Coke and some cashews when the wolf had jumped him from
behind, tried to drag him off into the bushes. Given that Boulder was one of
the best walking towns in the country, no one would have thought it was odd to
walk to the store.
She followed a dip in the trail, watching for changes in the
light, for anything that might give her an impression of what happened,
magickal or otherwise.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Wendy’s voice came from
behind her, making her jump a mile.
“I’m,” looking for hairs or something for a spell so she
could identify who hurt Mike, “walking.”
“Bullshit. This is where Mike was attacked. Jesus, Steph,
you’re covering for them, aren’t you?” Wendy looked so mad.
“Oh, fuck off, Wendy. I am not! They didn’t do anything. I
thought you were my friend!”
“I am! You’re just not rational about those two.” Wendy ran
a hand through her hair, which was down, bushy and blonde. So she was off duty.
“They were with me, Wendy. They didn’t hurt Mike.”
“With you?” Wendy stared, hands on her hips. “You went out
with Mike and then let them come over?”
“They came over. Lord and Lady, Mike and I didn’t work out.”
What a bitch. Wendy could really be a hard-ass, but she’d
never taken it out on Steph before.
“Oh, Steph, I’m sorry.” Wendy blew out a hard breath. “I’m
just freaking out, thinking it’s my fault he got hurt.”
“Your fault? Why would it be your fault?”
“That’s something I’d like to know.” A big, hairy man Steph
had never seen before came up behind Wendy.
Wendy twirled around and took a step back. “Who are you?”
The man growled deep in his throat, the sound making Steph
want to flop on the ground and whimper. “That’s my question for you, stray.”
Drawing herself up, Wendy growled. Steph felt the magickal
energy in the air, crackling like lightning. She backed up a little.
“I’m a police officer and you’re about to get your ass taken
to jail, mister,” Wendy said, low and snake mean.
“You’re a wolf and you’re in my Packlands, threatening my
pack.”
“Oh!” Steph gasped. “You’re Brett!”
Jordan and Shaw’s Brett. The alpha with a capital A.
“You’re the mate, huh?” He circled Wendy and came to her,
holding out a hand. “Thanks for having the boys’ backs.”
“I have to.” She loved them. They were connected, even if it
wasn’t the way the boys thought. She shook Brett’s hand. “They didn’t hurt
anyone.”
“I know.” Brett smiled at him. “So the question is, who
did?”
“Hello! Are we all one little happy, furry family?” Wendy
looked as if she was going to blow a gasket. “I set him up with you and then he
gets torn up. I can’t— Arrrr.”
“Wendy, I swear to you, my boys didn’t do this.” She was
going to find something—fur, a claw, something—to prove it.
Wendy arched an eyebrow. “Yours?”
“Oh, stop. It’s a long story, and if you’re still my friend
after all this, I’ll tell you over tequila.” Steph had taken all she could
stand.
When Wendy opened her mouth to argue, Brett slapped her butt
with one huge hand. Steph had never heard her friend squeak like that. Heck,
she’d never thought someone could do that to Wendy and not lose an arm.
“You’re lucky I don’t have my piece with you, you fuck!”
“I’m lucky? You probably would have drawn down on Stephanie
here in the state you’re in. I can fucking smell your panic.”
Steph couldn’t smell anything, but the air itself was
snapping with heat, fury, something odd. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know, but she’s freaking out.” Brett casually
shifted, moving halfway between her and Wendy.
“I am not freaking out!” Wendy was shouting, though,
shaking, her face red.
“I don’t… Wendy? Honey?”
“You just…” For a second, Wendy looked panicked, truly
panicked.
“Stop.” Something magickal popped, just like a cork, when
Brett barked at
behind, tried to drag him off into the bushes. Given that Boulder was one of
the best walking towns in the country, no one would have thought it was odd to
walk to the store.
She followed a dip in the trail, watching for changes in the
light, for anything that might give her an impression of what happened,
magickal or otherwise.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Wendy’s voice came from
behind her, making her jump a mile.
“I’m,” looking for hairs or something for a spell so she
could identify who hurt Mike, “walking.”
“Bullshit. This is where Mike was attacked. Jesus, Steph,
you’re covering for them, aren’t you?” Wendy looked so mad.
“Oh, fuck off, Wendy. I am not! They didn’t do anything. I
thought you were my friend!”
“I am! You’re just not rational about those two.” Wendy ran
a hand through her hair, which was down, bushy and blonde. So she was off duty.
“They were with me, Wendy. They didn’t hurt Mike.”
“With you?” Wendy stared, hands on her hips. “You went out
with Mike and then let them come over?”
“They came over. Lord and Lady, Mike and I didn’t work out.”
What a bitch. Wendy could really be a hard-ass, but she’d
never taken it out on Steph before.
“Oh, Steph, I’m sorry.” Wendy blew out a hard breath. “I’m
just freaking out, thinking it’s my fault he got hurt.”
“Your fault? Why would it be your fault?”
“That’s something I’d like to know.” A big, hairy man Steph
had never seen before came up behind Wendy.
Wendy twirled around and took a step back. “Who are you?”
The man growled deep in his throat, the sound making Steph
want to flop on the ground and whimper. “That’s my question for you, stray.”
Drawing herself up, Wendy growled. Steph felt the magickal
energy in the air, crackling like lightning. She backed up a little.
“I’m a police officer and you’re about to get your ass taken
to jail, mister,” Wendy said, low and snake mean.
“You’re a wolf and you’re in my Packlands, threatening my
pack.”
“Oh!” Steph gasped. “You’re Brett!”
Jordan and Shaw’s Brett. The alpha with a capital A.
“You’re the mate, huh?” He circled Wendy and came to her,
holding out a hand. “Thanks for having the boys’ backs.”
“I have to.” She loved them. They were connected, even if it
wasn’t the way the boys thought. She shook Brett’s hand. “They didn’t hurt
anyone.”
“I know.” Brett smiled at him. “So the question is, who
did?”
“Hello! Are we all one little happy, furry family?” Wendy
looked as if she was going to blow a gasket. “I set him up with you and then he
gets torn up. I can’t— Arrrr.”
“Wendy, I swear to you, my boys didn’t do this.” She was
going to find something—fur, a claw, something—to prove it.
Wendy arched an eyebrow. “Yours?”
“Oh, stop. It’s a long story, and if you’re still my friend
after all this, I’ll tell you over tequila.” Steph had taken all she could
stand.
When Wendy opened her mouth to argue, Brett slapped her butt
with one huge hand. Steph had never heard her friend squeak like that. Heck,
she’d never thought someone could do that to Wendy and not lose an arm.
“You’re lucky I don’t have my piece with you, you fuck!”
“I’m lucky? You probably would have drawn down on Stephanie
here in the state you’re in. I can fucking smell your panic.”
Steph couldn’t smell anything, but the air itself was
snapping with heat, fury, something odd. “What’s going on?”
“I don’t know, but she’s freaking out.” Brett casually
shifted, moving halfway between her and Wendy.
“I am not freaking out!” Wendy was shouting, though,
shaking, her face red.
“I don’t… Wendy? Honey?”
“You just…” For a second, Wendy looked panicked, truly
panicked.
“Stop.” Something magickal popped, just like a cork, when
Brett barked at
Similar Books
