ShiftinDirty-ElizaGayle (2 page)

Now she was ready for battle.

Chapter Two

Robert Gage stared into his coffee, fighting the urge to throw the cup across the room. For months he and his makeshift family had endured the twists and turns that came with a shifter pregnancy, as Nikki, the latest addition to the Dark Moon household and mate to Dean, their leader’s older brother, progressed from sassy female to she devil status and back again.

When they finally thought she was through the worst of it and the cub safe, an insatiable sex drive took over her brain. This led to Nikki and Dean having nonstop sex everywhere he turned. With shifters comfortable in both their naked forms and their overt sexuality, the need for privacy didn’t often come into play.
 

This meant if he wasn’t careful, he often came across the two of them going at it. Not that he needed to see or hear it to feel it. The pheromones rolled off Nikki in thick waves that blanketed the entire house, leaving everyone affected and on edge.
 

Basically he needed to get laid.
 

Not just laid, he needed to lock himself in a room with a willing female and not come out until neither one of them could walk or think straight. Then maybe do it all over again.

“I need something stronger.”

“Yeah.” Calder, the lone bear shifter in this region and the newest addition to their makeshift family, grunted.
 

“Y’all sound pathetic,” Bhric called out from behind the bar.
 

He would have called out Bhric but he’d seen the increased worry etched in their fearless leader’s face over these last few weeks too. They were all on edge whether they wanted to admit it or not.

Before anyone could say anything, a loud scream from Nikki pierced the air. Robert’s claws sprang from his fingertips and scraped the length of the wooden table and Calder roared next to him sounding more like the bear inside him instead of the human still sitting in the chair.

What they could see and scent were one thing, but the sound of the feline in the throes of an orgasm pushed them all to the edge.
 

“You need to install soundproofing.”
 

Bhric looked up from whatever had caught his eye to reveal the golden glow of his eyes. “You think there’s soundproofing that can hide that?”

 
Yep, there were all suffering and nope, no soundproofing would contain a feline scream like that. He dreaded the thought of how they’d all suffer when she finally went into labor. Her pain would be the death of them.

Robert scraped back his chair. “I’ve got to get out of here. Another minute of this and I’ll be ready to kill someone.”

Calder mumbled his agreement and while Bhric remained silent, he felt the same kind of raw energy emanating from the other man.

He headed for the door and some sort of freedom.
 

“Where are you going? It’s dangerous to roam like that.”

Robert didn’t want to listen to common sense from his leader. He needed out right now. “I can handle this out there.” He pointed through the window. “What I can’t handle is sitting here for another minute.”

Bhric walked around the bar and moved close. “Out there you could do some serious damage. At least in here we can control each other.”

Robert lifted his arms and shoved his fur covered hands in Bhric’s face. “This is not fucking control. I may be sitting here like a human, but I sure as hell ain’t thinking like one. The thoughts running through my head would get me killed.”

Bhric shook his head. “It’s more normal than you think. It’s the fact we’re trying to live like humans that makes this so difficult. We weren’t made to live this close together. Shifters need space.”

“Exactly. And right now space is what I’m going for.” He turned away from his leader and pushed the door open, welcoming the fading sunshine and the fresh air.

“Don’t go far and keep your cell phone handy. And for Goddess’ sake stay away from humans tonight. That’s all I need is a report of some shifter kidnapping a human female.”

Robert was barely listening to Bhric as he threw his leg over his bike and settled into the seat before strapping on his helmet. This fresh air thing was starting to feel like his best idea yet.
 

He flipped the switch to turn on the bike and focused on the rumbling of the vicious engine beneath him. He twisted the throttle and shot out of the line of bikes in front of Dark Moon and headed out of the parking lot. Maybe if he was lucky by the time he got back Dean will have fucked his little kitty into unconsciousness.
 

Robert’s stomach tightened. He did not want to think about Nikki and Dean fucking anymore. Shit. On that final thought, he turned his bike onto the highway and pointed it due west, willing the road and the roar of his pipes to clear his mind. He needed a vacation.

***

After a few hours of riding in circles, Robert pulled off the highway and into the somewhat familiar parking lot of a human bar called the Thunderhog. He and the guys had stopped here once before on their last run to Sweetwater.
 

A biker bar wasn’t a bad place for him to stretch his legs and get something to drink. The patrons here tended to mind their own business and stick to their own groups as long as no one made trouble.
 

He intended to avoid any problems with the humans. The long ride away from Dark Moon had done him some good, easing a little of the tension riding him so hard these last few months.
 

He strolled to the door, pulled it open and inhaled deeply. Something in the air made his gut tighten and he knew instantly stopping was a grave mistake. Driven to locate the source of trouble, he caught a flash of pink from the corner of his eye. A moment later that pink filled his vision as a human woman with curves from here to tomorrow walked by him carrying a tray of drinks.

And he stood there like an idiot watching her every move. Every hip wiggle as she moved, every flip of her hair as she spoke to the bikers she served, and the sweet smile that played across her face as the men flirted with her.
 

Holy shit.

The sound of breaking glass from his left jarred him from his trance. He turned to find another waitress bent over picking up shards of a shattered glass. That break of concentration gave him enough motivation to find a seat. Because some of the men at the table where the woman served were getting a little grabby he opted for the table behind them.
 

This position also put his back to the wall with a clear view of the entrance to his left. He had no expectation of trouble, but a shifter, especially alone, in a human bar meant he remained on alert the entire time.

