"What are you laughing at?" Walt asked through his own laughter; he'd caught the bug.

"I...just-tee hehe he-sorry." I cleared my throat and said, "Sorry, job hazard. Don't mind me."

"I don't mind you at all."

"Good, because I don't mind you either." The laughter stopped between the two of us, allowing the s.e.xual tension to mount again. I kept envisioning grabbing and kissing him. G.o.d, I wanted to kiss him so bad. I wanted to feel his arms around me. I wanted to squeeze his a.s.s while I sucked his c.o.c.k, c.u.m on his face and feel him inside of me. I thought I might die if I didn't get this awful need satisfied. My brain was still screaming about the dangers of the situation, but I was giving less and less f.u.c.ks what my brain had to say. There was a tug at my arm; I cried out and jumped away.

Gavin and Shi were standing there, dripping wet. "Sorry we scared you," Gavin said.

"We said your name a couple of times first." Shi held out a big black trash bag.

"It's okay, and you really shouldn't have," I said as I took the bag and looked inside. "Oh my G.o.d." I reached in and fished my dry backpack out. "Guys!" I grabbed Gavin first and gave him a huge hug and kiss on the cheek, and then did the same to Shi. "I can't believe you went out there and got this for me. Thank you both so much! But why?"

Shi shrugged. "You mentioned a couple of times that you wished you could take notes."

"And that you have a file on your laptop where you put them all, since you would lose anything you wrote down," Gavin continued.

"And mentioned you left your backpack in your car."

"So, we went to get it."

"But why?" They both looked at each other, and then back to me.

"I think we're hoping you'll stick around and won't disappear forever once you get your car back." Gavin glanced at the bar. Walt was there, and I hadn't even noticed him walking away. "I think you could be what," he leaned over and whispered, "he needs.What we all need around here."

My eyes filled with happy tears, my heart growing what felt to be ten sizes inside my chest. As I looked around the room, most of the guys were nodding their heads in agreement. Except for Walt, who had his back turned to us. I wonder what that's all about?

After I blinked back the tears and could smile through them, I said, "Oh, I think you guys are stuck with me. You might live to regret that." I laughed, and they all joined me again. I looked over at Walt who still hadn't turned around and moved to join him at the bar.

TEN ~ Walt.

"Good, because I don't mind you either." We stopped laughing and stared at one another. Neither of us were trying to out Alpha the other, but it felt like that kind of energy pa.s.sing between us. I couldn't look away from her lips, perfectly pink and parted. I wanted to kiss her so badly I had to dig my nails into my palms to stop myself. G.o.d, I wanted her. I wanted to throw her over my shoulder, carry her upstairs, and bury myself between her thighs for days. I moved my hand with the intention of taking hers and leading her upstairs. f.u.c.k the rules. I'm the G.o.d-d.a.m.ned Alpha, and I'm done with the stupidity. But then she jumped and everything went to s.h.i.t.

It was Gavin and Shi who needed to die, but they looked quite pitiful standing there dripping wet. "Sorry we scared you," Gavin said to Andy.

"We said your name a couple of times first." Shi held out a big black trash bag.

"It's okay, and you really shouldn't have." Andy took the bag and looked inside. "Oh my G.o.d," she shrieked as she pulled her backpack out. "Guys!" She grabbed Gavin first and gave him a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek before doing the same to Shi. And my blood boiled.

The jealousy that rose up within me was frightening, and I knew any affection she showed toward these guys, regardless of its innocence, would make me lose my temper-possibly to an extent causing me to reveal myself to her. I glanced down quickly and noticed I was already starting to change; my hands were bleeding from the claws which had extended themselves into my palms, and course fur was already sprouting from my arms. I turned and headed straight for the bar.

Sam took one look at me and grabbed the specially-spelled Sailor Jerry Rum from the top shelf and poured me a shot. After slamming the first, he poured another, and I slammed that too. He moved to put the bottle away, but I caught his arm and showed him one finger. His brows knit together and he shook his head once but still poured me the shot before putting the bottle away. I didn't slam this one back as I had the first two. I sat on the stool, held the gla.s.s in my hand, and stared into the golden liquid.

Both my behavior and reaction shocked me. I'd almost lost control; that wasn't good, not f.u.c.king good at all. I was the leader of a multi-shifter clan whose territories extended throughout the United States, Canada, and Central America. I couldn't lose control; it was my duty to maintain it. f.u.c.k. Maybe our ancestors were right. Maybe the Lupinski's should be denied our mates; they apparently made us unstable.

