Shifter’s Surrender

by Jennifer Dellerman

  And Dean had lost it. Or his wolf had lost it. Either way, what had happened next was a blur. Much like that fateful night when he first freed his leg from the suffocating affects of the metal shackle, energy had whipped into him, shattering the glass windows of every storefront. One second Dean was standing still, and the next, Frank Kolter lay on the cold sidewalk, claw marks across his chest. While Dean had managed to remain in human form, there was nothing human about the fact that Dean’s fangs were imbedded in Frank’s neck, and his knee was pressed into the Alpha’s groin.

  As harsh and crackling energy had radiated from him, mixing with a speed that no shifter had ever witnessed before, once again Dean’s life had changed. That was the day Dean Kinigos became Alpha of the Woodcliff clan. And the day he’d decided that, mate or no mate, Kaylie Gentry was beyond his flawed reach.

  Chapter Two

  “I don’t think Georgie’s going to pull through.”

  Kaylie Gentry looked up from her microscope to see Dr. Rodney Thomas, owner and head veterinarian of the Woodcliff Veterinary Clinic, perusing the chart of the Shepard-Labrador mix in question. She grinned, the action lighting her brown eyes from within. “Bet?”

  Rodney blinked once behind his thick glasses before shaking his head in admonishment. “You and your bets. One of these days, young lady, you’re going to get yourself in trouble.”

  She shrugged with a decisive lack of concern. Due to a highly competitive streak, betting had become second nature. Not for money, as Kaylie considered that too impersonal, but the urge to lay it on the line was still a vice, and she had gotten into trouble more than once. Now though, she rarely bet on anything she absolutely sure of, and with Georgie, she just knew.

  Not that she was a dog whisperer or anything, but she had enough confidence in herself and her diagnostic abilities to render a proper, and correct, verdict every time. She’d always had an affinity for animals, loved them in fact, and they seemed to love her back. As long as she could remember she’d wanted to become a veterinarian. And thanks to her father and ex-model sister, she was now out of school debt-free at the age of twenty-six, and busy assisting Dr. Thomas at his clinic in her hometown of Woodcliff, Colorado.

  She wanted to make her family proud, her mom whom she currently lived with, her father who lived on the east coast with his new family, and her sister, now engaged to the hunky Sheriff of Woodcliff.

  Thinking of hunky men automatically sent Kaylie to images of one in particular. A very drool-worthy mayor that made her glad to be a female.

  Kaylie couldn’t suppress the shiver of lust that tightened her nipples underneath her scooped T-shirt and open white coat. She slid her hands into her jeans pockets, and looked down at her sneakers. Standard attire for a day at the office up here in the mountains. The edge of her doctor’s coat—symbol of her professionalism—brought her focus back to the subject at hand.

  “I believe the tumor we removed was singular in origin and not just a precursor to others. You don’t?” she asked.

  Rodney let out a sound of uncertainty and ran one hand through his untidy mop of coarse, white hair, leaving tufts sticking out like pins in a pincushion.

  Kaylie hid her smile. His gentle manner and kindness was soul-deep, especially when it came to his devotion to the animal kingdom. While he might appear meek, Kaylie knew he had a backbone of pure steel that came from a rock-solid belief system. She’d seen him berate a pet owner with a calm determination that she found admirable. Add in his penchant for misplacing his personal possessions, even when they were in his pocket or hooked to his pants, and the man was just too adorable for words. No wonder his wife doted on him. Thirty-five years later they were still blissfully married. A rare feat in the world today.

  “I hope so,” Rodney replied, “but despite the fact you’ve been with me for four months and have been right at every turn, I’m still going to withhold my assurances from Mrs. Studdleben. For now.”

  Kaylie nodded, knowing his concern was nothing personal. “Understandable. When is Mrs. Studdleben coming by?”

  “Hmm?” Already engrossed in a medical chart, Rodney answered automatically. “Just before closing.”

  Kaylie checked her watch. It was five minutes until five. Almost closing time. “Shall I go check on Georgie one last time?”

