He knew they’d be at it for a while longer; memory-alteration potions were complicated, their ingredients rare and expensive, and Stella would try her best to con the man out of the majority of them. Sam leaned back against the wall, ignoring how sticky it felt against his shirt and thought about what the others were up to tonight. It was William’s night off, lucky bastard, but Axel and Even would be on jobs of their own, protecting the shifter population of Mystic from hunters, witches, or even other shifters. Working for The Shifter Protection Agency is a little like being a superhero, except without the adoring fans and uncomfortable spandex outfits, he mused.
By the time Stella made her way back to him, carrying a small bag full of weeds and vials and god-knows-what-else, and the two of them made their way out into the cold night air, it was already late.
“I don’t know why I couldn’t go alone,” Stella said, exasperated. “I can take care of myself and Tom can barely put clothes on in the morning, let alone hurt anyone.”
“I could tell that by the way he was dressed,” Sam replied, undoing a button on his shirt and pulling the collar away from his neck.
“Don’t kinkshame, Sammy,” she teased.
“David’s just worried. So many people have gone missing recently and you’re the most competent witch the agency has.”
“The only competent witch,” she corrected with a smirk. Sam rolled his eyes, though he did have to agree with her. There was a reason he, Even, Axel and William had welcomed her into their sleuth despite her not being a shifter. Witches and warlocks were an odd bunch, most of them either dressed like they were from the Medieval times, actively talked to dead people or simply chose not to talk at all. Stella, apart from her collection of skulls and the sheer amount of tattoos that covered her body, was the most normal witch they’d ever met.
Stella pulled out a battered pack of cigarettes, offering him one and lighting them with a flick of her finger.
“Exactly,” he said. “Let him baby you, it’s how he shows he cares.” Sam knew David had a soft spot for her. It was still weird, watching the strong alpha that had raised him and his friends dote on the witch like an overbearing uncle. He took a drag of the cigarette, noting that Stella had magicked the tobacco, making it taste like strawberries as he inhaled. “Not that he babys any of us. I think you’re his favorite.”
They left the club behind, neon lights fading into pale moonlight as they walked. It was a cold night, the sweat from the club drying unpleasantly on Sam’s skin. Stella must be freezing dressed in a tiny black dress, carrying her heels in her hand. Sam took off his jacket and slung it around her shoulders.
“If you were a real gentleman you’d carry me,” Stella teased, pulling the coat tighter around her shoulders and shoving her hands deep into the pockets. Sam scoffed, heels swinging between his fingers.
“I’m not that big of a sucker.” She punched him lightly in the shoulder.
They passed a bar, music spilling out onto the street every time the door opened. There were several drunk men standing around by the back door, nursing bottles of beer. Sam scented the air; bear shifters. One of the men looked up as they passed and he unconsciously stepped in front of Stella.
“Is that one of David’s boys?” one of them slurred. Sam sighed, he really wasn’t in the mood for this.
“Evening, fellas, we’d love to stay and chat but my friend here is really not dressed for the cold weather and I don’t want her catching a cold, so, if you’ll excuse us...” He turned, trying to get away before his words fully registered. He wasn’t in the mood for a bunch of macho douchebags looking for a fight, but the man moved in front of them to block the path, the others crowding around him like a flock of sheep. They were swaying on their feet, not an actual threat at all but Sam still felt his bear start to growl.
“All alone tonight, cub? Where’s your little friends?” he leered. Sam bristled – he was getting really sick of being called a cub. He cast Stella a glance and rolled his shoulders, taking a step forward.
“Luckily for you, it’s just me today.” The gun felt heavy in his waistband but he didn’t reach for it. No sense in pulling a gun on a bunch of drunken thugs. Besides, he thought gleefully, it's been a while since I’ve had a decent brawl. “Which will make this more of a fair fight.”
He squared his feet, ready to shift but apparently he didn’t need to. The first guy sprinted at him, clumsy human fists aiming for Sam’s jaw. He sidestepped, tripping his attacker and sending him tumbling into the dirt. Another man barreled into him from behind and Sam grunted as he too hit the ground. The guy was heavy and stank like shit. He fumbled, trying to get his hands around Sam’s neck but Sam got his feet up under him and kicked him hard in the stomach. The enemy shifter groaned and Sam easily rolled him away. He got to his feet, scowling at the layer of dirt on his clothes and turned to find the rest of the drunkards on the ground, grunting and groaning like they were pinned down. Sam turned to Stella, smirking at the look of bored disinterest on her face as she kept the men immobilized.