The very thought sent a shock through my body, and I slammed the shot down my throat to numb the pain. Sam set a pint of beer in front of me, and I continued to think things through while staring at the amber-colored liquid. I had strode over to Andy, still not entirely sure what the right thing to do might be. On the one hand, my dad was right; the clan would freak if I simply declared that the rules had changed. Ja'lyn was also correct; I was the Alpha and should behave as such. The council had heard the Good of the Clan law cited at nearly every public forum since its inception. It was a law which had never been compromised, so offering the shifters of the Lupinski Clan no choice may have been the only way to effect change.

But it wouldn't be like I'd be suggesting such a thing blindly. Abe and I had been conducting research for years. The fact of the matter was that shifters were more biologically animal than human, and we suffered just as the animal kingdom did when dealing with hunters through loss of habitat, loss of numbers, the unease, and stress of constantly watching our backs. The clans were superst.i.tious and held a bigoted view of outsiders, sometimes rightfully so.

More than a hundred years previous, our territory had been threatened by outsiders moving into the lands we'd held. Our people had sent their numbers into too many far-reaching places too quickly, spreading out too thin and losing the sense of security which comes with sticking close to scores of one's clan. Before this time, my family had almost always mated with humans. We'd had no control over the love for our mates just like any other shifter. But the clan had been in trouble; they'd known that if they didn't begin to produce more children, they might all, in the span of a few generations, have died out completely. Unfortunately, knowing they'd needed more numbers was about as scientific as the clans thinking had leaned toward, and they'd begun to blame their misfortunes on those they could easily hate and fear.

My great-great-great uncle had mated with a human and their love for one another had been legendary-so legendary that when their offspring had been born as something entirely different, the couple's all-consuming love for each other had been deemed to be the cause. Damian, their son, had held no ability to shift but had possessed powers like no one had never seen before, telekinesis, weather control, a bit psychic and more which made his own people fear him. When he was sixteen, a group of shifters broke into his, and his home and they'd tried to kill him and failed but had succeeded in murdering his mother.

In certain situations, like life or death, a shifter's animal takes total control, and we become more beast than human. Even though Damian couldn't shift, he was no different than any of them. Watching his mother die and having his life threatened brought out his true nature. He was filled with so much anger and grief that with barely a thought broke most of the bones in their attackers bodies before they spontaneously combusted. One of them didn't have his legs broken, and he ran outside and fell into another home, they had been suffering from a drought, and the house was engulfed in flames and went up like kindling in mere seconds. Damian employed his control over the elements to extinguish the fire as soon as his human side took over control again. Then villagers had knocked him unconscious, tied him to a stake, and tried to burn him alive.

When his father had returned from his journey to hear the screams of his only son and the sight of him being murdered by his clan brought his own animal to the forefront turning him into something more, something stronger, faster, more accurate, and deadly. He ended his son's suffering by throwing a dagger from five-hundred feet away into his heart, killing him instantly and then his beast slaughtered half the town before the other half was able to stop him. The event was the catalyst for the Good of the Clan law. A meeting with representatives from all over our territory as well as other territories from all over the world were there. Humans were blamed for half of the situation, therefore we were to limit contact with them and all shifters were banned from mating with a human, regardless of the fact that we only had one fated mate. The second thing they blamed was my uncle and aunt's mating bond; it was so strong other shifters could feel it like energy flowing from them. It's what most of us secretly wish for, without the death and mayhem and all that. Based upon the reasoning that the Lupinskis became too unstable if they were allowed to join with their fated mates, my family became condemned to enter into arranged matings, which was believed would kickstart the productive health of the clan as well. The whole experiment had turned out to be an epic f.u.c.king failure according to the research I'd conducted with Abe.

The good of the clan bulls.h.i.t had done nothing but hurt all of my family since it came into being. Birthrates were still abysmal, and the only good fortune the clan enjoyed was due to my brother Nate and the camera filter he'd invented. Cameras could reveal our true natures, which had forced our kind out of the public eye, for an exceedingly long a.s.s time. But in today's modern world, we needed to step out of the shadows. Nate's trans.m.u.ter filter had made just a thing possible, and his changed that, and his own studio business was booming, he was manufacturing and selling them as well. Shifters all over the world could now stand in the public eye. Of course, not everyone used Nate's filter, so we worked extensively with several of our fairy friends to invent a small medallion which f.u.c.ked with the camera lens of anyone who didn't use Nate's filter. Each of us kept one on us at all times.