“Can I get you something?”
 

The waitress’ voice this close shot through him, making his groin ache. That was nothing compared to her scent. She smelled like a cross between red ripe berries straight off the vine and something a little darker he couldn’t quite place. He lifted his head, making sure not to pause as her breasts passed through his field of vision. Unlike shifters, human women were sensitive about their bodies and men looking at them.

“Just a beer. Whatever’s on tap.”
 

She smiled, setting a coaster down on the table in front of him. “Sure thing, I’ll be right back.”

When she turned away his body tightened. The denim skirt she wore fit her like a glove, outlining the sweet curve of each round buttock of one fine ass. The wolf inside him gave a little whine, making his skin grow tight as fur pushed at his pores. Gage counted to ten, making sure the woman was across the room before he reached down to adjust.
 

What the hell was wrong with him?

Goddamn pregnancy hormones from Nikki were still wreaking havoc on his system that’s what. Time to make a quick exit before he did something he’d regret like lay out the pretty pink waitress across his table and make a feast out of her.
 

He groaned, pushing back his chair.

“That’s one easy piece of ass right there. Girl like her looks so desperate, she’ll probably fuck anyone if fatties are your thing.”

Gage froze midway out of his chair.

“Yeah, I could tap that.”

“I called her first. I’ve had one hell of a week and she looks like she knows how to suck some dick like she owns the place.”

The other male laughed. “Fine. You go first. I’m sure she won’t mind a little sex-go-round. Hell, she’ll probably even give us a nice please and thank you.”

A low snarl from his wolf rumbled in his chest. Gage understood the sentiment exactly as he tried to see past the red haze now filling his head and failed. He didn’t even know the name of the woman in question and he wanted to rip the heads off the two callous mother fuckers sitting near him.

“Are you okay?”

The question was dim through the roaring in his head, but he heard it. He turned his head away from the other table and looked up at the woman standing over him. The concern shining in her eyes sent his resistance tumbling to the ground. Without thinking, Gage leaned forward and placed his hand on her hip in a sudden need for connection. He pulled her forward.

“Uhm. Excuse me.”

He realized too late what he’d done as he jerked away from her. “Sorry,” he muttered.
 

A strange look crossed her face before it disappeared into a blank mask he could no longer see through. Although he didn’t always read humans right, he understood women and he’d swear he got a glimpse of pure, unadulterated hunger. She hastily dropped the drink on his table and rushed away.
 

Thoroughly annoyed with both his reaction and the assholes sitting nearby, he sat back in his seat and swiped the beer from the table.
 

A glare from one of the dicks at the next table made it clear they’d seen his little faux paus. He lifted his mug in a mock salute and drank the entire glass in one breath.
 

“Asshole,” someone said.

Gage grinned. He didn’t need to start a fight with some jerks in leather cuts, but cutting into their bullshit plans with the waitress gave him more satisfaction than he expected. Unfortunately, the door swung open and another group of bikers walked in and joined the assholes at their table. Except these weren’t ordinary men, he scented a shifter among them.

The two he’d overheard before filled in the newcomers and they all turned to stare at him. He had a bad feeling this wasn’t going to go well when two of them edged closer to him.

“You trying to horn into our territory mijo?”

Gage had no idea what a mijo was, but he didn’t need to. He saw the thirst for blood in their eyes without need of words.
 

“I don’t give a crap about your territory. What I do have a problem with is you and your friends insulting the pretty waitress.”

All the men gathered around the table laughed. A younger human one spoke next. “Seriously? You’re going to start trouble over some fat bitch waitress?”

Gage lunged at the same time the woman in question gasped.
 

Chapter Three

Sienna stared, momentarily stunned by the fact one of the grungy, but better looking than most of his friends, bikers she’d been waiting on hand and foot all day had called her a fat bitch. It wasn’t the first time she’d heard those words and she doubted it would be the last. However, that was rich coming from a group of scraggly bearded, dirty clothes wearing jerks with beer bellies straining their no longer pristine white wife beaters.

Yes, she was a big girl, but she’d been nothing but nice to everyone in this bar no matter what crap came out of their mouths.
 

She didn’t care anymore that some of them looked good and she’d spent some time this afternoon wondering what they looked like underneath the too long hair and the overgrown facial hair.

I am not a bitch.

When one of the tables in front of her crashed to the ground she broke free from her internal thoughts keeping her frozen with a squeak. Fists were flying and there were a lot of strange growls coming from within the free for all.
 

“Enough.” Tiny Mae came around the bar with a shotgun in her hand. “You boys take that shit outside right now or a round of buckshot is going in someone’s ass.” To emphasis her words, she cocked the shot gun, the sound of a bullet going into the chamber ricocheting through the bar.

To Sienna’s amazement, fists stopped in mid air and heads turned toward the old woman leveling a gun at their backs. Slowly they stood, some pulling their buddies off the floor along with the table and chairs.
 

“Glad to see you finally remembered my rules. Now clean your shit up and get the hell out. I don’t want to see any of you back in here before tomorrow. I’ve had more than enough of ya for one day.” She turned around and started back to the bar while calling out. “And don’t forget to leave your waitress a generous tip for putting up with you and your crap.”

Half the men walked out without saying a word, while the others helped clean up the mess, including the gorgeous one who’d grabbed her when she served his beer. His short, dark blond hair was sticking up in every direction and the angry look on his face made him look as dangerous as he was sexy.