Shifter Wars Complete Series

by Sarah J. Stone

  "Yo, Jane!" I called out.

  No response.

  My pad was pretty big, but there was no way she wouldn't be able to hear me, regardless of where she was in the room. My heart began to beat faster, and anger started to boil up in my stomach.

  Oh, no you fucking didn't, I thought, looking around the apartment and finding no trace of her.

  "Jane!" I shouted one last time.

  I checked both bedrooms, hoping that she might be taking a nap. But no such luck—she was gone.

  "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I shouted, slamming my fist into the nearest wall. "Where the hell did you go?"

  I walked into the bedroom and noticed something: I normally had a backup phone on my shelf, just in case. And it was gone.

  That girl took my fucking phone and left.

  Stomping toward the door, I grabbed my keys and started out.

  This night was about to get a lot worse. I could feel it.

  CHAPTER 5

  JANE

  I knew I shouldn't have been out, but I couldn't help myself. Staying cooped up in that apartment with no way to contact the outside world was driving me absolutely crazy, and after the first hour, I knew that I had to get the hell out of there, if only just for a little while. So, when I spotted Connor's spare phone while I was snooping around the apartment, I knew I had my opportunity.

  Luckily, I knew Eleanor's number by heart. As soon as I sent the text asking her to meet up, a thrill ran up my spine. I was doing exactly what I wasn't supposed to be doing, and it was kind of awesome. It'd be fine, too—I'd go out for a quick drink with Eleanor and come back before Connor even knew that I was gone. No harm, no foul.

  I arranged to meet Eleanor at a bar near the apartment. Walking in, however, I spotted her sitting at the bar, a drink in front of her and a beefy, thick-armed man in a sleeveless shirt and a pair of blue jeans at her side. His arms were covered in mean-looking tats, and I knew right away that he was a bear.

  This isn't good. I told Eleanor to meet me alone. The last thing I need is a bear knowing I'm here.

  "Damn," the bear said as I approached, his steely eyes looking me up and down. "Didn't know your friend was gonna be as hot as you were, El. Might have to swap foxes tonight."

  I rolled my eyes at the crack, but Eleanor apparently thought it was just the funniest thing she'd heard. She broke out into chiming laughter and gave the bear a playful swat on his barrel chest.

  "Oh, stop it!" she said.

  "Um, who's this?" I asked.

  "Oh!" Eleanor said. "This is Bone. I met him at the bar, and we've just been hanging out ever since."

  "She asked where I got my nickname from," he said, a pervy smile forming on his lips, "and by the end of the night, she knew."

  Another laugh and a slap from Eleanor.

  "I gotta take a leak," he said, heaving himself from the chair, the legs groaning against the floor. "See you broads in a minute."

  I watched Bone walk toward the bathroom, and as soon as he passed through the door, I shot a heated glare at Eleanor.

  "What the fuck!" I hissed. "Didn't I tell you to come alone?"

  "What difference does it make?" She rolled her eyes. "He's cool."

  "No," I said, "you don't understand—I'm kind of in serious shit."

  "Yeah," Eleanor said. "Where the hell have you been?"

  I filled her in on all the grizzly details, from what happened at the bar, to all about Connor. I spoke quickly, hoping to get all the information across before Bone returned from the bathroom.

  "Holy shit," Eleanor said. "And you just snuck out?"

  "Yeah…" I said, now regretting my decision. "I was going crazy, and Connor was being a fucking dictator about the whole thing. I figured coming out for a drink wouldn't be a problem."

  "Hey," Eleanor said. "You don't need to explain yourself to me. I wouldn't take some guy telling me what to do like that."

  "But that's why I told you to come alone!" I exclaimed. "And now you brought some bear here; bears are exactly who I'm trying to hide from!"

  "Well, fuck," Eleanor said. "Then you need to get the fuck back to that guy's apartment. But stay for one drink; don't look suspicious."

  Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bone approach from the bathroom.

  "You two havin' a little catfight?" he asked, another seedy smile on his lips "Mind if I watch?"

  "You wish," Eleanor said, trying to play it cool.

