“If you tell me, maybe I can help you,” I offered, even though each word tasted disgusting as I said them.
“Mark Peters,” he finally said.“That’s the name I was given.Don’t know anything else.Unlike you, I know better than to ask too many questions.”
With those two words, he told me everything I needed to know.I’d met Mark on an online dating site.He’d totally catfished me and looked nothing like his picture.To be fair, it might have been him, about twenty years before our first date.I’d been ready to storm out of the restaurant, but somehow he convinced me to stay for a drink.I made sure it was a mocktail and didn’t let it out of my sight.Mark was a big fan of the show and seemed to have a hard time understanding that I wasn’t actually Regina, my character.
I’d met many superfans before, but this was beyond.Mark thought Regina owed him something.Like my first born.
With a quick enactment of the Friend Emergency Bailout Text system, I’d excused myself and had gotten the fuck out of there.Deleted my dating profile on the ride home.
Didn’t stop him from texting me.Not that I’d ever given him my phone number.He also sent gifts to set.A few days later, he showed up at the pool of my apartment complex.Needless to say, I don’t live there anymore.
Mike slowed the van as we approached the offramp.
We’re getting off the freeway at exit 98,I texted Vera.And I’m gonna shift.
I barely had a chance to drop the phone before my skin split, and fur blossomed in its wake.Forget about getting out of these sweats.I’d forever be pissed because this set was so cute.
“What the fuck?”Mike swerved as my fully formed wolf leapt over the backseat.
He narrowly missed the cars stopped at the red light as the van veered into a ditch, rocked back and forth, and threatened to roll over.
Mike came at me, still in his human form, not even waiting for the van to come to a full stop.He was determined to deliver the goods, dead or alive.
Like.Fucking.Hell.I would let that happen.
I smashed through the passenger’s side window and made a run for it.
ChapterTwo
Beau
I’m a self-proclaimed adrenaline junkie.It’s one of the reasons I decided to work at Sawtooth Security after leaving the military.It scratched my danger itch, let me work with and for shifters, and gave me a chance to help people when they needed it most.
But I hated to admit that sometimes this job could be a fucking snooze.No high-profile cases had come in since Bellamy had cracked the case of the ghost bears and reunited with Clover, the mate who’d originally rejected him.Now they made googly eyes at each other any time she came into the office while I did background checks.
So I worked out a deal with Barrett, our agency owner.I’d cut my hours until a big case came in, and spend that downtime volunteering for the Granger Falls Fire Department.We were getting close to fire season, and they appreciated someone with experience.I was thankful for the flexible schedule and a place where I could bring my rescued pit bull, Gigi, to work with me.
Tonight, it was quiet here, too.One of those early summer evenings when the weather was absolutely perfect.Still a hint of snow on the mountain peaks, and the first streaks of sunset spread across the sky.We’d moved the operation outside and planned to spend our waiting time on a pickup game of basketball.
“What are we playing for?”I asked as I moved the ball from one palm to another.As a bear shifter, I was at a disadvantage against these guys, who were mostly wolves.They were faster than me, but I read the court differently.
“Loser team cooks the Fourth of July feast on behalf of the department,” Baron Channing suggested.“And you better like cooking, because the whole town comes.”
I raised a brow.“Even the chili?”
He shook his head.“That’s for the contest.But burgers, dogs, chicken, all the sides—you better be ready to represent, bear.”
The ball hit the pavement with purpose.“I’m always representing.But I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do on the grill.”
It probably wasn’t fair that I caught him off guard and moved past him for an easy layup.After that, the game was on.
These wolves took their basketball seriously.Baron’s brother Dallas blocked my next shot, sending the ball bouncing into the dirt.I chased after it, stopping when it rolled into a familiar pair of boots.
“Hey, Barrett.”I nodded to my day job boss as he handed me the ball.“What’s up?”
“Mind if I tear you away from your game?”he asked.
“I’m gonna be doing a lot of cooking if I leave now.”
