Rance knelt behind the giant oak, watching as Deputy Lainie Everest slid out of her patrol car. He would not allow some small-town deputy to steal his case, regardless of how his wolf panted after her back at the crime scene. Now was not the time for animal lust to distract him. Roger O'Brien was his; Roger's phone was his. Rance needed the video on that phone to put that punk, Snake, and four of his friends behind bars for shooting up a family's house and killing the father. Gang violence in Pensacola was out of control, contributing to almost eighty percent of the criminal activity in the county. Rance's office was determined to do everything within its power to put as many of them behind bars as possible. Roger was to be a step in that direction. Was to be, that is, until the man turned chicken and ran. Now the only witness to the fatal shooting had been fatally shot, and some one-horse deputy was doing her best to impede Rance's investigation. Well, she's going to try anyway.Rance
Lainie knew just by looking at the man in the doorway that he was ready to bolt. Yet, Rance seemed determined to attempt to talk the man out of his weapon. She gripped the handle of her gun tighter, wanting to shake her head, but not wanting to give anything away to the thug enduring an intercession with Rance. Big town cops and their stupid ways. He's had a chip on his shoulder since he showed up at my crime scene, thinking he knows how best to handle things. All big city cops are the same, no matter how much their eyes smoldered. Lainie watched as the intruder took a deep breath, and her panther sensed what was about to take place and growled. Then, just as she knew would happen, the punk turned and darted away, jumping off the porch onto the grass as he attempted his escape."Damn it!" Rance shouted, just standing there staring as the man made a quick retreat. "I hope he gets eaten by an alligator." His frustrated mumble almost made her laugh, but then he shouted at the fleeing man
Rance walked into the sheriff's office, the laptop tucked under his arm. Once he had reached the cabin again and shifted, he dressed and did a quick scan of the structure. The only thing of importance in the whole place was an ancient laptop. Rance shoved it into an evidence bag he found in the deputy's car and then stowed it in his duffel bag along with his clothes. Roger was doing more than hiding in Bull Creek; he was hiding from life. He only had a few changes of clothes, no other electronics, such as a music device or television, no books to mention, which made Rance wonder what the man did out in the middle of nowhere to keep from going off the rails. Bull Creek was a quiet getaway, but Rance wasn't sure if he could last without something to distract him besides watching the hands of a clock tick.He grinned as he walked up to the receptionist's desk. Of course, if he had Lainie Everest in his cabin, he could let time pass without worry. Spunky, sassy even, but it suited her. He
Unfrickin' believable! Lainie stormed through the sheriff's department, her hands clinched into tight fists. She didn't need Rance's charm or assistance. She didn't need him anywhere near her, no matter how much her panther panted in his direction. Besides, his entire story reeked of bullshit. She wasn't sure what game he played, but he definitely worked some angle, and until she knew what it was, she would keep him as far away from her as possible.She rapped on the doorframe of Chet's office before barging inside. "Did this idiot give you a laptop?"Chet glanced up at her from underneath his gray bangs, a grin pushing up his cheeks. "Nice to see you're playing well with others." He reached out to the top of his desk and tapped the plastic bag perched there. "I think this is what you want."She reached out, taking the evidence bag, and stared at the laptop. "Have you looked at it yet?" Noise from behind her caught her attention, but she didn't turn around. She knew it was Rance. The m
Rance parked in front of Everglades, the only place in the small community that passed for a bar. However, looking at the dilapidated building, he still possessed his doubts about that. The building looked more like a piecemeal shack thrown together after a hurricane than an actual structure built on purpose. With his luck, Rance would walk inside and the whole place would give up the ghost and come crashing down around him. I really hope this place at least has decent whiskey. After the scene at the sheriff's department, Rance desperately needed a drink.Opening his door, he slid out of his car, shoving the keys into his pocket, and took a deep breath of the stifling evening air. As he turned toward the entrance, his mind shifted back to the interrogation of the Serpent gang member. Rance had no idea what the kid meant by loose ends. With Roger dead, what else was there to worry about except the video, which was already in evidence lockup? Unless they stormed the sheriff's department,
Lainie watched as Rance pulled his shirt over his head, his muscles rippling, his abs pulled taut. She forced herself to look away before her panther urged her to take the man where he stood. She did not need these feelings right now, not with a killer still on the loose. To be honest, she didn't need her panther's stirrings, period, having made her peace with a celibate life. However, as Rance started to unbutton his pants and she heard the zipper sliding downward, she couldn't stop herself from turning back around to watch as he slid his pants down his powerful legs, the material slipping over his ass as he faced away from her, his ass firm, full. Bite-able. Her breath caught in her throat as she jerked her gaze back around, away from where the detective stripped, ready to shift and track the assailant.Oh god, it's my turn. While shifters were quite comfortable being naked in front of others—it was part of their natural world after all—Lainie struggled to be naked in front of Rance