  “Oh. No, thanks. I just ran a last check on her.” He glanced over at the wall clock. “Well, look at the time.” Then he turned back to Kaylie and narrowed his eyes. “Don’t you have a baseball game tonight?”

  “I do. Against the Togan Tornados.”

  Rodney snickered. “Not a very original name if you ask me.”

  “Like the Woodcliff Wolverines is any better?”

  He laughed. “Very true, but at least Wolverines is a bit more accurate.”

  Kaylie knew what he meant. Woodcliff was home to one of the largest wolf packs in the United States. But not just any wolf pack. A werewolf, or shifter, pack. In other words, over a hundred of the town’s male inhabitants turned into wolves at every full moon. The female shifters, while sharing their male counterpart’s increased strength, speed, hearing, and sense of smell—albeit to a lesser degree but still much more enhanced than a human’s—were unable to shift into wolf form. Whether that biological difference was a relatively new event, or had always been the case wasn’t known, thanks to the Pack Wars that had nearly decimated the race and destroyed all known written history fifty years ago.

  At first, the surviving shifters had lived in plain sight while hiding what they were. But as their numbers had dwindled, and the females who could bare male offspring with shifting abilities had become scarce, the males had been forced to search for women who carried the compatible DNA to carry their cubs. This was reportedly done through their enhanced sense of smell and an irresistible sexual urge to mate with a particular female, creating the “mating” phenomenon.

  Because of where she’d grown up, Kaylie had done intense research into shifters, questioning everyone she knew. When she gained access to medical equipment, she began to study them—with their explicit permission of course—on a cellular level.

  Kaylie was the daughter of a shifter, but was one hundred percent human just like her mother. Her sister Tess on the other hand, was not only a shifter but was engaged to a shifter. Tess had gone through the mating dance when she’d met her intended, Caleb Bennett. Kaylie had pestered her continuously about her emotional and physical reactions at that time, to her sister’s eternal irritation. Kaylie couldn’t help it. Not only was she truly interested, she considered it her duty as the younger sister to annoy her elder one.

  Humans and shifters lived in relative harmony in Woodcliff, whether the humans knew if their neighbors turned furry once a month or not, and the amateur baseball team was no different. Made up of males and females, shifters and humans, the team represented the Woodcliff community in many ways.

  “But Woodcliff’s … unusual nature isn’t known outside the town,” Kaylie said, referring to Rodney’s comment. “So when the Tornados come here, we all act just as if they were a group of tourists.”

  Rodney nodded in agreement. “It’s always been a little risky in my opinion to have a shifter pack reside in a town that has a brisk tourist trade, what with the ski lodge just up the hill. Then again, who’d believe anybody if they spouted out werewolf nonsense? At any rate, the wife and I are thrilled to have something to do on a Friday night.”

  Pleased, Kaylie grinned. “So you’re going?”

  “Wouldn’t miss it. Seven at the school, right?’

  “That’s right. I hope we put on an interesting game.”

  Just then Kaylie’s cell phone rang. “Excuse me. That’s my mom.”

  As she plucked the instrument from her waist, Cindy Thomas, Rodney’s daughter who served as their vet technician, bopped into the room. “Mrs. S is here to pick up Georgie.”

  Kaylie stopped in mid-motion. “You want …”

  Rodney waved a hand. “I’ll take care of it
.”

  “Thanks.” Kaylie turned back to her phone. “Hey, Mom. What’s up?”

  “Hi, baby-girl.” Kaylie smiled at the endearment. “I just finished sewing the names on everyone’s uniform and haven’t had a chance to make dinner. Why don’t you pick up some burgers at Dolen’s?”

  Ever since Tess and Kaylie had fled the nest, their mom had taken up various hobbies. Her most recent, and thankfully her best talent, was sewing. With her fancy sewing machine, if she volunteered to embroider each team member’s name on their uniform—a loose term for jean shorts and dark green T-shirts—to give the team a more professional look, who was Kaylie to say no?

  “Sure. Need anything else?”