The clan had hesitated to use the new technology, forcing us to develop it without the entire clan's approval. It hadn't taken them long to see the benefits of his invention and embrace its use, but could they welcome Andy, an outsider, my trueborn mate? I looked down at the hand holding my gla.s.s to find it returned to normal. But what if I lost control again? What if we were at the f.u.c.king mall and some guy touched her? I might very well shift and kill the b.a.s.t.a.r.d. What then? It wounded me inside to think it, but I didn't believe I could risk a life with Andy. Even if we changed the law so I could take her as my mate, could I honestly function as an effective leader while she constantly lingered on my mind, leaving me at the brink of lost self-control? Or would the situation be made worse if she walked away, and I never saw her again?

"Hey," came from my right, but I didn't shift my eyes.

"Hey."

Andy hesitated, and then with a nervousness to her voice that hadn't been there before she said, "Did you see that the guys brought me my backpack?"

"I did."

Even more nervous, "Would you like to show me a good place upstairs where I could keep it?"

f.u.c.k! That was her way of putting the subject of her staying out there. I needed to be the f.u.c.king Alpha the clan deserved and for me to make the right call, no matter how painful it might be.

"Doesn't matter. You can put it anywhere." I took a drink of beer, effectively dismissing her.

My vibe had to be saying, Get the f.u.c.k away from me,' because her nervousness had changed to hurt when she mumbled, "Okay, um..." She grabbed her purse from the spot on the bar next to me and walked impossibly fast across the room and up the stairs. I felt each step she took away from me ripping my heart in two. I cringed when she slammed the door to my apartment.

"You're a f.u.c.king idiot," Abe said, prompting me to glare at him.

"You may be older than me, but you need to watch the tone you take with your Alpha, Abe."

"So that's how it is? You make the wrong decision, and we're no longer able to speak our minds?" Gavin asked as he stepped closer.

"I didn't say that, and I made the decision with the wellbeing of the clan in mind. It killed me to do that, but I'm the Alpha-"

"You want to be treated like an Alpha? Act like one." Abe stood quickly, his chair skidding across the floor behind him. "The way you just acted was more p.u.s.s.y than Alpha."

"Hey, the p.u.s.s.ies in the room take offense to that. We would never treat a woman that way, never treat our mates in such a manner, and sure as s.h.i.t never treat our Alpha's mate with such contempt," Shi hissed.

"You would if you were Alpha, and they were human. The rules are-"

"Complete bulls.h.i.t!" Ja'lyn slammed her hands on the bar. "Every f.u.c.king shifter knows it. The only reason they haven't been done away with is due to the small power shifts within the clan which occur when a Lupinski mates with one of them."

"It's not so simple, Ja'lyn," Dad approached us. "There's a delicate balance that-"

"G.o.d, you are so full of s.h.i.t, Graham," Abe moved up beside my father. "Stop trying to justify what you did by your son's actions."

My dad took a step back. "That's not what I'm doing, Abe."

"Yes, it is. If Walt changes things, it means you failed your mate."

"What is he talking about, Dad?" Ja'lyn asked, and if there had been a shifter in the bar who didn't have their eyes glued to their former Alpha, they did now.

My dad didn't answer her. He stared at Abe for another moment before moving to the other end of the bar and sitting down.

"Abe?" I asked. He looked to my dad before shaking his head in dissent.

I had no f.u.c.king idea what was happening. My dad had always told us he'd never met his true mate, but the look on both his and Abe's faces said they'd been lying to us all these years.

"Walt." Gavin sat on the stool next to me but faced the room. "Let's focus." I shot him a brief grin. Gavin had been a close friend for years and one of the only shifters who wasn't family that didn't sugarcoat, or rather, alpha-coat s.h.i.t for me. "You deserve to be happy."

What? "That's your f.u.c.king argument?"

"That's the only f.u.c.king argument that matters."

"And how will your dad and brother react if I say f.u.c.k it and take Andy as my mate, Gavin?"

"Hmmpphh, if she forgives you. I wouldn't." Ja'lyn crossed her arms over her chest.

"You forgive Henry all the time."

"He's not my mate. Whatever he says to me..." She shrugged. "I get over it pretty easily."

"And f.u.c.k my dad and brother." Gavin put his elbows on the bar behind him and stared holes through me. "They're only out for themselves; they never make a decision for the good of the clan. And they're not the only shifters who do. Change will never happen organically with them. You need to start acting like the f.u.c.king Alpha and less like a political p.a.w.n."

"Why does everyone keep saying that to me?"

"Because, now, we have a reason to say it," Shi said.

