Dropping the dead wolf’s leg, Jeremiah turned to guard Shadow as she pulled the axe-head from the animal’s neck.
But the other wolves were leaving, turning to trot away into the night, the alpha clearly willing to let the two of them go rather than risk his own skin.
Jeremiah snarled at their retreating forms.
And people thought hyenas were dishonorable.
Shadow tilted her head as she watched them go. “I don’t like the way they keep looking back here,” she said. “I think they might be going for reinforcements.” She dropped one hand to Jeremiah’s head, caressing it unconsciously. “I think maybe we had better get out of here, find someplace safe to call our people from.”
Jeremiah yipped in agreement, and Shadow seemed to understand.
“Yeah,” she said. “Let’s go.”
She paused long enough to grab the clothing he had stripped out of before shifting only moments ago. “I assume you’ll need these when you change back? And that you can change back sometime soon so we can talk?”
He yipped again, twice this time, and she nodded, then opened the back door. He hopped in, and she sat her axe in the floorboard of the passenger side in front.
* * *
Shadow had no idea where in Savannah they were, but she didn’t really care.
Everything about her world was about to change.
Well, almost everything, anyway.
She was still pretty sure werewolves were assholes.
But she was going to have to reevaluate almost everything else she thought she knew.
As soon as she felt certain no one was following them, Shadow pulled the car off onto a side street, then wound through as many turns as she could bring herself to make, just to be sure, before pulling over to the side of street and turning off the car.
Turning sideways, she cocked one leg up onto her seat and stared for a long moment at the man—human again, for now, and dressed in jeans, if nothing else—in the back seat of her car. Finally, she asked the first question that came to mind. “What does ‘moratiwa’ mean?”
He laughed out loud, the bright sound making her smile in response. When he answered, though, it was in a soft tone. “It means lover.”
She joined him in his joyful laughter, then leaned around the seat to pull him into a deep, hot kiss.
There would be more questions later, she was sure—many more, and some hard choices to make. But Shadow was certain that Jeremiah was right: if they remembered that one word, they could navigate what was to come.
They might not know what this was, or where it was going, but Shadow was absolutely certain she was going to enjoy the ride.
“Moratiwa,” she agreed, murmuring it against his lips.
* * *
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Acknowledgments
As always, I couldn’t continue to write without all the support I have in my life, and I remain more thankful than I could ever say for all you give me. All my love and thanks to these people, and more. To Isabel, first and always. To Blaire Edens, Erin Hayes, and Jayne Fury for being my partners in crime and insanity. To my parents, for support and love. To Deb, for reminding me to come out of my writing cave sometimes—and for joining me in it soon! To Rebecca, for career advice and support. To Melanie Karsak, for steering me toward indie publishing in the first place. To the BIC group, for keeping me mostly sane, most of the time. To Jim, for making sure I sometimes leave my writing attic. To Roy, for making me smile and reminding me to make my fictional people sweat. To my ARC Angels and my Vampirarchy street team, for fantastic social media support and interaction. And to Freebird Designs for these amazing covers. Y’all ROCK! Love to you all!
Next in the Shifter Shield Series
Saving Her Skin (Shifter Shields, Lindi & Kade, Book 4)
A Lindi & Kade Shifter Shield Novel
Now she has a pack of her own…
Weresnake Lindi Parker may have won the most recent battle to maintain her place in shifter society, but the war is far from over.
A faction of shifters led by one particular werewolf pack is determined to take her down any way they can. If her opponents can’t kill her through deception, they’ll destroy her through politics. But Lindi’s been gathering allies, and she’s learning they will defend her tooth and claw.
Besides, she’s got a few weapons her enemies will never expect.
An all-new, full-length Lindi and Kade novel, coming July 2017!
The Shifter Shield Series
Lindi & Kade Books
Under Her Skin
A Generation of Vipers (novella)
More Than Skin Deep
Saving Her Skin
Other Shifter Shield Books
Laugh Out Love (also included in More Than Skin Deep)
Darkness There (currently available as part of the Wayward Magic Collection)
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About the Author
NYT bestselling author Margo Bond Collins is a former college English professor who, tired of explaining the difference between “hanged” and “hung,” turned to writing romance novels instead. (Sometimes her heroines kill monsters, too.)
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More Than Skin Deep (Shifter Shield Book 3) Page 15