  “Well …”

  Kaylie winced, somehow knowing exactly what her mom was going to say next. “Make it four burgers. Dolen just showed up and Pete will be by about five-thirty to pick up the shirts. I do worry about that young man eating enough.”

  “Mom. That young man is thirty years old and has taken care of himself for eons.”

  “But he’s all alone.”

  Kaylie rolled her eyes, knowing full well that Pete Everett was rarely alone. When he wasn’t dating one woman or another, he and Kaylie went out. On friendly dates only, because that’s what they were. Friends. There were no sparks, no romance. Just an easygoing friendship based on their shared likes and dislikes. Besides, Pete didn’t play around where he lived. Said it was a sure cause for disaster. But trying to explain their relationship to her mom was like talking to the proverbial brick wall.

  “Whatever. I need to go if you want me to get the food, get home, eat, and be ready in time for the game.”

  “I called in the order a few minutes ago. It should be ready or close to it by the time you get there.”

  Kaylie grit her teeth. As much as she loved her mom, the meddling in her life was starting to wear thin. Maybe she needed to look for another place to live. That way her mom and Dolen might actually start to act like a couple, which would get her mom out of Kaylie’s hair.

  “Fine. I’ll be home as soon as I can then.”

  “See you soon.”

  Kaylie shut her phone, clipped it back to her waist and shut down her computer for the weekend. With Mrs. S. picking Georgie up, all the animals in the clinic were home. That was something Kaylie loved about working with Rodney. Overnights were very rare, but if a pet needed to stay the night, they were never alone. Rodney, Kaylie, or one of their technicians stayed at the clinic. It was the true, caring atmosphere of a small town she loved.

  After saying goodnight, Kaylie walked across the street to Dolen’s Café. While she waited for Martin Reynolds, Jackie’s husband, to finish her order, Kaylie chatted with a few of the other townspeople at the counter. Everyone she spoke with seemed excited about the game tonight, and Kaylie started to realize just how important the event was to them. Not that Woodcliff had to win, though that would be a bonus, but that the game could raise the morale of the town, and bring them back together as a community, which they needed.

  About five months prior, just before Kaylie had moved home, the town had suffered a violent death of one of their own. A human killed by a shifter. The act had caused both species to become edgy because the murder occurred outside the night of the full moon, when only the strongest of shifters could change form.

  When all was said and done, one of the town’s most influential— albeit widely disliked— shifters, his eldest son, and a native Woodcliff human were found to be involved.

  Other than the influx of tourist dollars due to the ski lodge, Woodcliff’s main source of revenue was the Kolter Lumber Company. Its owner, a shifter and the ousted Alpha of the Woodcliff pack, Frank Kolter, was a schemer, manipulator, and womanizer. When it became known that he’d aided and abetted his eldest son to murder the human, Dave Collins, the townspeople had freaked out. Not only because of Frank’s deviousness, which was legendary and expected, but because of the potential economic impact of losing the Lumber Company.

  As it turned out, the current pack Alpha and mayor of Woodcliff, Dean Kinigos, had stepped in to buy out Frank Kolter’s two remaining sons and take over the Lumber Company. He’d changed the name—it was now the Woodcliff Lumber Company—and hired Kaylie’s sister, Tess, to work there as the CFO. Which was pretty amusing to Kaylie, considering Tess had quit college for a successful modeling career. Then again, Tess, who’d left her career to come back to Woodcliff and care for their mother after a delicate surgery, had gone to college to get an accounting degree. So in hindsight, maybe everything was meant to be.

  Too bad they couldn’t fall into place for Kaylie. Sure, she may have her dream job in her dream place, but she definitely didn’t have her dream man: the shifter Alpha and mayor, Dean Kinigos. Six feet of lean-muscle goodness wrapped in smooth olive skin, bronzed by the sun. Clear emerald green eyes that held more than a hint of steel, passion, and too much wariness.

  If any man needed to be fed, it was Dean. And not food for his body, but food for his soul. And while Kaylie was more than willing to take on that task, Dean seemed to purposely keep his distance from her. In the three years she’d known him, he had never touched her, not even to shake her hand. While Kaylie knew from her studies that wolves, and shifters, were social creatures who liked to touch and tease, Dean seemed to be the exception. Unless, and this was Kaylie’s belief, it was just her.