  Before Bone could say another word, his face crinkled in mild surprise. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

  "God-fucking-dammit," he said, shaking his head.

  "What?" Eleanor asked.

  My stomach tightened. Somehow I knew that this had to do with me.

  "We had some meeting tonight for the clan, and I blew it off. But it's apparently about some serious shit, so I gotta meet up with some of my clan members and go over what I missed. Fuckin' bullshit."

  "You gonna be gone awhile?" Eleanor asked, placing her hand on Bone's arm.

  "Who the fuck knows?" he said, shoving his phone back into his pocket, not seeming affected by Eleanor's interest.

  And I'm sure that's only making her more intrigued, I thought, knowing Eleanor's penchant for bad boys.

  "Okay," said Bone. "I'm getting' the fuck outta here. See you broads later."

  With that, he took off, but not before giving me an especially lecherous up-and-down as he left. I couldn't help but shudder.

  "Shit, shit," I said. "This isn't good."

  "Just calm it down, lady," Eleanor said. "I mean, look around—there's plenty of hot dudes here; we just need to get you laid and you'll feel fine."

  I was more than a little frustrated that this was where Eleanor's head was after what I'd just told her. "No." I finished my drink and hoped that the booze would calm my nerves somewhat. "I need to leave, and now."

  "But you just got here!" Eleanor protested, stomping her foot on the ground.

  "I know, but seeing a bear here just reminded me of why Connor wanted me to stay in the apartment. If I get spotted by the bears from the other night, then I'm fucked."

  "And what, you think Bone was one of them?"

  "Maybe, maybe not," I said, "but it was a stupid chance to take either way."

  "Fine," Eleanor said. "Be a goody-goody. But let me know when you're tired of being stuck in that apartment all day."

  I gave her a wave of acknowledgment and hurried out of there.

  Shit, shit, shit. I hurried down the sidewalk, trying to get back to the apartment before Connor returned. What the hell was I thinking? This has got to be one of my all-time stupidest ideas.

  I turned down a block that ended up being a little more desolate than I was hoping. The street was fairly isolated, and I didn't see a single person walking down the streetlight-illuminated sidewalks. And there were no apartments, but rather old warehouses that had yet to be converted to lofts. It made me very, very nervous.

  Just get home and don't worry about anything else, I thought. It's only a few blocks away.

  But as I reached around the halfway point of the block, a familiar voice called out to me.

  "Yo, hot tits!"

  I spun around on my heels and saw a trio of bulky figures approaching me from the shadows. Dread boiled in my stomach right away.

  "Imagine my fuckin' surprise when I checked my phone and saw that the girl who showed up at the bar was none other than the fine little friend of the fox piece of ass I'm bangin'.

  The figures emerged from the shadows and, sure enough, Bone was among the men. He had a wicked grin on his face, and he looked like he wasn't screwing around. I spun back around on my heels and tried to judge the distance between where I stood and the next block.

  "Don't even fuckin' think about shifting," he said. "I know you foxes are quick, but a bear can chase you down within seconds. Wouldn't work out all that well for you."

  "What…what the hell are you going to do?" I asked, my heart feeling like it was about to pound
out of my chest.

  "If you decide to cooperate," Bone said, "then all I'm gonna do is take you in to see my boss. He told me to tell you that he's not gonna hurt a hair on that little head of yours. He just wants to talk is all."

  "No way," I said, knowing right then and there he was bullshitting me. "I know what I saw, and there's no chance he's gonna let me off the hook that easily."

  "Hey, it's your call," he said. "You can come with me and take your chances, or you can let me kill you right here and now. Boss made it clear he wouldn't be squeezing out any tears if we brought in a corpse."

  He cut the distance between him and me, and raises his hand up to my cheek. I shuddered at his touch, wanting to puke.

  "But either way, I think the boys might have a little fun with you first, if you know what I mean."

  I looked over his shoulder at the two ugly-as-sin bikers who were with Bone. They both smirked at his comments, and I knew exactly what they had in mind.

