Packed: The Enforcer: A Shifter Paranormal Romance by Carolyn Faulkner Page A

month or so, just in case." If she decided against it, he'd move her back, although he was pretty much counting on the idea that she'd stay with him. He didn't know what he'd do if she turned him down.
    Yes, he did. It would be like the interminably long year and a half spate where they weren't allowed to be together, and they were both trying to be good and obey the rules for once. He didn't like to dwell on those times, nor any of the others when she had disappeared from his life. They were dark, violent episodes for him, when his preferred method of occupying himself usually meant that someone else was going to get hurt, and he spent a considerable amount of time inebriated.
    He didn't care what it took, and he hadn't just been blowing sunshine about leaving the club. He had thought for years that it was the best thing in his life. That it had saved him when Alt had taken him under his wing and helped him develop into the valuable asset that he was to the club. Alt had admired the skills he had excelled at while he was in the military, and had built on that, sending him far and wide to become an expert at pretty much every weapon there was, legal and illegal, including his own body. He had a black belt in all of the major disciplines, and had completed, and in a lot of cases taught, every self defense class that was out there.
    He was a fighting machine – point him and shoot him, as Alt used to say, and the enemy fell down in his wake. He had helped the Alpha-Omegas become a force to be reckoned with, and not just in New Mexico. The successes he helped them attain meant that they could franchise the club out, and now they had a very tidy, very steady income from the dues of members in clubs all across the states.
    Alt had helped him learn to channel his rage for the club's – and his own – benefit. He had been like a surrogate father to Tek.
    Except for one thing. Tek had his eye on Mari. He'd stayed away from her as much as he could and certainly the thought never even crossed his mind to make any improper advances, but she was everywhere. He bided his time until she turned eighteen – although she was still in high school because of her late-in-the-year birthday, and he'd attended – as had the whole club – her birthday party that October. It was a week or so late that year because of business with the club, but Mari didn't care – except that meant she wouldn't get her presents until then! He could still remember what she wore. It was a beautiful sundress, in her favorite lavender, with bits of lace here and ruffles other places.
    He'd thought a lot about what to get her for her birthday. He knew her dad was giving her a car, although it certainly wasn't a new one, and it wasn't in the least flashy – it was a nice, solid, boring, green late model Camry that would – in all likelihood – last her until she could buy her own, new car.
    So he settled on something he knew she wouldn't expect, but that he hoped she'd like – he took the car before it was presented to her and had it painted the same exact shade as her dress. He worried that it might turn out looking like a big grape or something, but he knew a really good guy who did a great job with it. It turned out better than he'd expected, and Mari had given him a big hug as she jumped up and down and thanked him, and her dad, of course, exuberantly.
    Alt handed her the keys, and she got behind the wheel, but instead of choosing one of her many girlfriends with which to take her inaugural ride, she chose Tek.
    He was very startled at her choice and had nervously glanced at Alt for the okay before getting into the passenger's side.
    She'd been driving her dad's car for three years now, and was relatively experienced, but he still kibitzed, telling her to slow down and that she tailgated, but she ignored everything he'd said, very much like she did with her dad. But when they stopped at a light that he knew was going to take a while to cycle back around to