"And what's that?"

"Andy," every shifter replied, rolling their eyes at my dimwittedness.

"Jesus, look at what she did to you guys. How the f.u.c.k does one woman inspire such loyalty in one f.u.c.king night? Sam, you saw me when she kissed Gavin and Shi. I almost f.u.c.king lost it. You guys don't see the danger in that?"

"Maybe it's your beast trying to take over your stubborn a.s.s." Sam leaned closer, "You can't fight this. It's fate. Think of everything that had to happen to get her here in your bar. Maybe the clan's problems have been brought on by the Fates for our willful failure to follow their plan. I know you're worried about the ramifications with the council, but f.u.c.k them. Every single shifter in here..." He looked over at my dad who, after a moment, nodded his head once. "We all have your back."

"What should I do? Just go up there and tell her everything?"

"No," Ja'lyn said, rolling her eyes. "You should go up there and apologize for being an a.s.shole, and then beg her forgiveness."

"Then, kiss her," Gavin added.

"Then, tell her what we are," Shi followed.

And Ja'lyn finished with, "And once the shock wears off, make love to her-"

"Whoa!"

"We'll get this place cleared out in time. Go, before you f.u.c.k this up for us."

"Us?"

"Yes, us. We need Andy too, Walt. The whole d.a.m.n clan does; they just don't know it yet." Gavin nodded his head towards the stairs.

I nodded, slid my stool back, and stood. Glancing around the room once more, I made my way to the stairs. As I pa.s.sed my dad, he said, "Walt-"

"Dad?"

"Be careful with her heart."

What an odd thing to say. "I will." I took the stairs two at a time, closing my door behind me once I'd made it upstairs. Andy was staring out my living room window, one arm crossing her body, the hand of the other lingering under her chin. She didn't move when I entered; I don't even think she realized I was there. I watched her for a second, and when she moved her hand to wipe a fallen tear, my heart broke. What the f.u.c.k have I done?

ELEVEN ~ Andy.

As I made my way over to Walt, I couldn't help but wonder at how my luck had changed. My day had been the c.r.a.ppiest day in the history of c.r.a.ppy days, but it had all led up to this moment. I'd found this amazing group of people out in the middle of nowhere. People who'd taken me in, cared for me, made me feel as though I belonged like part of the family-and then he'd come along.

It scared the s.h.i.t out of me that I was about to go against every principle I'd ever held dear. I could love this man, and I'd promised never to put myself in that position. Watching both my grams and mom live without their true loves had been painful. I'd never had the benefit of a father figure in my life because there had never been a man to live in my house, not ever. Neither of them had gotten over their lost loves, and neither tried very hard to move on; it had been a lonely life-for all of us. I thought finding a guy I could be comfortable with, talented enough to give me an o.r.g.a.s.m and successful enough to offer some sense of security, would be exactly what I needed. That experiment had been an epic f.u.c.king failure. So, here I was, ready to put myself out there, ready to give it my all, ready to speak...and I was going to, immediately.

"Hey." Jesus, I'm the next f.u.c.king Shakespeare.

I rolled my eyes, not that Walt would have noticed, because he didn't even bother to turn around, replying in a bored and annoyed tone, "Hey."

Okay, not what I was expecting. Say something! "Did you see that the guys brought me my backpack?"

"I did."

I should chickens.h.i.t out, right f.u.c.king now. "Would you like to show me a good place upstairs where I could keep it?" f.u.c.k! This is it. There's no going back. Either he'll come upstairs with me, or he won't. Whatever he says now will determine where this is going.

"Doesn't matter; you can put it anywhere."

And it's going nowhere. He took a drink of beer, and I felt dismissed.

I had to get away before I burst into tears in front of everyone. I managed to say, "Okay, um..." before I grabbed my purse from the bar and hurried as fast as I could without sprinting across the room and up the stairs. I didn't mean to slam the door as hard as I did, but it felt d.a.m.ned good to do so. I set my things down on the floor and walked over to the living-room window.

It was still pitch black outside, and the rain and wind beat against the window so hard, it put me in mind of The Tempest. All the elements-nature and magic working together to send a message to the Fates, begging their aid. That made me laugh, and with my laughter tears sprang to my eyes. If I hadn't been so wrong about Walt, I could've said life was imitating art-big storm, shipwrecked, wrecked car, stranded, new people, found love. What a f.u.c.king joke. Mistaken ident.i.ties-yeah, that one had come to pa.s.s. I'd thought Walt was a good one, but he turned out to be like every other douchebag I'd ever known.