  I wanted to cry, I wanted nothing more than to be back at Connor's place. But I was fucked; I made a stupid decision and I was going to pay the price.

  "Actually, the only thing you're going to do is take a fucking hike."

  The voice came from behind me, and I whipped around to see who it was.

  Sure enough, it was Connor.

  "Who the fuck are you, asshole?" Bone asked.

  Then an expression of realization crossed his face.

  "Wait a minute—you're one of the fuckin' newbies, one of the guys that the boss brought on to help us with the operation! I should've known you were a fuckin' traitor!"

  "Shit," Connor hissed. Then he turned to me. "Get behind me—now!"

  I didn't need him to tell me twice. I rushed behind Connor, and as soon as I did, Bone and his two companions shifted into bears. Connor quickly did the same, and my heart beat about as fast as it ever had before as I watched the four bears approach one another. And the worst part was there was nothing I could do—being a fox was great when you needed to make a quick escape or sneak into somewhere, but as far as being useful in a fight…well, the less said, the better. I wouldn't last a second against three bears.

  And I wasn't sure about Connor either.

  The animals sized one another up, and Bone made the first move. His paw flew through the air, narrowly missing Connor's head. Then the bear on the left pounced, and Connor darted under him with incredible speed and sunk his teeth into the bear's stomach. The bear howled and Connor moved out of the way as he collapsed onto the ground. Connor finished him off with a paw strike to the head.

  Now, it was two-on-one.

  The other bear that wasn't Bone moved in, but he didn't even get a chance to attack. Connor rushed at him with a flurry of paw swipes, carving into his face in a gory display that I could hardly watch. The bear's roar was cut off by a claw to the throat, and soon, he was just as dead as the other bear.

  Then it was just Connor and Bone. Bone was a massive black bear, and looked like he wouldn't go down as quickly as the other two. After circling one another for a brief moment, Connor made a move that was clearly a feint, an attempt to goad Bone into an attack. And he fell for it. Bone swiped at Connor with all his might, but since Connor was anticipating the strike, he was able to move out of the way with more than enough time to prepare for a counter-attack.

  And that's just what he did. Connor lifted his body up and fell down on top of Bone with all his weight. He sunk his teeth into the bear and speared him with his claws at the same time. Bone let out a mighty, pained howl as Connor attacked, but there was nothing else he could do—Connor had him right where he wanted him. Connor stabbed him with his claws once more, Bone's fur now matted with oozing blood. Bone sank to the sidewalk and, just like the other two, shifted back into his human form.

  Connor shifted back next and looked over the scene.

  "Fuck," he said. "Fuck!"

  "Thank you," I cried, running up to him and wrapping my arms around his sweaty body. "You saved my life!"

  But Connor only shook me off. "Get the fuck off of me," he snarled.

  Oh, shit. He's probably pissed.

  "Do you have any idea what a fucking mess this is?" he asked, gesturing toward the bodies.

  "I mean, probably not too much work to clean up," I said stupidly.

  He shook his head. "No, for fuck's sake, not that kind of mess. These are bears from the Thrasher Clan. And when the rest of the clan finds out that they're dead, they're gonna see how they died and know right away that they were killed by another bear. And you can bet your ass they're gonna suspect the bears that they just brought on. My cover just might be fucking blown, and it's your goddamn fault."

  "I'm…sorry," I said, crossing my arms over my body and looking down.

  "And all because you had to get out of the apartment for the night, because you had to do exactly what I said you shouldn't do. You couldn't stay put for one fucking night!"

  There was nothing I could say. I'd fucked up, and I knew it.

  "You know how I found you?" he asked, pulling his phone out of his pocket and showing me that he had a tracking screen up. "I saw that you took my phone and I turned on the locator. For fuck's sake! I would've thought turning that thing off would've been the first thing you'd do! Remind me to never ask if you want a job as a Sapien, for Christ's sake."

  I wanted to crawl into a hole and die. I couldn't remember the last time that I'd felt this stupid, this ashamed.

  "But we need to get the fuck out of here, and now," he said. "No time to screw around."

