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)
“Pit stop.” I waggle my brows, so he’ll look away, disgusted. Let him think I was at a bar, hitting on the ladies, making any lingering lavender and lilac scent unimportant. No way I’m telling him where I really was.
“This the place?” I nod to the farthest warehouse, built right up against the forest. This whole commercial strip is quiet at night, but there’s a light on above that warehouse door. Every once in a while, a shadowy figure glides from the forest and slips inside.
Deke drums his fingers on the steering wheel. “GPS says so.”
“Let me go in first, do some reconnaissance. I got a hookup.” I hold up my phone, where I’ve been texting with the fight club organizers.
“What if the targets make you?”
“They’re not targets. They’re kids.”
“Teenagers,” Deke grumbles, his eyes penetrating the darkness. “Why am I on babysitting duty?”
“Hey, this is good practice. You know your mate Sadie is going to want a full house.”
The name of his mate softens his expression, as I knew it would.
“Picture it,” I say as I reach up, hands framing the pretend screen, to distract myself from the bite of longing in my own chest and to keep him from picking up on my feelings. “You, Sadie, seven pups–”
“Seven?” His black brows fly up as if picturing this scene I’m painting.
“Yeah, and they’re rolling around on the floor, biting your boots.” I grin at the alarm spreading from Deke’s eyes through his facial expression. “Has Sadie not told you how many kids she wants?”
“Two to four,” he says slowly.
“There you go,” I grin. “You have four kids. Throw in a set of twins or triplets, a few surprises. Happy accidents. It’ll be great.”
Deke’s Adam’s apple bobs, and his hands squeeze the steering wheel. He looks ready to throw the van in reverse and race out of here.
“Daddy Deke.” I smile to fan the fire, and he looks at me like he wants to run me over as he flees the scene.
My work done, I slap the side of the van like a big exclamation point and saunter towards the warehouse as if I’ve got nothing on my mind but this little rescue mission.
More people stream into the side door. A quiet commercial strip with an abandoned building right near the forest is the perfect place to host a pop-up shifter fight club. The organizers, Trey and Jared, have a regular place in Tucson, Arizona. But tonight’s fight is special.
A pack of acid-green Kawasaki ninjas zooms past me. They go from sixty to zero, sending up a spray of gravel as they park. The gangly bikers dismount and huddle together. Werecheetahs. I can spot them a mile away. They like fast bikes and tight leather.
A few glance at me as I pass, their eyes flashing green. I pretend to ignore them, avoiding eye contact. My wolf is riled up after stopping by Julia’s. He wants to go back and claim what he thinks is his. I won’t let him, so he’s itching for a fight.
More shifters have flocked to the warehouse and are hanging around the door. I walk through a cloud of smoke and musky scents.
A familiar wolf shifter steps outside and surveys the crowd. He’s wearing jeans, scuffed motorcycle boots, and a white t-shirt under a leather jacket. The only difference between his outfit and mine is the insignia on the jacket–a snarling wolf with the words ‘Tucson Pack’ emblazoned underneath. “Fight starting in twenty,” he announces and stands aside to let his customers hurry inside.
I step out of the shadows, and he clocks my scent. We both grin and step forward to slap each other on the back.
“Jared,” I greet him.
“Channing, my brother. Glad you could make it.”
“I’m here on business,” I remind him. “Package pick up.”
“Right. They’re inside. Trey’s been keeping an eye on them. You sure they can’t stay? They’re adults.”
“They’re barely eighteen. You know how young shifters are.”
“Yeah.” Jared blows out a breath. “But part of me thinks they just need role models.”
“They have five older brothers. Their brothers would be here themselves, but Matthias is busy at the hospital, and Teddy and Darius are away on business. Separate business,” I add before Jared asks if Teddy made up with his twin brother. “Darius is in New York. Teddy’s in L.A. with his new mate.”
“I heard he got a mate. Your whole pack’s found their mates, what… just this year?”
“Last twelve months,” I say. “Yup. The whole pack.”
Except me.
“Nice,” Jared says.
“How’s Angelina?” I ask before he can ask about my mate situation.
His face softens like Deke’s did when I mention his mate. “She’s great. Real great. Back in Tucson getting ready for a show. Her troupe’s performing this weekend.”
“I can’t believe you came all the way up here for a fight club. You’ve got a sweet place in Tucson.”