Rance heard what the punk said, knew he needed to sit still and wait it out. They were just words after all, and Lainie and he needed to hear more to know their next move. However, his wolf was in control now, the shift giving the animal more power than his human portion and was not about to allow the man in front of them to threaten the one the wolf had already claimed as his mate. Rance's wolf leaped out of hiding, his claws out and teeth ready to gnash at someone's arm, a growl ripping from his chest.The man sitting on the trunk of the car screamed, jerking himself backward further on the trunk, trying to shove himself through the rear windshield in his escape. The other kid, eyes wide, screamed as well as he darted around to the front of the car, ducking as if he could hide from the wolf. Rance knew better. There was no hiding from his wolf. Or from him.What the hell are you doing? He heard Lainie shouting in his mind. You're screwing everything up, damn it!He knew he was screwi
Gracie's Diner was a small hole in the wall attached to the only gas station between Melbourne and St. Cloud. Travelers could stop in for lunch, fill their car up with gas, and grab a bag of chips and a drink for the rest of their journey. The building was concrete with faded white paint and walls that needed pressure-washing just to be able to see the bottom layer of dirt. The parking lot was chipped asphalt and pot holes surrounded by weeds that had choked out the grass decades ago, and the sad part was, the exterior of the building looked better than the interior. The tables were a fake-wood Formica, and what wasn't chipped was stained with no one knew what. However, it was probably the same dark liquid that stained the cheap linoleum floor. The chairs were a hideous burnt orange that seemed leftover from the seventies and had as many tears with exposed stuffing as fabric. The building even smelled old, like one of those antique shops back in Downtown Melbourne, musty with the aroma
"Sure you three can't stay longer?" Dimitri asked as Fitz tossed another suitcase in the trunk of his car. "I mean, now that the excitement is over, we can spend time catching up."Fitz slammed the trunk closed and turned to lean back on it, sliding his hands into his pockets. "Trust me, I'd love doing just that, but I need to figure out what Dad was doing back at home with the Order of Wardens. Dad had to be into some shady dealings, and I need to know what the company is facing."Dimitri nodded. "I get it. Just don't try to do it all on your own.""Like he'd have a choice," Mandy said as she and Kinsey left the cabin to join them, Adira and Lainie beside them. Mandy's arm was in a sling to help protect her wound. Thanks to her shifter blood, she would heal quicker than a human, but she still had to be careful and not overdo it. Their mother stayed at Dimitri's cabin, deciding to visit her younger children since she was there and saw no need to rush home. Lainie had reached out to her
Fitz stood there, hissing at his father. Mandy had Jeremiah pinned down, and Enoch stood still with magic fire sparkling around his fingertips. Kinsey stood, legs spread, braced for a confrontation with Daniel who stood there beating his chest like a crazed lunatic, never taking his eyes off Kinsey. "Don't just stand there, you idiot!" Jeremiah screamed. "Use your damn magic and blast them.""Yes, please," Adira snarled from the open doorway. "Try it." She raised her hands, her own blue magic's fire dancing around her fingertips. Dimitri's panther padded into the warehouse, moving over to where Mandy stood over Jeremiah. I've got him, he assured his sister-in-law. He's not going anywhere.Out of the corner of his eye, Fitz watched Mandy slide off Jeremiah, nipping at his face without actually biting him. The man shrieked as he tried to shove himself into the concrete.Lainie walked in, but she wasn't alone. "Johnson and the others are rounding up the men outside. The plane took off,
Fitz stared at the shattered glass scattered on the ground, several shards covered in blood, Kinsey's blood. He never should have left his mates alone. Now, one was in the hands of his enemies, and the other on her way to join the first. How could his father always be one step ahead of him?Fitz remained there, squatting, staring at the ruins of Kinsey's window. He couldn't blame Mandy for racing off after Kinsey. His panther urged him to do the same, and it took everything he had not to give in to those urges. He couldn't respond with rash behavior, however, as much as he wanted nothing more than to race off and devour those who hurt his family. He needed to think this through, needed to figure out the best way to save his mates. He needed… Fitz sighed. He needed to get off his ass and take his father out."The magic twists Kinsey's trail," Adira said to those gathered around. "But it doesn't twist Eve or Mandy's. Follow their scents, and you'll make better time than trying to follow