  While he might want her physically—even he wasn’t quick enough to hide the way his mesmerizing green eyes grew hot and predatory for just a fraction of a second whenever she caught his gaze— he never acted on it. And like anything just out of someone’s reach, that distant quality only made her want him more. And here she was obsessing about Dean again when she’d promised herself she’d stop. She shook her head to clear it.

  With her food order finished, Kaylie took her bags, and, with a general good-bye to the diners, she headed out the front door. And nearly slammed right into her obsession.

  Chapter Three

  In the split second it must have taken Dean to realize exactly who’d smacked chest first into him, his hands shifted from seizing her bare wrists to grasping her clothed shoulders instead. Kaylie automatically reached up to steady herself, and her hands pressed up against the soft material of the dark green Henley covering his chest. The action caused the two bags of food, now on her elbow, to swing forward and hit Dean square in the groin.

  He let out a pained “oomph” and took two hasty steps back.

  “Oh my God,” Kaylie exclaimed. “I’m so sorry.”

  “You are too dangerous to be let out,” he growled at her, raking her from head to toe in a blatant, heated glance before his normal expression of mild interest slammed into place.

  At the deliberate shift in his emotion, she felt a spurt of anger. If he wouldn’t allow himself to even attempt a more intimate relationship with her, well then, screw him. Yeah. It was contrary to what she thought only minutes before, but she was a female. She was entitled to change her mind.

  “It was an accident you … baboon.”

  He blinked. “Baboon?”

  Yes, the word might seem childish, especially in light of her efforts to drop her juvenile betting ways, but she’d also been trying to minimize her cursing, and curb her temper. Unfortunately, her attempts at a trifecta of virtue had had mixed results, and changed on a daily basis.

  Her lips tightened at the mocking gleam in his eyes. “I’m trying to watch my language.”

  “And that’s the best you can do?”

  With a jerk of her chin and a sparkle of challenge in her own eyes, she blurted out, “How’s ‘coward’ work for you? It’s much more accurate.”

  Muscles tightened in his jaw, those beautiful eyes going steely hard with barely restrained temper, and for the first time that she could recall, he looked every inch the deadly predator he was. Kaylie almost took a step back. Almost.

  “I am not a coward.” His voice had lowered, a low growl.

  Ou
t to prove her point, she took a step toward him, and Dean moved back until he stood at the edge of the concrete walkway at the corner of the building. If she advanced again, he’d be forced to retreat, either around the side of the cafe or off into the dirt lot. While she wouldn’t mind seeing the man who tied her into emotional and physical knots fall on his ass, she paused to continue her verbal attack. “Really? Because from where I’m standing, you’re a coward. You’re too careful not to touch me. Why is it that, Dean? Afraid to start something that’s beyond your control?”

  He didn’t say a word for nearly a minute, just stared into her eyes, his own flashing hot then cold. “It’s … complicated.”

  A mirthless laugh was ripped out of her throat. “How unoriginal. I expected more from you. After all, not every shifter denies his nature.”

  A low growl rumbled in his chest. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  But she’d seen a flash of panic in his eyes, which to her only confirmed a niggling suspicion. It was the male of the species that had the ability to scent out a mate. The female only knew once skin-on-skin contact brought about the mating heat. But Kaylie had never felt this intense physical need for any other man. Maybe it was his bad boy looks, maybe it was the mystery surrounding his past, or maybe, just maybe, it was because of their intense chemistry. Hell, it was no doubt all three. Whatever it was, it drew her to Dean like a rat to a freaking pied piper; she couldn’t ignore it. Knowing he was deliberately denying not only their human physical attraction, but possibly battling his wolf’s instinct to mate hurt to her very soul.

  “Whatever,” she slashed a trembling hand through the air in front of her in a false show of indifference. “No longer matters. Your constant rejection has forced me to look in another direction. And Pete is more than willing to act as a … substitute.”