“Like I said,” she told him cockily, “I can take care of myself.”
Sam spread his arms in a sign of surrender and dusted himself down.
“Hey, I never said you couldn’t.” They started walking once more, Stella still shivering despite the coat. Sam sighed and dropped down.
Stella raised an eyebrow, confused.
“Uh…what are you doing?”
His knees started to ache and he huffed, pulling her toward him by the coat sleeve.
“Apparently, I’m more of a sucker than I thought. Hurry up before I change my mind.”
Stella grinned and leaped onto his back, legs wrapping around his waist. He adjusted his grip under her knees, bent down to grab her heels between two fingers and continued down the path.
The agency looked more like an old library than a headquarters, although Sam supposed that was the point. Can’t have a secret organization if everyone knows about it.
He and Stella said their goodbyes and Sam made his way down the winding hallways to David’s office, barely paying attention to his surroundings – he knew the building like the back of his hand anyway.
Axel, Even and William were waiting for him outside the door.
“You look like you had a fun night,” Axel smirked, noting the layers of dirt and sweat down his front. Sam flipped him off and he laughed. “Stella give you a fun time?”
“Don’t say it like that,” Sam protested. “Makes it sound like we’re dating. Even will get upset.”
“Oh fuck off,” Even growled, batting him away. Sam grinned, reaching out to ruffle his friend's hair. They had all joined the agency at the same time, living and training together for years with David as their alpha. Sam never thought he’d know family again after his parents died but now, seven years later, he had three friends as close as brothers and even a father-figure of sorts, not that he’d ever tell David that.
“We got cornered by some assholes on our way back here, one of them got me from behind.”
“Sounds like you need more training then, Sammy boy.”
Sam grimaced at the nickname. “Please don’t call me that.”
Even opened his mouth to retort but the door opened behind them and David looked out at them.
“Could you guys keep it down a little bit? Some people need to get work done.”
“Some people aren’t supposed to be here at all,” William quipped, stepping past him and into the office. Sam and the others followed him in. “We’re supposed to be going out for drinks tonight.”
David’s office was small, cluttered with worn furniture and lined with shelves of books older than any of them put together. When he first arrived, Sam used to spend hours in one corner poring over anything and everything he could get his hands on.
David moved past them and took a seat behind his desk. Sam joined Axel where he rested against one of the bookcases.
“And once I’ve briefed you, you can go.” David recl
ined in his chair. “Sam, how’s Stella? Any problems?”
“Nothing much to report. She got everything she needed and I got to stand around stone-cold sober in a club full of drunk, horny humans. I don’t know why you insist on a full debriefing every time we do anything, I could have sent you a text.” David ignored him and turned to Even where he was sitting in the only other chair in the room, thumbing through what looked like an old set of fairy tales.
“And you two?”
“We followed up on a couple of leads for the missing person case,” Even said, putting down the book. “Nothing yet but did get a whiff of a weird scent leading into the forest.”
They all frowned at him, William scooted forward in his chair.
“What kind of weird?”
It was Axel who answered him, crossing his arms over his chest and shrugging.
“Don’t know – there was bear scent, definitely but it was… Weird is literally the only word I can think of to describe it.”
David looked pointedly at Sam, gesturing at Axel.
“And that is why we need the debriefing,” he quipped. “I’ll send some of the witches down tonight, get them to try a tracking spell.” He scrubbed one hand over his face and Sam felt a pang of sympathy. For such a small town, problems seemed to be drawn to them like moths to a flame and their alpha wore all of those problems on his face. The older bear looked exhausted. “Alright, you guys can go – have a good night.”
“Sir, yes sir,” they chorused.
David waved them out of his office with a rueful grin.
Sam convinced the others to go to the bar on the other side of town, not wanting another run-in with the drunkards. It was barely a mile out of their way, the perks of living in a tiny town in rural Connecticut, and they breezed through the door barely twenty minutes after leaving the agency.
Much like every other building in town, the bar was old fashioned, dimly lit and made seemingly exclusively for people under five-feet-five.