Mandy slid her phone back into her back pocket. Fitz actually thought she could sit still and just wait while the Order held Kinsey in their clutches? No way. Daniel put a hit out on Kinsey's life. Who knew how much time they had in order to save her. No. Mandy had every intention of starting the search for her mate.She quickly stripped off her clothes, piling them on the wooden porch in the front of the cabin. Fitz would see the clothes and know what she did. He'd be quick to follow her. Daniel underestimated his son; at least, this version of Fitz. He wouldn't sacrifice Kinsey for his father's goals, not with everything the three of them planned, not now that they discovered the way to be together, that they needed to be together.Mandy braced, shifting, her bones popping, body stretching as the tawny fur of her panther slid from under her flesh. She fell to all fours, her feet and hands turning to massive paws before she even touched the ground. She gave a quick shake of her head,
Her head pounded, her stomach churning with nausea. Kinsey wasn't sure what they gave her, but she knew it screwed with her senses. She remained in her panther form, huddled on the cold floor of… She panicked. Where the hell had they taken her? She tried to inhale some scent to give her an idea, but all she could smell was the sweat of humans, the fringes of Enoch's magic, and what seemed to be iron. Memories of what happened to her flooded her mind as she tried to move. Opening her gold eyes, she noticed the iron bars around her. A cage! They stuffed me into a damn cage.She forced herself up onto her paws, pain screaming from her right leg when she put her weight on it. Her body was sluggish, her mind still a little groggy. The floor of her cage was solid wood, while the walls and ceiling were inch-thick iron bars. She seemed to be in some sort of warehouse. By the scents that reached her, the place hadn't been used in a long time, dust and decay filling her nostrils. Windows set hig
"I'm surprised you actually came up for air," Dimitri said with a chuckle. "Hell, when I first marked Adira we stayed locked in the cabin for days. We didn't even realize we ran out of food until we finally wore ourselves out, and that was just the two of us. I can't imagine how much energy three of you would have."Fitz sat across from Dimitri at Gracie's Diner, sipping his third cup of coffee. "It's kind of hard to stay naked when you're afraid the Order will bust down your door and kill your mate." The smell of greasy burgers filled the air as plates and glasses clinked against each other. The diner was filled almost to capacity as nearby residents of Bull Creek and Holopaw filled their bellies with lunch. The bell dinged by the pickup window as plates of steaming food passed through the window, waiting for the servers to swoop by and deliver it to hungry customers. Another bell dinged over the glass door as people walked in and out, either starving or satisfied. "Trust me," Fitz sa
Kinsey watched as Mandy left through the front door. She didn't really blame Mandy for needing some time away. The three of them had been glued to each other since they entered the cabin on Sunday. While it would have been nice spending this hump day doing exactly that, Kinsey knew they all needed a break to sort through the sudden waterfall of emotions their animals forced upon them. Life just took a dramatic turn for them all.Kinsey poured herself a fresh cup of coffee and headed to her bedroom. They had been so busy exploring each other's bodies, they never took a moment to unpack Mandy and Fitz's clothes completely. Not that it mattered much. With as much sex as the three of them had over the past couple of days, they hadn't really needed clothes. Of course, even with as much as they may have wanted to remain that way, eventually they would need to mingle again with the rest of the world, and for the most part, that would require clothing. If only the rest of the world were as com
For the next two days, the three of them never left the cabin, even choosing to order in their food, instead of venturing out to stock the shelves. They spent their time exploring each other's bodies in the bedroom and sitting around the cabin exploring the possibilities of the future. Their panthers were calmer; at least, in the manner of the mating call, they were. In terms of the lust that filled the room, they were as insatiable as their human counterparts. The three of them had a difficult time keeping their hands and mouths off each other, and Mandy found herself buried between Kinsey's legs several more times since Sunday.They agreed there would be no sleeping in separate beds. They would live together, love together, sleep together, and every other together that existed. They weren't separate relationships trying to coexist; they were one relationship with three parts. Unorthodox, perhaps, but for them it would be how they lived. Mandy bore Fitz's mate mark, as did Kinsey, and
Fitz remained quiet after his statement about a new alpha, leaving the packing of their motel room to Mandy. Guilt filled him because he hadn't even considered how Kinsey would feel about returning to Draven Falls once he told her about his father's plans. Of course, he hadn't really thought beyond protecting her, so it wasn't like he made future plans. Hell, he wasn't even sure what the future held. He moved moment-by-moment right now, reacting more than planning his next step. That had to change.Mandy finished packing, and the three of them loaded the trunk of the car before heading back to Bull Creek. Mandy attempted to get him to talk more, but after a few short replies, gave up and talked with Kinsey, instead. By the time Fitz pulled into Kinsey's driveway, he couldn't even remember the drive there, his mind churning over how he would take over the family from his father, and whether that was even possible. Taking over the family was never something Fitz thought about, believing