They wouldn’t tonight. None of us would ever have the balls to take on Mom when we were that distracted. I scratched at the door.
“Shadow?” Mom called out before she opened it. “Honey, come in. You shifted already?”
“What the fuck?” Dallas finished off his beer. I wondered which one of them was headed to the girls’ apartment. After the attack at Trina’s house, things had quieted way down. But we couldn’t get lazy.
“Language, Dallas.” It didn’t matter how old we were, in Mom’s house, we followed her rules. She crouched down checking my eyes and coat. “Are you okay, Shadow? I can’t remember the last time any of you have shifted before the full moon.”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” We could still communicate because we were all the same species. While Trina would just hear growls and whines, my family always understood me. “Why does everyone think shifting early is weakness? What if it gives me more power?”
“It’s fu...weird, that’s what it is.” Baron smirked when Mom side-eyed him. “You’re like a kid who doesn’t know what he’s doing. Get control of yourself, Shad. If Major sees you tonight—-“
“He won’t,” I growled. “I came back to see if you’d shifted. I can’t text like this. I’m headed to Ryker’s. He’ll never expect me tonight. If you want to follow me in the truck, that’s cool. Or else I’ll meet you at the shelter in the morning.”
“Shadow! Don’t be reckless. Especially around Trina.” Mom was obsessed with Trina. I hadn’t introduced them yet because she wasn’t technically my mate. “You come back here tonight. The boys can check on her.”
I didn’t want to be away from her for an entire night. I looked over at my brothers. “You coming or what?”
“Yeah.” Baron got up. “You should ride in the truck with us. If you want to surprise Ryker, don’t let anyone see you coming for him.”
I was too big for the narrow backseat of Baron’s truck. The discomfort worked in my favor, kept me focused on my mission.
“What’s your plan, Shad?” Dallas turned around from the passenger’s seat. “This is going to be tricky.”
“It’s going to be suicidal,” Baron grumbled. “His property will be crawling with his goons. They’ll shoot you on sight.”
If he wasn’t driving, I’d bite the back of his neck. I was so sick of his negative attitude. Once Ryker was dealt with, I needed to get him away from Major. “We need to distract them.”
“We?” Baron asked.
That was it. I nipped at him, and the truck swerved.
“Jesus!” Dallas shoved me hard against the back of the cab. “We’re not going to beat anyone if we can’t fucking work together. Shadow, what do you want us to do?”
That was more like it. “Let me out before you get to the property. Distract the guards. Get shit riled up. Ryker will have to come out to see what the fuck is going on, and I’ll get him.”
“We’re not armed.” Baron was really still going to give me attitude?
“You have the truck. And a fucking brain. Use it.”
Our best weapon was the element of surprise. Everyone was too pissed off to hammer out a solid plan before we got to the edge of Ryker’s property. I was relieved to get out of the car. I knew I could trust my brothers to do the right thing, even if they doubted me. My focus was on Ryker.
I had to control myself, slowing down to a trot as the barn came into sight. An all too familiar metallic stench burned my nose and I realized something that I didn’t anticipate.
Ryker was still fighting dogs.
There wouldn’t be a fight tonight. Ryker liked to fight shifters, and they’d be too strong. I was blinded by rage, running full speed to the barn. Bile rose in my throat, and as I approached my former prison, I understood everything that Trina struggled with. Shaking with fear, I ducked behind an equipment building before any of the guards spotted me. I had no idea what the operation had looked like from the outside.
“Shadow?” Mom called out before she opened it. “Honey, come in. You shifted already?”
“What the fuck?” Dallas finished off his beer. I wondered which one of them was headed to the girls’ apartment. After the attack at Trina’s house, things had quieted way down. But we couldn’t get lazy.
“Language, Dallas.” It didn’t matter how old we were, in Mom’s house, we followed her rules. She crouched down checking my eyes and coat. “Are you okay, Shadow? I can’t remember the last time any of you have shifted before the full moon.”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” We could still communicate because we were all the same species. While Trina would just hear growls and whines, my family always understood me. “Why does everyone think shifting early is weakness? What if it gives me more power?”
“It’s fu...weird, that’s what it is.” Baron smirked when Mom side-eyed him. “You’re like a kid who doesn’t know what he’s doing. Get control of yourself, Shad. If Major sees you tonight—-“
“He won’t,” I growled. “I came back to see if you’d shifted. I can’t text like this. I’m headed to Ryker’s. He’ll never expect me tonight. If you want to follow me in the truck, that’s cool. Or else I’ll meet you at the shelter in the morning.”
“Shadow! Don’t be reckless. Especially around Trina.” Mom was obsessed with Trina. I hadn’t introduced them yet because she wasn’t technically my mate. “You come back here tonight. The boys can check on her.”
I didn’t want to be away from her for an entire night. I looked over at my brothers. “You coming or what?”
“Yeah.” Baron got up. “You should ride in the truck with us. If you want to surprise Ryker, don’t let anyone see you coming for him.”
I was too big for the narrow backseat of Baron’s truck. The discomfort worked in my favor, kept me focused on my mission.
“What’s your plan, Shad?” Dallas turned around from the passenger’s seat. “This is going to be tricky.”
“It’s going to be suicidal,” Baron grumbled. “His property will be crawling with his goons. They’ll shoot you on sight.”
If he wasn’t driving, I’d bite the back of his neck. I was so sick of his negative attitude. Once Ryker was dealt with, I needed to get him away from Major. “We need to distract them.”
“We?” Baron asked.
That was it. I nipped at him, and the truck swerved.
“Jesus!” Dallas shoved me hard against the back of the cab. “We’re not going to beat anyone if we can’t fucking work together. Shadow, what do you want us to do?”
That was more like it. “Let me out before you get to the property. Distract the guards. Get shit riled up. Ryker will have to come out to see what the fuck is going on, and I’ll get him.”
“We’re not armed.” Baron was really still going to give me attitude?
“You have the truck. And a fucking brain. Use it.”
Our best weapon was the element of surprise. Everyone was too pissed off to hammer out a solid plan before we got to the edge of Ryker’s property. I was relieved to get out of the car. I knew I could trust my brothers to do the right thing, even if they doubted me. My focus was on Ryker.
I had to control myself, slowing down to a trot as the barn came into sight. An all too familiar metallic stench burned my nose and I realized something that I didn’t anticipate.
Ryker was still fighting dogs.
There wouldn’t be a fight tonight. Ryker liked to fight shifters, and they’d be too strong. I was blinded by rage, running full speed to the barn. Bile rose in my throat, and as I approached my former prison, I understood everything that Trina struggled with. Shaking with fear, I ducked behind an equipment building before any of the guards spotted me. I had no idea what the operation had looked like from the outside.
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