone because he didn’tfit in. To which he said, ‘fuck you.’ They didn’t like the way he dressed or the color he painted his nails; he didn’t like their attitude.

While small towns had their problems, he wasn’t ready to return to the anonymity of a big city, so when he’d seen the job advertised in a town with a monster portal, it was an opportunity to try something very different.

His phone guided him around the corner to the motel, which appeared to be less rough than some of the places he’d stayed. One had been so bad he’d slept in his truck instead of risking the bedbugs and roaches. He parked and wiped his hands on his jeans.

He tapped the visor where her photo was tucked and got out, feeling every stone of the asphalt through the worn sole of his runners as he crossed the lot to the office. Would there be a monster behind the desk?

Not that it mattered if the person was a monster, but he didn’t want to startle or act weird.

He pushed open the door. A human woman sat behind the desk reading a book. She glanced up. “How can I help you, honey?”

“I’ve got a reservation, Gideon Roxburgh.” He’d never hated his name until he’d met his father. After that, he understood what kind of man named his son after himself.

Her nails clacked on the keyboard. “Three nights, with the possibility of extending?”

“Yeah.”

Her gaze skimmed over him. She appeared to be his mother’s age. He squashed that thought down because his mother would never have another birthday, and he didn’t want to think about that.

“Are you here on holiday or looking for work, honey?” She put a piece of paper on the counter and offered him the pen.

Rox stood a little straighter, body tense. It was none of her business.

But she was smiling, not asking like she was going to make trouble.

He took the pen, wrote his truck’s plate number, and signed. “New mechanic.” He exhaled. “So I’ll be here until I find somewhere to rent.”

Unless his new boss took one look at him and wanted him gone. Without money, he wasn’t going anywhere. He wasn’t precious about work—he’d never had the luxury of being able to pick and choose—and there’d be other work in town he could do. But he wanted to do what he was qualified to do.

She nodded. “Did you travel far?”

“I’ve been on the road for a few months…looking…” He wasn’t sure what he was looking for. At first, he’d just needed to get out of the city because he couldn’t breathe, surrounded by tall buildings. The apartment he’d shared with his mother until she’d needed to go into care had been full of sickness and grief, which consumed all the happy memories. Then he’d lived for adventure and the experience, with no care about what happened next—that had required antibiotics, after which he’d stopped being so reckless. The last couple of months, he’d been trying to work out who he was and what he wanted, and he still had no fucking idea.

“Looking to settle here?” she pressed.

He shrugged. “Don’t know.”

“Well, I hope you find what you’re looking for.” She put a room key on the counter. “You’re on the ground floor at the end. Keep the noise down after ten. No parties.” She pulled out a couple of flyers. “Map of the town. Auto shop is about a ten-minute walk. Beastly Brewhouse is popular with tourists who want to say they’ve seen a monster, and also with locals because they have the best coffee.” She drew a little asterisk on the map,marking the motel as she talked. “There are activities by the lake if you’re interested. Emergency information.” She grabbed the next one. “Places to eat.” She flipped it over. “And other local services.”

Rox didn’t need dog grooming or a hairdresser, but the local real estate agent might be handy. “Thanks.”

He gathered them up and headed out to grab his bag out of his truck, scanning the brochures as he walked to his room. There was a bar down the road that might be a good place to grab a meal and check out the locals.

He unlocked the door, glad that the room appeared clean, and dropped his bag on the floor while he checked out the bathroom and bed. Finding them both satisfactory, he firmed up his plans for the night.

Shower, unpack, redo his nails, and grab a beer.

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