The Shifters: Trysta and Fiero

2

Fiero walked into his house and stopped short. A fresh scent met his nose. It was pleasant and reminded him of nights running through the woods with his pack. Since his singing career took off, he hadn't gone back home and run with the White Ferry Pack. His bandmate and best friend Brax walked out of the kitchen.

"Why do I smell someone new?" Fiero asked the bear shifter.

"Housekeeper, Hal is showing her around."

"Housekeeper? What happened to Mrs. Withworth?"

"Retired. She was getting too old to keep up with us."

"I see. Band meeting in ten minutes. We're going over the tour schedule. We've had a few changes because of venue size." Fiero didn't wait for Brax to reply. He was the one in charge of appearances and tour dates with Hal, their manager.

"You'll be in the housekeeper's cottage. It has a kitchen and a laundry room. You may use none of the items in the main house for personal use. Occasionally, one or two members of the group might come home. They are to be left undisturbed to complete interviews and such. You are to make certain their rooms are ready and a healthy meal is left in the refrigerator," Hal explained to a young woman. Fiero could only hear because the backyard windows were open. He glanced out to see a woman of medium height with blond hair straight down her back. Her curves were just his type.

"Yes sir. Will I receive notice?" Her voice made Fiero's wolf take notice. He rubbed his chest, confused.

"As much as we can give you. I'll have a weekly schedule emailed to you. See you memorize it."

"Do any of my employers have allergies?"

"No, but I have sent food preferences to you in email form. Get settled, you begin work tomorrow. Do not disturb anyone tonight." Fiero frowned at Hal's stern tone. Mrs. Withworth had always been around in their business. Why should the new one keep her distance?

"Yes, sir." Her voice intrigued Fiero. There was a hint of an accent or speech change he couldn't pinpoint.

Fiero went into the conference room set up in their home. Here, they planned and discussed everything pertaining to the band. Royal and Damon were already there. Royal was their bass guitarist, but also a professional model. Damon wrote the melodies for the band and crushed it on the keyboard.

"Gentlemen," he greeted his friends, dropping into a chair at the head of the table.

"Fiero, get a look at the hot new housekeeper?" Royal asked, licking his lips. If the person was willing, Royal was more than happy spending the night with them, male or female, it didn't matter. Now Fiero knew why Hal had told her to limit her contact with the band.

"She is off limits to you, Royal," Fiero ordered with a smirk.

"Hal already warned me off." Royal gave a shrug, totally unphased.

"Where are Maddox and Brax?" Damon asked, removing one headphone ear.

"Hopefully on their way." Fiero tapped his fingers on the polished wood table. "Any more work on the songs?" Fiero asked to kill time. If he got Damon or Maddox talking about music, they could go on and on.

"Maddox and I have been working on a few for our next album. We're struggling with a ballad, though."

"Those are most popular with our female fans," Royal commented, leaning back in his seat, hands behind his head.

"What are?" Brax asked, coming into the conference room. He had to duck his head not to hit the door frame. Behind him stood Maddox, his headphones on and a notebook in his hands. Hal followed and closed the door. He took Maddox's headphones and cleared his throat.

"Let's get down to business. First thing, we have a new housekeeper. Her name is Trysta Thompson. She is here to keep the house in order while you are on tour. Please treat her with respect. She'll be living in the cottage at the back of the property. When you all come back, you'll have to decide if she may stay."

"Why do we care?" Damon asked, brushing his shoulder-length purple hair out of his face.

"She is twenty-three and unmarried. A scandal could break out if they photographed any of you with her."

"No one would dare on our property," Fiero growled, letting his wolf flash through.

"Either way, please be cautious. The next item is your schedule. Interviews and photoshoots are scheduled for each of you for your next album. You'll take turns coming back here to complete them in between concerts. You'll get two days each."

"Why two days?" Brax asked with a frown.

"Your concerts are all three to four days apart, with two on Saturdays. We need to maximize your time. Once we come back from the tour, you'll be working hard on recording your next album."

"Only if Damon and I can get peace to write," Maddox interjected with a sullen expression on his face.

"We have a week off in the middle of the tour. You'll come home for that week to work. The others have commitments, keeping them away from the house most of the day. Now-" Hal continued, but Fiero lost focus. He glimpsed the new housekeeper outside. She was on her phone and looked agitated. He wanted to know what had her so worked up. Her long hair flowed in the breeze, revealing something attached to her left ear. Before he could get a better look, she flattened down her hair.

"Fiero, you'll be the first to go for the photo shoot and interviews. It will be around the end of June."

"Fine by me," he answered, not actually listening. He had the schedule memorized. Hal was going over everything for the other's benefit.

"That brings us to the end of our schedule. We end for four nights of concerts here in Storm City."

"Damn, you have us packed with things to do," Royal groaned, dropping his head onto the table. The lion shifter had the tendency to overreact occasionally.

"You'll have the next eight to nine months here recording music and relaxing some," Hal reminded them, unphased by Royal.

"Is that it?" Maddox asked, reaching for his headphones. They were never far from his ears. Usually hanging around his neck.