Series: Shifter Ops Series by Renee Rose
Total pages in book: 32
Estimated words: 30911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 155(@200wpm)___ 124(@250wpm)___ 103(@300wpm)
I shrug. “We prefer a less urban area. At least I do, and Allison doesn’t mind.”
He says nothing, but I feel like telling him more. “My animal doesn’t like being around most shifters. Doesn’t trust them. My old pack sold me to the slavers.”
“Feckin’ A.”
“Yeah.” I blow out a long stream of smoky air. I’ve never talked to anyone about this, but it’s easy to talk to Declan. “Guess I didn’t fit in with them as well as I thought.”
He’s silent, but I sense he understands what it’s like not to fit in. “What about you?” I ask. “Are you guys part of any pack?”
“Naw. We keep tae ourselves.”
“Safety in numbers,” I mock-scold him.
He raises a bushy black brow. “I could say the same ting to ya, lass.”
I grunt. He’s right. Allison and I would be safer in a pack. But even if we could find shifters we could trust, what sort of pack would have us? The wolves in Tucson are nice, but we don’t really fit in. Our animals can tell the difference between tolerant pity and true acceptance.
I wish we could be like werebears. They tend to be loners, but their animals are so violent and massive that safety isn’t a problem. Not even vampires fuck with werebears.
My animal is pouting, so I switch my train of thought.
“So what do you want for Christmas?”
“Why? Ya gonna be my sexy Santa? Make all my dreams come true?”
I make my voice low and breathy. “Maybe…”
He inhales sharply, and the cold air turns thick with a musky sweetness. “Wish it would snow.”
“It’s cold enough. Any colder, and I wouldn’t be out here with you. And aren’t you glad I came out here?”
“Aye, lass. And I tink ya know that.” He shifts a little and his cock prods my leg.
I raise my brows. “Again?”
He laughs again, and the delicious sound makes my inside squeeze. “Why not?”
Chapter Six
Declan
The trouble with sleeping outside is you wake at dawn. Unfortunately, Fiona woke first and is nowhere to be found. Her scent leads into the cabin, so I expect she wandered off somewhere warmer.
Too bad. My dick is ready for another round.
Only one night.
It’s better that she didn’t stay close. My fangs are sharp, ready to give a mating bite, and my animal is confused. He wants to know why I didn’t mark her while I had a chance.
The cabin door creaks open, and Parker walks out.
He makes a big show of sniffing the air and spots me in the treehouse above. “Someone got lucky last night.”
I scowl at him.
“You're not in a good mood? You got laid.”
“Shout it a little louder. They didn’t hear you on the other side of the mountain.” I rise and shake out the blanket. The fabric holds mine and Fiona’s combined scent, and the blend almost sends me to my knees. I want to fold in two and bury my face in this blanket. I want to run to Fiona, sink my fangs into her neck, and mark her properly as my mate.
Instead, I make myself fold the blanket neatly.
“Relax, man,” Parker says. “I’m congratulating you.”
“For what? We were just blowing off steam.” I climb down the tree trunk and drop to the snowy floor.
Parker meets me. “Don’t you…like her?” He’s lowered his voice, but a shifter could still hear him, if they were listening. I hope they’re not listening.
“Aye, I like her. But what does it matter? She only wanted one night.”
“But you want more? Did you tell her that?”
“No. Why would I? What do I have to offer her? When this is done, we’ll go back to our shabby existence and drink ourselves into a stupor until the vampire king takes pity on us and throws us another job.”
“What about the holiday? You were all excited about getting some Christmas cheer.”
“I was wrong. You were right. No use pretending ta be happy. Just shows ya what ya really are.” I kick a pinecone. “Depressed and alone.”
Parker’s silent. I feel him wanting to contradict me, but how can he? He feels the same way.
I shake myself. My wolfhound is whining, and he’ll lounge around and mope all day if I let him. “Gonna get our car then some breakfast. Then finish this damn mission, so we can go home.”
Parker
By midmorning, we’re all up and gathered around the newly fixed VW bus. The triplet’s brother Axel did a great patch job. Someone even soaked the burlap wrapped rootball, and the tree strapped to the roof looks perkier.
Allison, Laurie and Declan hop in the back, and Bern slides the door shut.
“Are you sure you don’t need backup?” Hutch asks, leaning on the driver’s side. “We’re supposed to take a chemistry test today, but we can escort you instead…”
“You’ve done enough.” I wave a hand to the dash where the gas gauge now reads FULL. “More than enough. Go take your test.”