They crowded into a table in the corner, William grabbing the first round of drinks, and settled in for a long night. It had been a busy few weeks for them all and it felt good to finally get some time to relax and unwind.
“We should play baseball again sometime,” William said, gulping down half of his beer in one go. He was already tipsy, glass swaying from side to side as he talked. He always was a lightweight, Sam thought with a smirk. “Remember? We played all the time when we were training.”
Sam smiled at the memory of David pitching way too hard to each of them, the ball smoking with how hard it would hit the bats.
“If I remember right, you sucked at baseball, Will,” Axel teased. William squawked in protest, sending the rest of them into fits of laughter that drew the attention of the entire bar. Sam looked around, sending the other patrons of the bar an apologetic smile…and froze. There was a woman sitting at the bar, a vivid red cocktail in front of her. She had a phone pressed to her ear but she was looking right at him behind a pair of glasses, her eyes the brightest green eyes he’d ever seen. He couldn’t look away. Long, dark hair tumbled down her back, curling in soft waves that Sam wanted desperately to run his fingers through.
Axel nudged him, snapping his attention back to the table. All three of his friends were smirking at him.
“Oh, shut up,” Sam said, resolutely not blushing.
“We didn’t say anything,” William told him with a knowing smirk.
“I could hear you thinking.” They laughed and Sam flipped them the bird, taking a large glug from his drink to hide his face. Axel looked at him consideringly then clapped a hand onto his arm.
“You know we’re joking, bud, but it’d be nice to see you with a girl.”
“Yeah, it been what? Three years since Lizzie?” The other two nodded in agreement and Sam couldn’t help but smile at his friends.
“About that, yeah.” He’d been lonely and Lizzie had been there, cute and friendly, plus she actually liked him. But she’d wanted more than he could give her. Working for the agency gave him barely any free time at all. They’d argued a lot and whilst the sex had been amazing, they’d quickly learned that great sex didn’t save a failing relationship. He hadn’t thought about her for years – her or relationships – but that hadn’t stopped him from wanting. His gaze moved back to the woman at the bar, watching as she took small sips of her drink.
“Go talk to her.” Even’s voice broke through his thoughts and Sam recoiled.
“Nope. Not happening.” What would I even say to her?
“Come on, Sammy, you don’t need to marry the girl but you can at least go talk to her if you’re interested.” Sam liked sex as much as the next guy but the idea of a one-night stand had never appealed to him. If he was going to be with someone, he wanted to have a relationship.
“Yeah, you could do with a good lay, might loosen you up a bit.” They all laughed and Sam glared around the table.
“Fuck off, all of you.” Their phones all chimed in unison and Sam opened his text messages. “Well, look at that, the old man can text.”
“A group text at that,” William said wryly. “Sorry to interrupt your night but something’s happened. Come back to the agency,” he recited. “Well, there goes our good time.”
The girl at the bar watched them leave and Sam felt a pleasant shiver go down his spine.
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Also by Brittany White
Kindle-melting delicious stories for your reading pleasure. Get ready to get lost into the world of sexy shifters who are over-the-top alpha males, obsessed and super protective for their mates, and so…much…more!
Each of the book in these series has a new couple and a happily every after!
Billionaire Bear Shifter Boxset
NATHAN
“The most gruff, strong and silent brother”
ERIC
“The most easy going one who effortlessly makes everyone happy”
CODY
“Little bit angry but always loyal”
CONNOR
“Alpha brother who’s in charge of everything”
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Dragon Shifters of Kahului Series Boxset
The Alpha Dragon's Secret
The Alpha Dragon's Mate
The Alpha Dragon's Bond
The Alpha Dragon's Protection
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Firefighter Wolves Shifters Series Boxset
Obsessed with the Alpha Wolf
Craved by the Alpha Wolf
Claimed by the Alpha Wolf
Seduced by the Alpha Wolf
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Irish Dragon Shifter Brothers Series (NEW)
Billionaire Dragon's Nanny
Doctor Dragon’s Fake Bride
Lawyer Dragon’s Surrogate
Sheriff Dragon’s Secret Baby
Professor Dragon’s Virgin
Soldier Dragon’s Second Chance
About the Author
Brittany White is the author of hot paranormal romance. She began writing short stories for family and friends. Her vivid imagination and love of mysteries and romance eventually led her to follow her dreams to become a published author.
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