Series: Shifter Ops Series by Renee Rose
Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 65371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65371 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 327(@200wpm)___ 261(@250wpm)___ 218(@300wpm)
It doesn’t matter. All that matters is getting Geo out alive.
“I’m trying to lose these guys,” I tell him. “Just hang tight.”
“Got it.” There’s a little growl in his voice. His wolf understands we’re in danger.
“If I crash or we get stopped, I need you to turn into a wolf,” I shout against the wind, “and run as fast and far as you can, deep into the wilderness. Your wolf will know what to do. Promise me, Geo.”
“What about you?” he asks.
“I’ll be fine. As soon as I can, I’ll radio for help.”
My maneuvers get me through town unaccompanied. I speed down the empty road, watching for a tail. I’m about to declare us home free when another black SUV appears ahead. It crosses the road and stops straddling the yellow line, trying to drive me back to his buddy’s waiting arms. As if I’d be that stupid.
I make it look like I’m going to turn around, and at the last minute zip off to the side, gunning down the breakdown lane. We pass the stopped SUV with a spray of gravel.
I continue down the road, but I don’t fool myself that I’ve lost them. They’ve got eyes in the sky or something tracking me. If Geo wasn’t clinging to me, I’d look around for a drone.
What now? I don’t dare lead them home. I’d have more options if I were alone. I’d be more reckless, for one thing. Every cell in my body is focused on the smaller body barnacled to my back.
I need backup.
I wait until we’re on a straight stretch of road and pull out my phone. I hit the emergency call button, the one that lights up our command center with an SOS. I can’t rely too much on my pack. They’re miles away in Taos.
But I do have some friends in the area. Tonight they’re all gathered in one place.
Julia will kill me when she finds out where we’ve been. But she will find out because we’ll have made it home alive.
I take the next turn, setting a course for the abandoned commercial strip where Trey and Jared, and a bunch of fight-hungry shifters will be waiting.
Julia
The tightness in my chest eases a little when my ride pulls up to my small house.
I hop out, waving off the driver’s help to get my small bag. “Thank you,” I call and hike up the driveway.
I don’t know why I felt the need to come home early. Every motherly instinct I had was blaring an alert. I felt stupid when I booked the last minute flight from New York–I didn’t even text Geo. He'd be asleep at his friend's house, and I didn’t want him to worry.
I took a ride share from the airport. My phone died while it was on airplane mode and in my rush to pack, I left the charger at the hotel. Everything in me told me I had to get home.
Now I’m here, and things don’t feel right.
The windows are dark and quiet, but the floodlight Channing uses to work at night is on, pointed towards my car. Pieces and parts of socket wrenches are scattered around it. It’s not like him to leave his tools out. Or is it? I guess I don’t know him all that well.
I plug my phone in. It blares to life, and I scramble to check my messages. I missed several calls from Channing and Geo.
I hit redial. Nothing. My return calls to both of them go to voicemail.
It’s past midnight. Where could they be? Channing’s truck is here. But his bike is gone.
I’m going to kill him. As soon as I figure out where Geo is.
I take a second to listen to Geo’s voice message. I forgot my medicine–the code Channing taught us to use when we’re around humans. Guilt stabs me. I should’ve let Geo stay home with Channing.
A horrible sputtering noise outside brings me to the door. Buddy pulls up to the curb in his old Charger.
“Buddy,” I cry. “Where’s Channing? Did he get Geo?”
He blinks at me. “I just got back. I haven’t seen them.”
A chill runs through me. It’s been over an hour since Geo left the message. They should be back by now. Maybe they shifted to run from Justin’s neighborhood? Like, an emergency shift?
I wrap my arms around myself with a shiver. My instincts are screaming at me. Something’s wrong.
Before I panic completely, I remember Geo has a tracking app I installed on his phone. I can see him, and he can see me.
“Stay here,” I order Buddy and run back inside to stab at my phone screen and find the map with the blinking light that tells me where Geo is. He’s not at his friend’s Justin’s house nor anywhere nearby. No, it looks like he’s on the outskirts of Flagstaff, an area I’m not too familiar with. There’s nothing on that side of town but some warehouses. I have no idea where Channing is taking my son, but I can guess.