Read Online Wendy's Wild Wolves [Shy River Pack 1] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) by Bec Adams - Free Book Online Page B

to have to deal with their packmates each day.
    “I want it over,” Polly said quietly.
    “You want what over, Polly?”
    “I recognized the snake-shifters,” he said as he gave up trying to switch off the alarm and settled back onto the sideboard table. “They were sent by my father.”
    “Your father?” Donovan asked, wondering if he’d heard correctly. Hell, he thought werewolf culture was fucked up. A father sending assassins after his own son wasn’t a possibility he’d considered. “Why would he do that?”
    The bird lifted its feathers in a type of shrug. “Maybe he’s tired of paying for my protection, so he planned to have me assassinated on your watch. That way he can claim you failed and demand a refund.”
    “After forty-four years? Why now?”
    “My son has come of age by now. Despite my banishment, I am still the heir to the throne. If I’m dead, that will fall to my firstborn.”
    “And he has most likely been raised in your father’s image.”
    “Ironic, huh?” Polly said, not even seeming to realize that he was morphing into his human form. He was apparently surprised when his voice came out in a less bird-sounding tone. “He pretty much ignored me my entire life. It’s why I fucked up the union he arranged for me. I was young enough and stupid enough to think it might garner his attention.”
    “It did that,” Donovan said, feeling a little bit sorry for the avian-shifter. He himself knew what it was like to feel young and invincible. It had been that type of arrogance that led to him being attacked and left for dead on a mountain far from home. Sogarn had given him a second chance at life. Maybe everyone deserved the same thing. “What now, Polly? How do you want to handle this?”
    “Flying away seemed like a good idea ten minutes ago,” the eight-inch-high humanoid said as he sat his ass on the sideboard table and studied the hands he probably hadn’t seen in over forty years. “But since that doesn’t look like it’s going to happen, I have no idea.”
    “I think I do,” Donovan said as a plan started to form in his head.

Chapter Eight
     
    “Are you sure about this?” Wendy asked as she looked around the giant shed at the back of her property that Donovan and Sogarn had quickly converted into an aviary. Now that it was filled with over forty excited cockatoos, the noise was nearly deafening.
    “As sure as I can be,” Donovan said with a shrug.
    “But aren’t we putting dozens of innocent cockatoos in the path of snake-shifters?” she asked in a near whisper despite the covering noise that drowned out almost all other sounds.
    “Hopefully, it won’t come to that,” Donovan said as he leaned close to her ear so that she could hear him. “The assassins know you’re close and that the area is alarmed. We’re fairly certain they won’t risk the time it takes to try and catch all of the birds.” He tilted his head toward the shotgun she held in her hands. “That should deter them from trying a sustained attack. They’ll back off and wait for an Alcarn to join them so that they can identify which one is the avian-shifter before trying a precision strike.”
    “How will that help Polly?”
    “Avian politics is very complex. If we can prove that it’s Gop-tru-alcarn’s father behind the assassination attempts, it will create enough instability for Polly to take the throne.” Donovan glanced up as Sogarn came into the aviary. “What happens after that will be up to him.”
    Wendy smiled. “Are we sure we want Polly in charge of an entire kingdom?”
    Sogarn laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist as Donovan gave them both a warm smile.
    “Technically we’re only reacting to a situation. Not creating it.”
    “So our consciences are clear?” she asked with a soft laugh.
    “Absolutely,” Sogarn said. “Now for the best part of this plan.”
    “Best part?” she asked.
    “Yes, best part,” Donovan said as he stepped closer to them both. “Time