  He grabbed me by the wrist and pulled me hard. I hurried behind him as we left the block, and as soon as we reached the busier intersecting street, he let me go and we made our way to his apartment. Relief washed over me for a brief moment as the door shut behind me, but I knew it wouldn't last. After all, I knew that Connor wasn't likely even close to being done scolding me. And "scolding" was if I was lucky.

  Connor stormed into the middle of the apartment, his frame backlit by the city behind him through the windows. He put his hand on his forehead and leaned back a bit, his face tightened in something that looked like either concentration or anger. Probably both.

  I stood there for a long while, waiting for him to do something, anything. My stomach tightened by the second.

  "What the fuck," he said, shaking his head, "am I going to do with you?"

  I didn't say anything; I didn't know how to answer the question.

  "This operation…this whole fucking thing I've been doing, planning, for the last two months, every step carefully taken. And now, here you come, marching right into the middle of it and wrecking the whole thing!"

  "I'm sorry!" I said. "It was stupid! I don't know what I was thinking!"

  He exploded across the room, his eyes still dark and primal with shifter energy. Connor came to a stop only inches from my face and stared me hard in the eyes. I felt small and insignificant in front of him.

  "I don't need you to tell me that you don't know what you were thinking," he hissed. "Everything that you've done, from wandering into the back of that bar, to leaving the apartment when I specifically told you not to—all of that makes it really fucking clear that there's no thought behind anything you're doing!"

  He looked away again.

  What's he going to do? Send me back out onto the streets, not giving a damn whether I live or die?

  But as he stood so close to me, his body nearly touching mine, all I could think about was the heat between us. There was unsteadiness to him, an uncertainty. I could sense that he was thinking the same thing. I don't know if it was the adrenaline or what, but at that moment, all I wanted was his body on top of mine.

  "I know you're a rich little fox, always having mommy and daddy around to clean up after you, but you need to get it through your goddamn head that this is real life now; no rich parents to help you out of this."

  All I could do now was look into his gaze. I should've felt stupid, regretful—something. But try a
s I might, I couldn't focus anything but the anger in his words. I was entranced by it.

  There was nothing else to say. Silence hung in the air as we stared each other down.

  Then, without a moment's warning, he closed the last few inches between us, wrapped his arm around my waist, pulled me close, and kissed me hard. The feeling of his lips on mine was like being injected with an incredible drug. My vision blurred and my body went numb. It was intense beyond anything I'd felt before.

  He put his hands on my shoulders and pushed me away. His face was wild with passion, his hair mussed and hanging in front of his eyes.

  "You piss me off so goddamn much," he said. "But all it makes me want to do is fuck you so goddamn hard."

  A little smile formed on my lips. "Then do it," I said, my tone one of daring.

  That was all he needed to hear.

  He pulled me close to him once again and resumed the kiss, the rush of arousal taking hold of my body. His hands moved all over me, rubbing my breasts through my shirt, coming to a stop right between my legs. I let out a gasp as he touched me, my eyes going wide at the intensity of his touch.

  "Goddamn," he said, his voice breathy. "You're so fucking wet; I can feel it through your clothes."

  "You really oughta do something about that," I said.

  "There you go again," he retorted. "Being a bossy little brat."

  "And you wouldn't have it any other way." I was goading him, sure. But I knew it was exactly what he wanted. Where was the fun if we were both playing fair?

  We rushed back into our kiss, his tongue shooting past my lips and mingling with mine. I wanted to drink him, to devour him, to press his body so hard against mine that we became one. My hands began to do some exploring of their own, running down the length of his steel-hard torso and finding his cock, which was thick and hard through his jeans.

  "That's what I want," I said, giving his prick a squeeze. "Right there."

  "I think I'm about done taking orders from you," he said.

  With that, he grabbed my arm, shoved it against the small of my back, and turned me around on my heels. Next, he rammed into me, pressing me against the wall and kissing the back of my neck. I could tell he wanted to dominate me completely. And it was exactly what was on my mind. He grabbed the front of my shirt, and with a combination of the bear strength in his arms and the adrenaline pumping through his veins, he tore it off effortlessly.